Listings Mon 7 – Sun 13 Sept 2026
What’s on Edinburgh’s stages this week…
Fringe Season is officially done and dusted as the Autumn Season opens with the LYAMC’s annual youth production at the Church Hill, not to forget a couple of major tours to the Festival and Playhouse theatres.
First out of the traps is the Lyceum, however, which gets stuck straight into it with The Taylor of Inverness (Mon/Tue: tickets), heralding the first full season its new regime of small-run touring productions mixed with the Lyceum produced shows.
Matthew Zajac in The Taylor of Inverness
Matthew Zajac has been touring his one-man (plus violinist) show about his Polish-Ukrainian father since the Fringe of 2008, when he won a Fringe First and a Stage Award for Acting Excellence, followed up by the CATS best actor award in 2009.
This is a rare chance to see his moving story of displacement and survival in war-torn Europe, a powerful allegory for all victims of war. Produced by Dogstar, and directed by Ben Harrison, it is brilliant performance from Zajac, recreating his own father in a journey of revelation that is performed with compassion and grace.
It’s followed by another long-running favourite when a mouse takes a stroll through the deep, dark wood as The Gruffalo arrives (Thur – Sun: tickets) in Tall Stories’ musical adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s must-read children’s picture book.
It’s another one which is hard to over-recommend, in a production which is both true to source material that will be familiar to many children (and adults) who can often recite it from memory, but adds considerably in its own telling. No wonder this is its 25th year!
So to the big local production, as the Lothian Youth Arts and Musicals Company give it some up at the Church Hill with their take on Bugsy Malone, the Musical (Thur-Sat: tickets).
There have been a couple of attempts by adult companies to stage Alan Parker’s adaptation of his 1976 film, which starred the young Jodie Foster and Scott Baio. But you really need a young company to make this prohibition-era gangster movie spoof work. Perfect for the young dreamers of the LYAMC, then.
The Silence of the Lambs
It’s the second production of the week to adapt a film which starred Jodie Foster. The Festival Theatre welcomes The Silence of the Lambs (Tue – Sat: tickets), complete with Clarice Starling seeking help from psychotic Dr Hannibal Lecter in her hunt for serial killer Buffalo Bill.
Although strictly speaking, the script for this Curve Theatre production, directed by Nikolai Foster, has seen playwright Gina Gionfriddon return to Thomas Harris’s 1988 novel rather than the Jonathan Demme’s 1991 movie. But the psychological tension is all there, drawing the audience deep into Clarice and Lecter’s intelligent, intricate, and bone-chilling game of cat-and-mouse.
On a rather lighter note, the Playhouse is coming over all Cole Porter with the arrival of High Society (Tue-Sat: tickets), the musical adaptation of the film of the stage comedy, it features Porter’s originals for the 1956 film enhanced by several songs from his catalogue.
This should be a big, voluptuous full-on fun, as Helen George takes on the role of Long Island socialite Tracy Lord, originally played by Grace Kelly in her last movie role before becoming Princess of Monaco. The plot’s a big stramash of up-market goings on: just as Tracy is about to marry her second husband, hunky first hubby Dexter turns up and, well, what with the champers and the skinny dipping and the under-cover reporters, its bound to get a little messy.
And finally, for those who remember the original, that Artie is back at the Church Hill Theatre with Artie’s Singing Kettle (Sun: tickets). Not that he ever really went away, he’s just been doing all those favourites solo for the last ten years. Anyone want to Buy Me A Banana?
Listings Mon 7 – Sun 13 Sept 2026
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.
Bugsy Malone (LYAMC)
Thur 10 – Sat 12 Sept 2026
Evenings: 7.30pm; Sat mat: 2.30pm.
The The Lothian Youth Arts and Musicals Company with their take on the adaptation of 1976 film which starred a preteen Scott Baio and Jodi Foster, and featuring a catchy, swinging score by the composer of The Muppet Movie. Good, clean, comedic spud-gun fun! All the better for being performed by a juvenile cast. Book here.
Artie’s Singing Kettle, LIVE
Sun 13 Sept 2026.
One performance: 2pm.
Songs to celebrate 10 years solo, Artie in his LIVE show. All the originals: Buy Me A Banana, Tattie Soup and of course Shove Yer Granny (has to be in the show). Don’t miss this show in the perfect venue for adults and children alike. Book here.
Festival Theatre
13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000.
The Silence of the Lambs
Tue 8 – Sat 12 Sep 2026
Evenings: 7.30pm; Mats Thur, Sat: 2.30pm.
When FBI trainee Clarice Starling is sent to interview the psychiatrist and infamous murderer Hannibal Lecter, it’s hoped his brilliant mind will help catch sadistic new serial killer. But Dr Lecter has questions of his own. Should Clarice keep a safe distance, or let Hannibal into her head? Book here.
Lyceum Theatre
Grindlay Street EH3 9AX. Phone booking: 0131 248 4848.
The Tailor of Inverness
Dogstar Theatre Company.
Mon 7/Tue 8 Sept 2026
Evenings: 7.30pm.
Matthew Zajac’s stunning show about his Polish-Ukrainian father has entranced over 40,000 people, playing all over the world. This is a rare chance to see this unforgettable and moving story of displacement and survival in war-torn Europe, a powerful allegory for all victims of war. Book here.
The Gruffalo
Thur 10 – Sun 13 Sept 2026
Thur: 1.30pm, 4.30pm; Fri-Sun: 10.30am, 1.30pm.
“A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood…” Tall Stories’ much-loved magical, musical adaptation of the classic picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler returns by popular demand, celebrating the show’s 25th anniversary. Book here.
Playhouse
18 – 22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA. Phone booking: 0844 871 3014.
High Society
Tue 8 – Sat 12 Sept 2026
Tue – Sat: 7.30pm; Wed, Thur, Sat mats: 2.30pm.
You’re invited to the most swell party of the year. Hot on the heels of Anything Goes and Kiss Me, Kate, this summer’s most eagerly anticipated production delivers another glorious dose of Golden Age musical theatre escapism. Book here.
*NB: This is intended to be a complete listing of all public theatrical productions on in Edinburgh. If you are staging a show which is not listed, or a listing is inaccurate, please get in touch through the contact page, here.
