Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots is a major new production from Scottish Ballet’s choreographer-in-residence Sophie Laplane and theatre director James Bonas, exploring the complex and fateful relationship between Mary Stuart and her cousin Elizabeth I of England. Structured around Elizabeth’s dying moments and her memories — real and imagined — of the Scottish queen she ordered executed, the ballet weaves history and psychodrama into a work of striking originality.

Laplane’s choreography blends classical ballet technique with a bold contemporary physicality, reshaping this politically charged story with urgent movement language. The production features an original score by composers Mikael Karlsson and Michael P Atkinson, complemented by Soutra Gilmour’s striking contemporary set design and costumes that combine the grandeur of the sixteenth century with nods to haute couture and punk.

The production premiered to major critical acclaim and won Best Edinburgh International Festival Show at The List Festival Awards 2025. Its 2026 tour takes the work to Sadler’s Wells in London before an international leg at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston and the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York — marking a significant step in Scottish Ballet’s international profile.