Performing arts
Scotland boasts a rich heritage of classical music, dance and theatre that has established the country as a leader in classical and contemporary performing arts.
Scotland has produced some world-class acting talent like Sean Connery and Brian Cox as well as a new wave of actors in Kelly MacDonald and James MacAvoy that have come from theatre backgrounds, and this is reflected in today’s theatre, which also nurtures home grown talent.
Scottish theatre
Glasgow’s Kings Theatre, Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre, The Edinburgh Playhouse, Perth Theatre and Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre have produced some of the best original dramas as well as showing globally successful stage productions.
Glasgow’s Citizen Theatre and Dundee’s Rep Theatre have also gained critical acclaim with their own dedicated companies of actors and original productions.
It’s not just Scotland’s main cities that enjoy the arts – the Pitlochry Festival Theatre in Perthshire and the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness give visitors and residents the chance to enjoy theatre and art in beautiful surroundings.
Ballet and opera
Scotland also has its own touring national ballet company, the Scottish Ballet, based at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow. It has received critical acclaim for its portrayal of both classical and contemporary ballet that have seen it put on successful tours, with recent productions including a modern re-working of Alice in Wonderland.
The country’s investment in the arts is also shown through its own national opera company, Scottish Opera, which also tours Scotland entertaining tens of thousands of people annually.
Orchestra's and classical music
Music is ingrained in the fabric of the Scottish nation and this is made clear through its numerous professional orchestras and classical music groups, such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Inverness Chamber Music, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra – one of the country’s youngest stars is violinist Nicola Benedetti who travels the world with her music.
The country also hosts a number of festivals that allow for more exposure of the Scottish arts scene like the Aye Write! book festival in Glasgow, the world famous Edinburgh International Festival, and the international film festivals held in Glasgow and Edinburgh to celebrate the very best in cinema.
Whether it is classical music, film, literature, dance or theatre, Scotland has world-class talent in all these areas that helps make it a cultural leader on the international stage.