Scotland Archives - North West End UK

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet – Festival Theatre

20Sep

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet – Festival Theatre

On its opening night, Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre came alive with the revival of Matthew Bourne's "Romeo & Juliet." Often regarded as a master of family-friendly productions, Bourne's latest interpretation delves deeper into the suppressed passions simmering beneath the surface, offering a fresh perspective on Shakespeare's timeless tragedy. The stage is transformed into the Verona Institute, an institution akin to an asylum for troubled youth, masterfully designed by Lez Brotherston. Its stark, white surfaces, imposing barred doors, and staircases leading to nowhere symbolize the suffocating conformity that envelopes its inhabitants. Yet, within these confines, the characters, clad in white, strive to break free with subtle acts of rebellion—flicks of the head, twitches of the ar...

Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning – Theatre Royal Glasgow

15Sep

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning – Theatre Royal Glasgow

It seems to be, for no particular reason, a big year for Dracula. It isn't the anniversary of its first publication, of the author's birth, the author's death, or of any of its most famous adaptations - apologies, uberfans of The Satanic Rites of Dracula, happy 50th to you - and yet this year we have seen two cinematic depictions of Dracula (the Nicholases Hoult and Cage film Renfield and the adaptation of a single chapter of the original novel with The Last Voyage of the Demeter), with another remake of Nosferatu also being shot this year (and also starring Nicholas Hoult). And of course, latest but not leastest, there is Dracula: Mina's Reckoning, from the National Theatre of Scotland and Aberdeen Performing Arts, in association with Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. As its title clearly s...

13Sep

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

The King and I – Edinburgh Playhouse

A show originally performed in 1956, It would be easy to write this off as old, irrelevant, dull, an anachronism, a three-hour yawn fest? How wrong you would be! It is the very opposite on all counts and has to be one of the most opulent and lavish and thoroughly entertaining touring productions I have ever seen at The Edinburgh Playhouse. Not only that, it also has themes which are extremely relevant and pertinent to our times. At its centre, the role of women, particularly in Asian society and the tensions between East and West, which are probably even more extreme and concerning now than they ever were when this was written. Anna Leonowens, played brilliantly by Annalene Beechey, is the headstrong school mistress travelling to Bangkok in Siam (now Thailand) to teach the King’s (Bria...

Keepers of the Light – The Studio, Edinburgh

12Sep

By H.S. BakerNo Comments

Scotland

Keepers of the Light – The Studio, Edinburgh

Written and directed by Izzy Gray this tells the intriguing true story of three lighthouse keepers who disappeared without trace from the Flannan Isle Lighthouse in the Outer Hebrides in 1900. When the boat bringing the relief keepers arrives at the rock eleven days later, the light is out, the clocks have stopped and there is no sign of any of the men. The captain of the relief boat searches in vain, growing ever more disturbed by the eerie emptiness. There is a single oilskin coat left hanging in the mess, seeming to indicate that one of the men left in a hurry. What catastrophe could have happened to cause all three keepers to vanish? A freak wave? Or something more sinister? Today there are no lighthouse keepers, all...

Hi, I’m Zoë… – Laughing Horse @ Eastside

29Aug

By Anna ChiariNo Comments

Scotland

Hi, I’m Zoë… – Laughing Horse @ Eastside

It's challenging to write about Hi, I’m Zoë, this one-woman show that attempts to be a satire of the world of online dating but ends up feeling like mundane barroom chatter, devoid of wit and bite. Anyone in the audience could have something more interesting to say about their personal life than Zoë, who also lacks any significant stage presence. The show's crux is meant to revolve around Tinder (already a tired and overused topic these days) and the absurd cast of characters one encounters online. However, there's hardly anything grotesque or genuinely amusing about it. In Hi, I’m Zoë, everything feels like a parade of clichés that have been seen and heard before, lined up like a shopping list without any narrative construction or structure. It is an hour that's difficult to en...

