The National Theatre of Scotland today announced its 2024 season. A year of world premieres, tours and work at all scales, on stages across Scotland, England and beyond, including a programme of work for younger audiences, plus artist’s residencies, events, a touring exhibition and film and digital projects. The season features four world premieres; the return of two hit shows, back by popular demand; three productions at the Edinburgh Festivals and nine touring productions, heading to 45 venues across 28 locations in Scotland, England and Europe.

Extraordinary stories told by exceptional Scottish talent.

NEW PRODUCTIONS

• THE FIFTH STEP,a thrilling and provocative new play written by David Ireland and directed by Finn den Hertog. The taut two-hander features Jack Lowden, returning to Scottish stages for the first time since his theatrical debut in Black Watch in 2010. The Fifth Step will preview at Dundee Rep Theatre before opening at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, for a week’s run as part of the 2024 Edinburgh International Festival and then end with a week’s run at The Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow in August 2024.
• JUNE CARTER CASH: THE WOMAN, HER MUSIC AND ME, a new play written and performed by Charlene Boyd sharing the story of one of country music’s most iconic voices: June Carter Cash, directed by the multi-award-winning Cora Bissett. June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music and Me opens at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe ahead of a tour of Scottish cultural venues. A co-production with Grid Iron.
• THANK U, NEXT, a new dance theatre piece exploring the contemporary culture of cosplay, created by leading radical performance collective 21Common working with teenagers across Scotland. They will produce four unique productions presented at schools in Glasgow, Cumbernauld, Grangemouth and Lochgelly, for a run of public performances in February and October 2024 and then again in March 2025. Each production will be directed by 21Commoners Lucy Gaizely and Gary Gardiner, and performed by a mixed group of professional performers, school pupils and young collaborators who were involved in the original development of the piece.

RETURN OF AN AWARD-WINNING PRODUCTION

• ENOUGH OF HIM, the incisive and emotive, award-winning and critically acclaimed play based on the true story of Joseph Knight returns to stages in 2024. Enough of Him, written by May Sumbwanyambe and directed by Orla O’Loughlin with Omar Austin reprising his role as Joseph, will open in Edinburgh in October 2024 before touring to Dundee, Aberdeen, Chichester and Coventry. A co-production with Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED

• MAGGIE & ME, is a bold and explosive new production based on Damian Barr’s award-winning and darkly witty memoir about growing up gay in Thatcher’s Britain, adapted by Damian Barr and James Ley, directed by Suba Das. Opening at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow, before touring to Inverness, Perth, Cumbernauld, Dundee, Northampton and Edinburgh in Spring 2024. Full creative team announced.
• DEAR BILLY, a love letter to the Big Yin returns to Scottish stages after a successful tour of Scotland in 2023. Written and performed by Gary McNair, and directed by Joe Douglas, this critically acclaimed celebration of Billy Connolly will be heading to Aberdeen, Glasgow and Inverness before coming to the Assembly Rooms as part of the Assembly Festival programme for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH PRODUCTIONS

• AN ACCIDENT / A LIFE, an exciting new collaboration between Marc Brew and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. The semi-autobiographical piece has its world premiere at Holland Dance Festival in February 2024 before arriving in Glasgow for the UK premiere at Tramway in March 2024 ahead of further European international tour dates.
• SHŌ AND THE DEMONS OF THE DEEP, a timely new production for younger audiences aged 8 and over, from Independent Arts Projects (IAP) in association with National Theatre of Scotland. Shō and the Demons of the Deep is a visual adventure story about overcoming fear, climate crisis, and how the actions of one generation can affect the next, written by Zoë Bullock and directed by Shilpa T-Hyland, touring across Scotland in April and May 2024.
• TERO BURU, a new play by the late, great Beldina Odenyo which has been posthumously interpreted by Beldina’s sister, Leah McAleer and directed by Julia Taudevin. Beldina’s friends and collaborators have joined together with Leah to bring Beldina’s debut play to an audience. Tero Buru will be performed in Glasgow in autumn 2024, with full details of dates and venue to be announced. A Leah McAleer project produced in partnership with Disaster Plan and in association with National Theatre of Scotland.
• PROTEST, Natalie Ibu’s acclaimed production of Hannah Lavery’s new play embarks on a new tour across the UK, following a successful tour in 2023. Presented by Fuel, Imaginate and Northern Stage in association with National Theatre of Scotland, the show takes a timely look at the right to protest from the perspective of three young girls. Opening in Edinburgh in January, then touring to Newcastle, London, Nottingham, Harrogate, Cambridge, Colchester, Coventry, Poole, Plymouth and Exeter until March 2024.
• All 2024 productions will be produced to the Theatre Green Book intermediate standard with 75% of all materials having been pre-used.

DIGITAL

• A new short film by multi-disciplinary artist Gillian Katungi, who creates work under the name of PAIX, produced in partnership with the Africa in Motion Film Festival, inspired by her album Metamorphosis: Feeling My Way (to Freedom).

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

• Two new artists in residence Ross Mackay and Guy Woods will develop new plays and Alison Burnley and Ellie Davies from RiffRaff productions will take up their role as artists in residence in the Highlands in partnership with Eden Court Theatre.
• A further two new artists in residence, Roisin McLinden and Eoin McKenzie will develop community inspired work for the Company’s Neighbourhood project in North Glasgow.

CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT

• A packed programme of Artist Development and Creative Engagement opportunities – including new digital productions to be added to NTS’ Education Portal, Creative Career insight sessions for High School students, First Night opportunities for community groups across Scotland, a special creative industries event as part of the BBC’s Bring the Drama festival at Rockvilla and Portraits of an LGBTI+ Generationexhibition continues to be shown at Western General Hospital until summer 2024.
• Theatre in Schools Scotland continues bringing world class theatre to primary and secondary school pupils in their schools. Five productions will be touring in 2024. Poggle and Me by Barrowland Ballet;One of Two by Jack Hunter, presented by Independent Arts Projects;Gingerpresented by Tortoise in a Nutshell; Cloud Man by Constellation Points/Ailie Cohen and Lewis Hetherington, presented by Scottish Theatre Producers and Going for Gold: Me and Linford Christieby Victoria Beesley, presented by Catherine Wheels Theatre Company.
• Theatre for a Fiver tickets available across the majority of productions and venues for 14 to 26-year-olds and those on low-income benefits.