Join us from 10pm till midnight as we take you around this beautiful and haunted theatre. Take part in experiments as we communicate with spirits there.

Someone once asked Sindhu Vee a very stupid question. She wants to tell you about it. From the award-winning star of Live at the Apollo comes a brand-new stand-up show about falling through the cracks you didn’t make, avoiding the friendships you don’t want, and embracing the self-love you definitely need. In Swanky, Sindhu Vee is taking her “outspoken, frank and funny stand-up” (Evening Standard) across the country for her first UK tour in five years. Since 2021’s Alphabet - now available to stream on Sindhu’s website - the Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated comic has appeared on QI, Have I Got News For You and Would I Lie To You? as well as starring in Netflix’s Sex Education and Matilda the Musical as well as Amazon Prime’s Pradeeps of Pittsburgh and Picture This. Now, having become one of the most exciting and sought-after comedy talents internationally, UK audiences can get ready for her most sophisticated, intimate and swanky show yet. Presented by Plosive Live in association with PBJ Management

UK premiere Palestinian theatre company Khashabi Theatre reimagines an epic poem with physical theatre and live music. The legendary poem Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah (The Epic of Bani Hilal) has been passed down from generation to generation since the 14th century. Once widespread across the Middle East, it is now only performed in Egypt and is at risk of extinction. Khashabi Theatre creators Bashar Murkus and Khulood Basel couldn’t find any evidence of a Palestinian version, so they chose to merge the myth with the aesthetics of Palestinian folklore and Arab performance styles. Rejecting European theatrical norms, this exhilarating retelling merges physical theatre with poetry, live music, puppetry and dance. Murkus and Basel’s unique theatrical works are informed by extensive research and seek to ask questions of humanity - from within Palestine and beyond. Performed in Arabic with English surtitles

UK premiere Visionary Brazilian director Christiane Jatahy returns to the Festival with a radical sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, featuring Golden Globe-winning actor Wagner Moura. Christiane Jatahy picks up where Ibsen left off. In Ibsen's groundbreaking 1882 play, An Enemy of the People, protagonist Thomas Stockmann faces shame and exile after attempting to expose a water pollution scandal in his hometown. More than a century later, Ibsen’s work remains urgent, grappling with the conflict between personal integrity and social conformity. Jatahy’s sequel throws Stockmann, played by Golden Globe-winning actor Wagner Moura (Narcos, The Secret Agent), into a modern-day public courtroom to determine his fate. Lawyers and judges are noticeably absent, and it’s up to a jury of audience members to decide if he is innocent or whether he is indeed an ‘enemy of the people’. Transplanting Ibsen’s themes to contemporary Brazil, A Trial - after An Enemy of the People offers a sharp look at authoritarianism, fake news and public judgement. Ever inventive and deeply political, Jatahy combines audience participation and filmed footage, creating a one-of-a-kind performance each night where the line between reality and fiction is constantly blurred. A special collaboration between Edinburgh International Festival, Festival d'Avignon and Holland Festival, the three European festivals established in 1947. Audience Participation Each night, 11 people who register before the performance are randomly selected to serve as the jury. They have the power to decide on Stockmann's guilt, playing a pivotal role in shaping the ending of the play. Supported by Edinburgh International Festival Endowment Fund with additional support from the Consulate General of Brazil in Edinburgh and Instituto Guimarães Rosa Performed in Portuguese and English with English surtitles.

Kiki Katese returns to the Festival with her groundbreaking Rwandan women’s drumming group for a joyful performance of music and stories. In Rwanda, ‘power’ and ‘drum’ are the same word: ingoma. In 2004, a group of women, seeking to heal after a genocide, made a revolutionary choice. They broke a centuries-old taboo and formed Ingoma Nshya (New Power/ New Drum) - the first all-women drumming ensemble in Rwandan history. This is their story - a joyous narrative concert featuring an electrifying collection of rhythms, songs and dances from both West and East Africa - some traditional, some brand new. Following Katese’s inspirational The Book of Life (2022 International Festival), this performance delivers its message through music: that discrimination cannot stand in the face of joyful determination. with additional support from Canada Council of Arts and Ontario Arts Council Performed in English with songs in Kinyarwanda

Pulitzer Prize finalist Zora Howard’s subversive and moving play takes a sharp look at racialised violence in America. Three Black men hang from an old, wide tree. Caught together in this liminal space, they shoot the breeze, sharing the great loves and bitter blues of their interrupted lives. The directorial debut of Pulitzer Prize finalist Zora Howard, HANG TIME is a gut-wrenching, subversive perspective on the legacy of racialised violence in America. Sharply juxtaposing the romantic and the macabre, the ‘finely-tuned’ dialogue (The New York Times) is peppered with heartbreaking missed opportunities and tinged with dark humour. As the audience sits with the image of these men’s demise, Howard asks us to hold the truth of this peculiar American violence alongside the vibrant interior worlds of the men themselves. Performed in English

Tue 18 – Sun 30 Aug

Freckle Productions in association with Rose Theatre presents Zog "I'm not braggin' but I'm a dragon" Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s classic, feel-good story is brought to roaring, soaring life in this delightful musical for children. Zog is the keenest dragon in Madam Dragon’s school. He's also the most accident-prone, flying into trees, and even setting his own wing alight. Thankfully, a kind girl comes along to patch up his scratches and scrapes – but can she help him with his biggest challenge yet so that he can finally win a golden star? This charming smash-hit show, from the producers of Stick Man and Zog and the Flying Doctors and featuring joyful songs by Joe Stilgoe and beautiful puppets by Little Angel, is a treat for children and adults alike. Zog © 2010 Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Published by Alison Green Books, an imprint of Scholastic Children’s Books. "A joyful, feel good family show" All About Theatre "A playful show that can be enjoyed by anyone" Manchester Theatres "A bright colourful musical to capture the magic of theatre" Whats Good To Do

Tue 25 Aug, 10:30am

The original Kneehigh / Emma Rice Production Experience the original, critically acclaimed production of Tristan & Yseult – one of the most influential theatre productions of the 21st century. Adapted and directed by Emma Rice, this iconic show returns to the UK for the first time in ten years, offering a rare chance to encounter a modern masterpiece fresh and live on stage. First created in 2003, Tristan & Yseult took the theatrical world by storm. Visceral, playful, and heartbreakingly beautiful, this internationally celebrated production blends myth, music, movement, and storytelling into an unforgettable theatrical night out. This landmark show, that has inspired a global generation of artists and audiences, is now remade, remastered – and truly unmissable. 'One of the masterpieces of 21st century theatre' The Times