Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Sam Pinkleton — acclaimed for his recent work on Cole Escola’s Oh, Mary! — will direct the UK première of CEILIDH (pronounced kay-lee) at Pitlochry Festival Theatre in 2026.
The show is part of Alan Cumming’s first season as Artistic Director of the Scottish Highland theatre.
Written by Scottish musical theatre duo Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie (Noisemaker), the production will run from 24 September to 17 October 2026, with tickets on sale next year.
CEILIDH arrives in the UK following its U.S. debut, where Pinkleton recently directed and choreographed the immersive new musical to enthusiastic audiences in Baltimore. The show opens the doors to one of Scotland’s oldest social traditions, transforming it into a contemporary, participatory theatrical event.
Scott Gilmour, David Rowen and the company of North American Premiere of CEILIDH. Photo by Matt Murphy
Pinkleton most recently won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for Oh, Mary!, which opens in London’s West End this December following its hit Broadway run. He will once again direct the comedy, which runs at the Trafalgar Theatre starring Mason Alexander Park.
His extensive directing credits include Josh Sharp’s Ta-Da! (Greenwich House), Morgan Bassichis’ Can I Be Frank? (Soho Playhouse), You Will Get Sick (Roundabout), Untitled DanceShowPartyThing (Virgin Voyages), Elizabeth Swados’ Runaways (City Center Encores/Public Theater), The Wizard of Oz (ACT), and Head Over Heels and La Cage Aux Folles (Pasadena Playhouse).
As a choreographer, Pinkleton’s work includes Stephen Sondheim’s final musical Here We Are (The Shed / The National Theater) and seven Broadway productions, notably Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, for which he received a Tony nomination. He also works in film and television, including Dying for Sex and The End. His upcoming projects include a new Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show at Studio 54.
CEILIDH runs from 24 September to 17 October 2026 at Pitlochry Festival Theatre.
Shoreditch Town Hall, London
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