Welcome to Pitlochry Festival Theatre; a Theatre for everyone, a Theatre for a lifetime.
For over 70 years now, Pitlochry Festival Theatre has been Highland Perthshire’s artistic heart and soul. Established in 1951 as Scotland’s Theatre in the Hills, we offer a theatrical experience unique in the UK; a summer season performed in repertory, allowing audiences to enjoy nine performances, all performed by a resident company of actors.
We are proud to continue to be the nation’s largest producing Theatre located in beautiful Pitlochry reaching audiences and artists from across Scotland, and we cannot wait to spend next year deepening our relationships locally, regionally, and nationally.
12 - 15 February 2026
View the 2026 Winter Words Programme.
The beloved literary festival returns for its 22nd year, featuring authors, poets, broadcasters and chefs for a celebration of Scotland’s rich artistic, literary, historical and cultural life. Curated by the Theatre’s Artistic Director Alan Cumming, Pitlochry Festival Theatre will host an extraordinary four-day programme of interesting events, entertaining performances, delicious literary lunches with award-winning chefs, and stimulating conversations, throughout the weekend.
The Winter Words Festival 2026 programme of authors includes conversations with best-selling Scottish authors wstrong (creator of the iconic Inspector Rebus series) and Amy Liptrot (The Outrun); former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon talking to award-winning Crime writer Val McDermid about her captivating new memoir Frankly; broadcaster and journalist and author Sally Magnusson will be talking to journalist Magnus Linklater about her new novel The Shapeshifter’s Daughter and actor Alan Cumming (who will also be swapping the stage for the DJ Booth on the Saturday night) will be in conversation about his extraordinary career across stage, screen, and page with the current Edinburgh Makar Michael Pedersen.
Head to www.pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com/ for the full lineup and book your tickets today!
Winter Words Festival is supported by Pine Trees Hotel.
The 2026 Season will feature a programme of creatively bold and inventive productions, featuring amongst others, world premières, Scottish and UK premières, revivals of musicals and plays, a visiting production and two exciting festivals.
Throughout the season, the Theatre will welcome an incredible line up of Scottish, British and internationally renowned award–winning talent to the Scottish Highlands for what promises to be a theatrical highlight for Scotland in 2026.
Productions will include the musicals Once directed by John Tiffany and choreographed by Steven Hoggett and Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady directed by Maria Friedman and featuring Alan Cumming as Henry Higgins; premières of the new plays I’ll Be Seeing You by Martin Sherman, directed by Alan Cumming and featuring Simon Russell Beale and Fra Fee; I Can Die Too by Frances Ruffelle, Sally George and Alan Cumming, co-produced with Lovechild productions; Inexperience by Scottish playwright Douglas Maxwell featuring Adura Onashile and Sandy Grierson and the UK première of the new immersive musical CEILIDH written by the Scottish writing team Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie (Noisemaker) and directed by Tony award-winner Sam Pinkleton (Oh Mary!, Broadway and the forthcoming revival of The Rocky Horror Show).
The exciting Season 2026 will also feature new productions of Oliver Emanuel and Gareth Williams’ beautiful A History of Paper featuring Alan Cumming and Shirley Henderson and directed by CATS award-winning director Andrew Panton, co–produced with Dundee Rep Theatre; William Shakespeare’s Lear directed and adapted by Finn den Hertog featuring Maureen Beattie as the monarch and Forbes Masson as Gloucester; Iain Heggie’s fearless and provocative play Wiping My Mother’s Arse and the National Theatre of Scotland production of David Harrower’s stage adaptation of Muriel Spark's’ novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, featuring Gayle Rankin and directed by Vicky Featherstone.
The production is presented in partnership with The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh and in association with Pitlochry Festival Theatre
Tickets and more information on our website, www.pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com
