Edinburgh International Festival: Cutting the Tightrope
This collection of short plays audaciously explores the power of the arts in today's world events, political resistance and displays of artistic freedom.
About Edinburgh International Festival: Cutting the Tightrope
| 14th Aug 2025 to 17th Aug 2025 | |
| 7.30pm | |
|
Church Hill Theatre Morningside Road, Edinburgh South EH10 4DR |
|
| From £25 | |
| Event organiser/part of Edinburgh International Festival | |
| Visit the event website here | |
SCOTTISH PREMIERE
A collection of political plays arrives at the International Festival with a fresh wave of urgency. Following a sell-out debut at London’s Arcola Theatre, Cutting the Tightrope dives into the ever-tightening grip of censorship on artistic freedom. This is an audacious exploration of the role of the arts in today’s global oppression and resistance.
Written by a dynamic roster of playwrights, the pieces cut to the heart of contemporary struggles – from war zones to the silencing of dissent. Praised as ‘powerful, important, moving’ by Ben Jamal, Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the show unflinchingly challenges the silencing of expression.
Expect an evening of daring, thought-provoking theatre that refuses to shy away from the truth. These voices demand to be heard.
Where possible we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events, however we STRONGLY ADVISE that you check with the venue/organiser in the first instance for updates.
All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.GOT AN EVENT TO SHARE? It's free to post your events on What's On Edinburgh, click here to find out more!
Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Edinburgh? Just hit 'Like' on our Facebook page, join the What's On Scotland Facebook Group and 'Follow' on our Twitter account and you're all set!Sponsored Links
Other Events at Church Hill Theatre or Edinburgh International Festival
Bedroom Farce
The Edinburgh Makars bring Alan Ayckbourn’s classic comedy 'Bedroom Farce' to Church Hill Theatre from 8th to 10th May!
READ MORE
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime
Comical scenarios, explosions and plot twists abound in a play filled with wonderful Wilde characters when Threepenny Theatricals bring Lord Arthur Savile's Crime to Church Hill Theatre!
READ MORE
The McDougalls: Magic Castle
Packed with singalong songs, musical mayhem and bucket loads of audience participation, this five star family show from The McDougalls is the perfect summer show for your little ones!
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Make it Happen
Set in Edinburgh, Make it Happen sees legendary actor Brian Cox return to the Scottish stage for the first time in a decade as Adam Smith, the ghost of fiscal past.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival
The Edinburgh International Festival returns from 1st to 24th August 2025 with live performance throughout the city.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: The Dan Daw Show
This daring International Festival debut fuses sexy choreography and touching theatricality to take a stand against the disabling forces of society.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: NYO2: Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony
Cellist Alisa Weilerstein and Carnegie Hall's NYO2 take on a thrilling pairing of Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: NYO2: Family Concert
Suitable for children and their grown-ups, we invite curious minds discover the magic of classical music in this joyful concert at the Usher Hall.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Best of Monteverdi Choir
Led by conductor Jonathan Sells, the Baroque choir present a dazzling showcase of their repertoire.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: María Dueñas & Alexander Malofeev
Maria Dueñas and Alexander Malofeev are one of the most inspired pairings in the recital world. This collaboration illuminates works by Karol Szymanowski, Claude Debussy and César Franck.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Holst’s The Planets
Let the London Philharmonic Orchestra takes you on the ultimate cosmic journey at the Usher Hall on 5th August!
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Pavel Kolesnikov & Samson Tsoy
Join creative collaborators Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy for a deeply spiritual recital of piano works, ranging from Bach to Messiaen.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Bruce Liu plays Ravel
Join Bruce Liu, Myung-Whun Chung and Beijing’s NCPA Orchestra for jazz-infused Ravel and Saint-Saëns’s spectacular Organ Symphony.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Mark Simpson & Richard Uttley
Mark Simpson brings dual talents as composer and clarinettist to an intimate programme featuring Johannes Brahms and his own works.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Hugh Cutting & George Ireland
Experience the expansive range of vocal music, from Baroque arias to specially commissioned contemporary works.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Works and Days
Birth, life and death converge at the heart of this visually spectacular performance, as theatre collective FC Bergman seeks the truth about our place in the wider world.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Leonard Elschenbroich & Alexei Grynyuk
Explore the musical love triangle between Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Bach & Bartók
Budapest Festival Orchestra return to the Festival with a programme that celebrates their Hungarian heritage and showcases the vibrancy of music written for dance.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Fibonacci Quartet
One of Europe’s leading string quartets, Fibonacci Quartet, brings their trademark brilliance to a programme of Scottish and Czech music!
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: La clemenza di Tito
Under the baton of Maxim Emelyanychev, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Chorus continue their electrifying explorations of Mozart at the International Festival.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: NFM Leopoldinum: Bizet’s Carmen Suite
Experience the unforgettable music of Bizet’s opera Carmen alongside moving pieces by Bacewicz and Strauss.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Piotr Anderszewski
The Polish pianist Piotr Anderszewski is known for his intimate and subtle playing style. It is beautifully suited to this programme of small-but-perfectly-formed works.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Sitkovetsky Trio
Experience evocative works for piano trio, from Beethoven to a UK premiere by Iranian composer Mahdis Golzar Kashani from the Sitkovetsky Trio!
