Scottish Theatre Highlights: October 2019

Exciting productions hit stages across Scotland this Autumn, on tour and at home

Article by Eliza Gearty | 01 Oct 2019
  • Scottish Theatre Highlights: October 2019

Nothing beats a good touring production – there's something exciting about seeing a show that's travelling round a country playing to different audiences every other night, and this month appears to be full of them. 

Fibres, a production from Stellar Quines and Citizens Theatre, begins its Scottish tour this month in Glasgow at the Barrowfield Community centre on 17 October. The play explores the nuances of love through the eyes of four very Glaswegian characters; its tour continues across the country until 2 November. The excellent Sonnet Youth are also kicking off a national tour in their home city: thick skin, elastic heart, a spoken word exploration of millenial issues, will open at Platform on 17-18 October, and go on to tour Scotland until February 2020.

Touring productions also include writer and performer Hannah Lavery's The Driftproduced by National Theatre of Scotland and the Workers Theatre. The autiobiographical and poetic spoken word show about race and belonging in Scotland today will kick off in Aberdeen on 2 October. The tour continues until 12 October. Scottish Ballet will be continuing their tour of The Crucible throughout October, visiting Aberdeen, Inverness and Edinburgh (3-18 Oct). 

Over at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow, Queen Jesus productions are presenting a series of performances, discussions and events, marking the tenth anniversary of the first production of The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven. This show, which reimagines the Bible through the lens of a transgender Jesus, was groundbreaking when it first premiered, triggering an onslaught of controversy and acclaim. At the Couper Institute, Glasgow-based choreographer-performer Claire Cunningham will perform her show Thank You Very Much, described as 'a powerful new work... [that] uses the phenonomon of tribute artists to explore impersonation, identity, acceptance and the challenge of being yourself' (31 Oct). And don't miss the excellent Dance International Glasgow festival at Tramway this month (4-26 Oct). 

In Edinburgh, arts producer Anatomy take over The Traverse for one night only on 24 October with its particular brand of vital, genre-defying, live-art cabaret. After two sold-out runs at the National Theatre of Great Britain, Inua Ellams' and Bijan Sheibani's hugely acclaimed Barber Shop Chronicles hits the Lyceum in Edinburgh; get tickets while you still can (23 Oct - 9 Nov). Within Sighta spoken-word study of ableism through the perspective of a young runner who finds out she hasn't made the GB Paralympics team, also sounds interesting (The Scottish Storytelling Centre, 3 Oct).