The concluding chapter of Rona Munro’s acclaimed The James Plays trilogy, James VI: First and Last, will premiere in 2027, directed by Rufus Norris on a nationwide Scottish tour. This marks Norris’s Scottish directing debut and brings to a close Munro’s decade-long theatrical exploration of the Stewart monarchs.

James VI: First and Last will open at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre on 24 September 2027 before touring Glasgow, Stirling, Inverness, and Aberdeen. The production is a collaboration between Raw Material and Capital Theatres, in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts.

Rufus Norris, fresh from a ten-year tenure as artistic director of the National Theatre, takes on the director’s role, marking his first directing project in Scotland. The play focuses on King James VI as he wrestles with religious conflict, shifting alliances, and his ambition to unite the Scottish and English crowns. It also delves into the women in his life, his relationships, and sexuality.

The James Plays began as a trilogy in 2014, but Munro ultimately wrote six plays spanning the series. Raw Material and Capital Theatres previously co-produced the second and third plays, James IV: Queen of the Fight and James V: Katherine.

Munro reflects on the series as a significant commitment: “James VI: First and Last marks the end of a journey I began over ten years ago… I hope new audiences will recognise and enjoy a self-contained drama… If you have seen all The James Plays you will be satisfied by this conclusion.”

Norris expressed his enthusiasm for the project, saying: “I have been a huge fan of this extraordinary series… Rona’s ability to frame historical events… in a way that makes them feel immediate, contemporary and utterly resonant is masterful.”

The production receives support from the Creative Scotland Touring Fund and Chris Grace Harkness. The full cast will be announced in early 2027.

James VI: First and Last runs from 24 September to 2 October at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre, before visits to Glasgow’s King’s Theatre, Macrobert Arts Centre in Stirling, Eden Court in Inverness, and His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen. Friends’ booking opens on 27 October with public tickets available from 3 November.