The spectacular medieval ruins of Craigmillar Castle, a site of plot and intrigue through the ages, play host this summer to a series of exciting evening performances of a dramatic tale of unrequited lust, witchcraft, suicide and vengeance.

From 2-26 August, the acclaimed Offstage Theatre will be at Craigmillar Castle to stage its radical reworking of Racine’s classic play Phaedre. It is the first time the 15th century landmark has acted as a major Fringe venue.

Phaedre will be performed promenade-style at the enigmatic castle, with key scenes unfolding in settings such as the courtyard, great hall, towers and dungeons. Audiences will be guided through them by magnificently haunting choral chanting and flickering candle light. This bold new adaptation - written and directed by Cressida Brown - combines local legend with classic myth.

Ella Hickson of Offstage Theatre said: “Craigmillar Castle is a superbly inspirational space for theatre; it offers a wonderful setting for this terrific adaptation of the amazing tale of Queen Phaedre’s guilty passion for her stepson, his rejection of her and the complicated and fatal repercussions. The combination of historic location, music and candlelight supporting majestic performances ensures that the audience is in for a really special evening; our cast will provide a unique and unforgettable experience.”

Offstage Theatre is well-known for creating site-specific productions which weave the myths, history, people and politics of a locality into its productions. For Phaedre at Craigmillar Castle, the company established links with the local community and involved children from the local Castleview Primary in a design project which encouraged the children to investigate their own local history.

Sarah Jones, assistant events and filming manager at Historic Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming Offset Theatre and C Venues to Craigmillar Castle. We worked with C Venues last year on the one-night-only Fringe event at Edinburgh Castle and were pleased to strengthen our relationship by offering Craigmillar Castle as an evening venue at this year’s Fringe. It also demonstrates our commitment to facilitating theatre and arts productions at Historic Scotland attractions as they enable more people and wider audiences to experience and appreciate the wonderful heritage sites in our care.”