TRAINSPOTTING THE MUSICAL cancels its UK tour

Based on the 1993 novel by Irvine Welsh that was adapted into a cult classic film in 1996 by Danny Boyle, Trainspotting follows a group of young Scottish men: Mark Renton, an on-and-off heroin junkie, and his friends Danny "Spud" Murphy, Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson, Francis "Franco" Begbie. Cynical and occasionally shocking, it follows their experiences grappling with drinking, sex, family problems, HIV, death, and most of all, heroin addiction.

The musical adaptation is written by Irvine Welsh himself and directed and developed by Caroline Jay Ranger, with music and lyrics by Welsh and Stephen McGuinness. The score includes tracks from the film alongside original songs written for the stage. The cast includes Robbie Scott as Renton, Sheridan Townsley as Sick Boy, Kieran Andrew as Spud, Frankie O’Connor as Begbie, Finlay Paul as Tommy, Rebecca McKinnis as Cathy Renton, Gordon Cooper as Davie Renton, Ashley J Russell as Colleen, Rosie Dignan as Alison, Yana Harris as Kelly, and Sophie Hutchinson as Lizzie.

Trainspotting the Musical had its world premiere at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on 15 July, and opened to negative reviews from critics. You can read our review of Trainspotting here. It was due to embark on a five-month UK tour following its London run, opening at the Edinburgh Playhouse on 19 October. Unfortunately, the tour has now been cancelled due to low ticket sales, with tour stop pages removed from scheduled venues and tour details taken off the official website.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4 this morning, Irvine Welsh said, "It’s not a great time to be putting a new show on the road," commenting on the difficulty of taking a production of this scale on tour. He confirmed that Trainspotting would continue its West End run through to September, but that the show was "in difficult times" and that "it's an uncertain future."

Trainspotting the Musical will continue playing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket until 5 September 2026.

Trainspotting the Musical Tickets