Tron Theatre continues to deliver some of the most inspirational, innovative and exciting theatre being staged in Scotland at the moment. We are delighted to launch our Spring – Summer 2024 season, once again showcasing more thought-provoking new work, including two Scottish premieres presented by Tron Theatre Company, alongside a powerful visiting company programme that brings the best touring productions to our stages.
Two of Scottish theatre’s most exciting directors will work with us on in-house productions this season whilst we recruit for a new Artistic Director following the departure of Andy Arnold in November 2023. Tron Associate Director Joanna Bowman will stage the first of our Scottish premieres – Caryl Churchill’s ‘revolutionary’ Escaped Alone (Thu 22nd February – Sat 9th March 2024; Press Performance: Friday 23rd February, 7.30pm) where the blissful domesticity of a garden get-together is punctured by a brutal commentary on catastrophic climate change; and Johnny McKnight will direct Philip Ridley’s Radiant Vermin, (Thu 27th June – Sat 13th July 2024; Press Performance: Friday 28th June, 7.30pm), a dark and wickedly comic satire about a young couple offered a way out of the housing crisis, and just how far they are prepared to go to secure their dream home.
In our main auditorium, the touring programme opens with Curious Seed and their Herald Angel Award-winning And The Birds Did Sing (Fri 22nd & Sat 23rd March), a blend of contemporary dance and storytelling touching on universal human themes of growing up, life and death, the passing of time and love; followed by Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh’s Fringe First-winning This Is Memorial Device (Thu 28th – Sat 30th March), based on David Keenan’s gloriously hallucinatory cult novel about ‘80s Airdrie music scene’s mysterious post-punk legends.
Birds of Paradise Theatre Company present ‘another bloody serious comedy’, Don’t. Make. Tea. (Thu 11th – Sat 13th April) – their hilariously dark critique of the disability benefits scheme written by Rob Drummond; and Raw Material & Capital Theatres stage the latest instalment of Rona Munro’s James Plays, James V: Katherine (Thu 25th – Sat 27th April) which places a lesser known female historical figure front and centre in the story of a nineteen-year-old woman on trial in the King’s court, defending herself from being tortured and executed.
National Theatre of Scotland will present the world premiere of Maggie & Me (Wed 8th – Sat 11th May), James Ley’s brand-new adaptation of the Damian Barr memoir of the same name – a story set in the shadow of the Ravenscraig Steelworks, of growing up gay in a straight world. Sligo’s Blue Raincoat Theatre Company are back for the first time since 2019 to close out the main house programme with their brand-new production, The Last Pearl (Thu 30th May – Sat 1st June), the story of a woman and her daughter as they scavenge and explore a dying world in the aftermath of a typhoon, based loosely on the ideas of the environmentalist James Lovelock.
In the Changing House studio space, regulars Tandem Writing Collective will present three separate play readings across their Rock Paper Scissors season – Amy Hawes with Introverts the Musical (Fri 29th Mar), Mhairi Quinn with Rage Room (Fri 26th Apr) and Ivor (Fri 24th May) by Jennifer Adam. Fresh from a successful Fringe run, Ephemeral Ensemble will perform REWIND (Fri 12th & Sat 13th Apr), a whirlwind of visceral music and movement using Forensic Anthropology to investigate human rights abuses in Latin America; and we close the studio programme with Raymond Wilson’s semi-autobiographical I Hope Your Flowers Bloom (Fri 3rd & Sat 4th May), a raw, moving and funny exploration of healthy masculinity, self-worth and working-class access to nature.
Tron CREATIVE, our year round Artist Development programme aimed at providing opportunities to encourage and develop the talented community of creative practitioners making theatre in Scotland, has a busy season of work ahead, with a LabWeek SUMMER residency opening for applications in April, the scratch night event Outside Eyes (Tue 16th Apr) and a presentation of new work as a script-in-hand reading from our Resident Writer (Fri 17th May), who we’re delighted to announce for 2024 as award-winning playwright, performer and director Isla Cowan. Additionally, we will continue to deliver the BUILD programme of workshops, talks and social activities – more details to be announced in coming months.
Tron Participation will continue to deliver their extensive programme of work, in situe at the Tron and out in the community. Walking Tall Tales will happen in Toryglen and Tollcross Park for families and pre-schoolers, Community Skillshops will be on the road visiting primary schools across Glasgow to deliver workshops in connection with Escaped Alone and the Tronversations programme will also be centred around Escaped Alone and the issues the play raises. Write Tron, Tron Studio and Tron Community Choir will continue their regular sessions and for anyone on waiting lists for groups that are full, Playdates offer the opportunity to reflect on, debate, unpick and creatively respond to shows across the season.
The Spring-Summer 2024 season is on-sale now with all performances available to book online at www.tron.co.uk by telephone on 0141 552 4267 or in person at our Box Office.