Scottish Theatre Highlights: April 2023

To start off the month, the horror spoken word troupe Writers Bloc will put their terrifying spin on April Fools' Day. Bringing us back to the pagan roots of April Fools', Circle the Fool at Summerhall promises to be a unique and terrifying night of performance and folklore. Performers will spend the eve discussing, dissecting, and performing the traditional pagan rituals, stories, and folklore of April Fools' day. (1 Apr)

From writer John Bolland comes Pibroch, a one-man multimedia production about the Piper Alpha disaster of 1988. Exploring the personal stories from Piper Alpha survivors, the show asks not only what we owe the survivors of this tragedy, but what we owe ourselves in the ongoing fight for climate justice and equity. Utilising Bolland's own poetry and original composition from Fraser Fifield, Pibroch is an urgent piece with multilayered impact. Beginning on 2 April in Aberdeen, the show will tour the country through 6 July.

Rounding out the month is PROTEST, a co-production between Fuel, Imaginate, and Northern Stage in association with the National Theatre of Scotland. Bolstered by an all-female cast and creative team – including Edinburgh Makar Hannah Lavery and director Natalie Ibu – PROTEST follows three young girls who are facing injustice in their schools, home, and world. Set in a Scottish town, the show invites us to consider the underrated impact of making changes in our own communities, and the value of standing up for what we believe in. Catch PROTEST when it comes to Edinburgh Festival Theatre's Studio as part of the Edinburgh International Children's Festival from 29-31 May, and The Tron in Glasgow from 1-2 June.