REVIEWS Archives - Page 3 of 623

Verdi’s A Masked Ball – Festival Theatre

3Sep

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Verdi’s A Masked Ball – Festival Theatre

As the Edinburgh International Festival draws to a close, Zurich Opera has their final performance of Verdi’s A Masked Ball at the Festival Theatre. Based on preexisting libretto, Giuseppe Verdi adapted and added the love triangle aspect we see in this production. Given the assassination in the opera (originally written as the murder of a King) Verdi had to combat numerous censorship attempts. Despite several setting changes, with Verdi eventually settling on 17th century Boston as the location, each adaptation was followed by real-life assassination attempts and political unrest which called for Verdi to keep adjusting details of the opera so it would seem a little less close to reality. Director Adele Thomas has kept the Boston setting but moved the timeline sligh...

2Sep

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Sunrise for the Blind – Cockpit Theatre

Sunrise for the Blind by Lee Thomas doesn’t shy away from the mood of the material. On the Camden Fringe website, it’s described as a “raw, naturalistic portrayal of life in a bleak North Manchester town centre”. Many might give such a prospect a sharp swerve. One friend said to me, “I’m sorry, but I can’t face any more bleakness right now.” It’s a valid sentiment in the current climate, so I was shocked, but buzzed to see busy pews for a 4pm matinee. While some of Grey Brigade were out in force, it was cheering to see a surprisingly young audience lapping up new writing in a fringe theatre. As someone who once squatted in a derelict Hulme council estate in 1990, I regard Manchester as my second home. And as for bleakness, I’m drawn to it like a junkie to a meth pipe. The author ...

2Sep

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Waitress – Hull New Theatre

The first time I reviewed Waitress for this website, in 2022, I wrote: “Sometimes the singing was a wee bit too loud for me to distinguish certain words, but I’m sure my ears were to blame”. Well, those same ears are still attached to my noggin, so how would they fare four years older? I am pleased to say the sound engineers got it just right on Tuesday night, when Waitress started its - 10th anniversary - run at a packed Hull New Theatre. The city’s theatregoers were out in force, maybe with the expectation of seeing the show’s star, entertainer Les Dennis, in action as diner owner, Joe. However, a helpful notice at the box office informed us his role on the night would be undertaken by Dan O’Brien. But any initial disappointment at not seeing the famous name soon disappeared ...

Sam Eley is Basil Crumbwick: Soul Sewage – Monkey Barrel Comedy

2Sep

By Ella BeckleyNo Comments

Scotland

Sam Eley is Basil Crumbwick: Soul Sewage – Monkey Barrel Comedy

Soul Sewage is one accurate way to describe a character comedy which takes the piss out of the sad reality of today’s politics. Sam Eley takes on the persona of Basil Crumbwick, dressed in grey tracksuits and wife-beater, with an impressive papier-mache head the size of a suitcase. His mouth wide open in a perpetual state of paranoia and blood shot eyes popping out his face, Basil is a caricature of your reform voting 50-year-old neighbour who’s got nobody to love and everything to complain about. In his own words: Basil’s impressed by the quality of his work, he’s got the peripheral vision of a scallop, he’s banned from pubs, he catches dogs in butterfly nets, and we’re lucky to have him. He stands spotlit in a tightly crammed basement which spends 11 months of the year an unlicenced H...

2Sep

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

Scotland

Pilgrims – Greenside @ Georges Street

Pilgrims has received good reviews from their performances in London and they’ve now arrived at the Edinburgh Fringe. A tale of two mountaineer ‘buddies’’ Dan played by Robert Thomas, and Will Adam Radford who casually meet Rachel Rebecca Barbossa a strong willed, and forthright woman in a bar. Rachel recounts a story of an innocent girl Janet who is entrapped by a wicked queen, raped by a Knight and forced to have the child to save him from the curse betrothed upon him. Bewildered by this encounter Will seductively teases Rachel to get her attention and from here the fable collides with reality. Dan and Will have been friends for years and have conquered Everest together. Whilst the two mountaineers plan and dream of their next summit climb Rachel is busy planning for her PHD. She ...

2Sep

By Christina SchmidtNo Comments

Scotland

Glob – Underbelly McEwan Hall

Let two lovable creatures take you into an enchanted world of glowing orbs, sounds, and movement. With Glob, Les Foutoukours created a wonderfully fantastical show for the entire family. Two wordless clowns find themselves in an unknown place and explore it with a childlike curiosity. The space around them keeps changing – lamps turn on and off, new objects they can play with are revealed and they get to know and tease each other. Blending Acrobatics, Music, Juggling, Diabolo and Tap dance, this is a circus adventure for anyone looking to get out of the Fringe chaos and just breathe for a moment. The Acrobatic moments are very impressive and it left us wanting more. With precise movement and lots of physical comedy, the performers Rémi Jaques and Jean-Félix Bélanger create a whole...

2Sep

By Ella BeckleyNo Comments

Scotland

Giraffe – Cellar at Pleasance Courtyard

A neurodivergent, queer Fleabag; Abigail Weinstock’s one-woman show Giraffe is the hilarious tale of the tribulations of a woman who has always felt like an outsider. The play follows protagonist Eliana as she navigates a world that she cannot understand nor bring herself to conform with. Tall with unusually long limbs, she sticks out like a giraffe in a world of zebras, which as she acutely points out, is of course a simile, not a metaphor. ...

29Aug

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Newsies Jr. – Z Arts

Produced by Dave Holden and Kimberly Holden, directed by Dave Holden, and with musical direction by Kimberly Holden, Newsies JR is an energetic, heartfelt and thoroughly engaging production that showcases an exceptionally talented young ensemble. Based on the inspiring story of the young newspaper sellers of New York who unite against unfair working conditions, Newsies JR explores themes of friendship, courage, resilience, determination and solidarity. This production captured those themes beautifully, brought to life by a remarkably committed cast whose performances demonstrated a level of vocal, dramatic and theatrical maturity far beyond their years. From the opening number to the final curtain, I was completely immersed in the world of the production. The cast established a stron...

28Aug

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

Scotland

When Prophecy Fails – Studio Theatre

In a small Midwest American town there is a strange phenomenon happening. Researchers have arrived to observe a group of people transfixed on a prophecy “that the world is ending and that they alone know the truth” on how to save humanity. This story is based on a 1956 book by social psychologists Leon Festinger, Henry Riecken and Stanley Schachter. In ‘their’ world of UFO’s sightings and religious belief systems their leader Marian convinces the group that the world would be destroyed by a catastrophic flood in December. When this prediction did not happen instead of believing the failure the opposing view grew into a committed sense of greater belief. A true concept of cognitive dissonance when a group of people’s beliefs conflict with reality. You would not be wrong in thinkin...

28Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Moving On – Paradise in Augustines

There is something wonderfully Fringe-like about Moving On. An Edinburgh company writes an entirely original musical, assembles seven actors and a three-piece live band, fills a stage with removal boxes and ghosts, and gives us two hours of spooky, silly and surprisingly touching musical theatre. I admire the ambition before we even get started, and happily, much of that ambition pays off. Happy Sad Productions’ show is written by Amber Docherty, Roza Stevenson and Josh Wood, with music by Wood. Stevenson directs, Docherty is assistant director, Murron Goodall provides costumes and Cormac Cameron-Finn designs sound. Wood also leads the excellent live band on keys, alongside Abby Bailey on trumpet and keys and Alistair Sealy on trombone. Paradise in Augustines’ main hall is a...