Dylan Mooney, Author at North West End UK

Anna Karenina – Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh

18May

By Dylan MooneyNo Comments

Scotland

Anna Karenina – Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh

Leo Tolstoy’s famous novel Anna Karenina is brought to life in a modernised adaptation written by Lesley Hart and directed by Polina Kalinina. A novel seen by many as a classic romance story is brought right up to date with modern Scottish language allowing audiences unfamiliar with the book to better understand it. One thing I admire about this play as a whole is their step away from the ‘traditional’ idea of adaptation, the urge to write almost word for word what happens. Instead, Hart has crafted a story that holds a genuine theatrical charm, capable of retaining attention throughout. The story follows the title character, Anna Karenina, played by the fantastic Lindsey Campbell, as she travels across Russia to save her brother’s (Stiva, played by Angus Miller) marriage after he has a...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Edinburgh Playhouse

31Mar

By Dylan MooneyNo Comments

Scotland

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Edinburgh Playhouse

Come to Edinburgh Playhouse and you'll be in 'a world of pure imagination' with the first ever UK and Ireland tour of Charlie and the Chocolate factory directed by James Brining and written by David Greig with music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Adapted from Roald Dahl's children's story of the same name, this production is sure to be a hit with the whole family! With vibrant and colourful lighting by Tim Mitchell and mystifying video and illusion design from David Callanan and Chris Cox respectively, the show lives up to the expectations of the book as well as the two movie adaptations from 1971 and 2005. A notable moment where it is as though you are watching the film live in front of your eyes comes from the four grandparents. Although not on stage as a full four i...

South Pacific – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

26Oct

By Dylan MooneyNo Comments

Scotland

South Pacific – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Chichester Festival Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of South Pacific has found a temporary home in Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre during its 2022 tour. Written by the great Rodgers and Hammerstein and directed by Chichester’s artistic director, Daniel Evans, this production keeps the classic charm of the golden age while also looking visually stunning. South Pacific, as the name suggests, is set on a South Pacific island during the Second World War, showing the struggles of the army and marines as well as the inhabitants of the island. Arguably the strongest of performers is Julian Ovenden, who plays the role of Emile de Becque, the show’s leading man. Ovenden commands the audience’s attention whenever he is on stage, allowing his resonant voice to hit every part of the auditori...

Your Dad’s Mum: Tonight at the Social Club – Underbelly, Bristo Square

25Aug

By Dylan MooneyNo Comments

Scotland

Your Dad’s Mum: Tonight at the Social Club – Underbelly, Bristo Square

Your Dad’s Mum: Tonight at the Social Club is an intimate, audience participation-filled show that brings together actors Kevin Dewsbury and Bexie Archer as Pat Bashford and Cheri-Anne respectively. The show is filled with games and prizes and is sure to bring about many laughs. The skill of Dewsbury and Archer shouldn’t go unnoticed. They are able to consistently create a hilariously awkward atmosphere throughout the piece, with many long silences. They both stay in character throughout the entirety of the production, never breaking the illusion that they are actually playing characters. The multitude of jokes delivered by Dewsbury range from risqué to plain dreadful but every single one warranted some form of reaction from the audience, whether that be fits of laughter or groan...

24Aug

By Dylan MooneyNo Comments

Scotland

I am Gavrilo Princip – Army @ Fringe

I am Gavrilo Princip follows the true story of the infamous, or forgotten, assassin responsible for the death of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the beginning of the First World War. A war where between 15 and 22 million people lost their lives. This play puts Princip in purgatory asking if he was really as bad as history makes him out to be. The production features two live musicians, a guitarist and a trumpet player, who, at various points, looked as bored as the audience felt. Both musicians underscore the piece, often playing far too loudly meaning writer and actor, Oliver Yellop, cannot be heard. In addition, sometimes the music is used in a very cartoonish style, such as the guitar mimicking gunfire, which detracts from the more serious themes explored in the play. Ye...

Velvet Determination – Greenside @ Nicolson Square

17Aug

By Dylan MooneyNo Comments

Scotland

Velvet Determination – Greenside @ Nicolson Square

Velvet Determination is an autobiographical performance about, and starring, Cynthia Shaw, detailing her experience as a pianist growing up in Colorado with aspirations of making it to New York. Despite being the only performer on stage throughout the piece, Shaw retains the audience's attention from the get-go through both her dialogue and live piano playing. Dressed in a bright, floral dress, Shaw’s costume matches her warm, friendly personality, helping the audience to tune in to her story. Shaw is not an actor - but this is not a piece of theatre. Velvet Determination is a real story and Shaw is able to be genuine and vulnerable in such an intimate setting, something even the finest of actors struggles to get right at times. Throughout the piece, Shaw ensures to look each ...

Bring Me To Light – theSpace @ Niddry St

17Aug

By Dylan MooneyNo Comments

Scotland

Bring Me To Light – theSpace @ Niddry St

Bring me to Light from the Chloe Kastner Dance Company is a contemporary, artsy dance performance that is advertised as exploring themes of addiction, heartbreak and mental illness within the 40-minute performance which will ‘leave audiences hopeful for a better tomorrow.’ The company, led and choreographed by Chloe Kastner, comprises six dancers. All six appear in the opening piece which begins in the blackout. After consideration, this may have been a technical error as the lighting was inconsistent and appeared unrehearsed in many areas. There were times when the lighting choice lacked purpose and motivation, simply increasing in intensity for a moment and decreasing again, quickly becoming very distracting. All sound/music cues appeared on time except one or two that seemed t...

6Aug

By Dylan MooneyNo Comments

Scotland

This is Paradise – Traverse Theatre

Michael John O’Neill’s This is Paradise takes place in 1998 in Belfast, just as the Good Friday Agreement is signed bringing supposed peace to the nation. However, away from the political turmoil, O’Neill’s play explores the life of Kate, swapping countrywide tragedy for that of the personal kind. The one-woman monologue follows Kate, played by Amy Molloy, a woman entering her thirties, who is thrust back into the life of an ex-partner after a phone call regarding concerns for his welfare. O’Neill’s beautifully crafted text allows Kate’s story to unravel, exploring the various relationships that still haunt her. Undertones of the impact of the IRA and Orange Order are subtly placed throughout the story, certainly adding to it but not overshadowing it, instead allowing Kate’s own struggl...