Christina Schmidt, Author at North West End UK

Crash and Burn – theSpace @ Niddry Street

16Aug

By Christina SchmidtNo Comments

Scotland

Crash and Burn – theSpace @ Niddry Street

Set on a private jet, heading to the climate conference COP26 in Glasgow: Oil Baron James Johnson with his employee and daughter are forced to share the plane with eccentric actor and activist Amodius Vassano and his personal manager. After take-off, they find out that this and other planes have been hijacked by a group of radical environmental activists and they are being held hostage, only to survive if Johnson confesses to his crimes. ‘Crash and Burn’, a new play written by Will Leckie, who also plays Amodius Vassano, aims to be a political comedy that wants to ask the question of how far activism can or should go. Whilst this is a great premise, although an unoriginal idea, the execution of it was rather poor. The play lacks structure, trying to tackle too many topics at once...

Twenty People a Minute – theSpace on the Mile

14Aug

By Christina SchmidtNo Comments

Scotland

Twenty People a Minute – theSpace on the Mile

‘Twenty People a Minute’ is a new play that provides a terrifying outlook of what the near future could look like. Set in 2030, the play follows four people fleeing from their homes for different reasons – whether being persecuted for their gender, sexuality, or fleeing from war and natural disasters. These refugees of tomorrow highlight the social, political and environmental crises plaguing the world today and how they might impact individuals in the future. Written by Samantha Robinson, her prose seamlessly becomes poetry whilst the fragmented storylines slowly intertwine and come together in the end. Her excellent writing carries the audience through the play, being fast-paced and using repetitions to underline the characters constant questioning of themselves and the situation they...

Did You Eat? – Greenside @ Infirmary Street

14Aug

By Christina SchmidtNo Comments

Scotland

Did You Eat? – Greenside @ Infirmary Street

Hi, did you eat? You didn’t? Would you like a snack?’ Opening a show by giving out sweets to the audience is never a bad idea, and Zoë Kim, writer and performer of ‘Did you eat?’, does it with such an infectious smile and warmth that you immediately feel drawn to her. She then dives into the story of her childhood, generational trauma and differences in love languages specifically between mothers and daughters. While exploring her own Korean American identity and how it separates her from the people around her, she always comes back to food being an essential love language in Korean culture. After having six sold-out previews in NYC, and having its world premiere on the Edinburgh Fringe, ‘Did you eat?’ is a show not to be missed! The play tackles many heavy topics, such as ant...

Hi Ho Hi Ho, It’s Off To Work I Go – theSpace @ Niddry St

10Aug

By Christina SchmidtNo Comments

Scotland

Hi Ho Hi Ho, It’s Off To Work I Go – theSpace @ Niddry St

In his autobiographical solo-show, Phillipe Andre Coquet takes the audience on a journey through his remarkable life. From growing up in New York, close to gangs, drugs, hookers and pimps, to being a teenager in 70s Hollywood discos, to spending 25 years in a New Age cult, and to a midlife career change as an erotic masseur – Coquet has seen it all. His story is musically infused with classic Broadway songs such as ‘Life is a Cabaret’ or ‘Glitter and be Gay’, as he simultaneously explores the history of sex-workers in Broadway musicals, the very thing that made him a theatre-kid and a performer later in life. His performances are all acapella, because ‘his accompanist didn’t accompany him to Scotland’, as Coquet explains. However, his beautiful singing voice makes up for it. Ther...

Something Educational – The Space @ Niddry Street

7Aug

By Christina SchmidtNo Comments

Scotland

Something Educational – The Space @ Niddry Street

Playing Bingo in church? That’s what got five boarding school kids in trouble on their last day of school in the new comedy ‘Something Educational’, written and directed by Rosie MacKay. After this intriguing opening scene, the characters are sent to detention for writing task, which they procrastinate doing, and drama unfolds as they reveal their true thoughts about each other. The script is witty and light-hearted, with lots of little jokes and nods to the audience – a try at creating a fleabag-style relationship between actors and spectators - Samuel Bergson, playing Robbie, is particularly skilled at code switching between interacting with the other characters and addressing the audience, making his character likable from the beginning. Set and costume design is very minimal, wi...