National Theatre of Scotland unveils 2027 season

The National Theatre of Scotland has announced its 2027 programme.

The programme will include The Trick Is to Keep Breathing, adapted by Michael Boyd from Janice Galloway’s 1990 novel and directed by Caroline Hall. The production will tour the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh from 12 to 15 May, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow from 19 to 29 May and Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 2 to 5 June 2027.

The novel follows Joy Stone, who is struggling to cope with the deaths of her mother and lover. The new production will feature three actors embodying Joy and her stream of consciousness. Boyd first adapted and directed the work at the Tron Theatre in 1995. He died in 2023.

When Our Time Comes, a new thriller written and directed by Adura Onashile, will premiere in Edinburgh in August 2027, following previews at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow in July. Developed in collaboration with Nhlanhla Mahlangu, whose credits include Dark Noon, the play explores caste, colonialism and cycles of violence. The full cast and creative team will be announced at a later date.

Johnny McKnight’s She’s Behind You will return for a UK tour from 8 September to 23 October 2027. Written and performed by McKnight and directed by John Tiffany, the production explores his experiences of working in pantomime over more than 20 years.

Following its Edinburgh Festival Fringe run in 2025, the tour will open at Macrobert Arts Centre in Stirling before visiting Ayr Gaiety, Eden Court in Inverness, Lyric Theatre Belfast, Dundee Rep Theatre, Tron Theatre Glasgow, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, Northern Stage in Newcastle and His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen.

The National Theatre of Scotland and The Walk Productions will present The Herds in Edinburgh on 25 and 26 June 2027. Directed by Amir Nizar Zuabi, the public art project features life-sized animal puppets, including a wildebeest, gorilla, giraffe, elephant and reindeer, which will process through the city before a performance at Princes Street Gardens’ Ross Bandstand. The event will include a specially created choir, youth performers and aerial choreography by All or Nothing Aerial Dance Theatre. Community participation and school workshops will also be available.

Another world premiere will be The Young Team, adapted by Kieran Hurley from Graeme Armstrong’s novel and directed by Rachel O’Riordan. A co-production with Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, it will premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2027, before transferring to the Lyric in September and the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow in October. The novel follows Azzy Williams, a teenager from Airdrie who becomes involved with a local gang. The stage adaptation will explore masculinity, friendship, violence and belonging.

Two stories selected through the National Theatre of Scotland’s nationwide True Story project will be developed for public presentation in autumn 2027. More than 200 submissions were received, with Lorraine Kelly acting as ambassador for the initiative.

The Story of Hamey and Dan, based on a story shared by Anne Tierney, concerns a daughter caring for her father, Dan, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. A Highland cow doorstop named Hamey became a source of comfort and laughter during his illness.

The Story of Force K6, based on research shared by Dr Saqib Razzaq of Colourful Heritage, tells the story of a group of Muslim soldiers from the Royal Indian Army Service Corps who escaped Dunkirk in 1940 before being sent to the Scottish Highlands in 1942. The men formed relationships with local communities while training in mountain warfare.

The company will also continue its work in hospitals through Trolleydarity: Scratch ’n’ Sniff Staycation for the Discerning Static Traveller. Created by Shona Reppe and Alan Grieve, the project will visit St Columba’s Hospice and the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, and the Royal Victoria Hospital in Dundee, between January and March 2027. The sensory experience uses soundscapes, scents and original artwork to offer patients, visitors and staff opportunities for escapism. The previous programme delivered 1,182 staycations across four hospitals.

Theatre in Schools Scotland will continue its tenth anniversary programme, offering free performances to schools until June 2027. Produced by National Theatre of Scotland and Imaginate, the programme includes live productions Pop! by Vince Virr Dance Company, Two in a Barrel by Ruxy Cantir and Sarah Rose Graber, Brrr by Hayley Earlam and Lightning Ridge by Catherine Wheels, alongside digital productions White: The Film and Super Special Disability Roadshow.

The National Theatre of Scotland will also continue its South Asian Project, which was established in 2021 to develop connections with South Asian artists and communities. A rehearsed reading of Romeo and Juliet 1947, written by Joeravar Sangha and Taqi Nazeer, will take place at the company’s Glasgow headquarters on 24 July 2027, in association with Glasgow Mela. The adaptation relocates Shakespeare’s story to Lahore in August 1947, against the backdrop of the partition of India.

Kal Sabir’s short film Kinaara (Edge), exploring dementia in South Asian communities, will premiere on National Theatre of Scotland channels in May 2027, with free screenings and discussions planned in community and care settings. Niall Moorjani’s Sellout, developed through the South Asian Playwrights’ Programme, will premiere as part of A Play, A Pie and A Pint’s lunchtime series at Òran Mór in spring 2027.

The company has also announced Sally Reid as its new associate director. She will join on a freelance, part-time basis for two years. Reid’s directing credits include Inexperience, Water Colour, Gallus in Weegieland and Aganeza Scrooge. She was also associate director on the National Theatre of Scotland’s recent tour of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

Three NTS Fellows, Emily Ingram, Nay Dhanak and Robin Paley-Yorke, will curate a programme of free development opportunities for artists in Scotland from 2027. The fellows are working across directing, dramaturgy and producing, while researching issues affecting the theatre sector.

Finally, six digital shorts created by Scottish theatre-makers and filmmakers will be released on BBC platforms in January 2027 as part of Future Acts, produced by National Theatre of Scotland in association with Shakehaus Productions and in partnership with BBC Scotland.