Scottish Ballet to create new dance version of The Crucible for its 50th birthday

Scottish Ballet is to launch a brand new adaptation of the classic American play The Crucible at the Edinburgh International Festival to mark its 50th anniversary.

Scottish Ballet's brand new take on The Crucible will premiere at the 2019 Edinburgh International Festival.

Arthur Miller's story exploring the impact of the 17th century Salem witch trials in Massachusetts will be premiered at the event in August before touring to Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness next autumn.

Brooklyn-based choreographer Helen Pickett will be masterminding the production, which will be set to a score from Peter Salem, who previously worked with Scottish Ballet on A Streetcar Named Desire and created the music for the TV series Call the Midwife and the film Cider With Rosie.

The Crucible, which Miller famously wrote as an allegory for the witch-hunt atmosphere that surrounded anti-Communist investigations in the US in the 1950s will open the EIF's dance programme in 2019 and will be the company's first production at the event for three years.

EIF director Fergus Linehan said: "Scottish Ballet has been inspiring audiences at the festival with unforgettable performances since the 1970s and we’re thrilled to welcome back the company as it celebrates 50 years.

"It’s especially exciting to open our 2019 dance programme together with a premiere of this scale and scope and look forward to sharing The Crucible with audiences from all over the world."

Christopher Hampson, artistic director of Scottish Ballet, said: "To perform within the biggest arts festival in the world is a great honour in the company’s celebratory year and affirms Scottish Ballet’s place as one of the most daring dance companies in the world."

Other highlights of Scottish Ballet's 50th anniversary season include The Snow Queen, which will be staged next winter.