3 To See: In Dundee – September 2026
A trio of highlights spans dystopian drama, a poignant musical and the remarkable life story of a soul survivor
Depressingly, George Orwell’s 1984 (Dundee Rep, Wednesday 30 September–Saturday 10 October) never seems to lose its relevancy. In Chris Hannan’s new adaptation directed by Dominic Hill, Jack Tarlton plays Winston, Jessica Hardwick is Julia and Irene Macdougall takes on the role of O’Brien, with audiences ticking off the many iconic phrases that have long become part of our everyday language.
Before a Pitlochry run, Shirley Henderson and Alan Cumming had last performed on a stage together a mere 40 years ago. Written by the late Oliver Emanuel, A History Of Paper (Dundee Rep, Wednesday 16–Saturday 19 September) contains multitudes but is also simply a musical about a man, a woman and the small scraps of paper that quietly add up to a life together. Not for nothing did PP Arnold (Whitehall Theatre, Friday 18 September) call her autobiography Soul Survivor. From starting out in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue at the age of just 17, she went on to have incredible highs and appalling lows. Here, she lets loose with a new tour featuring classic songs and amazing stories; picture: Alasdair Watson.