As the pantomime season winds down, January is a sparse month for theatre: Celtic Connections fills up the Glasgow venues, and actors take a well-earned rest after a month of daily – or twice daily – performances. Nevertheless, it is a chance for more experimental performance to come to the fore, and even a famous comic book character is getting in on the action.

Nocturnal
Nocturnal 'explores intersectional feminism and destruction of the patriarchy' through the format of a scratch night. With an open mic policy, its line-up is to be confirmed, but it encourages artists from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum with an enthusiasm for live art and the kind of styles that have been championed by events like Buzzcut or, sadly in the past, The Arches.
The Old Hairdressers, Glasgow, Mon 6 Jan.

Jordy Deelight: The Honeymoon Period
The Storytelling Centre doesn't take a January break: between shows that examine the legacy of Rabbie Burns and Robert Louis Stevenson is a challenging solo performance by Jordy Deelight, The Honeymoon Period. Based on Deelight's own experience of cystic fibrosis, it is a story of a young woman who faces a lung transplant and just needs a little more time to understand what is happening to her.
Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, Sat 18 Jan.

Move~Gluasad
Move~Gluasad comes down from Lewis, the first production from Julia Taudevin and Kieran Hurley's Disaster Plan company, in association with sruth-mara, an organisation committed to generating work in Uig. Told in Gaelic and English, five women weave together a story of loss, migration and grief. Created by Taudevin and drawing on Gaelic song, it arrives on the final night of Celtic Connections.
Platform, Glasgow, Sun 2 Feb.

Heroine
Before heading off to the US, Mary Jane Wells' Heroine is based on a true story, and grapples with the difficult issue of how sexual trauma impacts on a woman in the military. Having had a successful run at the Fringe, it is an unflinching look at the meaning of survival and how a woman overcomes to heal and find her own truth.
Perth Theatre, Wed 29 Jan; Traverse, Edinburgh, Thu 30 Jan–Sat 1 Feb.

Oor Wullie
Not content with having a bucket trail in 2019, Oor Wullie gets his own musical that tours around Scotland. This Sunday Post cartoon favourite has inspired comic book artists and cheeky scamps, and emerges from his one-page graphic adventures into a full-tilt musical theatre experience.
Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Mon 20 Jan–Sat 25 Jan; King's Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 28 Jan–Sat 1 Feb, and touring.