Ceilidh is a brand new musical that brings Scottish tradition to life in a vibrant, immersive evening of song, dance and storytelling. Led by a lively caller, audiences are drawn into a whirlwind of music, movement and celebration, where participation and performance blur from the moment the night begins. As the ceilidh unfolds, a powerful family story emerges beneath the revelry, exploring love, legacy and why this gathering matters more than it first seems.
Fresh from runs in Baltimore and Pitlochry, Ceilidh now makes its London premiere. Created by award-winning duo Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie (Noisemaker) and directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Sam Pinkleton (Oh, Mary!), this is an irreverent, joyful and heart-pounding new musical experience.
Secure your Ceilidh tickets early to be part of this unforgettable night of music, stories and connection.
When it opened in 1866, Shoreditch Town Hall was known as one of the grandest Vestry Halls of its time and its ambitious founders wanted the building to embody their progressive values. Until the 1960s, the Town Hall operated as the centre of local democracy and civic life in the borough of Shoreditch.
Throughout the building the motto ‘More Light, More Power’ can be seen beneath the crest of Shoreditch. This motto, together with the statue of Progress on the front of the tower, commemorates the borough’s reputation for pioneering bold ideas such as the building’s revolutionary 1897 Refuse Destructor, which generated electricity and powered street lighting in the borough.
The building has a rich history. It played an important role in East End working-class culture, first as a Music Hall in the late 19th and early 20thCentury, and as a boxing venue from 1955 – 1975. In between, it survived a huge fire in 1904, and two World Wars, before neglect in the 1980s and 1990s led its inclusion on English Heritage’s Buildings at Risk register.
A campaign to save the building was founded shortly afterwards and Shoreditch Town Hall Trust took over the lease in 2002, upgrading the space and forming an events hire business. In 2012, the Trust adopted a more dynamic vision to recognise the building’s full potential as an arts, events and community space. Since then, £2.3m of capital investment has transformed the capability of the building, enabling the development of a distinctive contemporary arts programme, firmly establishing the Town Hall as a vital and unique space on the London cultural map.