Let’s go behind the scenes of some of the 2017 International Festival events to see the artists rehearse, find their focus and relax before the curtain goes up.

Let’s kick off our tour at the Edinburgh Playhouse, where Rosas dancers were rehearsing Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s Rainset to Steve Reich’s music. As we moved amongst the simple, and beautiful set, the atmosphere was just as serene as the performance. See for yourself in the video below.

We continued at The Queen’s Hall. Here we met German baritone Benjamin Appl and Siberian-born pianist Pavel Kolesnikov rehearsing ahead of their recital. It was going great and they even found a moment to perform Benjamin Britten's Down by the Salley Gardens for you, in an exclusive music session for the International Festival and BBC Radio 3.

Walking down the street, we stopped at the Festival Theatre and went backstage to spot Teatro Regio Torino performers getting in the zone in the wings at the Macbeth rehearsals. The same company also staged Puccini’s La bohème and together with Classic FM we’d love to show you the energetic buzz and some of the work that goes into putting on such a stunning production. Just press play in the video below to be transported backstage.

Let’s make our way across the Old Town to visit the Usher Hall just in time to see Charles Dance rehearse Copland’s Lincoln Portrait with Cincinatti Symphony Orchestra.

Everything went smoothly, so no surprise when we hopped on stage ahead of the concert later that evening, there was a focused yet relaxed vibe amongst the orchestra players.

The venue was always busy with so many concerts and big orchestras rehearsing, but there was also time for some playfulness too. We came together with Classic FM, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Edward Gardner to show you a sneak peek into that process in the video below.

The Lyceum Theatre is just around the corner, so let’s peek onstage from the wings to catch a glimpse of Boy Blue Entertainment dancers taking a selfie before their blazing performance of Blak Whyte Gray.

Following a nice walk to Morningside, let’s see what was happening at the Church Hill Theatre. Making our way backstage first, we could see Vox Motus team putting final touches to Flight models before installing them in the diorama in the venue. If you haven’t read it before, take a look at our blog about our visit to the company’s workshop in Glasgow.

Staying at the same venue, we popped into a dressing room to say hello to Barry McGovern as he was getting transformed into Krapp ahead of his performance of Beckett’s one-man play. Once we reached the stage at Church Hill Theatre, we encountered Aracaladanza dancers having a break during Vuelos rehearsals.

Before we wrap up our tour, let’s visit Castlebrae Community High School and its gym transformed into an International Festival venue for Boy Blue Entertainment’s Project R.E.B.E.L. Watch the students operating the venue alongside the International Festival staff and spot Scotland's Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon visiting the school.

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All photos © Beth Chalmers, 2017 International Festival Photographer