25 April, Edinburgh: Capital Theatres’ spring season brings with it a new look, new shows and new extraordinary experiences. With Scottish premieres, world class dance and gripping drama, the Festival Theatre and newly renamed Studio Theatre host 12 new shows including: Percy Jackson inspired musical The Lightning Thief, Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile, Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes, Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker in Havana, Sue Perkins and Christmas Carol Goes Wrong.

The Festival Theatre presents a standout lineup with exciting new productions and much adored favourites. After taking London by storm, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (23 – 27 Sep) thunders into Edinburgh for its Scottish premiere, an exclusive to Scottish audiences at the Festival Theatre. Murder mystery fans can help Detective Poirot solve the case in a brand-new production of globally celebrated Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile (24 – 28 Mar 2026). The world of deception and intrigue continues on stage with The Talented Mr Ripley (16 – 20 Sep), another Scottish premiere in this electrifying new stage adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s iconic psychological thriller. A new production of Christmas Carol Goes Wrong (10 – 15 Feb 2026) arrives at the Festival Theatre following a critically acclaimed West End run from the multi-award-winning company Mischief. Joining these newly announced shows is comedian Sue Perkins with her first full length stand-up special in nearly 20 years, The Eternal Shame of Sue Perkins (22 Mar 2026), and returning to the Festival Theatre are favourites Banff Mountain Film Festival (7 Feb 2026) and The Gang Show (4 – 8 Nov).

The newly re-named Studio Theatre features heavily in Capital Theatres’ new season. Since its inception in 2013, The Studio has cemented itself as a key venue for emerging Scottish theatre, family friendly shows and early career artist support through projects such as Open@TheStudio and the Musicals Commissioning Hub. Renaming to the Studio Theatre reflects the venue’s success so far and aligns it with the long-established Festival Theatre and King’s Theatre names. Audiences can catch three new family friendly shows at the Studio Theatre, Hopeful Monsters (5 & 6 Sep) the story of evolution told entirely through hands, the wild and touching story of folk legend Hercules The Bear (30 Sep) and The Paper Dolls (9 – 11 Oct) based on the book by Julia Donaldson.

The Festival Theatre continues to share world class dance with Edinburgh as Matthew Bourne’s double Olivier award-winning production of The Red Shoes (14 – 18 Apr 2026) returns to Edinburgh. The Scottish premiere of Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker in Havana (3 & 4 Feb) will bring some heat this winter following Acosta Danza’s sell-out tour. These new productions join a line-up of stellar dance companies already announced for the Festival Theatre stage including Rambert’s KISMET (3 – 5 July), two contemporary works by Emma Evelein and Johan Inger produced in association with Capital Theatres. Ballet BC (23 & 24 May) Canada’s leading dance company also take on Inger’s work as well as four-time Olivier award-winning Crystal Pite’s Frontier. Ballet Black: SHADOWS (21 May) features a double bill from Cassa Pancho and Chanel DaSilva including an adaptation of the novel My Sister, The Serial Killer. The premiere of Wee Man (13 &14 June) at the Studio Theatre marks Barrowland Ballet’s first production as a Capital Theatre’s associate company. The worlds of music and dance collide this year, with the Scottish premieres of Quadrophenia: A Mod Ballet (10 – 14 Jun) – inspired by The Who’s iconic album of the same name – and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Black Sabbath: A Rock Ballet (30 Oct – 1 Nov).

Selected performances are part of Capital Theatre’s 25 & Under scheme, which offers £10 tickets on the day of the performance for anyone aged 25 and under. Further details are available here.

Full details of all shows can be found online at www.capitaltheatres.com/whats-on.