National Theatre of Scotland at 20

06 Nov 2025

Celebrating 20 years of game-changing theatre – a year-long programme of what NTS does best. 

Including three world premieres, five tours across Scotland, gig theatre and a much anticipated new musical, urgent work responding to the current climate, an adaptation of a Scots classic, a major creative response to testimony from the Cared Experienced community, a call out to the nation to inspire a show, a special free TiSS at 10 programme for schools and a wealth of world-class Scottish theatrical talent taking over Scotland’s stages in 2026.     

MAJOR TOUR OF SCOTTISH CLASSIC – SCOTTISH PREMIERE  

• THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE – adapted from the Muriel Spark novel by David Harrower, directed by Vicky Featherstone and featuring Gayle Rankin as Miss Jean Brodie. The Scottish premiere of a new adaptation of the Muriel Spark classic, bringing acclaimed Scottish actor Gayle Rankin back to Scotland’s stages following a high-profile screen and US stage career.    

Opening at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and touring to The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow; His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen; and Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 02 October to 07 November 2026.  

A National Theatre of Scotland production in partnership with The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and in association with Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

MAJOR NEW TOURS/WORLD PREMIERES  

• Stand & Deliver: The Lee Jeans Sit-In by Frances Poet, directed by Jemima Levick. From an idea conceived by Paul English and Frances Poet. 45 years since the legendary occupation of the Lee Jeans factory in Greenock, Stand and Deliver: The Lee Jeans Sit-In tells a powerful and personal story of political resistance, workers’ determination and lifelong friendships. Performed with a live 80’s soundtrack.  

Opening at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow, touring to Aberdeen Arts Centre; the Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy; Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh; Byre Theatre, St Andrews; Eastgate Theatre, Peebles; Mull Theatre, Eden Court, Inverness; Cumbernauld Theatre, Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock, from 24 April to 10 June 2026.  

A National Theatre of Scotland and Tron Theatre Company co-production. 

A World Premiere.

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED  

• THE HIGH LIFE – The Musical, Still Living It! Story, Script and Lyrics by Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson and Johnny McKnight. Music by Forbes Masson, additional music by Alan Cumming. Directed by Andrew Panton. After a 30-year delay in the departure lounge, The High Life returns in a new musical spectacular featuring all four original cast members - Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson, Siobhan Redmond and Patrick Ryecart aka Sebastian Flight, Steve McCracken, Shona Spurtle and Captain Hilary Duff.

Opening at Dundee Rep Theatre and touring to His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen; Eden Court, Inverness; Festival Theatre, Edinburgh and King’s Theatre, Glasgow from 27 March to 23 May 2026. 

A National Theatre of Scotland co-production with Dundee Rep Theatre, in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts and Capital Theatres. 

A World Premiere. 

RETURN OF ACCLAIMED NTS PRODUCTION  

• THROUGH THE SHORTBREAD TIN – written and performed by Martin O’Connor and original production directed by Lu Kemp. Martin O’Connor’s acclaimed, playful epic returns by popular demand, tearing through Scottish history and the myths we tell ourselves. 

          “an entertaining and intelligent investigation into the illusions and inconsistencies of Scottish history, culture and identity.” ★★★★ - The Stage 

At the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and then touring to Scottish sited locations in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland in August and September 2026. 

A National Theatre of Scotland Production.

LARGE-SCALE NATIONWIDE SOCIALLY ENGAGED AND AUDIENCE FOCUSSED PROJECTS  

• CARING SCOTLAND PROJECT, creatively led by socially engaged theatre artist, Nicola McCartney.  

• ONE HUNDRED VOICES is an interactive, audio-guided installation, bringing creative insight into living in the care system. It serves as an artistic act of recognition and celebration of the one hundred testimonies recorded through the Caring Scotland Project.  

The installation will premiere at the Scottish Parliament in August ahead of touring to The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow; Millennium Centre, Stranraer; Easterbrook Hall, Dumfries; Reid Hall, Forfar; Rothes Halls, Glenrothes from 12 August to 18 October 2026.    

• TEN PORTRAITS – a touring exhibition of portraits of the Care Experienced community captured by Chris Scott, Caring Scotland photographer in residence (April 2026 to February 2027).   

• THE SOUND COLLECTION - an audio collection of all the stories gathered from the listening project hosted as part of the archive of the National Library of Scotland from April 2026.   

Supported by The Weir Charitable Trust and The Rayne Foundation.   

National Theatre of Scotland in partnership with Who Cares? Scotland and the National Library of Scotland, funded with an award from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.  

• TRUE STORY – As NTS celebrates 20 years of bringing real life stories to dramatic life, the organisation will be issuing a Scotland-wide call out for true stories from the nation. Following a public vote one of these will be brought to theatrical life in November 2027. True Story will be launched in January 2026.   

• TISS AT 10 – A SPECIAL FREE PROGRAMME OF WORK FOR SCHOOLS   

To celebrate a decade of creativity, connection and performance magic, every Theatre in Schools Scotland performance will be free of charge for participating schools from August 2026 to June 2027 as part of a special TiSS at 10 anniversary programme. With four bold and inspiring productions already confirmed, TiSS at 10 will bring the thrill of live performance to more than 13,000 pupils across Scotland’s primary and some secondary schools.  

          TiSS at 10 is supported by Savendie and The Weir Charitable Trust.  

