Man to Man

Tilda Swinton returns to the Traverse Theatre on Thursday 29 October in Man to Man, a solo play by Manfred Karge. It's a homecoming in more than one sense: Swinton first played the role of Ella/Max Gericke here in the Traverse's former Grassmarket home back in 1987, when she was 26. That production became a defining moment for both her career and the theatre's history, and she hasn't performed in live theatre since the show transferred to the Royal Court in 1988. This revival brings her back to the Traverse stage for the first time in almost 40 years.

Set in 1930s Germany, the play follows a woman who puts on her dead husband's trousers and never takes them off. From there, she endures war, dictatorship, hunger and humiliation across several decades of political upheaval. It's a long stretch of history to cover in one role, and the title Man to Man points to the disguise she wears throughout. Swinton takes the solo part, directed by Stephen Unwin, with design by Bunny Christie and lighting by Ben Ormerod. The production reunites the original multi-award-winning creative team, so it's the same core group coming back to the same play they worked on decades ago.

This isn't a one-off run, either. The production has already played at London's Royal Court Theatre and is due to transfer to the Berliner Ensemble before a New York City run in spring 2027. The Traverse is funded by Creative Scotland and The City of Edinburgh Council.

Performances run from Thursday 29 October to Saturday 7 November, all starting at 7:30pm, with matinees at 2:30pm on 31 October and 7 November. It runs for about an hour and 20 minutes. Tickets are £45 standard, £40 concession, £35 for students and under-30s, and £15 for other concessions.