UK Launches Its First Sauna Theatre, Welcoming Swimwear‑Clad Audiences to a Unique Art Experience

Nestled behind the Summerhall arts centre lies Edinburgh Fringe’s newest hotspot—quite literally. The Sauna Theatre has captured the interest of festival‑goers, with its purpose‑built, 80‑seat sauna attracting audiences in swimwear who work up a sweat.

It’s understandable to assume the sauna is merely a novelty, given the fringe’s reputation for outrageous and experimental acts. This year’s lineup features everything from a performer drinking his own urine to a looped song, daring physical stunts, and several completely nude performances.

In reality, the experience is far more wholesome; nudity is prohibited at the venue, which was co‑founded by theatre creators James Grieve and Lucy Osborne.

“We’ve researched sauna‑based art and culture for several years, and it’s clear that such traditions thrive worldwide,” Grieve explained. “Storytelling and folk music have long been part of the sauna experience.”

“He also highlighted aufguss, a practice where a sauna master blends ice and water with essential oils, places the mixture on the stove, and waves towels to spread the scented steam. This ritual is typically paired with music, storytelling, costume, lighting, and sound—essentially turning the sauna into a performance space.”

Deborah Carr, who heads the sauna and trains professional sauna masters outside the fringe, noted: “In the UK this is the inaugural sauna theatre, though similar venues exist worldwide—from Japan and Germany to Italy, where one venue seats 320 people.”

“I believe the concept is still emerging in the UK, and experiencing it here for the first time is thrilling because it plants a seed for future growth.”

The venue features three levels of wooden seating encircling three stoves capable of heating the air to 90 °C (194 °F), professional‑grade stage lighting, and a sound booth kept just a few degrees cooler.

Performances include scheduled intermissions, but guests are free to exit whenever they wish; the more adventurous can take a dip in the cold plunge. Showers, mirrors, and hairdryers are provided so attendees can freshen up and continue their day.

The programme ranges from morning raves to storytelling, theatre, and music performances. Each day at noon, “Mysteries of the Picts” presents an aufguss ritual led by two sauna masters, accompanied by traditional folk music, while actors recount the legend of ancient Scottish sweat houses that once served as gathering places for Celtic tribes during the late Roman era.

Grieve highlighted a particularly successful adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s *The Waves*. He noted, “Woolf’s writing frequently explores heat, light, and water. The aufguss masters enact rituals that echo the text, allowing audiences to sense the language on their skin, smell it in the steam, and hear it spoken by the performers.”

Organisers explained that the main hurdles have been etiquette‑related, such as making sure everyone sits on a towel. Some guests arrived expecting a figurative sauna experience, even after receiving emails reminding them to bring a swim suit.

Visitors who forget their swimwear can borrow one on site—a option many have eagerly embraced.

Grieve and Osborne plan to revive the venue next year, anticipating that audiences will then have a clearer idea of what to expect.

Grieve said, “This month has been thrilling as we explore what can be achieved in a sauna setting. Our goal is to discover works that are uniquely suited to, or enhanced by, the sauna environment—even though Edinburgh offers many other heated spaces for theatrical performances.”

Grieve added, “The response has been incredible. One of the greatest rewards is watching visitors leave feeling better both physically and emotionally—precisely the outcome we hoped to achieve.”

“We firmly believe that art and culture benefit body and mind, and when paired with a sauna the benefits could be even greater.”

Carr observed, “We often notice guests leaving with flushed cheeks and bright smiles. When they return, many tell us, ‘I felt amazing—not only did I enjoy the show, I felt great for the rest of the day.’”

Source link