Dundee Rep Theatre today launches its 2026 season, a celebration of community, world premieres, new voices, classics, and fresh work that invites audiences to connect with the life of the building and far beyond. To introduce the season, we asked our community participants to make a special film at locations across Dundee, reflecting and solidifying the theatre’s place within the city and inviting audiences to join them in the year ahead. 

The season takes flight with the much-anticipated brand-new musical production of The High Life, co-produced by Dundee Rep Theatre and National Theatre of Scotland in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts and Capital Theatres. After a thirty-year delay in the departure lounge, the full original cast of Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson, Siobhan Redmond and Patrick Ryecart reunites for a landmark world premiere directed by Dundee Rep Theatre Artistic Director Andrew Panton. Co-written by Johnny McKnight, Alan Cumming, and Forbes Mason, the production opens in Dundee from 27 March to 4 April before touring Scotland and returns to the Rep 6 to 9 May. 

April sees the return of our Rep Stripped Festival, Dundee Rep Theatre’s platform for fresh work, new voices and bold ideas – this time under the creative direction of Fraser Scott. Built on the success of previous editions, which have included early stagings of No Love Songs and A History of Paper, the festival continues to celebrate creativity, innovation and the future of performance, offering audiences the chance to be the first to discover new work. Call-outs for submissions open in January 2026. 

Willy Russell’s award-winning modern classic Educating Rita follows, in a funny, tender and life-affirming new production directed by award-winning director Debbie Hannan. This story of self-discovery, second chances and the power of learning brings together Rita, a spirited hairdresser hungry for change, and Frank, a disillusioned academic who has lost faith in his work and in himself. First performed in 1980 and later adapted into the acclaimed film starring Julie Walters and Michael Caine, the piece has won multiple BAFTAs and received three Academy Award nominations. This fresh revival promises a heartfelt return to one of Britain’s most loved plays from 23 May to 13 June. 

An exciting and original collaboration hits the stage next summer. Dundee Rep Theatre and Solar Bear, in collaboration with Aberdeen Performing Arts and the Traverse Theatre, present The Singer, written by Cora Bissett with Jamie Rea. With songs by multi-award-winning KT Tunstall, featuring Deaf artist Jamie Rea and directed by Cora Bissett, The Singer is a thrilling new gig-theatre drama about Joe, a deaf artist who “sings” with his hands, and Andy, a washed-up musician hungry for a comeback. As their unlikely partnership ignites something extraordinary, ambition, betrayal and belonging collide in this powerful story of music, identity and the fight to be heard. The Singer previews at Dundee Rep Theatre in late July, premieres at the Traverse Theatre during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and plays the Citizens Theatre Studio in Glasgow and the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen before returning to Dundee in September. 
 
The Singer is a thrilling new gig-theatre drama about Joe, a deaf artist who “sings” with his hands, and Andy, a washed-up musician hungry for a comeback. As their unlikely partnership ignites something extraordinary, ambition, betrayal and belonging collide in this powerful story of music, identity and the fight to be heard. The Singer previews at Dundee Rep Theatre in late July, premieres at the Traverse Theatre during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and plays the Citizens Theatre Studio in Glasgow and the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen before returning to Dundee in September. 

Tony Roper’s much-loved Scottish classic The Steamie then returns for a nationwide tour in a new production from Rerr Terr Productions in association with Neil Laidlaw Productions and Dundee Rep Theatre.   From 27 August to 12 September, audiences are invited into a 1950s Glasgow washhouse on Hogmanay where hot water, lively chat, laughter and secrets accompany the final wash of the year. 

One of the most anticipated productions of 2026, A History of Paper, by Oliver Emanuel and Gareth Williams (creators of The 306 Trilogy, National Theatre of Scotland),returns in a major new production starring Alan Cumming and Shirley Henderson. This musical about unbounding joy, impossible grief and the small pieces of paper that shape a life first captivated audiences at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe, where it won a Fringe First, the Music Theatre Review Best Musical Award and the CATS Award for Best Director for Dundee Rep Artistic Director Andrew Panton. This new co-production with Pitlochry Festival Theatre brings back a work that moved audiences and critics alike. The production runs from 8 August to 12 September at Pitlochry Festival Theatre and from 16 to 19 September at Dundee Rep Theatre. 

Following the success of The Glass Menagerie, Dundee Rep Theatre will once again collaborate with The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, and Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, with full details of the Autumn 2026 production to be announced early next year. 

The season comes to a glittering finale with a magical new production of Dundee Rep Theatre’s 2018 Christmas hit The Snow Queen, created by Noisemaker, the partnership of award-winning writing duo Claire McKenzie and Scott Gilmour (Oor Wullie, Ceilidh, Scots)and directed by Emily Oulton. This snow-stopping musical celebrating friendship, courage, and festive spirit is set to delight audiences of all ages from November 28 to December 30. 

Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre remain committed to making theatre and dance accessible to as many people as possible and are expanding our pricing to offer greater choice, flexibility and affordability in 2026. New initiatives include £15 tickets for every Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre production and £5 preview tickets for under 30s, designed to welcome and inspire the next generation of theatre-goers, and focusing on the future of the arts here in Dundee and Scotland. Alongside this, a new free ticket initiative will allocate tickets across the season to individuals and communities with limited access to the arts, ensuring they can experience live performance, feel at home in the building, allowing us to open our doors to even more people. 

Scottish Dance Theatre celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026, and the full programme will be announced on 20 January. 

Complementing Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre’s own work, the venue will present a vibrant programme of visiting companies throughout Spring 2026. These include ABBA Forever on 7 February, Macbeth from 19 to 21 February, BalletLORENT’s Snow White on 27 and 28 February and the musical satire SCOTS by Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie, directed by Jemima Levick,from 7 to 11 April. The Rep also welcomes What I am Here For on, an immersive multilingual collaboration from Vanishing Point and Teater Katapult, followed by family fun with There is a Monster in Your Show and many more. 

This season also marks the arrival of Kath M Mainland CBE as Executive Director, bringing more than two decades of international cultural leadership to Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre. Mainland joins the organisation after senior roles at Adelaide Festival, RISING Melbourne, Melbourne International Arts Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. Originally from Orkney, she returns to Scotland to help lead the organisation’s next chapter, marking an exciting moment for the organisation. 

This new season is announced at a time when Dundee faces proposed cuts to arts funding, and Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre continue to demonstrate how essential its work is to the cultural, social and economic life of the city. The Rep provides opportunities for Dundonians of all ages to experience connection, learning and belonging as well as contributing significantly to the well-being of communities across Dundee and playing a key role in Dundee’s tourism and global cultural identity. As consultation begins, the organisation encourages residents to share their views and to champion the vital role that the Rep and other cultural organisations play in the life and future of their city. 

Artistic Director Andrew Panton said, “We are proud to be a creative home for our community and a national stage for new voices, major productions and collaborations. Our 2026 season celebrates Dundee, Scotland and beyond and celebrates the people who shape our work. The Rep plays a central role in the cultural life of this city while contributing greatly to the wider Scottish and international cultural landscape, and this programme is a testament to that reach and responsibility. As Dundee enters consultation on proposed arts cuts, we are reminded of the importance of protecting the creativity, opportunity and connection that cultural organisations provide. I hope audiences across Dundee and Scotland will continue to stand with us, take part in the consultation and help ensure a vibrant future for the arts.”