Costume Designer

Set Designer

Two women. Two crowns. One story. The US premiere of Scottish Ballet’s newest creation, Mary, Queen of Scots, is a sweeping dance-theater work exploring power, identity, and the reverberations of the Reformation amid Europe’s dynastic conflicts—England rise toward global supremacy. As Elizabeth I nears death, she is haunted by memories—real and imagined—of her cousin, Mary, the Queen of Scotland. Two queens who never met, locked in a fatal dance of sex, jealousy, political intrigue, and religious warfare. 

This major new production from Scottish Ballet’s choreographer-in-residence Sophie Laplane and co-creator James Bonas draws on the complex, combustible relationship between Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I of England — two women whose rivalry defined an era. Laplane’s bold choreography blends classical technique with contemporary edge, reshaping their story with powerful originality. 

Soutra Gilmour’s striking, contemporary set is complemented by gritty and glamorous costumes that capture the grandeur of the Tudor era, with nods to haute couture and subversive street style. Guest Artist Charlotta Öfverholm, as the older Elizabeth, brings her rich storytelling expertise to the company’s acclaimed ensemble. 

A longtime Festival favorite since its American debut at Spoleto in 1986, Scottish Ballet returns with this bold new work blending history, movement, and music in a vivid reflection on ambition and legacy. Celebrated for its contemporary interpretations and groundbreaking collaborations, this is an iconic story unconventionally told: where Renaissance meets punk, where classical ballet meets visceral theatre, and where history becomes urgent, immediate, and unmissable.

EPSG:4326

Scottish Ballet: Mary, Queen of Scots

Gaillard Center

The enduring appeal of Live Aid is tapped once more as this new Olivier-nominated jukebox musical, direct from the West End. Just For One Day gives audiences a look behind the scenes of the auspicious event and features a soundtrack by Matt Brind that covers the day's biggest artists, including Queen, David Bowie, Elton John, U2, The Boomtown Rats, Diana Ross, and many, many more. Written by John O'Farrell (Mrs Doutfire) and directed by Luke Sheppard (&Juliet,) Just For One Day also contributes to the Band Aid Trust's mission, with 10% of every ticket sale going to their ongoing charitable work, both globally and here at home.

Just For One Day

New Theatre Oxford

Sheridan Smith makes a triumphant stage return in a revival of Alan Ayckbourn's 1985 play Woman in Mind, opening in the West End at the Duke of York's Theatre this December, before taking to the road to play in Sunderland and Glasgow in spring 2026. A dark comedy that follows housewife Susan after her reality is split in two after a bump on the head, Woman in Mind is a heartfelt and humourous examination of family and identity, with a psychological twist, with Smith at the helm of an ensemble cast who play the families of her dual realities. Direction comes from Michael Longhurst, with set and costume design by Soutra Gilmour.

Woman in Mind

Sunderland Empire

Houston finally gets its chance to see Breaking the Waves, the critically acclaimed contemporary opera from sought-after composer-and-librettist team Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, which made its world premiere in 2016. Adapted from the art film by Lars von Trier, the story transports audiences to 1970s Scotland, where the impressionable young Bess, part of a strict Calvinist community, wins permission to marry an outsider—the offshore oil rigger Jan. After the impatient lovers consummate their union at their own wedding, Bess embarks on a journey of sexual exploration that is tragically interrupted when Jan is paralyzed in an accident, setting off a series of shocking events that culminates in the unthinkable.  

Breaking the Waves

Wortham Theater Center

Written in 1866 by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment is a devastatingly modern psychological thriller that provided Helen Pickett and James Bonas with a startling source for a ballet. The protagonist Raskolnikov is, at once, a brilliant student forced to stop his studies due to brutal poverty, a person capable of great warmth and generosity, a loyal family member and friend, and an appalling murderer. These contradictions are so real and so vivid that this young man’s journey towards redemption has captured readers for over 150 years.

Crime and Punishment

Lincoln Center

Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s heart-wrenching opera tells the story of a woman – isolated, trapped in an extreme environment, with no way out – defending her marriage and defying her community of faith. 

Breaking The Waves

Detroit Opera House

Hearts and minds racing, Connie and Tristan are falling for each other fast. But is their sudden and intoxicating chemistry real, or a side effect of a new antidepressant?

As two young volunteers in a clinical drug trial, their illicit romance poses startling dilemmas for the supervising doctors.

The Effect

The Shed

Spanning three decades in the entertainment business, Merrily We Roll Along charts the turbulent relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends — writer Mary and lyricist & playwright Charley. An inventive, cult-classic ahead of its time, Merrily We Roll Along features some of Stephen Sondheim’s most celebrated and personal songs. Maria Friedman first directed the musical at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory which subsequently transferred to the Harold Pinter Theatre to critical acclaim—the most five-star reviews in West End history—winning the Olivier Award for Best Musical.

Merrily We Roll Along

New York Theatre Workshop

As death approaches, Elizabeth I of England is haunted by memories — real and imagined — of her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. Two queens who never met, locked in a fatal dance of sex, jealousy, political intrigue, and religious warfare.

This major new production from Scottish Ballet’s choreographer-in-residence Sophie Laplane and co-creator James Bonas (The Crucible) draws on the complex, combustible relationship between Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I of England — two women who never met but whose rivalry defined an era. Laplane’s bold choreography blends classical technique with contemporary edge, reshaping their story with powerful originality.

Costume Designer, Set Designer

Soutra Gilmour

Events

Upcoming events

4 - 7 Jun, 2026

Mary, Queen of Scots · David H. Koch Theater

8 - 12 Jun, 2027

Just For One Day · Sunderland Empire

Past events

28 - 30 May, 2026

Scottish Ballet: Mary, Queen of Scots · Spoleto Festival USA

18 - 22 May, 2026

Just For One Day · New Theatre Oxford

About

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