Listings Mon 2 – Sun 8 Feb 2026
What’s on Edinburgh’s stages this week?
It’s a cracker of a week this, with a bona fide West End star in town (for those who have tickets), a cracking Student company and the return of the magnificent Manipulate Festival.
Lucky for those who have tickets for Jodie Comer in Prima Facie at the Lyceum (Tue – Sat: returns)… It’s sold out and no one else will get in.
So where to go instead? Well, the every intriguing Theatre Paradok turn to Alan Bennett’s The History Boys at the Bedlam (Tue – Sat: tickets). Which should be an interesting take – and one with age-appropriate actors, too.
Dance fans should be in for a treat at the Festival Theatre with hot kicks from Carlos Acosta’s company and an exuberant Cuban version of Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score for Nutcracker in Havana (Tue/Wed: tickets).
Whether fans of the sitcom Friends are in for a treat a the Playhouse remains to be seen. FRIENDS! The Musical Parody (Thurs – Sat: tickets) features an entirely original musical score, which may, or may not be a red flag. But it looks like one to me.
Always a hit, Turan Ali is back at the Storytelling Centre with more Queer Folks Tales (Fri: tickets).
Listing
Bedlam Theatre
11B Bristo Place, EH1 1EZ.
The History Boys (Paradok)
Tue 3 – Fri 6 Feb 2026
Evening: 7.30pm.
An unruly group of bright and cheeky sixth-form students at a grammar school in Yorkshire are in the process of applying to Oxbridge in Alan Bennett’s play. With staff-room rivalry and the anarchy of adolescence, Bennett explores the value and meaning of education, truth, and sexuality, touching the heart of its audience. Book here.
Festival Theatre
13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000.
Nutcracker in Havana (Carlos Acosta)
Tue 3/Wed 4 Feb 2026
Evenings: 7.30pm; Weds mat: 2.30pm.
Set to an exuberant Cuban version of the magnificent Tchaikovsky score, the timeless story is brought to life with ballet at its core, enriched with Acosta Danza’s unique style and with Cuban dance traditions beautifully woven throughout the much-loved and joyful family tale. Book here.
The Story of Soul
Thur 5 Feb 2026
Evening: 7.30pm.
Join the Love Train for powerful performances from ar talented cast, showcasing the biggest hits spanning a generation. Featuring songs by Aretha Franklin, Earth Wind and Fire, James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave and many, many, more. Book here.
Banff Mountain Film Festival 2026
Sat 7 Feb 2026
Blue programme: 2.30pm, Red programme: 7.30pm.
A brand-new collection of short films filled with extreme journeys, untamed characters and captivating cinematography. The two shows feature a different selection of films. Amplify the adventure by coming to both with a two-show discount.T. Book here.
Chris Ramsey (Here, Man!)
Sun 8 Feb 2026
Evening: 7.30pm.
Following overwhelming demand (mainly from his wife Rosie who is desperate to get him out of the house), Chris Ramsey will be back on the road in 2026 with a brand-new stand-up show. Book here.
Lyceum Theatre
Grindlay Street EH3 9AX. Phone booking: 0131 248 4848.
Prima Facie
Tue 3 – Sat 7 Feb 2026.
Evenings: 7.30pm, mats Thurs & Sat: 3pm.
Jodie Comer stars in Suzie Miller’s gripping one-hander about a brilliant young barrister who has worked her way up from working class origins to be at the top of her game; defending, cross examining and winning, when an unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge. Sold Out.
Playhouse
18 – 22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA. Phone booking: 0844 871 3014.
FRIENDS! The Musical Parody
Thurs 5- Sat 7 Feb 2026
Thur: 7.30pm; Fri: 5pm, 8.30pm; Sat: 2.30pm, 7.30pm.
The hit New York and Las Vegas sensation is a sidesplitting musical comedy packed with iconic moments from all ten seasons of the beloved television series. Featuring an entirely original musical score, the show follows the escapades of the world’s most famous group of twenty-somethings. Book here.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
43-45 High St, EH1 1SR. Phone booking: 0131 556 9579.
Queer Folks Tales (Turan Ali)
Fri 6 Feb 2026.
