Scotland Archives - Page 2 of 61

La Nina Barro (The Clay Girl) – Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh

10Mar

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

La Nina Barro (The Clay Girl) – Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh

Writer Marta Masse joined the audience at the Roxy tonight, to see her life-affirming poetry brought to life for the first time in almost ten years. It must have been an emotional reconnection with her prose and with the original all female cast on what was International Woman’s Day. Ten years on from its first performance during the Edinburgh Free Fringe in 2014, Elizabeth Sogord, returns as La Nina (the clay girl) and Alexandra Rodes as Woman / mbira player. Relying on very minimal set and costume, or in Sogord’s case no costume at all. From a winding sheet of clay-spattered plastic we see the clay girl squirming and wrestling and moaning, and eventually releasing herself into existence to the weirdly haunting (think ancient music box) sound of the mbira, a mini piano from Zim...

A Giant On The Bridge – Traverse Theatre

10Mar

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

A Giant On The Bridge – Traverse Theatre

Between 2017 and 2021 Glasgow University’s Professor of Criminology & Social Work Fergus McNeill and researcher/artist/linguist and musician Lucy Cathcart Frodén engaged with people involved in the Scottish Criminal Justice system, creating the Distant Voices Community. They wanted to explore crime, punishment and issues associated with re-integrating with ‘normal’ society upon release, going beyond the obvious candidates, interacting with prison officers, governors, probation and social workers and family members of those incarcerated. To quote the Traverse programme notes; ‘Every year in Scotland 10,000 people return home from prison to an uncertain future’. Their findings can be found as ‘learning resources’ on the web (go to Vox Liminus) and six podcasts entitled Currents, Steppin...

6Mar

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Hamilton – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

The hype over Hamilton is spot on. This show tells the story of a political man, ambitious to make his mark in a time long gone and it does so with incredible spectacle, drama, humour and pathos. Currently touring the UK and Ireland, I was lucky enough to catch it at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh. The set is a work of art by acclaimed designer, David Korins. It enables the bold, powerful dancers to tell their story on every level. As the auditorium fills, the empty stage is beautifully lit with a rich, almost visceral palette and Howell Binkley’s lighting design lends nuance and substance to every musical note throughout the evening. Howell Binkley deserves his award for lighting this show. The entire cast did their director, Thomas Kail, and his associates proud. It’s a word-he...

2Mar

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Peak Stuff – Traverse Theatre

Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre’s reputation as the Capital’s go-to venue for cutting edge, experimental and thought-provoking new work can only be enhanced by this belter of a play from award-winning theatre company Thickskin. Touring England for the last month, the Scottish premiere tonight of Peak Stuff, by young writer Billie Collins fairly fizzes along with new ideas and brilliant acting not to mention superb lighting and set and spectacular video design. Stage centre, on a raised LED-edged plate Meg Lewis takes us on an often-overwhelming journey, through the eyes of three characters, Alice, Ben and Charlie. All consumers, and all consumed to varying degrees by the world we live in today. Teenager, Alice wants to poke a stick into the wheel of fast fashion, Ben is hiding from realit...

29Feb

By Wendy McEwanNo Comments

Scotland

Cyprus Avenue – Glasgow Pavilion

Eric’s greatest fear is losing his identity as an Ulster Unionist. The world has changed since his youth during the Troubles, but he can’t move on. When Eric (David Hayman) suffers a mental health crisis, this fear affects his whole family. Eric is convinced that his newborn granddaughter is, in fact, the former Sinn Fein leader, Gerry Adams. No, she doesn’t have a beard, but apart from that, she looks just like him. However, nobody else can see the resemblance. Eric holds some unpalatable views. His sectarian statements and language are shocking, bringing gasps of horror from the audience. Glaswegians are familiar with sectarianism. The play is also very funny. Every performance in this play was superb, and Hayman is extraordinary. This character says and does awful things, ...

