From small, lunchtime, shows, to the full West End experience, here are the four best places to take your seat, and wait for the curtain to go up.
Dundee
The city by the River Tay has always enjoyed a reputation for producing great drama.
The award-winning Dundee Repertory Theatre, formed in 1939, operates as a producing house, staging at least six of its own shows each year. It also welcomes touring productions from visiting companies across Scotland and the rest of the UK.
Dundee Rep has been the training ground for a host of big stars, including Hollywood star Brian Cox (Succession), and Broadway and TV star Alan Cumming. It also produced two Doctor Who stars, David Tennant, and Ncuti Gatwa.
For more info, visit the Dundee Rep's website.
As well as the Rep, the city is also home to both the Whitehall and Gardyne Theatre, which stage a variety of performances throughout the year.
Edinburgh
Every August, during the city’s famous International Festival, Edinburgh becomes one of the world’s drama hotspots, attracting leading professional and amateur productions from across the globe.
The Edinburgh Playhouse, The Festival Theatre, and The King’s Theatre ensure local audiences have the chance to see some of the UK’s most prolific actors and best touring productions on home turf.
The Bedlam Theatre, a unique, entirely student-run theatre, stages over 40 shows a year.
The Lyceum is one of Scotland's largest and most successful producing theatres.
One thing’s for sure, no matter what time of year you visit, Edinburgh will put on a good show.
Glasgow
As you would expect of Scotland’s biggest city, there’s no shortage of theatrics to be found in Glasgow.
With the innovative city centre Tron Theatre and the Oran Mor, a converted church in the West End, which runs the hugely popular ‘A Pie, a play and a pint’ lunchtime shows, Glasgow audiences, and visitors, have drama on their doorstep.
The city’s globally famous Citizens’ Theatre is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound upgrade. Situated in the Gorbals area of the city, The Citz, as locals call it, has been at the heart of Glasgow’s dramatic arts scene since the company was formed in 1943.
Glasgow is also home to the award-winning National Theatre of Scotland. A hotbed of new writing and innovative performances, the company has won numerous awards.
Elsewhere in the city, from the King’s to the Tramway, Websters to Cottiers, Glasgow boasts a year-round programme of theatre events guaranteed to suit all tastes.
Pitlochry
There is also a thriving drama/theatre scene in some of Scotland’s most scenic areas. The Pitlochry Festival Theatre was established in 1951. The theatre, at Port-na-Craig, in the heart of the Trossachs National Park, entertains locals and visitors with a wide programme of new productions and classic plays.
The venue’s location, and the many good hotels in Pitlochry, often see visitors stay for a few days – exploring the surrounding area during the day, before taking their seat for a show in the evening.
As well as in-house productions, the theatre also welcomes a variety of high-quality touring productions every year.
If you are touring Scotland, there are any number of local venues which regularly stage high-quality theatre productions. From The Byre Theatre in St Andrews, the Eden Court in Inverness, to An Lanntair in Stornoway to the Eastgate Arts Centre in Peebles, you’re sure to find something to thrill, entertain, or amuse you.
Take your seat!
Find out more about living in Scotland.