Dogstar Theatre has announced that Matthew Zajac’s multi-award-winning The Tailor of Inverness | Krawiec z Inverness will return to Scotland’s stages in autumn 2026 with an extensive nationwide tour.
Opening at MacPhail Centre in Ullapool on 5 September, the production will travel the length and breadth of Scotland, visiting venues from Lerwick to Lockerbie and Aboyne to Oban before concluding in mid-November.
Inspired by the life of Zajac’s father, The Tailor of Inverness tells the story of a boy who grew up on a farm in Galicia, then part of Eastern Poland and now Western Ukraine, before eventually becoming a tailor in Inverness.
The play explores themes of migration, identity and survival, tracing a life shaped by the upheavals of the Second World War. Travelling across Europe, the Middle East and the Soviet Union before settling in Scotland, the central figure’s remarkable journey reflects the experiences of thousands of displaced Poles during the conflict.
Originally premiering at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2008, the production enjoyed immediate success, winning a Scotsman Fringe First, the inaugural Holden Street Theatres Award and The Stage and Critics’ Award for Theatre in Scotland for Best Solo Performance and Best Actor.
Since its debut, the production has been performed internationally, appearing in cities including New York, Adelaide, Malmö and Berlin, as well as in community venues across Ireland, Sweden, Wales and Ukraine.
The 2026 tour coincides with the publication of a new edition of The Tailor of Inverness in paperback from Luath Press. The updated edition includes a new epilogue written by Zajac, reflecting on subsequent events and his continuing involvement in Ukraine.
Written and performed by Dogstar Theatre Artistic Director Matthew Zajac and directed by Ben Harrison, the production combines music, poetry, storytelling and projection to bring this extraordinary family history to life.
The score is composed by traditional Scottish fiddlers Jonny Hardie and Gavin Marwick, with design by Ali Maclaurin.
The production has attracted widespread critical acclaim, with A Younger Theatre describing it as “The most electric theatre imaginable”, while The Observer called it “A triumph” and The New York Times praised it as “Compelling, impassioned”.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
