Listing Mon 8 – Sun 14 Sept 2025
What’s on Edinburgh’s stages this week?
A couple of major Autumn Season openings dominate attention this week: the Traverse has its first A Play, a Pie and a Pint lunchtime show; and the Festival Theatre has its first big touring musical.
First out of the lunchtime traps is Wallace (ends Sat: Tickets), a “sparky, original and historically aware” rap musical, according to our reviewer. Not, as some have said, the Scottish Hamilton – but it isn’t trying to be, and is all the better for it.
Dave Hook with Manasa Tagica in Wallace. Pic: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan
The Festival Theatre has the highly-regarded Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s production of Fiddler on the Roof (ends Sat: Tickets). It’s kept the “sold-out” signs busy on its tour so far, but the Festival has opened its upper circle, to there is still good availability.
The canny eye will be turned to the Scottish Storytelling Centre, where two smaller touring shows have a World and a Scottish premiere this week.
Beastie from Flagstone Theatre (Thurs: tickets) sees solo performer Fraser Sivewright dig out the human stories behind some of Scotland’s murkiest monster tales in Izzy Gray’s script with original music from Shooglenifty’s Quee MacArthur.
Ben Rivers’ The Invaders’ Fear of Memories (Sat/Sun: Tickets) is based on the life and diaries of Yosef Nachmani – a Russian Jew who migrated from Tsarist Russia to Ottoman Palestine in 1907.
Sadly (for the ticketless), this week’s top tip at the Traverse – the return of the Cauld Blast Orchestra (Sat: Tickets), formed as the band for Communicado’s Jock Tamson’s Bairns – is returns only. Queue early!
Listings:
For the following week’s listings, look here: On Stage the Following Week.
The current week’s listings are here: On Stage This Week.
Click on the name of the show or the Book here link to go to its ticketing site.
Church Hill Theatre
33 Morningside Road, EH10 4DR.
SCOTLAND (Artie’s Singing Kettle)
Sun 14 September 2025.
One performance: 2pm.
It’s back to basics for Artie in his SCOTLAND show. All the originals: Eelly Alley O, Three Craws, Tattie Soup and of course last year’s number one: Shove Yer Granny. Dress up in tartan for the show. Book here.
Festival Theatre
13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000.
Fiddler on the Roof
Tue 9 – Sat 13 Sept 2025
Evenings: 7.30pm; Mats: Weds, Sat: 2.30pm.
The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s sold-out electrifying production. It’s 1905 in the tiny village of Anatevka where Tevye, a Jewish milkman, lives his life by their proud traditions. As his daughters challenge his beliefs, against the backdrop of a changing world, can Tevye hold on to his roots, or must he bend to the will of his children and learn to embrace the unfamiliar? Book here.
Playhouse
18 – 22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA. Phone booking: 0844 871 3014.
Strange but True Crime with Jennifer Rees
Tue 9 Sept 2025
One show: 7.30pm.
In this new show, Jennifer explores stories such as the serial killer who gained work in law enforcement whilst on the run – and ended up hunting himself; the female, balloon-carrying killer clown; serial killers on game shows – how their appearances led to their identification, and many more stories. Book here.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
43-45 High St, EH1 1SR. Phone booking: 0131 556 9579.
Beastie
Thurs 11 Sept 2025.
Evening: 7.30pm.
Blending dark humour and raw storytelling with contemporary lighting, animation and an original folk score, Beastie is a captivating solo odyssey through Scotland’s wild places — where memory and myth blur, the past refuses to stay buried, and the human stories behind some of the country’s murkiest tales begin to surface. Book here.
The Invaders’ Fear of Memories (Ben Rivers)
Sat 13/Sun 14 Sept 2025.
Sat: 7pm, Sun: 2pm
Based on the life and diaries of Yosef Nachmani – a Russian Jew who migrated from Tsarist Russia to Ottoman Palestine in 1907. The play offers a perspective into the origins of settler-colonialism and apartheid in modern-day Israel, exploring themes of loyalty, violence, ideology, and grief. Book here.
Traverse
10 Cambridge Street, EH1 2ED. Phone booking: 0131 228 1404.
Wallace (PPP)
By Rob Drummond (book) & David Hook (music & lyrics).
Tue 9 – Sat 13 Sept 2025
Lunchtime: 1pm (Trav 2).
Through the medium of hip hop – basically folk music in caps not cardigans – three performers bring historical figures such as Robert the Bruce, Edward Longshanks, and Marion Braidfute to life as they retell the story of William Wallace from birth to his glorious death, and beyond… Book here.
Cauld Blast Orchestra
Sat 13 Sept 2025
Evening: 7.30pm (Trav 1).
The legendary Cauld Blast Orchestra, dormant for 20 years, is reborn with a new expanded line-up. Formed in 1990 for Communicado’s Jock Tamson’s Bairns, they took their eclectic hybrid of folk, jazz, rock, and classical to WOMAD, London Queen Elizabeth Hall, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Stockholm Koncerthuset, Celtic Connections, BBC Radio 3 Here & Now (recorded at the Traverse), BBC2 and more. This performance will feature their “greatest hits”, with many tunes from their two CDs, and other crowd favourites. Book here.
ENDS
