Two friends perform a breathtaking aerial show. They fly, spin, hang from the rooftops and fall out of the sky... But they weren't always so glorious. How did they transform from feeling like outsiders to the fantastical creatures they always knew they had inside them? A touching story of a girl who wants to be a monster and a boy who wants to fly. This dynamic and visually stunning aerial show explores the universal yearning to belong and the joy of friendship. Produced by Catherine Wheels, commissioned by Imaginate, created in association with National Theatre of Scotland and supported by Assembly.

Mirkids is a feast for the eyes and the imagination. The audience lies on the stage around a cylindrical structure, gazing at a suspended mirror and glimpsing dancers reflected on its surface. Here an arm, there a leg, disconnected and multiplied. In sync, with a geometric rhythm, body parts create mesmerising shapes like the vibrant patterns of a kaleidoscope: symmetrical, fluid, enigmatic and forever-changing. This stunning dance production is a fascinating visual spectacle that fires our imagination and invites us to marvel at what (literally) unfolds before us.

It’s Reid Aitken’s first day of high school and he just wants to vanish. When an embarrassing incident spirals into a legend known only as “The Creeping Snake,” Reid finds himself at the centre of the cruellest joke in school. Suddenly, the question isn’t how to disappear – it’s how to survive, and who will stand beside you when everything feels impossible. Fast-paced, funny, and painfully true, Cringe is a story about surviving the minefield of growing up, standing up to bullies, and finding the friend who makes you braver than you ever thought you could be. “So beautiful, complex and nuanced, with just the right dose of humour.” Delegate feedback from 2025 script reading.

One seed, two men – three lives and a budding beginning. Two men need to look after a tiny seed; it is their job to nurture this small life and help it blossom. But as every new parent knows, this is no easy task. When a sheep wants to nibble its leaves, how do you protect it? When techno tracks replace lullabies, how do you accept the change? And as the seedling becomes a sapling and needs to branch out, how do you let go? In Time is a playful, gentle, and highly visual show that through humour and absurdist touches, shares the joys and frustrations of parenting a new life. Co-produced with Catherine Wheels, in association with Randers Teater.

Brrr is a multi-sensory installation and dance performance for young audiences with complex needs aged 10-18. Set within an inflatable dome, Brrr is an immersive exploration of winter featuring dance, sound, video, and lots and lots of snow! Created in collaboration with young people and a team of artists specialising in inclusive practice, the performance is tailored to meet the specific needs of each audience member, offering audiences the freedom to engage in their own way and at their own pace with the shimmering winter landscape. Brrr is an unforgettable encounter where needs are not only accommodated but celebrated. The performance is suitable for those with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD), Autistic and neurodivergent individuals, and wheelchair users or other mobility aid users. It features minimal to no language, so is suitable for non-verbal and Deaf audiences.

Boys Don’t Dance is a poignant dance theatre show by acclaimed disabled artist Marc Brew, reflecting on his journey as a boy who defied society’s expectations to embrace his love for dance. The performance unfolds through a tapestry of memories, shedding light on the loneliness of being the only boy in a rural Australian town who dared to dance. The production will combine movement, storytelling, lighting and an uplifting soundtrack, alongside visual projections and animation to reflect Marc’s inner journey and create an immersive experience for young audiences. Boys Don’t Dance celebrates individuality and the liberating power of dance, encouraging audiences to embrace their unique passions and find strength in their differences. Commissioned by Imaginate, in partnership with Aberdeen Performing Arts.

Gretel lives in a tiny house, surrounded by small and precious objects: a tray, a teapot, a plant, a stool to sit on. She is absent-minded but rigorous, meticulously sticking to her bizarre logic in a world where everything is out of scale and out of place. But a catastrophe suddenly destroys her home, and Gretel must make her new path alone. Inspired by fairy tale themes of loss and the search for home, the performer blends contemporary circus, dance, and the manipulation of objects to celebrate migration and the need for reinventing ourselves when everything falls apart. It is a joyful and profound reflection on the meaning of home and a tribute to determination and perseverance.

