Warriors: A Scottish Musical – Ed Fringe 2026

Warriors: A Scottish Musical: temple at C ARTS | C venues | C aquila

17th August 2026

★★★★★

After a sold out run in 2023, Warriors: A Scottish Musical is returning to Edinburgh Fringe. This new musical is written by veterans and set in modern-day Scotland blending real military experiences with contemporary musical theatre as four soldiers are followed from their infantry training, through their second tour in Afghanistan to show their experiences at war and the effect that it has on them and their families.

This production is heartbreaking, raw and honest. Rajmund Olah’s direction allows each character to come alive onstage. Starting with a sombre song the audience are transported back in time to when the four men are sent to Afghanistan for their first tour. Told through a series of heartfelt monologues, songs and flashbacks it takes the audience on a complete journey. Each character has their own struggles and ways of coping – inspired by some of the real soldiers who have helped to write this show. Due to this, it feels genuine and raw from the very beginning and, apart from one unnecessary moment of audience participation which is luckily brief, the audience are taken on an emotional ride.

The small cast are joined onstage by a five-piece band which is pretty rare at the Fringe and should certainly be celebrated. Sam Rowlands, Jordan Hammond, Josh Duffy and Graeme Leslie are all great talents. They wear their hearts on their sleeves and draw in the audience with their commanding stage presence and passion. Warriors is a heartbreaking story and it can be felt throughout the show, most notably because although these characters may be fictional what happens to them is unfortunately far too common and has affected so many both in the past and even now as troops are being deployed all over the world, missing loved ones and risking danger.

Danny Muir, Alexander Shannon and Peter McKinlay’s score is quite diverse and contemporary. The songs are sung with conviction and some of the harmonies are lovely. Each character gets their moment to excel and they do so with confidence and ease. At this particular performance there were unfortunately many empty seats and yet the cast delivered outstanding performances. This is an incredibly moving show and definitely deserves to have a full house nightly.

Warriors is easily a five star show at this year’s Fringe and proves that not all shows have to be big, brash or comedic to stand out. This powerful story of love, loss and friendship is emotional, raw and genuine – a definite hit.

For more information and tickets click here.

AD – PR invite in exchange for a honest review.