Ceilidh The Musical Tickets

“I bristle at the words participatory or immersive in theatre,” says Sam Pinkleton, director of the hit show, Oh, Mary!, “because to me they signal I’m going to be scared and have a bad time.”   So, what on earth is Pinkleton doing directing Ceilidh, a new musical written by Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie, aka Noisemaker, which opens at Shoreditch Town Hall later this month? Because Ceilidh is definitely participatory, inviting the audience to join in a show which takes the traditional Scottish gathering involving dances such as Strip the Willow and the Gay Gordons and gives it a narrative and theatrical spin?  Despite his initial misgivings, the thing which piqued Pinkleton’s interest was a trip to Glasgow with Gilmour and McKenzie, who had been developing the show, to experience some traditional Scottish ceilidhs. “As the dumb American on the team, I had no reference point for a ceilidh. But I loved that the form is so democratic and intergenerational, and there were all these different bodies engaging in their own way. It is impossible to look cool doing a ceilidh dance. It’s a great equaliser.”  He saw the genuine possibilities for the musical. "I often say that our show is an elaborate two-hour trick to get strangers to make eye contact. This is a piece of theatre which simply asks people to be together in a space. It is always welcoming you in, not intimidating you.”  “There is no forced fun,” says Gilmour firmly. He started working with McKenzie on the idea of using a ceilidh as a framework for a new musical back in 2018 with a 10-minute tryout out at Sloans’ ballroom in Glasgow. “If you want to get up and dance, you are very welcome, and if you want to sit and watch or go to the bar for a drink, you can. There is no version of the show which depends on everyone getting up and dancing.”  McKenzie points out that nobody should worry about not knowing the dances. Just as happens at a traditional ceilidh, the dances are called by the caller—a crucial role--so everyone can join in. "We teach you the dance, so whether you have never heard of a ceilidh or you have been to a 100, we meet you where you are.” She adds that normally when creating a musical, it is very tightly developed so “that you are delivering the same pace and beat every night. But with Ceilidh, a lot of the development has been about making sure there is time and space for it to allow for what happens in the space, such as someone knocking over their pint or being slower to learn a dance. We work with that, and it’s been a learning experience for us as writers of musicals.” 

Tickets are now on sale for Ceilidh, a brand new immersive musical coming to Shoreditch Town Hall for a limited London season from 22 October to 13 November. Following previous productions in Baltimore and Pitlochry, the musical now heads to the capital with Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Sam Pinkleton at the helm. Best known for directing the hit comedy Oh, Mary!, Pinkleton brings his distinctive style to this joyful new production by award-winning writers Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie. What is Ceilidh about? Inspired by the Scottish tradition of the same name, Ceilidh combines live music, dancing and storytelling in an interactive theatrical experience. As the evening unfolds, audiences become part of the celebration while discovering the story at its heart, with themes of family, relationships and the traditions that connect generations.