Directed by Gerry Mulgrew
Performed by fiddle player Amy Geddes and dancer Alison Carlyle
It was one of the triumphs of 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and again at Celtic Connections in 2026 – sold out shows, standing ovations and 5 star reviews.
“The most joyful show I have seen… tells an important story with the lightest of touches and doesn’t put a foot wrong” ★★★★★ The Scotsman
Deiseil: Dancing in Time is a powerful exploration of how stepdance, Scotland’s percussive dance, was lost to us… and how its revival, drawn from Cape Breton Nova Scotia, became woven into a lifelong friendship. Experience a compelling journey across centuries of tradition told through fiddle, feet, Gaelic song and story, in an immersive performance which draws you into the heart of a rich heritage.
Thanks to a Creative Scotland Touring Fund Award of almost £120k the show is preparing to hit the road the length and breadth of Scotland with a 30+ venue tour, from May to Nov 2026. Beginning at Fèis Rois (Ullapool) and Edinburgh’s Tradfest, the tour takes in various other Festivals including the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention and Findhorn Bay Arts, village halls and venues from Kirkcudbright to the Highlands & Islands to the far North, North East to the Scottish Borders, working with key local organisations including SEALL and North East Arts Touring.
Deiseil (dʲeʃal/ (sounds like jay-shal)) means “ready” in Scottish Gaelic.
Be ready for a mesmerising reflection on how issues of culture, identity and connection still resonate through society today. Groundbreaking new work from multiple award-winning director Gerry Mulgrew (including six Fringe Firsts), dancer Alison Carlyle and musician Amy Geddes.