Scotland Archives - Page 18 of 127

10Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Bach and Bartok – Usher Hall

The Edinburgh International Festival treats me to a musical triptych tonight at the Usher Hall, a concert in three sharply contrasting acts, delivered with precision and flair by the Budapest Festival Orchestra under Iván Fischer. Fischer, now in his mid-70’s and one of Europe’s most admired conductors, has the air of a man who knows exactly what he’s doing and, perhaps, is savouring these final years at the helm. Co-founder of the orchestra back in 1983 with Zoltán Kocsis, he’s built a reputation not only for musical excellence but also for a willingness to experiment, from autism-friendly “Cocoa Concerts” to informal beanbag performances. There’s an ease and playfulness in his direction, the sort of confidence that comes from a career well cemented in the history books, but still curious...

#CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Play That Trump Does Not Want You to See! – Pleasance Courtyard

10Aug

By Tom ScottNo Comments

Scotland

#CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Play That Trump Does Not Want You to See! – Pleasance Courtyard

In August 2017 white supremacists held a ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which erupted into violence resulting in more than 30 people being injured in clashes between the so-called Alt Right and counter-protesters. The next day a white supremacist deliberately drove his car into a crowd of counter protesters, injuring 35 people and killing Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old paralegal who provided legal help to people at risk of repossessions and evictions. Priyanka Shetty, who was at the time a student in Charlottesville, has written and performs this meticulously researched one person play. It’s a powerful production, directed by Yury Urnov, which lambasts the violent racism of the white supremacists, but also contends that what happened at Charlottesville was not an an...

10Aug

By Joe LangNo Comments

Scotland

Crocodile Tears – theSpace @ Venue 45

Returning for their third year at the Fringe, Shark Bait Theatre places the audience in the jungle amidst the cast of a reality TV show, which is on the precipice of descending into chaos. Director Ivan Hamshaw Thomas and the cast electrify Jess Ferrier's already hilarious script into a joyride, which doesn’t dwindle in pace when deconstructing the reality behind reality TV. Aside from splicing together elements from many recognisable reality TV shows to form the basis of the premise, the show tackles themes such as surveillance, public perception, and the animosity that forms when faced with the task of survival. The script does an amazing job at balancing all of these themes whilst maintaining a relevant and distinct voice, which is poking holes into the superficiality and stupidi...

The Real Housewives of The Zombie Apocalypse – Greenside Riddles Court

10Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

The Real Housewives of The Zombie Apocalypse – Greenside Riddles Court

Clydebuilt Theatre Company's follow-up to their successful debut original musical, Vote Macbeth! from the 2022 and 2023 Fringes, The Real Housewives of The Zombie Apocalypse mixes the bitchy arguments and self-promotional soap-opera of trash TV in with a good dose of undead, end-of-the-world shenanigans. When a zombie outbreak makes it into the House, our seven Housewives must deal with each other (well... maybe try to limit the infighting) to potentially save themselves, their sponsorship deals and, if they have time, discover what is going on. Complete with zombie outbreaks, bites, turns, cures, and conspiracy, the references to the classics of the genre most notably include The Evil Dead, with Sam Raimi getting name-checked several times and an appearance by Ash's chainsaw hand. ...

The Real Australia – theSpace @ Niddry St

10Aug

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

The Real Australia – theSpace @ Niddry St

Reality TV, as we know - as we all SHOULD know - is scripted, planned and edited with precision a brain surgeon would be proud of, supposedly representative of ‘real’. With tongue firmly in cheek, the talented performers of Playon.productions aim to take it down – or rather, down-under - with this fast-paced, chaotic, too-short show featuring ‘eight ordinary Australians’ as they commune on Rottnest Island for the season finale of, guess what… The Real Australia. Every tragedy ends with a death (or similar), every comedy with a wedding, so… James is betrothed to Kylie, who has a sister, Danni, who’s a bit grumpy about it all. Sam, iPad permanently in hand, runs the wedding destination and is trying to keep everything on track but has committed a romantic error involving Brendan, who ...

