The National Theatre of Scotland (NTS) has uncorked a vintage 2026 programme to mark its 20th anniversary—a battering ram of a celebration that affirms the company’s commitment to both box-office draw and the vital, socially engaged work that this very publication has long championed as their most important contribution. The year-long celebration re-affirms the company’s dedication to theatrical innovation, nationwide touring, and urgent storytelling.
The season is headlined by a major Scottish stage debut for actor Gayle Rankin in a new production of the literary classic The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and the long-awaited return of beloved comedy characters in the new musical The High Life.
In keeping with its “theatre without walls” model, NTS will present a swaggering slate of three world premieres, five major tours, galvanising community-focused projects, and a special free schools programme, ensuring that world-class Scottish theatrical talent reaches audiences across the country.
Rankin Returns to Scotland as Jean Brodie in Muriel Spark Adaptation
The most eye-catching element of the anniversary season is the Scottish premiere of David Harrower’s acclaimed adaptation of Muriel Spark’s novel, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. The production features Scottish actor Gayle Rankin (known for GLOW and House of the Dragon) in her National Theatre of Scotland debut as the charismatic but dangerously manipulative teacher.
This will be the first time Harrower’s visceral 2018 adaptation has been staged in Scotland. Rankin’s casting marks a significant homecoming, as she previously appeared as one of the schoolgirls in a 2003 production of the play at The Lyceum. The show is directed by NTS founding Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone, who returns to the company to shepherd the production two decades after its inception.
The season is headlined by a major Scottish stage debut for actor Gayle Rankin in a new production of the literary classic The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and the long-awaited return of beloved comedy characters in the new musical The High Life.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie will open at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in October 2026 before touring to The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow; His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen; and Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Featherstone noted that the story, penned in 1961, “feels as sharp, as shocking, as thrilling, as alive as it did on publication,” a testament to the serrated edge of Spark’s work.
‘Spite’s a good motivator’: The High Life Musical Soars After 30-Year Delay
One of the season’s most anticipated world premieres is the musical spectacular, The High Life: The Musical, Still Living It!. Based on the cult 1990s BBC Scotland sitcom, the show sees the original quartet—Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson, Siobhan Redmond, and Patrick Ryecart—reunite to reprise their roles as Sebastian Flight, Steve McCracken, Shona Spurtle, and Captain Hilary Duff.
This co-production with Dundee Rep Theatre is co-written by Cumming, Masson, and Johnny McKnight, with music by Masson and additional music by Cumming, and will be directed by Andrew Panton. After decades of clamour for its return, the musical will take flight at Dundee Rep Theatre in March 2026, before touring to venues including the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh and the King’s Theatre in Glasgow. The promise of the original cast and the creative team’s involvement guarantees a show rich in the characters’ signature dark humour and gleeful anarchic spirit.
SEO & Subheading Mastery: The Socially Charged Work that Defines NTS’s Integrity
Beyond the star-studded main stage shows, the NTS anniversary programme delivers on the singular promise that this publication has long celebrated: a theatre focused on socially charged work. With highly praised productions in its back catalogue, including the dark, working-class musical Orphans, the company continues to invest in projects that use the stage as a vital platform for the marginalised and the unheard.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie will open at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in October 2026 before touring to The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow; His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen; and Pitlochry Festival Theatre.
‘Stand and Deliver’: The Greenock Women Who Made History
Another world premiere, Stand & Deliver: The Lee Jeans Sit-In, written by acclaimed playwright Frances Poet and directed by Jemima Levick, brings a pivotal, hard-won moment in Scottish labour history to the stage. Performed with a live 80s soundtrack, the “gig theatre” production tells the powerful true story of the predominantly female workforce at the Lee Jeans factory in Greenock who, in 1981, staged a seven-month sit-in to save their jobs.
This production, a co-production with the Tron Theatre Company, is based on first-hand interviews with the women involved. The play’s stark resonance with current economic struggles makes its timing particularly poignant, echoing the importance we have previously ascribed to NTS work that speaks directly to working-class Scottish life. The tour, which runs from April to June 2026, includes a run at the Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock, close to the original factory site.
Amplifying Care Experienced Voices
NTS is also launching the Caring Scotland Project, a major creative response to testimonies from the Care Experienced community. This includes One Hundred Voices, an interactive audio-guided installation premiering at the Scottish Parliament in August, and a touring exhibition of portraits titled Ten Portraits. These projects, led by artist Nicola McCartney, showcase NTS’s distinct ability to transform vital social narratives into meaningful, unflinching art.
The Year Ahead: A Restless Cultural Engine
The company’s commitment to nationwide engagement is further cemented by the special free TiSS at 10 programme, celebrating a decade of Theatre in Schools Scotland by offering live performances free of charge to more than 13,000 pupils. Furthermore, the “True Story” initiative will issue a Scotland-wide call for real-life stories, with one winning narrative being developed for the stage in 2027, ensuring the national theatre remains deeply connected to the nation’s prevailing contemporary experiences. Other projects include a “rapid response theatre project” led by Hannah Lavery and Cora Bissett to address the “current climate” and ongoing work with South Asian artists.
Artistic Director and Joint CEO Jackie Wylie summed up the NTS’s philosophy for the year ahead, stating, “We are a National Theatre that has never played by the rules… We passionately believe in the power of theatre and its place in the cultural heart of the nation.” The 20th anniversary season is a vivid manifestation of this spirit. By balancing blockbuster returns, such as The High Life, with critically sharp, socially relevant work like Stand & Deliver, and the literary grandeur of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, the National Theatre of Scotland is set to deliver a year that is both a celebration of its past achievements and a powerful statement of its future direction as a vital, restless cultural engine.
Featured Image: L-R–Hannah Lavery,Vicky Featherstone,Maggie Wallace,Cora Bissett,GayleRankin, Paul English, Andrew Panton,Jackie Wylie,Martin O’Connor and Nic Green. Photo by Kirsty Anderson.
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