Peter Pan Goes gnorW – Edinburgh Playhouse

29Feb

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

Peter Pan Goes gnorW – Edinburgh Playhouse

Mischief (here working with Kenny Wax Ltd and Stage Presence Ltd) is the multi award-winning company responsible for the very popular The Play That Goes Wrong, and its many conceptual spin-offs. These include the BBC One television series The Goes Wrong Show, Mind Mangler - Member of the Tragic Circle, Magic Goes Wrong, Mischief Movie Night and, of course, this evening's Peter Pan Goes Wrong, which was directed by Adam Meggido, with help from Associate Director Fred Gray. Like many of their shows, the concept is as complicated as the title. The ‘Cornley Drama Society’ Jake Burgum (Trevor the Stage Manager ), Jean-Luke Worrell (Francis the Narrator), Ciara Morris (Sandra / Wendy), Theo Toksvig-Stewart (Max / Michael), Clark Devlin (Dennis / John), Jamie Birkett (Annie / Tinkerbell), Gar...

Rob Brydon ‘A Night Of Songs & Laughter’ – Edinburgh Festival Theatre

20Feb

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

Rob Brydon ‘A Night Of Songs & Laughter’ – Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Once upon a time in the early noughties Rob Brydon was a cult figure, beloved by those-in-the-know for Marion & Geoff, Human Remains and The Keith Barret Show. Before bobbing up into the mainstream in 2007 via Gavin & Stacey he’d been the voice of countless adverts (following the Megan incident at BBC Radio Wales), the resilience, versatility and humour developed during what was a dark(-ish) period in his professional career and personal life providing ample material for tonight’s show. Of which we wish there’d been more, but… check the title. No-one’s used the words ‘national’ or ‘treasure’ yet but they must be imminent. Accumulated over the years Brydon can draw on such a deep well of honed wit, charm and skill it’s difficult to imagine anything he does failing. Both sure...

Guys and Dolls – Edinburgh University Footlights

20Feb

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Guys and Dolls – Edinburgh University Footlights

When you witness talent, team-work and dedication combined with youth, you know you’re onto a winner. The Edinburgh University Footlights production of Guys and Dolls was superlative. The orchestra was stellar (musical director, Emily Philips assisted by Amelia Brennan), the colourful costumes spot on (Tara Healey), the set so simple yet so effective (Holly Stephens) and the choreography was sharp, varied and hugely entertaining (Rosie Fletcher with Lyss Britton). Then, of course, there were the performers themselves: wonderful characterisation across the board was matched by confident voices and lithe bodies. Director Phee Simpson was blessed with an abundance of talent on this show. Megan Le Brocq as Miss Adelaide in this classic musical cannot be faulted. She has a rich, wide-ran...

Carlos Acosta’s On Before – Festival Theatre

17Feb

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

Carlos Acosta’s On Before – Festival Theatre

Carlos Acosta, one of the greatest classical dancers of the modern age, with a career that took him from the backstreets of Havana to the most famous stages in the world, is back in Scotland with his signature show On Before. On February 16th, audiences at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre were transported into Acosta's world - an electric journey through the depths of human emotion and expression. Born from personal experience and his own artistic vision, the show traces back to a pivotal moment in Acosta's life in 2010. Conceived as a homage to his late mother, it represents Acosta's most intimate and deeply personal work. Shaped by collaborations with renowned choreographers worldwide, the show's evolution reflects Acosta's commitment to his craft. As the curtains rise, the audience is invi...

17Feb

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

Vigil – Traverse Theatre 2

Dashing about the flat before heading out, Radio 4’s News Quiz opened with Andy Zaltzman’s tongue-in-cheek introduction announcing the relegation of the human race from the top 1,000 species on the planet. Putting everyone right in touch with the 26,000 endangered species the creator & performer from Mechanimal (Tom Bailey) attempts to dignify via a combination of mime, clowning and some sparse dialogue… Centre stage sits a small glass cube full of assorted skulls and bones, above it a screen carrying the words ‘Colombian Lightbulb Lizard’. Which has everyone chuckling as they take their seats but wait, it’s actually a thing. In Columbia, to boot. AKA ‘Riama Columbiana’. Like a resource dedicated to aspiring bands searching for a name, a cornucopia of Peel-esque nomenclature unspoo...