I Was A Teenage She-Devil – theSpace @ Niddry Street

10Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

I Was A Teenage She-Devil – theSpace @ Niddry Street

Nancy Nelson (Faith Pasch) is the classic unattractive high-school loser (ie, girl with glasses), with unpopular friends Debbie (Lee Beka Harper) and Doobie (Matt Bader, filled in for by a producer on the night we attended) and persecuted by the popular kids: Heather (Charis Stockton) and Big Rod (Louis Hearsay) and their leader, Tiffani (Caitlin Anderson). Until one day when they take their humiliation too far and the Devil (Sean Arkless) offers Nancy a deal, a makeover and an opportunity for revenge... It is, in short, the classic American high-school setup combined with horror elements, in this case the Faustian pact, and an 80s setting. All three aspects are archetypes in their own right and, to different degrees, also combined; with high-school horror stories like Carrie and Fa...

10Aug

By Saira KunjuvalappilNo Comments

Scotland

Beats on Pointe – Assembly Rooms

Beats on Pointe was nothing less than a hypnotic evening, combining the seemingly disparate worlds of hip hop and ballet into a breathtakingly charged performance. From the opening beat, one could sense the energy that pulsed from the stage, and it was obvious that the performers were here to entertain. The choreography on the stage was a masterclass in synchronisation. Every movement, from a beautiful pirouette to a tough breakdance spin, was precision incarnate. The timing of the group was so acute that it felt as if one organism was moving in tune with the rhythm. All this was supported by a soundtrack of timeless, crowd-pleasing numbers that had people tapping their feet along for the better part of the evening. Structurally, the performance was a multi-sectioned work, every ...

After Shakespeare – theSpace @ Surgeons Hall

10Aug

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

Scotland

After Shakespeare – theSpace @ Surgeons Hall

An hour-long monologue from Lexi Wolfe giving a 21st-century spin on the motivations for, and reactions to, the fates that Bard wrote them. First up - Henry V (or Prince Hal as he’s known to his drinking friends), clearly suffering from PTSD following the Battle of Azincourt) and haunted by the ghosts of civilians and soldiers he had seen massacred. Then came Hamlet, marooned in Purgatory and still procrastinating whilst pulling apart the piratical plot holes in Shakespeare’s masterpiece, and adding a gay subtext with Laertes for good measure. Portia arrived swiftly to confess her cross-dressing. Balthazar had given her a taste for it, and she carried on after Shylock’s trial. And finally, a sinister Lady Macbeth who confesses her real motivation for Duncan’s death and her subseq...

Betty Grumble’s Enemies of Grooviness Eat Sh!t – Assembly Roxy

10Aug

By Torya HughesNo Comments

Scotland

Betty Grumble’s Enemies of Grooviness Eat Sh!t – Assembly Roxy

Performance artist, sex clown and ecosexual Emma Maye Gibson returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with a new show which she describes as a "composting" of herself. Merging dance, live music and bold physicality, Gibson explores themes of domestic violence, justice and grief with a characteristic intensity and humour. Gibson's previous Fringe performances have been in character as her drag alter ego Betty Grumble. This time, Betty is a mask and an outlandish mutant wig that can be donned by Gibson or her assistant Craig, an outward display of bravado that hides the human vulnerability within. However, Gibson becomes truly vulnerable on the stage tonight, literally baring all in a physical sense, but also emotionally. She relates her experience of taking an abuser to court, and being dismi...

10Aug

By Juliette PepinNo Comments

Scotland

Jackie!!! – Gilded Balloon

The lights dim, shots are fired, and we are jolted to attention. A sombre funeral march puts us in the centre of the bleak aftermath of the day that reset the American political landscape and shook the nation. We prepare for a mourning sequence, until a record-scratch sound effect blares and rosy lights give way to Jackie Kennedy chirping a Ben Shapiro quote.Making a sparkling debut at this year’s fringe, Jackie!!! is an unpredictably hilarious musical surrounding the famed First Lady and the heavy load of the Kennedy name. The Kennedys need no introduction, and tonight's audience seem well-versed in their folklore. The set design is impressive, allowing for swift entries and exits of tantalisingly unpredictable characters. With four White House Doors framing the stage, we glimpse i...