After (many) hours of deliberating, we are thrilled to announce the shortlist of nominees for the Critic’s Awards for Theatre in Scotland 2026.

If the CATS shortlists tell us anything this year, it’s that Scottish theatre has rediscovered its nerve—and isn’t in any hurry to let it go again.

The 2026 nominations arrive off the back of an unusually expansive year for the sector. With close to 140 eligible productions—including a remarkable volume of new writing—the scale alone suggests a scene operating at full stretch. More telling, however, is the range: productions that move fluidly between disciplines, companies that operate across multiple partnerships, and a clear sense that risk is not only being embraced but expected.

At the centre of nominations are shows such as Arlington, Water Colour, The High Life, What I’m Here For and Windblown, two works that feel emblematic of where Scottish theatre is currently pointing itself. Some lean into form with striking minimalism, the other layers music, language and landscape to startling effect. Many of the co-produced shows articulate a key shift: theatre that prioritises atmosphere, texture and emotional resonance as much as narrative.

That broadened definition of theatre-making echoes across the wider shortlist. Revivals and new writing exist side by side without friction. A stripped‑back Waiting for Godot finds itself in conversation with contemporary devised work and music‑led performance, suggesting a culture less concerned with hierarchy and more invested in dialogue between forms. While The Glass Menagerie maintains a strict, and striking, sense of design and technical applications.

Companies, too, are operating with notable fluidity. The recurring presence of organisations like Raw Material and the National Theatre of Scotland speaks less to dominance than to reach—multiple projects, varied partnerships, and a willingness to operate across scales. Touring work and co-production remain central forces, reinforcing a sector that understands collaboration as necessity rather than luxury.

There is also an unmistakable outward gaze. International and local collaboration continues to shape the work being made, and this year’s recognition of an international performer within the acting categories signals a growing openness in how Scottish theatre defines its community. It is, increasingly, a space where boundaries feel porous rather than fixed. Productions like One Day, Waiting For Godot, and What I’m Here For leading the charge. These productions that have travelled—geographically and artistically—feature across multiple categories, offering a landscape where reach and adaptability are becoming as significant as scale.

“This has been another bumper year for theatre produced in Scotland, with almost 140 productions eligible for the awards including 96 new plays,” says CATS co-convenor Joyce McMillan. “Greater funding certainty than in recent years, for many companies, has led to a real surge in energy and confidence… It is a testament to the creativity, ambition and determination of Scottish theatre makers that we had so many varied and exciting shows to consider.”

That sense of confidence extends into performance itself. The acting nominations span established figures and emerging voices, large-scale productions and intimate solo work. What connects them is not style, but precision—performances rooted in clarity, detail and emotional control rather than sheer scale.

Elsewhere, the continued presence of pantomime within the awards underlines its enduring importance. Far from a seasonal aside, it remains a vital strand of Scottish theatre culture—one that adapts constantly while holding onto its distinct character and audience relationship.

“This year’s shortlists again recognise the importance of internationalism in Scottish theatre,” adds co-convenor Mark Brown. “Vanishing Point continues to demonstrate the special things that can happen when two innovative companies come together to create a piece of truly international work.”

“In the second year of our Outstanding Panto Award our shortlist again illustrates the continuing strength of the genre here in Scotland… productions… from large-scale to local all embody those special qualities that make pantomime such an important part of our cultural landscape.”

There’s also a sense of continuity running beneath the surface. With the ceremony set to return to the newly refurbished Citizens Theatre on June 21^st, the moment carries a quiet weight—an acknowledgement of the legacy that continues to shape the ambitions of the present.

Taken together, the 2026 shortlists point to a theatre scene that feels both grounded and restless: rooted in tradition, but unwilling to be defined by it. This is a sector that has regained its confidence—and is using it to ask bigger, bolder questions of itself.

With all the nominations released, winners will be revealed at a ceremony at the The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow on June 21st, with tickets being released shortly.

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