Edinburgh Festival 2025 Guide: Top 20 Theatre Shows to Watch This Summer

A Bold New Take on As You Like It

In Canada, theatrical performances typically commence with a land acknowledgment, recognizing the original Indigenous inhabitants prior to European settlement. Indigenous playwright Cliff Cardinal critically examines the sincerity of such acknowledgments through his adaptation of Shakespeare’s bucolic comedy, which serves as a lens to scrutinize our relationship with the environment.
Church Hill theatre, 20-23 August

Club NVRLND: An Immersive Pop Extravaganza

Jack Holden, acclaimed for his roles in Cruise and Kenrex, pens this vibrant reinterpretation of Peter Pan. The production features hits from Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and Justin Timberlake, celebrating a generation that clings to its youth. Directed by Steven Kunis, it’s described as “a full-blown pop fantasy”.
Assembly Checkpoint, 30 July-25 August

Consumed: A Northern Irish Family Saga

Paines Plough forgoes its usual Roundabout pop-up venue for a more subdued presence at this festival, yet it brings a standout performance to the Traverse Theatre. This narrative explores the lives of four generations of Northern Irish women. Directed by Katie Posner and penned by Karis Kelly, this intense family drama was honored with the Women’s Prize for Playwriting in 2022.
Traverse Theatre, 30 July-24 August

The Ego: A Post-#MeToo Exploration

Belgian performers Anemone Valcke and Verona Verbakel delve into the societal limits imposed on young women in the wake of #MeToo. Through their personal encounters with sexism and abuse, they engage with themes of shame and internalized misogyny in a provocative production about observation and exposure.
Zoo Playground, 12-24 August

Faustus in Africa: A Modern Reckoning

William Kentridge revitalizes his 1995 rendition of the Faust legend, recontextualizing it within the contemporary climate crisis. The Handspring Puppet Company, renowned for War Horse, reimagines Faustus as a figure of colonial exploitation in Africa, highlighting the global consequences of such actions.
The Lyceum, 20-23 August

Hamlet: Wakefulness

The Wrocław-based Song of the Goat Theatre continues to enchant with its mystical polyphonic singing, drawing on classical motifs. This production imbues Shakespeare’s tragedy with a pagan twist, offering a fresh interpretation of the timeless play.
Summerhall, 3-15 August

Lucky Tonight: A Quizzical Drama

Afreena Islam-Wright merges her skills as an actor and pub quiz host in an interactive performance that explores her dual heritage as British and Bangladeshi. She also boasts of her participation in the game show The Chase.
Traverse Theatre, 31 July-24 August

Make It Happen

The British government has finally divested its shares in the NatWest Group, incurring a substantial financial loss. James Graham’s play, featuring Brian Cox, delves into the financial missteps in the city that birthed Adam Smith, spotlighting the controversial figure Fred Goodwin and his substantial pension.
Festival Theatre, 30 July-9 August

Miles: A Jazz Chronicle

Trumpeter Jay Phelps, who has collaborated with icons like Amy Winehouse and Wynton Marsalis, scores Oliver Kaderbhai’s play that chronicles Miles Davis’s creation of the jazz masterpiece Kind of Blue. Benjamin Akintuyosi takes on the leading role.
Summerhall, 31 July-25 August

Monstering the Rocketman

Gone are the days when celebrities had to tolerate invasive tabloid journalism. Elton John, having been wrongfully maligned in a salacious headline, sought justice through the courts, culminating in a notable legal victory. Henry Naylor’s play revisits this significant episode in the star’s life.
Pleasance Dome, 30 July-24 August

Ordinary Decent Criminal

Mark Thomas and Ed Edwards reunite to reflect on the infamous 1990 Strangeways prison riot and its aftermath, a period of hopeful reform. This collaboration follows their previous successful projects that combined activism with storytelling.
Summerhall, 31 July-25 August

Pickled Republic

Showcased as part of the Made in Scotland program, Ruxandra Cantir’s whimsical cabaret draws inspiration from her childhood in Moldova, a place where pickling is a revered practice. Directed by Shona Reppe, the show blends music, puppetry, and humor to explore themes of preservation and life.
Summerhall, 31 July-25 August

She’s Behind You: A Pantomime Celebration

An insightful lecture on Scottish pantomime traditions has evolved into a full-scale production. Panto legend Johnny McKnight stars, clad in his Dorothy Blawna-Gale attire, in a performance that honors the wit and subversive edge of this theatrical genre. Directed by John Tiffany.
Traverse Theatre, 1-24 August

A Teen Odyssey

La Mecànica, an all-female group from Mallorca, introduces a youth-centric interactive spectacle using the Kalliópê app from Barcelona’s La Fura dels Baus. This innovative production explores identity, technology, and relationships, with audience members engaging directly through their smartphones.
Summerhall, 31 July-25 August

Thanks for Being Here

The avant-garde Belgian ensemble Ontroerend Goed presents a unique piece that reexamines the concept of audience participation in theatre. This interactive work utilizes video to highlight the individuality of live performance experiences.
Zoo Southside, 12-24 August

Tom at the Farm: A Brazilian Adaptation

Actor Armando Babaioff transports Michel Marc Bouchard’s play from Canada to Brazil, where the narrative of a young man attending his boyfriend’s funeral in a rural setting gains additional layers of meaning in a country with a tragic record of LGBTQ+ violence.
Pleasance at EICC, 30 July-24 August

Welcome to the Fringe, Palestine

This four-day event celebrates Palestinian culture through various performances, including a lecture-performance by Noor Abuarafeh through the West Bank, a poignant object-theatre piece by Mahmoud Alhourani about war’s devastation, and a play by Randa Jarrar about a woman awakening in a post-apocalyptic 2055.
Portobello Town Hall, 12-15 August

When Billy Met Alasdair

In this imaginative staging, novelist-turned-performer Alan Bissett speculates on a hypothetical interaction between comedian Billy Connolly and author Alasdair Gray at the 1981 launch of Gray’s seminal work, Lanark. The production explores the potential dialogue between these two Scottish cultural titans.
Scottish Storytelling Centre, 31 July-23 August

Windblown: A Lyrical Journey

Folk artist Karine Polwart returns to the theatrical stage with a performance inspired by the sabal palm at Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden, exploring themes of loss and renewal following the tree’s removal for garden renovations.
The Queen’s Hall, 9-13 August

Works and Days: A Theatrical Meditation

The Antwerp-based FC Bergman collective presents a silent exploration of the cyclical nature of seasons and our reliance on agriculture, inspired by Hesiod’s ancient writings. This visually striking production contemplates the impact of modernity on traditional farming.
The Lyceum, 7-10 August