New creative lead thrilled by scale and global potential

Mr Lane, who started his job last month, will be in Edinburgh in August while the final show created by Mr Braithwaite unfolds at the esplanade.

He said: “It’s a really exciting thing to take on. The sense of scale of the Tattoo, the way it looks back and the way it is packaged up into something so thrilling is genuinely unique. You literally can’t see anything like it anywhere else.

“One absolute gift for me is that my first show will be the 75th anniversary one. The other is that this year I will get to hang out while Michael [Braithwaite] makes his third brilliant show this year.

“It will be a huge opportunity and privilege to see how it all gets made before he hands on the baton.”

Mr Braithwaite’s two previous shows have introduced new special effects to light up the facade of the castle and the esplanade, a new “electropipes” sequence set to dance music, and the use of more pop and rock music, along with themes from films and video games.

Mr Lane said: “There is an absolute responsibility that goes with the job. This thing is bigger than any creative director or producer. None of them have put themselves before the Tattoo.

“There are certain things you’ve got to get right. Everyone thinks it is exactly the same every year but if you look back all the way to 1950 it has never stood still.

“It’s about delivering on the amazing promise of the Tattoo and keeping it fresh so there are changes for people who do want to come back year after year.”

Mr Lane said a key part of his job would be working out how to take “the beating heart of the Tattoo out into the world”.