Ceilidh, a new Scottish musical in which members of the audience leave their seats to dance, has opened at Shoreditch Town Hall on Old Street. It runs until Friday 13 November before continuing on a UK tour.
The show is written by Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie, the duo behind the company Noisemaker, and directed and choreographed by Sam Pinkleton, who won a Tony Award for the Broadway comedy Oh, Mary!. It came to London after a season in Baltimore and a premiere at Pitlochry Festival Theatre earlier this month. Alan Cumming, Pitlochry’s artistic director, is a co-producer.
How the dancing works
The show is staged in the round in the hall’s Assembly Hall, with a caller leading the room through traditional dances between scenes. Gilmour plays the caller, Ramsay, whose father Leo, a famous caller himself, is played by David Rankine. The story follows the family and how the dances are passed from one generation to the next.
All areas are seated, but people with Main Floor and Front Row tickets may join the dancing at points during the show, the venue says. Balcony seats are for watching, and the view from them may be restricted at times.
“In 2,000 years, no one has ever looked good doing it,” the audience is told at the start, according to The Guardian’s Emma John, who called the show a “joyous, riotous celebration of Scottish culture” but found its story short on depth. WhatsOnStage’s Theo Bosanquet praised the 17-strong cast of actor-musicians and called it “a straightforwardly fun night out” even for people who have never been to a ceilidh. The dances include Strip the Willow and The Dashing White Sergeant, and the night ends with the room singing Auld Lang Syne.
Times and tickets
Evening shows start at 8pm, with 3pm matinees on Saturdays and two shows on Sundays, at 1pm and 6pm. There are extra 3pm matinees on Wednesday 11 and Friday 13 November. Balcony tickets start at £25, Main Floor at £40, and the Front Row costs £85.
The show runs 2 hours 15 minutes including an interval and is suitable for all ages, though it contains strong language, haze and loud music. There are no step-free seats in the balcony; the venue asks people who need step-free access, or who are bringing a carer, to book directly by email or phone.
After Shoreditch the production tours until 7 March 2027.
The essentials
- Where: Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT (Assembly Hall)
- When: until Friday 13 November 2026; 8pm, Saturdays 3pm and 8pm, Sundays 1pm and 6pm, plus 3pm on Wed 11 and Fri 13 November
- Tickets: Balcony from £25, Main Floor from £40, Front Row £85, via Shoreditch Town Hall
- Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes including interval
- Access: book step-free seats by phone on 020 7739 6176 or at info@shoreditchtownhall.com