After its most successful festive season on record, Perth Theatre and Concert Hall is looking forward to a special year in the cultural life of the Fair City, with Perth Theatre celebrating its 125th Birthday and Perth Concert Hall turning 20.
December saw a 12% uplift in audiences across both venues compared to the previous best-selling year in 2023, thanks to another high performing Perth Theatre pantomime Mother Goose, the Theatre’s highest ever selling Christmas show for the under 5’s The Cinnamon Sisters, and a series of capacity performances in Perth Concert Hall.
The spirit of celebration continues throughout 2025 with a series of shows and events to mark the venues’ milestone year, culminating in an anniversary street party, 125 Live! in September.
125 anniversary shows featured in the brand-new season brochure include Perth Theatre’s collaboration with the original producers of the iconic Scottish film Restless Natives on a major new stage musical. Opening in Perth Theatre before touring Scotland, the Clown and the Wolfman ride again in Perth Theatre Season Subscription show Restless Natives: The Musical to a soundtrack by Big Country. Cherished local actor Lesley Mackie shares her theatrical memories in Don’t Put Your Daughter On The Stage, and the Transatlantic Sessions makes its Perth Concert Hall début in a collaboration with Celtic Connections, celebrating the musical traditions that link Scotland, Ireland and the US.
A series of familiar faces from the past and present will be sharing their own special memories and stories about Perth Theatre and Concert Hall as part of 125 Stories - individual video snapshots that will be spotlighted on the venues’ social media pages and shown on screens during 125 Live!.
Elsewhere in the new season programme, Perth Theatre and Concert Hall are taking part in British Council’s UK/Poland Season 2025. Shows featured in this curated cultural offering include the Perth Theatre Season Subscription opener, Perth Theatre’s production of The Rainbow, Nicola Werenowska’s bold reimagining of D.H. Lawrence’s classic, which gives voice to the 3 Polish women at the heart of the novel. The offering also includes Perth Theatre’s performance of Remi Rechuba’s INTRUDER/INTRUZ and a Polish Cinema Season featuring three films curated by Bydgoszcz filmmaker Krzysztof Nowicki in association with Perth Film Society.
Additional Perth Theatre Season Subscription shows are Octagon Theatre Bolton, Derby Theatre & Hull Truck Theatre’s adaptation of George Orwell’s enduring and devastating satire about the corruption of power Animal Farm. KELI is a new show from National Theatre of Scotland and Lepus Productions about a fiery teenager who plays in a brass band in a former mining town, and London Classic Theatre returns with a production of Alan Ayckbourn’s hilarious yet chilling classic Just Between Ourselves.
Music lovers can look forward to Joan Knight Studio gigs from local favourites, including Ross Ainslie, Beth Malcolm and Katie Whittaker, as part of a series of intimate sessions from a line-up of top-quality traditional, jazz and folk musicians. There are Concert Hall performances by Gareth Gates, Mike and the Mechanics, Francis Rossi, Capercaillie, Nathan Carter and more, plus tribute acts encompassing all eras and appetites. Comedy comes courtesy of Connor Burns, Adam Kay, Stuart Mitchell and Rhod Gilbert, and Strictly stars Karen Hauer & Gorka Marquez and Giovanni will bring sparkle and sequins to the Perth Concert Hall stage.
After the RSNO’s season-opening Viennese Gala concert, the Perth Concert Series continues with Jennifer Pike performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Clyne & Rachmaninov: DANCE! by Royal Scottish National Orchestra with Big Noise Raploch, and Nicola Benedetti joins the Scottish Chamber Orchestra for a concert of Mendelssohn and Brahms. Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra plays Schubert’s Unfinished and Beethoven’s Pastoral symphonies in an evening of popular favourites. Perth Concert Hall serves up a fresh batch of Lunchtime Concerts, including Lark Piano Trio, Su-a Lee with Hamish Napier, and Nikita Lukinov, and there are exclusive Classical Stars performances from Paul Lewis, Steven Osborne with Alina Ibragimova, Bertrand Chamayou, and Jeneba Kanneh-Mason.
Perth Theatre’s Children’s Theatre Company in Residence, Dirliebane, presents BSL and English production BOUNCE for children aged 5-9; little ones aged 3+ can join three friends on a joyful jungle adventure in Tall Stories’ magical, musical adaptation of the much-loved Elmer books while Half a String’s Breathe explores the inner workings of trees, through a combination of stunning puppetry, breathtakingly detailed sets, and ground-breaking live camera work.
Perth Youth Theatre performs Into The Woods, intertwining tales of classic fairytale characters, such as Cinderella, Jack (of Beanstalk fame), and Little Red Riding Hood, as they explore the consequences of their wishes and quests. Perth Film Society offer their usual carefully chosen film season with a bonus screening of Restless Natives in honour of the brand-new musical premièring in Perth Theatre, and Perth Festival of the Arts returns with their own mix of music, comedy and events.
Commenting at the launch of the colourful new season brochure, Christopher Glasgow, Director of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall, said:
“It’s so exciting to be looking ahead to such a special anniversary year for both venues. Aside from our 125 Live! street party in September and the usual abundant selection of shows and events featured in our brochure, we are planning several other key moments throughout the year to mark this significant milestone. As always, we are hugely grateful for the support we receive from audiences, friends, artists, community participants and donors, plus core funders Creative Scotland, Perth & Kinross Council and The Gannochy Trust. We can’t wait for everyone to join us in celebrating the leading role that Perth Theatre and Concert Hall continue to play in the cultural life of the city.”
For tickets and information about any of the shows in the Perth Theatre and Concert Hall January to June 2025 brochure, visit perththeatreandconcerthall.com or call or visit the Perth Theatre Box Office (10:00 – 18:00 Tuesday to Saturday, 01738 621031).