Poor Effy. Sent to live with her aunt and uncle in a block that won’t allow dogs. What’s a girl to do? She smuggles her furry friend in, of course. Keeps him under a blanket. Feeds him biscuits. Ssh Toto, quiet. But it can’t last forever. Effy needs saving. And Toto is up to the task. Tim Crouch’s powerful new play is a tender and powerful story about listening, friendship and finding hope in the darkest of places. Wearing headphones, the audience will experience Effy’s world through 3D binaural audio technology. Immerse yourself in a compelling live mix of sound and action and discover the sound of things you never knew had sounds.

Wow! is a physical and musical performance that reveals the world through the eyes of toddlers, who delight in everyday objects and situations. Ordinary things that appear mundane or challenging turn out to be much more interesting, exciting, and beautiful than we initially think. Using colourful and multi-sized honeycomb paper books that unfold like fans or accordions, the performers explore endless possibilities, inviting us into their world of play, wonder and delight.

Join dancers and a live musician in a multi-sensory landscape, where your baby is free to explore whilst you take a moment to reflect on the joys and challenges of new parenthood. Island will provide a playful place to tumble and fall and experience the joys of being caught and cared for. A special space to celebrate the unique relationship between babies and their grown-ups where loving bonds can be stretched and strengthened.

Walangaan – flowing water in Wolof - tells the story of the water cycle. Water that quenches, water that trickles over the skin, water that splashes, water that cleanses, water that sings, water that rocks, water that gushes. And water that, sometimes, increasingly, runs out. A singer and a percussionist from Senegal follow the course of the water, revealing its sounds and playing with their voices and bodies, from the drop to the downpour, from the splash to the waterfall. Little by little, to the sound of the handpan, they build a small enchanted world of fountains, basins, faucets, and pourers – a luminous universe that reflects the gentle sensation of a baby’s first bath and becomes the mirror of intimate emotions.

Sent to the attic to think things over, Violette find herself surrounded by memories of her grandpa: his farewell party, the scary stories he used to tell her at night and even their crazy pickle recipes. So she decides to send him a letter to the moon, to tell him about the intense emotions and questions that make up her daily life. Where do you go when you’re dead? Can you have two crushes at once? Since I can see the moon, does that mean it’s closer than Spain? From sea storms to lunar landings, Violette dives into her wild imagination with humour and tenderness to bring everyday objects to life, and draws the audience into accomplices in her whirlwind adventure.

Do you ever feel that you’re missing out? That life is happening outside of your control? Because sometimes life feels like one big, thumping, steaming party, that you can't find the entrance to. You hear the bass, but where's the music coming from? Three characters search for a party they wish they could attend in a cold and deserted industrial estate. Everyone else seems to know exactly where to go. Or are those just ghosts in their head? The creators of the 2019 Festival sell-out show Invisible Man returns with an absurdist play full of humour where the most unexpected events take place on stage, and to everyone’s delight… with the audience!

How can we make people see, feel and grasp the passing of time using movements? Circus artist Alexis Rouvre takes up this challenge in his circus of objects. Juggler of time, rather than gravity, he manipulates a variety of simple materials to astonishing effect. Using chains, needles and wool, volcanic stones, sand and magnets, he creates a poetic work of wonder which defies the laws of physics. A magical ballet of hanging objects, flying and tumbling down.

The Fabulous Tale of BasarKus is a dazzling display of juggling and acrobatics. BasarKus is like no other creature. He has two heads and many arms and several legs. He is happy playing the guitar with four hands, rolling about and juggling. But BasarKus isn’t one but two! As the performers realise they are separable, they start exploring their own special talent, as acrobat and juggler. Like inquisitive children, they learn from each other and form new mischievous combinations. Their games help them discover their own body and identity, and the wonder of growing up.