One performance: 7.30pm
Æ Review: ★★★★★ Triumphant
In the week following Burns night, Turan Ali is back with a queer line-up featuring two performers working in Scots. As always, LGBTQ+ storytellers share stories of queer lives, past, present and future. Sometimes hilarious, often moving, occasionally shocking, the mix of true and fictional stories is as varied as the range of invited performers. Tonight, Turan is joined by Jo Gilbert, stand-up Eliott Simpson and poet-writer-singer Mia Suhaimi. Book here.
Studio Theatre
The Studio, 22 Potterrow, EH8 9BL. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000.
Kar (Manipulate Fest)
By: Studio Damúza & Fekete Seretlek – Czechia.
Wed 4/Thur 5 Feb 2026
Evenings: 8pm (1hr). Post show discussion Wed.
In this delightfully absurd and wildly imaginative cabaret, waiters become storytellers, objects come alive, and guests are swept into a whirlwind of puppetry, music, and mischief. Inspired by Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and steeped in Russian theatrical flair, the evening spirals from solemn ritual into joyful chaos. Further details. Book here.
The Raft of the Crab (Manipulate Fest)
By: Ninon Noiret, Scotland.
Fri 6 Feb 2026
Evenings: 7.30pm; Mats: Weds, Sat: 2.30pm.
A bold and deeply human new performance by the witty and charming circus artist Ninon Noiret, exploring her experience of being diagnosed with, and recovering from cancer in 2018. Further details. Book here.
Snapshots (Manipulate Fest)
Sun 8 Feb 2026
One performance: 3pm.
Bold new visual theatre works presented in the early stages of development. Scottish artists Alys Williams & Duncan Geoffrey MacLeod (Chu Chi Face); Jenna Watt (Hindsight); Ruxy Cantir & Sarah Rose Graber (Voyager); and Andrea Cabrera Luna’s Anahat Theatre (Instructions on How to Cry) offer a fascinating glimpse into the creative process that artists undertake to bring a performance work to the stage. Further details. Book here.
Summerhall
1 Summerhall, EH9 1PL.
Auntie Empire (Manipulate Festival)
Disaster Plan
Sun 8/Mon 9 Feb 2026
Evening: 8pm.
Auntie has gathered us all to relive and celebrate our glorious shared past, but unfortunately she also has some tragic, terrible, and most pressing news. And she needs your help. Julia Taudevin and Kieran Hurley blend bouffon comedy, satire and audience interaction into a bloody, messy, hilarious and timely lampoon of the myths of nationhood. Further Details. Book here.
Traverse
10 Cambridge Street, EH1 2ED. Phone booking: 0131 228 1404.
Coffee with Sugar? (Manipulate Festival)
By KMZ Kollectiv.
Wed 4/Thurs 5 Feb 2026
Evening: 6pm (Trav 1).
Using thousands of coffee beans, flying candyfloss, biographical fragments, historical sources, video art and live music, ‘Coffee with Sugar?’ is a visually striking performance delving into the enduring legacies of colonialism. Further Details. Book here.
Size Matters (Manipulate Festival)
By Mamoru Iriguchi & Fergus Dunnet.
Thurs 5/Fri 6 Feb 2026
Evening: 6.15pm (Trav 2).
Blending puppetry, science, and surrealist theatre, Julia and Mamoru and their puppet doubles explore how time and perception shift with size. Further Details. Book here.
Don Quixote (Is a Very Big Book) (Manipulate Festival)
By Emma Williams, Dik Downey, Chris Collier.
Sat 7/Sun 8 Feb 2026
Evening: 6.15pm (Trav 2).
In his new one-man show, Dik Downey weaves together the crazed delusions of Don Quixote with his own struggle against reality. With a rogue’s gallery of puppets and desperate clowning, Dik’s Quixote embarks on surreal, comic misadventures, accompanied by his wisecracking sidekick, Sancho Panza, and his decrepit horse, Rocinante. Further Details. Book here.
The Rite of Spring (Manipulate Festival)
By Dewey Dell.
Sat 7/Sun 8 Feb 2026
Evening: 8pm (Trav 1).
Offering a fresh perspective on the timeless score, the work solidifies the company’s position as one of the most original and compelling companies on the contemporary scene. The powerful seduction of Stravinsky’s score clashes with the furious energy of the performers’ bodies, creating a visceral experience that captivates audiences. Further Details. Book here.
