The Royal Lyceum Theatre is turning 60, but rather than barricading itself behind the velvet curtains of Grindlay Street for a self-congratulatory gala, Edinburgh’s theatrical grand dame is packing a bag and hitting the road. In a move that strips drama back to its most primal elements—a story, a teller, and a listener—the theatre has announced Lyceum at Home, a project destined for living rooms, care homes, and prisons across all 17 wards of the capital.
That is to say, if you have ever fancied hosting a world premiere between your sofa and the sideboard, now is your chance.
Four iconic voices define the city
The project, a cornerstone of the company’s 60th-anniversary celebrations under the stewardship of new Artistic Director James Brining, has commissioned four short plays from a quartet of writers who represent the city’s literary lifeblood. This isn’t a fringe experiment by unknowns; the roster includes Sunshine on Leith creator Stephen Greenhorn, and the city’s literary uncle-in-chief, Alexander McCall Smith.
Joining them are Apphia Campbell, the powerhouse creator behind the perennial Fringe sensation Black is the Color of My Voice, and the award-winning playwright and director Isla Cowan (She Wolf, To the Bone). It is a lineup that balances established heavyweights with dynamic contemporary voices, each tasked with reflecting the “lives, choices, and everyday moments” that make Edinburgh what it is.
From Leith to Colinton: A stage in every ward
The concept is deceptively simple: take the performance out of the imposing architecture of the theatre and place it where people actually live. It is an attempt to dismantle the invisible barriers that still keep many away from the stalls.
“Lyceum at Home is a really important project because it brings theatre directly to an audience in a space that feels really comfortable and familiar for them,” says Campbell. “The audience who’s watching it can think, ‘Oh, you know what, why am I intimidated to go to the theatre? I just want to hear a good story.'”
The logistics are as ambitious as the artistic intent. The Lyceum is currently seeking hosts across the city—from Leith to Colinton—willing to open their doors to these intimate live shows. Following the domestic tour, the four monologues will eventually converge back at the Lyceum for a “quadruple-bill” stage production from 18-20 June, offering the general public a chance to see the collected works.
“Lyceum at Home is a really important project because it brings theatre directly to an audience in a space that feels really comfortable and familiar for them…”
Apphia Campbell
Intimacy over spectacle: The anti-digital antidote
For Alexander McCall Smith, whose 44 Scotland Street series has long chronicled the idiosyncrasies of Edinburgh life, the commission was an easy yes. “Edinburgh is a constant inspiration for me and the idea of being able to write short plays about it was immensely appealing,” he said. “I think that’s a marvellous idea, getting people involved in the work of The Lyceum, which is a theatre at the heart of the city.”
There is also a sense of closing the circle for Isla Cowan, a former member of the Lyceum Youth Theatre. She views the project as a necessary counterweight to the digital noise of the modern age. “In an age of AI – when we can never be sure if what we’re seeing on our screens is real – live theatre is a necessary antidote,” she argues.
“I think that’s a marvellous idea, getting people involved in the work of The Lyceum, which is a theatre at the heart of the city.”
Alexander McCall Smith
For Greenhorn, the appeal lies in shifting the power dynamic. “Instead of trying to draw your audience into a theatre building, you’re actually going out to meet your audience on their own territory,” he notes. “This project boils down what theatre is, it’s a personal interconnection, a social experience. That sitting around a fire kind of intimacy of storytelling.”
Brining, who is marking his first programme at the helm, describes the initiative as an “exchange of hospitality”. It is a bold statement of intent for his tenure: a theatre that looks outwards rather than inwards, prioritising the “deep human drive to share stories” over spectacle.
Whatever the result, one thing is certain: the drama in Edinburgh is about to get a lot closer to home.
Featured Image: Lyceum @ Home_(L-R) Zinnie Harris (Lyceum Associate Artistic Director), Alexander McCall Smith, James Brining (Lyceum Artistic Director), Isla Cowan, Stephen Greenhorn and Apphia Campbell – Image Credit: Stuart Armitt
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