The Life Sporadic of Jesse Wildgoose – Pleasance Courtyard

29Aug

By Anna ChiariNo Comments

Scotland

The Life Sporadic of Jesse Wildgoose – Pleasance Courtyard

Voloz Collective is known for its experiments in physical theatre, and after The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much, they returned to the Fringe with a completely different performance. The Life Sporadic of Jesse Wildgoose is a coming-of-age story set in the world of finance during the famous 2007-2008 crisis. However, the story is not very conducive to a physical theatre performance, unlike The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much, which blends thriller, adventure, and comedy seamlessly. The Life Sporadic of Jess Wildgoose centres around the journey of Jess Wildgoose, a young American idealist who ventures to New York City with aspirations of finding success in the bustling financial district. Throughout her odyssey, she becomes entangled with the wolves of Wall Street, absorbing life's...

29Aug

By Anna ChiariNo Comments

Scotland

Heart – Roundabout @ Summerhall

In Heart, actress Jade Anouka’s debut play offers a raw and sincere exploration of femininity, love, trauma, and mental health. It’s a journey of self-discovery and self-empowerment, but it’s the mode of presentation that captivates: the actress transcends herself and presents a narrative, a sort of monologue, where music, trap beats, and storytelling blend seamlessly. In sync with beatboxer Grace Savage, who also happens to be her life partner, Anouka shares the story of a failed marriage, insecurities, societal pressures, and, ultimately, the process of rebirth in discovering her own bisexuality and her relationship with Grace. At the core are themes of mental health, often described as a dark beast capable of taking over, and the toxicity of social and romantic relationships tha...

29Aug

By Anna ChiariNo Comments

Scotland

Beautiful Evil Things – Pleasance Dome

Deborah Pugh’s one-woman performance, presented by Ad Infinitum Theatre Company, a co-creation between Deborah Pugh and George Mann, draws inspiration from Greek myths, channelling their epic power through a contemporary feminist lens. Beautiful Evil Things revolves around Medusa and her story. As she recounts the events that led to her head adorning Athena’s shield, she captivates the audience with tales of three Greek heroines: the fearless Amazonian queen, Penthesilea, engaged in a captivating duel with Achilles during the Trojan War; the prophetic Cassandra, cursed with the gift of foresight but doomed to be unheard; and the vengeful mother Clytemnestra, who seeks justice for her slain child. With its grand storytelling and potent script, the performance envelops us with the...

Good and Gaslit – theSpace @ Surgeons Hall

29Aug

By Anna ChiariNo Comments

Scotland

Good and Gaslit – theSpace @ Surgeons Hall

Inspired by the film Gaslight starring Ingrid Bergman, Good and Gaslit delves into the concept of gaslighting – the more or less indirect manipulation perpetrated on women by a society that neither wants to see them in control nor to achieve success, a society deeply misogynistic that seems to harbour disdain for women. Good and Gaslit explores the perspective is that of a woman who has lived through a significant portion of her life's most meaningful events and looks back at them with disillusionment and newfound awareness. She revisits and reevaluates these events in the light of a rekindled feminism and the concept of gaslighting, something she wasn't familiar with in her youth. Written by Deborah Cincotta, an experienced TV producer and first-time theatre performer, and dire...

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – Festival Theatre

29Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – Festival Theatre

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Programme 2 toilet talk: “It wouldn’t have been my choice, but it was good. I liked the last piece best.” For me, it was all an excellent choice. The dancing was supreme from this group of inclusive and artistic athletes. Their strength and supple limbs pleased me no end. Additionally, I really enjoyed the retro music. The beat and rhythm were retro because this programme hails from 1960 onwards. It was all choreographed by the company’s founder, Alvin Ailey and it still part of their international repertoire. This company is founded on the ethics of inclusivity, mutual support and opportunity for all. With this in their back pocket, the team at Alvin Ailey routinely invite local aspiring dancers to be part of their performances. The youngsters ...