Supported by: Aberdeen Baker Incorporation, Aberdeen Performing Arts, Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, David and June Gordon Memorial Trust, MEB Charitable Trust, North East Arts Touring, Russell Trust and The Tillyloss Trust.  

Theatre in Schools Scotland is a National Theatre of Scotland and Imaginate partnership project. 

ARTISTIC, COMMUNITY SITED INTERVENTIONS  

• TROLLEYDARITY – A SCRATCH N SNIFF STAYCATION at Western General Hospital in Edinburgh; St John's Hospital and East Lothian Community Hospital from 05 January to 30 March 2026. Co-curated by Alan Grieve and Shona Reppe with facilitators, Minnie Crook and Dan Brown.    

Offering patients and staff a unique Scratch ‘n’ Sniff staycation: the ultimate indoor experience for the discerning static traveller.  

Supported by: The Weir Charitable Trust and The William Grant Foundation  

 National Theatre of Scotland and NHS Lothian Charity: Tonic Arts Project

NEW WORK- RESPONDING TO THE CURRENT CLIMATE  

• A rapid response theatre project – creatively led by Hannah Lavery and Cora Bissett.  

“In the dark times, will there also be singing? Yes, there will also be singing. About the dark times.” — Bertolt Brecht. Two of Scotland’s leading artists and theatre-makers join forces to create a project that offers Scotland’s artists and communities the opportunity to respond with resistance and hope to the “dark times” we are living through.  

National Theatre of Scotland, as a theatre without walls, is ideally placed to respond creatively and nimbly to the current challenges facing individuals and communities in divided times.   

Full details to be announced.

CHANGE-MAKING/SOUTH ASIAN PROJECTS  

• CHANGE–MAKERS – Leah Byrne, Hannah Low and Andrea Ling, NTS Resident Fellows curate a programme to address sectoral inequities with workshops, surveys, a writer's programme, call outs and research, throughout the year. 

          Supported by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation  

• SOUTH ASIAN PROJECT – NTS’s ongoing commitment to create and develop work by South Asian artists for diverse communities.   

A new opportunity for South Asian playwrights, to have their work developed and programmed through the new South Asian Playwrights’ Programme with two new plays to be licensed by A Play, A Pie and A Pint for presentation in future seasons. In partnership with Bijli, A Play, A Pie and A Pint and Playwrights’ Studio Scotland.  

And a South Asian Scratch Night at the Citizens Theatre Studio on 08 October 2026; Curated by Niloo-Far Khan and Kal Sabir and presented by South Asian Artists in Scotland in association with National Theatre of Scotland and the Citizens Theatre. Full application details for the South Asian Scratch Night will be announced in 2026.

INTERNATIONAL  

• National Theatre of Scotland and Grid Iron are working in partnership with Great Leap Forward to secure international touring dates in 2026 and into 2027 for June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music and Me, the acclaimed award-winning production, written and performed by Charlene Boyd and directed by Cora Bissett.   

More details to follow in Spring 2026.

CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT           

• A year long programme of creative opportunities for schools and community groups, including First Nights: free tickets and a guaranteed good night out for twenty groups across the country, the popular Creative Careers sessions for schools, and the ever expanding Education Portal with new digital additions Make it Happen and Through the Shortbread Tin and, coming later in 2026, Stand and Deliver: The Lee Jean’s Sit In and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.  

First Nights supported by The Northwood Charitable Trust.

Creative Careers and First Nights are supported by The Stevenston Charitable Trust.

DIGITAL AND BROADCAST  

• National Theatre of Scotland’s ever-expanding repertoire of short films, features, digital and hybrid broadcast projects continue to be distributed across streaming platforms and to cinemas and festivals. Live projects include Kinaara, written and directed by Kal Sabir, Metamorphosis, written and directed by Gillian Katungi, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, directed by Hope Dickson Leach (streaming on Sky Arts and Marquee TV), Finding Seaglass by Hannah Lavery (BBC Sounds), The Fifth Step, by David Ireland, directed by Finn Den Hertog (NT Live). Further projects to be announced in 2026.

Jackie Wylie, Artistic Director/Joint CEO said  

“I am delighted to share our special 20th birthday season, which celebrates all that makes us a unique national theatre. The year encapsulates what National Theatre of Scotland (NTS) does best, with our special without walls model; a truly national theatre. We are touring widely across Scotland in 2026, taking work to wherever audiences are to be found.     

We are a National Theatre that has never played by the rules. This means we can present work in castles and hospitals, in community centres and schools as well as on the largest stages in Scotland.  We have a packed programme of productions featuring incredible Scottish talent, world premieres, exhilarating musicals, exceptional new plays, much loved classic texts, illuminating community projects and joyous gig theatre. 

We passionately believe in the power of theatre and its place in the cultural heart of the nation. In our 20th birthday year, we must continue to innovate to ensure the vitality and relevance of Scotland’s national theatre.  

We are so proud to deliver a programme that wrestles with the issues of our times, brings real stories to theatrical life and embodies the narrative of a nation – its past, present and future.”

Pictured: Leading artists and key people involved in NTS at 20. (L-R) Hannah Lavery, Vicky Featherstone, Maggie Wallace, Cora Bissett, Gayle Rankin, Paul English, Andrew Panton, Jackie Wylie, Martin O’Connor and Nic Green.

Picture courtesy of Kirsty Anderson.