Rona Munro's cycle of plays about Scotland's Stewart kings will close with James VI: First and Last, directed by Rufus Norris. It opens at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh on 24 September 2027 and then tours Scotland.
The production will be the first that Rufus Norris has directed in Scotland. He took charge of the National Theatre in 2015 as Artistic Director and Chief Executive, remained in post until 2025, and moved to Fife in the same year.
James VI: First and Last is presented by Raw Material and Capital Theatres, in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts. Raw Material and Capital Theatres have produced the series together before, on James IV: Queen of the Fight and James V: Katherine.
The cycle began in 2014, when The James Plays were first staged as a trilogy by the National Theatre of Scotland, the National Theatre of Great Britain and the Edinburgh International Festival, each play taking one of the Stewart monarchs of the 15th and 16th centuries as its subject.
The new play follows James VI, the king who brought the crowns of Scotland and England together, through shifting allegiances and religious conflict. Munro also gives weight to the women in his life and to his queer history.
"James VI: First and Last marks the end of a journey I began over ten years ago," said Rona Munro. She added that no one needs to have seen the earlier plays: "If you are coming for the first time, no recap is necessary, no prior knowledge of the history is required."
Rufus Norris said: "My own lifelong fascination with history has been naturally focused on England, and to breathe theatrical life into a story that touches both nations is a challenge I look forward to enormously. I have recently moved to Scotland, and to be a part of the theatre community here is a privilege I will relish."
After the Edinburgh premiere the production visits four more Scottish theatres. The full cast will be announced in early 2027.
- 24 September - 2 October 2027: Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (tickets £15-£64)
- 5-9 October 2027: King's Theatre, Glasgow (tickets £20-£65)
- 14-16 October 2027: Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling (tickets £16.25-£26.25)
- 21-23 October 2027: Eden Court, Inverness (tickets £23-£45)
- 27-30 October 2027: His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen (tickets £22.50-£48.50)
Priority booking for Friends opens on 27 October, and general sale follows on 3 November. The tour is supported by the Creative Scotland Touring Fund and Chris Grace Harkness.
