Happy New Year! After a busy theatre calendar in 2025, this year is shaping up to be one of the biggest and most exciting years for theatre in Scotland in more than a decade.
To celebrate the start of 2026 we have compiled a list of some of the most anticipated shows playing in Scotland throughout the year.
Mischief Theatre are back! They are bringing the play version of their much-loved TV special Christmas Carol Goes Wrong to Scotland this February. Renowned for their hilarious stage plays The Play That Goes Wrong and Peter Pan Goes Wrong, the team use all the theatre tricks they possibly can to bring hilarious antics to audiences across the UK.
Playing Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre (Tues 10th – Sun 15th February 2026) and Glasgow’s King’s Theatre (Tues 17th – Sun 22nd February 2026).
Suzie Miller’s devastating play Prima Facie comes to Scotland featuring the tour de force that is Jodie Comer. Tessa is a young, brilliant barrister. She has worked her way up from working class origins to be at the top of her game; defending, cross examining and winning. An unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge.
This haunting insight into the legal world and the clear signs of a broken system, gained the production an Olivier Award and critical acclaim during it’s London run. Now the original creative team and Comer return for a UK Tour. Prima Facie‘s only Scottish dates is Tue 3 –Sat 7 Feb at The Royal Lyceum Theatre, athough the show’s run is already completely sold out.
The Citizens Theatre returned in 2025 with a bang, and it’s programme is packed to the brim with smashing original productions, revivals, and community outreach programmes to bring to the people of Glasgow and the surrounding areas. One of the most notable productions in 2026 is Dominic Hill’s new production of Samuel Beckett’s profound dark comedy Waiting For Godot. This production will star stage and screen veterans Matthew Kelly and George Costigan as Vladimir and Estragon. This will play the Citiz from Fri 20th February till Sat 14th March 2026.
Flabbergast Theatre bring their immersive and groundbreaking production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth to Scotland this year. After receiving five-star reviews during the show’s premiere run down south, audiences in Scotland will get to experience the company’s visceral, contemporary and revitalised production of this classic tale in 2026. Flabbergast are visiting Inverness’ Eden Court (Tues 17th – Wed 18th Feb), Dundee Rep (Thurs 19th – Sat 21st Feb), Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock (Fri 3rd April), Webster Memorial Hall in Abroath (Sat 4th April) and the Lighthouse in Cumbernauld (Sun 5th April).
The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and Melting Pot present the world premiere of the stage adaptation of David Nicholls’ hit novel One Day The Musical. Emma walks into Dexter’s life on the night of their graduation. One unsuspecting day that changes them both forever. But where will they be on this day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? This story was propelled back into the spotlight with it’s recent Netflix adaptation and now this new musical brings fans of the book another opportunity to explore the story of Emma and Dexter – make sure to prepare yourselves for a tear-jerker!
Tickets are now onsale, playing The Royal Lyceum Theatre Fri 27 Feb – Sun 5 Apr 2026.
Air Scotia returns in a brand new musical produced by National Theatre of Scotland, with all four original stars of the BBC Scotland comedy series (Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson, Siobhan Redmond and Patrick Ryecart) returning to tour the country with this fabulous new show.
Visiting Dundee Rep Theatre (SOLD OUT 27 Mar – 4 Apr & 6 – 9 May), Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre (7 – 11 Apr), His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen (14 – 18 Apr), Eden Court, Inverness (29 Apr – 2 May) and King’s Theatre, Glasgow (12 – 23 May).
Legally Blonde returns to Scotland in 2026 with a highly anticipated revival from Leicster Curve’s Artistic Director, Nikolai Foster. Starring Strictly Come Dancing 2025 finalist Amber Davies as Elle woods, this is garaunteed to be a fun and camp affair. Playing Glasgow’s King’s Theatre (Tue 7 – Sat 11 April), Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre (Tue 23 – Sat 27 June) and The Edinburgh Playhouse (Tue 29 September – Sat 3 October).
Alan Cumming strikes again with a production from his inaugural season as Pitlochry’s Festival Theatre’s Artistic Director. Cumming has shown great promise in his exciting programme, with audiences expected to flock to the theatre from all around the world. The most surprising was the announcement of Once The Musical being revived by it’s original Broadway creative team. With John Tiffany returning to direct, design from Bob Crowley and movement from Steven Hoggett. The Scottish debut of Once plays Pitlochry’s Festival Theatre auditiorium from 23 May – 27 Jun 2026.
Set in a Glasgow washhouse on Hogmanay in the late 1950s, The Steamie has become a staple of Scottish theatre. 2026 will see Tony Roper return to direct the play he originally wrote in the 1980s. The story follows four women, Dolly, Magrit, Doreen, and Mrs Culfeathers, as they gather for the final wash of the year in a Glasgow washhouse (“steamie”).
Audiences can expect a warm, funny and deeply human play that celebrates friendship, working-class resilience and the rituals of a bygone era. The show will tour Scotland stopping off at Dundee Rep (27th Aug – 12th Sept), The Ayr Gaiety (15th – 19th Sept), Macroberts Art Centre (21st – 26th Sept), Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre (29th Sept – 3rd Oct), Edinburgh King’s Theatre (5th – 10th Oct), The Alhambra Theatre Dunfermiline (29th – 31st Oct) and closing at Glasgow’s King’s Theatre (2nd – 14th Nov).
Another show from Alan Cumming’s debut season as Artistic Director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre is Noisemaker’s exciting new musical Ceilidh. The musical recently played audiences in the USA to much acclaim, due to it’s immersive nature and it’s catchy original. Noisemaker’s Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie have written the book and music for this production with direction and choreography from Sam Pinkleton. This is a new musical to watch on the Scottish theatre landscape, and it’ll be interesting to see how Scottish audiences take to this show based on one of our much loved traditions. Playing Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s auditorium 24 Sep – 17 Oct 2026.
The National Theatre of Scotland brings audiences a new stage adaptation of Muriel Spark’s novel, made famous by the 1969 feature film featuring the late great Dame Maggie Smith.
At the Marcia Blaine School for Girls, junior-school teacher Miss Jean Brodie is famously, in her prime. Each year, Brodie selects her ‘set’. The crème de la crème of girls whom she will shape through art and politics, stories of sexual liberation and titillating glimpses of the women they could become. In return, she demands utter loyalty from them all. This new production written by David Harrower and directed by Vicky Featherstone will star Gayle Rankin as Jean Brodie.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie will tour Scotland later this year, visiting Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre (Fri 2 – Sun 18 Oct), Citizens Theatre (Wed 21 – Sat 24 Oct), His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen (Thu 29 – Sat 31 Oct) and Pitlochry Festival Theatre (Wed 4 – Sat 7 Nov).
Back To The Future – The Musical
Back To The Future – The Musical has been gaining rave reviews, awards and sold out audiences on London’s West End and Broadway, now the stage adaptation of Robert Zemeckis’ hit 80s movie is heading to Scotland.
When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past and send himself… back to the future. Make sure to catch this time travelling extravaganza at the Edinburgh Playhouse (Wed 2 Dec 2026 – Sat 2 Jan 2027).
Panto is back at the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh! Oh yes it is! Allan Stewart, Grant Stott and Jordan Grey take to the stage of the old lady of Leven Street after five years of re-development for the much loved theatre. They return with a brand new pantomime production of Pinocchio which will include the trios usual hillarious antics, and a celebration for the return to panto’s rightful home in Edinburgh!
Theatre Scotland 