Hollywood star announces a stunning maiden programme

Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Artistic Director, Alan Cumming has today announced his inaugural season programme, with member and patron bookings starting at mid-day today.

The big screen and Broadway start’s maiden programme will feature world premières, Scottish and UK premières, revivals of musicals and plays, a visiting production and two exciting festivals.

Bookings for the eagerly anticipated programme will be open to the general public from 27th November at 10am, with fans being directed to the website for more information.

Array of talent

The Theatre will welcome an incredible line up of Scottish, British and internationally renowned talent for what promises to be a theatrical highlight for Scotland in 2026.

Productions will include the musicals Once and Loewe's My Fair Lady directed by Maria Friedman and featuring Alan Cumming as Henry Higgins.

There will be premières of the new plays I’ll Be Seeing You by Martin Sherman, directed by Alan Cumming and featuring Simon Russell Beale and Fra Fee and I Can Die Too by Frances Ruffelle, Sally George and Alan Cumming, co-produced with Lovechild productions.

Inexperience by Scottish playwright Douglas Maxwell featuring Adura Onashile and Sandy Grierson will also be premiered alongside the UK première of the new immersive musical CEILIDH written by the Scottish writing team Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie (Noisemaker) and directed by Tony award-winner Sam Pinkleton (Oh Mary!, Broadway and the forthcoming revival of The Rocky Horror Show).

New productions

There will be new productions of Oliver Emanuel and Gareth Williams’ beautiful A History of Paper featuring Alan Cumming and Shirley Henderson and directed by CATS award-winning director Andrew Panton, co–produced with Dundee Rep Theatre.

William Shakespeare’s Lear directed and adapted by Finn den Hertog featuring Maureen Beattie as the monarch and Forbes Masson as Gloucester will feature as will Iain Heggie’s fearless and provocative play Wiping My Mother’s Arse.

The National Theatre of Scotland production of David Harrower’s stage adaptation of Muriel Spark's’ novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, featuring Gayle Rankin and directed by Vicky Featherstone is on the programme, presented in partnership with The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh and in association with Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

‘A theatre with ‘boundless potential’

Alan Cumming, Artistic Director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre said:

“My first season of programmed work as Artistic Director in 2026 also happens to be the 75th anniversary of Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s founding by a man named John Stewart, who came here during the Second World War and made a promise to himself that he would return and build a theatre.

“I have found I have a great affinity with John: we both came to Pitlochry and were mesmerised, we both share a belief in dreaming big and the power of positivity and manifestation. And for my first season, just as he did in 1951, I have invited people here who I admire and love, and who have been part of the theatrical journey that led me to becoming this theatre’s Artistic Director.

The potential of Pitlochry Festival Theatre is boundless and we have a passionate and proud staff who are ready to share the adventure ahead with me. And so, in 2026 I hope you’ll join us all for a season of work that is a homage to John Stewart’s legacy and spirit: one of boldness, of daring, and of manifesting a dream.”

Further productions in the Theatre’s outdoor performance spaces will be announced in the coming months.

As well as an exciting line up of theatre productions, Pitlochry Festival Theatre will be staging new festival in January 2026 – Out in the Hills, a bold, inclusive celebration of LGBTQIA+ voices and creative expression which will feature Ian McKellen, Graham Norton, Alan Cumming and authors Val McDermid, Jackie Kay and Armistead Maupin (16–18 January) and will also see the return of the Theatre’s annual literature festival Winter Words (12–15 February).

Priority booking for Members and Patrons starts from Thursday 13 November at 12pm with public booking opening on Thursday 27 November at 10am. Booking for CEILIDH opens in 2026. For further information visit pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com.