Jessie Martin, Author at North West End UK

21Mar

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

The Ladykillers – Church Hill Theatre

The Ladykillers, based on the 1955 film, is a kitchen-sink meets gangster comedy play written by Graham Linehan in 2011. While this adaptation is surprisingly a contemporary work, Edinburgh People’s Theatre captures all the dry, yet subtly slapstick, and indisputably British charm of the original film. Performing at the Church Hill Theatre this week, The Ladykillers showcases the typical domestic dramedy style that Edinburgh People’s Theatre seem to gravitate towards. And it’s no wonder why they often choose this style of play, as it certainly compliments their cast. Val Lennie plays the very proper, yet slightly befuddled Mrs Wilberforce, who has somehow managed to house and aid a gang of vicious criminals with no knowledge of it. Lennie is a strong lead, pla...

A Play, a Pie, and a Pint: The Swansong – Traverse Theatre

20Mar

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

A Play, a Pie, and a Pint: The Swansong – Traverse Theatre

In a continuation of this year’s Spring season of A Play, A Pie, And A Pint, The Swansong made its way to The Traverse theatre this week. This is a musical play that sees a young woman on the brink (Lydia played by Julia Murray) take to her local duck pond with a plan to end her life. As she washes her sorrows away with a bottle of gin, she finds company in an unlikely companion - a beautiful swan (Paul McArthur). The Swan tells her he has the power to end her life as soon as she snaps her fingers and truly means it. Hesitant to let her go ahead with her plan, The Swan takes Lydia on one last night of adventure, and on this night, Lydia seems to regain the hope she had lost. Set against the beautiful compositions of Finn Parker, we are taken along to piano bars, ...

Someone’s Knockin’ at the Door – Traverse Theatre

4Mar

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Someone’s Knockin’ at the Door – Traverse Theatre

Kicking off this season of A Play, a Pie and a Pint, is Someone’s Knockin’ at the Door. Written by Milly Sweeney, this play features grandparents Kathy (Maureen Carr) and Jack (Jonathan Watson) recounting to their granddaughter how they met music legend Paul McCartney in the rural landscape of the Mull of Kintyre. Moving between sit-down interviews with the couple separately talking to their granddaughter, to flashbacks of the couple’s camping trip in 1976, Someone’s Knockin’ At The Door evokes heavy nostalgia and sentimentality. Exploring not only the personal journey of the couple, but how the political landscape in Glasgow actively shaped their relationship. Sweeney has a knack for tackling a myriad of different themes without complicating the narrative or gleaning ...

26Feb

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Espen Eriksen Trio – Traverse Theatre

Once again, local music programming charity Soundhouse have graced the Traverse theatre with another act of outstanding renown: this time, the Espen Eriksen Trio. This Norwegian jazz trio is composed of frontman Espen Eriksen on piano, Lars Tormod Jenset on double bass, and Andreas Bye on drums. With tranquil, lilting phrases, the Espen Eriksen trio bring a gentle approach to jazz, creating a completely dreamy and meditative soundscape. The trio all possess that typical Norwegian wit, presenting their work with charm, managing to absolutely win the audience over with their dry quips and smart remarks. We really warmed to them as people and hence furthered our connection with their music. My favourite track had to be the opener of course, bringing in the show with p...

Here and Now: The Steps Musical – Edinburgh Playhouse

26Feb

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Here and Now: The Steps Musical – Edinburgh Playhouse

If you’ve ever wanted to experience a fever-dream in real time, Here and Now: The Steps Musical is the show for you. This brand new jukebox musical, written by Shaun Kitchener in association with Steps, is utterly ridiculous. At first that might feel like a negative, but the further the show goes on, the more Here and Now sweeps you into the madness and by the end you’ll be belting out tragedy in the megamix. Its self-aware silliness can’t be denied, and with all of the Steps’ classic hits, it’s hard to resist the “Summer of Love” - I for one, had the time of my life. Set in the Best Better Bargains supermarket, we see four core cashiers make a pact that this is the Summer they get their love lives together. As they attempt to make their moves, we come to find ou...

17Feb

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

The Flames – Traverse Theatre

The much loved over 50s ensemble group, The Flames return to the Traverse theatre with another verbatim-style, mixed medium show. Produced by Tricky Hat Productions, The Flames uses each ensemble member’s personal memoirs to collate together a story. In this case, the connecting theme of all these individual memoirs was jealousy. Alongside the candid monologues, video and text was projected onto the back wall of the stage. Quotes, presumably taken from the ensemble, were projected - each providing a different outlook on how they define jealousy. As well as this, black and white video of the ensemble was also projected. From raw close-ups that captured a wide-range of expression and emotional depth, to wide shots that artfully superimposed its subjects as...

12Feb

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

The Wood Paths – Traverse Theatre

Tired of watching paint dry? As an alternative, Manipulate Festival offers The Wood Paths at the Traverse Theatre. Beginning with thirty straight minutes of performers and co-creators Rūdolfs Gedinš and c chopping into large wooden logs in silence, this show is certainly off the wall. Produced by Latvian company, Theatre on Gertrude Street (ToGS), The Wood Paths is an abstract and eccentric piece of performance art that is both mysteriously aloof, and affectionately playful. Directed and co-created by Andrejs Jarovojs, Rudof Bekič is another co-creator alongside Samĭtis and Gedinš. This certainly was a unique performance, and while some may say its reeks of fine-art ostentation, it can’t be denied that The Wood Paths is absolutely intriguing. The performance was in ...

Press to Pulp (WIP) – Augustine United Church

27Jan

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Press to Pulp (WIP) – Augustine United Church

Edinburgh Rep Company kicks off the start of their ambitious 2026 programme with work-in-progress piece Press to Pulp. This noir inspired one act play sees cynical Detective Carmady (Stephen Park) wake up in his office - except this isn't his office... When Carmady's client Lady Broadame (Beth Eltringham) calls round, Carmady already knows every detail of her case and how to solve it - he has been here before. As the play progresses, we uncover three other detectives also stuck in this strange time warp, each thinking this office is their own, each thinking every client who walks through the door is an ex-case of theirs. It is up to them to solve this mystery in order to close the loop, with their main lead being the mysterious typewriter that has been keeping minutes, t...

21Jan

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Into The Woods – Church Hill Theatre

Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group (EUSOG) opens their production of Into The Woods this week at the Church Hill Theatre. Sondheim's notoriously complex and finicky musical score provides quite the challenge for both the performers and musicians, especially given this is an amateur company. EUSOG's ambition in taking this musical on cannot be denied, but I'm not sure the company was quite prepared for the challenges this musical demands. Co-directed by Tai Remus Elliot and Hunter King, with assistance from Elise Chan, their take on Into The Woods follows the typical fairytale style of the show. In the director's note, we are told that this production has been made more 'relatable', by making the 'characters feel more connected to the modern world'. I'm not qu...

Magic Awareness Society – The Royal Scots Club

1Jan

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Magic Awareness Society – The Royal Scots Club

Set in the exuberant class of The Royal Scots Club, the highly esteemed Magic Awareness Society has gathered to instil the law - magic is banned and has been for decades. In this meeting we are informed on the dangers of magic, the tricks magicians historically used, and the ways in which we could be coerced by them today. Ironically being performed on the final night of the Edinburgh International Magic Festival, it is soon revealed to us that this meeting is a ruse. In fact, this meeting is a resistance - we are here to oppose the ban on magic and once again be filled with wonder. Leading this show is Tim Licata, accompanied by his right-hand man Dan Bastianelli. Both magicians are clearly very well experienced, dedicating a large amount of focus on the perf...