The Metamorphosis

Text by Matthew Lenton and Joanna Bowman, Elicia Daly, Nico Guerzoni, Paul Thomas Hickey, Robert Jack, Alana Jackson, Sam Stopford, Hannah Visocchi after Franz Kafka

The Metamorphosis is the story of an ordinary man who wakes up one morning to find he has been transformed into a giant insect.

Soon he begins to realise he’s got bigger problems than being late for work. His family, shocked by his bizarre condition, barricade him into his room, unwilling to accept that somewhere inside this behemoth of a bug is their son.

Franz Kafka’s hugely influential, tragicomic, iconic novella is brought vividly to life in this international co-production, which opened at Glasgow’s Tron Theatre in March 2020 to five-star reviews, only to be closed again for lockdown.

Programmes for The Metamorphosis, featuring exclusive design drawings, articles and photographs, will be available to buy during the run for just £2.50.

There will be a BSL interpreted show on Friday 15th April at 19:30.

£1 Tickets are available for this production.

Photo by Mihaela Bodlovic.

The Traverse Theatre is funded by Creative Scotland and The City of Edinburgh Council, with additional support from The Scottish Government Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund.

Seating for this performance is General Admission, so you can choose where you would like to sit when you arrive, and sit with others in your group who may have booked at different times. The event will be sold to full capacity, with no social distancing measures in place following updates to Scottish Government Covid-19 guidance.

We will be continuing to adhere to other Covid-19 measures, including the wearing of face masks whilst in the venue, hand sanitising and using etickets where possible. You can read more about these measures here.

If you have access requirements, please contact our Sales and Welcome Team on boxoffice@traverse.co.uk or 0131 228 1404 so we can arrange reserved seating for you and discuss how else we can best support your visit.

Watch the trailer

Press reviews

‘A degree of meticulous artistry and controlled passion that sometimes almost takes the breath away… Every actor in Lenton’s ensemble plays his or her role to perfection’
★★★★★ The Scotsman

‘A stroke of genius… the company’s penchant for dark visual poetry is at a premium in this new theatricalisation of Kafka’s tale’
★★★★★ The Herald

'As perfect a fit between a theatre director’s aesthetic and a writer’s narrative as I have witnessed in quite some time'
★★★★★The Herald on Sunday

'A powerful piece' ★★★★★ The Stage

'Stunning' ★★★★★ The Times