Scotland Archives - Page 17 of 129

Shakespeare for Breakfast + Shakespeare for Kids – C aurora

13Aug

By Danielle FarrowNo Comments

Scotland

Shakespeare for Breakfast + Shakespeare for Kids – C aurora

Shakespeare for Breakfast has been a staple of the Fringe since the early ’90s and no show can retain the same extremely high standard through all those years. There had been a decline recently, mostly on the script front, but this year is the strongest S4B has been for some time. Shakespeare’s language is back at the heart of the production and the concept - the more-used-to-presenting-panto Sittingbourne All Stars producing the Bard for the first time - allowed for plenty of fun. This included subtle references to topical news and well-known adverts rather than over-reliance on these for the entertainment that wove through an interestingly / controversially blood-less rendition of Macbeth. The cast, shifting characters with skill, clarity and apt costume throughout, made decent us...

Uncle Barry’s Birthday Party – Muse at Braw Venues @ Hill Street

12Aug

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Uncle Barry’s Birthday Party – Muse at Braw Venues @ Hill Street

It’s Uncle Barry’s birthday this week at the Edinburgh Fringe, but please don’t tell him - it’s a surprise! Everyone is invited to Braw Venues where the scene is set with party hats, a DJ, and a mandatory conga line. This immersive experience is probably the introvert’s worst nightmare as the whole night we make small talk - the more we talk, the more everyone realises Barry is not who he seems… Some people I spoke extensively to, and some people I didn’t speak to at all. But the strange thing is, each person had a wildly different take on Barry’s life and his character, leading to rising tensions and gossip amongst the group - does anyone really know Barry? As I entered the party I was greeted by Mimi (Mia Foster) who promptly offered me a shot, proceeding t...

12Aug

By Gill LewisNo Comments

Scotland

The Black Hole – The Space @ Venue 45

Frisky fun and frolics take a gripping turn as emotions get twisted and past traumas are revealed in this explosive two hander. Presented by Shooting Star Studios, and written, performed, and directed by Vkinn Vats, The Black Hole is an interesting, dramatic piece of theatre which takes its audience through the twists and turns of love, lust and all things in between. Dangerous games are played, heightened by the seemingly lack of control of the two actors as they rough and tumble around the stage. A drunken game of charades quickly takes some dark turns as the whiskey continues to flow and confessions are made. Rosalind Jackson Roe provides a strong scene partner to Vats, who both deliver an interesting and watchable portrayals of two seemingly damaged souls. We flip flop ...

Hold The Line – Pleasance Courtyard – Bunker Two

12Aug

By Gill LewisNo Comments

Scotland

Hold The Line – Pleasance Courtyard – Bunker Two

A build-up of pressure is intensely captured as we take a call on the frontline of the NHS. With a brilliant use of movement and staging, creative elements beautifully demonstrate quite literally, how our frontline workers get tangled up in the ever-growing demand for help. Squeezed by the grip of bureaucracy so tight, the increasing pace of work leaves staff gas lighted into quitting, as they’re told “It is what it is”. Emerging writer Sam Macgregor taps into his own lived experience and perfectly portrays the relentless and urgent nature that NHS call handlers have to deal with, whilst keeping a smile in their voice and a calm, professional tone. This is an immersive two hander which delves inside the belly of an NHS 111 call centre. Macgregor, is Gary, a call handler with 5 ye...

Escape the Past, Escape Room: The Deacon’s Cabinet – 25 Nicolson Square

12Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Escape the Past, Escape Room: The Deacon’s Cabinet – 25 Nicolson Square

History, high stakes, and a heap of puzzles, Brodie’s neck isn’t going to save itself. I’m standing in the cramped workshop of Edinburgh’s most notorious thief, Deacon William Brodie, with an hour to save him before the hangman comes calling. It’s my first escape room. My friend’s done a couple before, but neither of us is exactly Sherlock Holmes in a hurry. Before we begin, the ever-vigilant assistant, Ronak, greets us and with a quick waiver to confirm that neither of us are wearing a pacemaker; jump scares and magnetism within the game are noted, we begin. Cloaked, lantern in hand, we are given a quick primer on Brodie’s life, gentleman by day, burglar by night. Then we’re off! The clock is ticking, and we aim to make the leader board! The first task, which I don’t think gives ...

