The Flames - Tricky Hat Productions

Are you over 50 and do you have a story to tell?

Tricky Hat is welcoming people to join their performance company The Flames, to create a show that challenges pre-conceived ideas of how older people think and what they aspire to.

We’re in Aberdeen at the The Lemon Tree and in Stirling at Macrobert Arts Centre in 2026 – check out the dates below. Remember to follow us on our social media channels to catch the news when it’s hot!

What happens when I join The Flames?

Our performance company The Flames is made up of people from many walks of life. The one thing The Flames have in common is that they are over 50 years old. There are Flames all over Scotland, some in Japan and New Zealand!

Tricky Hat works in partnership with theatres and community arts centres throughout Scotland and we call out to people who live in those communities to come and join The Flames.

The Flames work with Tricky Hat’s team of professional artists in a series of creative and inspiring workshops, exploring ideas based on The Flames’ own life experiences and stories. Using performance, movement, film and specially composed music we create a live performance to an audience at that venue.

We welcome people from all walks of life and gender identity. No experience is necessary, and participation is free. There is no acting, and no scripts.

The Flames is for anyone who wants to challenge themselves, try something new, or just be part of a creative group of like-minded people! You don’t need to have any experience of theatre, you just need to be open to the possibilities and up for joining in!

For registering your interest, and if you have any questions, please e-mail info@trickyhat.com

What is it like to be in The Flames?

“Being a Flame re-awakened my adventurous spirit“

“It’s an opportunity to play, to be creative and to meet and make new friends. A chance to share life experiences and to hear amazing stories from other people.”

“The moment I arrived at rehearsals, everything else receded to the background while I discovered new people, new parts of myself and new experiences. I found it possible to be myself in the atmosphere created, and discovered I had some confidence to speak and to inquire of others.”

“Gave me such a sense of achievement and something I thought I was incapable of doing.”

“The creative team has been brilliant, supportive, inclusive, insightful, and fun. They created an atmosphere of trust necessary to bring the best out of us.“

Aberdeen 2026 (venues listed below)

Information Session

Friday 14 August (1pm – 2.30pm) Music Hall

Workshop Sessions

Friday 28 August (11.30am – 4.30pm) Music Hall

Saturday 29 August (12.15pm – 4.30pm) Music Hall

Friday 4 September (11.30am – 4.30pm) Music Hall

Saturday 5 September (12.15pm – 4.30pm) Music Hall

Saturday 12 September (12.30pm – 5pm) HMT

Rehearsal

Friday 18 September (11.30am – 4.30pm) Lemon Tree

Tech, Dress rehearsal & Performances