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: LSO: Beethoven & Shostakovich
Nicola Benedetti and Sir Antonio Pappano co-present this concert, introducing two monumental symphonies by composers reckoning with mortality and the world around them.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Bostridge, Pappano & Members of the LSO
Expressive singing reveals the emotional depth of Benjamin Britten, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Edward Elgar.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Orpheus and Eurydice
Circa joins with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and a chorus from Scottish Opera for the European premiere of this electrifying production of Gluck’s seminal opera at The Edinburgh Playhouse.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Bomsori Kim & Thomas Hoppe
Award-winning violinist Bomsori Kim is joined by eminent pianist Thomas Hoppe in this stunning recital celebrating Poland's rich musical heritage.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: LSO: A Sea Symphony
Celebrate 20th-century British treasures from Elizabeth Maconchy to Ralph Vaughan Williams performed by the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO).
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Book of Mountains and Seas
Ancient Chinese myths inspire Huang Ruo's opera, confronting humanity's complex relationship with nature.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Florian Boesch & Malcolm Martineau
Celebrated for their Lieder performances, this duo showcases the lyrical beauty of Johannes Brahms and Robert Schumann.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Mary, Queen of Scots
Renaissance meets punk in Scottish Ballet’s retelling of the story of one of Scotland’s most famous women.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: LSO: Puccini’s Suor Angelica
Sir Antonio Pappano conducts the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) in Giacomo Puccini’s heartfelt opera.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Ryan Wang
Ryan Wang, BBC Young Musician of the Year winner, takes on an all-Chopin programme that showcases extraordinary mastery of the piano.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Shostakovich Inside Out
Explore Dmitri Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony as Aurora Orchestra unpacks its drama, depth and defiance.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Dementia Friendly Concert
New to the International Festival this year, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra performs familiar repertoire for people with dementia and their loved ones.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Belcea Quartet
Revitalising and transforming chamber music from the 18th and 19th centuries, Belcea Quartet's provocative recital spans Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Mozart.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Breaking Bach
Discover Johann Sebastian Bach from a fresh perspective in this world premiere where classical music meets hip hop and contemporary dance!
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: As You Like It A Radical Retelling
Encounter Cliff Cardinal's radical reimagining of Shakespeare's classic in this unapologetic production at Church Hill Theatre!
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Faustus in Africa!
Through puppetry and animation, Handspring Puppet Company reimagine Faust's downfall and reframe the classic tale to confront colonialism and the climate emergency.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Dunedin Consort & John Butt
This leading baroque ensemble revives Handel's sparkling comic cantata, unearthing the origins of his operatic masterpieces.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Bernstein & Stravinsky
Conductor Karina Canellakis returns to the Festival and leads the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (SSO) through a monumental programme featuring Messiaen, Stravinsky and Bernstein.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Emily D’Angelo & Sophia Muñoz
Join mezzo soprano Emily D'Angelo and pianist Sophia Muñoz for a programme of epic scope that explores humanity's connection to the natural world.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Pictures at an Exhibition
Take a whistlestop round-the-world trip with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and William Barton at the Usher Hall on Friday 22nd August!
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Figures in Extinction
Dance and theatre legends Crystal Pite and Simon McBurney unite with Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) to confront the climate crisis through spellbinding movement and sound.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Leonidas Kavakos & ApollΩn Ensemble
Johann Sebastian Bach’s violin concertos shine in this electrifying performance with soloist and ensemble in synergy.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Come and Sing Elijah
Join fellow singers in a full-day workshop, culminating in a performance of highlights from Mendelssohn's epic Elijah.
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Festival: Closing Concert: Mendelssohn’s Elijah
In this Closing Concert, discover Felix Mendelssohn's triumphant oratorio anew as the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and Royal Scottish National Orchestra breathe life into his most famous work.
READ MORE
The McDougalls: Halloween Party Show
Join Max and Auntie Aggie for their Halloween Party, filled with tricks and treats, guaranteed to have you screaming with laughter!
READ MORE
Come From Away
7,000 Stranded Passengers. One Small Town. A Remarkable True Story. Don't miss this amateur production at Church Hill Theatre!
READ MORESponsored Links
Similar events you might like...
Close-Up Magic at The Joker & Thief
Experience close-up magic with Tim Licata, one of Scotland’s most entertaining sleight-of-hand artists, at your table in the lovely Joker & Thief pub every Thursday!
READ MORE
Stand Up Horror
Actor, writer and tour guide Alex Staniforth invents a horror story every night at Stand Up Horror... you decide what the characters do, find and sometimes - yes sometimes - even love!
READ MORE
The Roze Garden
Looking for the best Thursday night out in Edinburgh? Discover The Roze Garden - Edinburgh’s Cabaret and Club Night at The Street!
READ MORE
Moonspinners
Join us for a new quarterly series of full-moon celebrations, with live storytelling, music and a rotating programme of incredible performers.
READ MORE
Edinburgh Magic
Kevin Quantum invites you to an intimate and quite astonishing evening of magic, mystery and wonder in one of Edinburgh’s most historic and enchanting hotels; The Caledonian!
READ MORE
99 Red Hot Kitties and a Cockatoo
Come and enjoy an afternoon filled with Burlesque, Drag, and Cabaret at at The Lab in CC Blooms!
READ MORE
Monster Cabaret
Join Madame Maeve for her creepy cabaret at the Banshee Labyrinth, as she host a collection of familiar monsters but not as you know them.
READ MORE
Ghosts of the Banshee
Are you brave enough to attend an unsettling night of ghosts in the Banshee Labyrinth - Scotland's Most Haunted Pub - built into the legendary South Bridge Vaults.
READ MORE
Dr. Bonk’s Macarbaret
Scotland's silliest surgeon, Dr. Bonk, is back with his hit SELL-OUT SHOW 'Dr Bonk's Macarbaret', an evening of drag, burlesque, music, comedy, and medical mayhem!
READ MOREFind other events in Edinburgh
Sponsored Links