Erin McKinnie: Deep Heat – Hoots @ The Apex

12Aug

By Ross MackieNo Comments

Scotland

Erin McKinnie: Deep Heat – Hoots @ The Apex

What do a pussy loving granny, a swearing parrot and a sugar daddy have in common? They all feature in the wonderful stories told by Erin McKinnie as part of her work in progress show, Deep Heat. She embodies all that is good in Scottish comedy with a flavour of a young Victoria Wood. A blend of stand up, amazing singing and poetry, and I hear she can dance a step or two. This multi-talented Scottish lass weaves it all together to provide nonstop laughter that does not disappoint. Erin disembarked from her cruise life direct to the Edinburgh fringe. Greeted at the door by the enthusiastic comedian herself, you felt welcomed like a long-lost friend, into her comedy family. It was hosted in a conference room with a stage set up, with a lone microphone and chair. This was s...

Darkfield Radio: Visitors – Summerhall, Old Lab

12Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Darkfield Radio: Visitors – Summerhall, Old Lab

Darkfield has a well-earned reputation for bending the mind through total sensory control, and Visitors is no exception. Presented in complete darkness with only a pair of high-quality binaural headphones as your lifeline to the outside world, it’s a strikingly intimate encounter. The sound design is astonishing, voices slip behind you, whisper in your ear, or circle the space with uncanny precision. Every creak of a chair or shuffle of a foot lands with hyper real clarity, making you question what’s in your head and what’s in the room. The premise requires two people and sees your +1 sit opposite you as Jean and Alex, two characters clearly existing somewhere in the afterlife, make their presence known. There’s a gentle eeriness to it, an unsettling suggestion of being used as a ve...

Cody and Beau: A Wild West Story – theSpace @ Niddry Street

12Aug

By Charles PipeNo Comments

Scotland

Cody and Beau: A Wild West Story – theSpace @ Niddry Street

“I think God looks like a horse: big and beautiful.” With their imaginations ignited by dime novels and magazines about “Wild West” legends, two young boys in Gonzales, Texas, in 1889 decide to escape their quaint, unexceptional lives to pursue the excitement of life in the “Wild West” as cowboys. Theorising that legendary outlaw Billy the Kid is still alive and out there somewhere – either literally, or as a metaphorical symbol of the West – they head towards New Mexico to find him. They soon learn that adventuring in the West isn’t as glamourous as the stories would have you believe. Cody and Beau: A Wild West Story wears its influences proudly on its sleeve. It includes a diverse array of references, from Cormac McCarthy’s grim Western epic novel Blood Meridian, via John Ford ...

12Aug

By Torya HughesNo Comments

Scotland

Club Nvrlnd – Assembly Checkpoint

Somewhere between a jukebox musical and a club night, "Club Nvrlnd" is an impressive spectacle but lacks a good storyline. Written by Jack Holden, directed by Steven Kunis, and featuring multiple smash hit millennial anthems, the show features a cast of talented performers. However, the immersive style of the show does not work well with the venue, meaning that their performance is often hidden from the majority of the audience. The show is set twelve years after Peter and Wendy last met. Peter is a nightclub owner who's about to turn thirty, with MC Tiger hosting Club Nvrlnd and Tink as the DJ. Thomas Grant's Peter is still refusing to grow up, hiding his receding hairline and dressing as an emo kid. Meanwhile, Wendy decides not to go through with her impending marriage, and stagge...

12Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Bizet’s Carmen Suite – Usher Hall

Strings, percussion, and a little mountain magic, but no conductor, and sometimes I notice. The NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra from Wrocław brings a conductor-free evening to the Usher Hall tonight, led from the violin by their artistic director Alexander Sitkovetsky. No figure in tails waving a baton tonight, just Sitkovetsky steering the ship from within. Apparently, that’s perfectly normal in the chamber-orchestra world, but for those of us used to the “point and wag” approach, it takes a moment to adjust. The first half gives us Grażyna Bacewicz’s Concerto for String Orchestra, brisk, crisp, and with some feisty edges, followed by Strauss’s Metamorphosen, a more reflective and sombre piece that seems to hang in the air. Both benefit from the precision and democratic energy t...