Scotland Archives - Page 3 of 135

16Apr

By Dylan MooneyNo Comments

Scotland

What I’m Here For – Traverse Theatre

With an international exploration of the health care system, What I’m Here For stops at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre as part of its Scottish tour. From the collaborative minds of Vanishing Point, from our home soil, and Danish company, Teatre Katapult, this production draws a parallel to both countries' health and care infrastructure and the daily challenges faced by those working within it. We open on Flora (Lærke Schjærff Engelbrecht) smoking on the roof of a hospital. It is the end of her shift but before she goes home to rest, she begins to reflect on the working day that had just unfolded. Memories appear and disappear as Flora struggles to separate fact from fiction. With severe staffing issues and constant pressure in her working environment, Flora’s help is required all around t...

16Apr

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Gush – Traverse Theatre

There is something quietly exacting about a one person show. It is an island, really, a contained territory where there is nowhere to hide, no supporting architecture of cast to lean on. If it works, it approaches a kind of theatrical purity. If it does not, it is exposed within minutes. I admit, I am a sucker for the form.Gush, written by Jess Brodie and directed by Becky Hope Palmer, comes close to that sense of honed perfection.At its centre is a single performer, Jessica Hardwick, who carries the entire evening with considerable control and, at times, something approaching virtuosity. She moves deftly between roles, voices and emotional registers, and if there is a hierarchy within that, it is clear that her articulation of the female experience is where the piece truly finds its voice...

13Apr

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Shooglenifty – Traverse Theatre

There are evenings where the relationship between performance and space becomes the story, and this is one of them. I’m at the Traverse Theatre watching Shooglenifty, a band whose entire raison d’être is to get people on their feet, and I’m sitting in the second row of a steeply raked, all seated auditorium that is doing everything in its power to keep me there.Shooglenifty have been around since 1990, and they play like it, in the best possible way. The musical evolution of the ‘Niftys’ is best described as a fusion of traditional ceilidh rhythms with global influences including Asian, Middle Eastern and contemporary sounds into a vibrant danceable whole. This is a band completely at ease with itself, driving hard, playing tight, and clearly enjoying the room, even if the room isn’t quite...

8Apr

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

The High Life – Festival Theatre

After spending the Easter weekend revisiting this quirky TV show, I was ready to immerse myself in the musical adaptation of The High Life, and I’ll admit I went in with a mixture of excitement and scepticism. It is one thing to love something in a nostalgic, half remembered way, and quite another to see it expanded into a full stage show. This feels less like a revival and more like a reunion that has been allowed to get slightly out of hand. From the outset, the production leans into its own chaos. The opening number arrives with a knowing wink, that familiar theme tune doing a lot of the work in terms of goodwill, but it quickly becomes clear that the show is not content to rely on recognition alone. It understands what made the original work and pushes it further rather than trying ...

7Apr

By Wendy McEwanNo Comments

Scotland

Game of Crones – Traverse Theatre

The Protagonist stumbles through a haze of swirling fog and beseeches Mighty Kronos, the Lord of Time. Her vision is blurry, and her phone is inexplicably in the fridge. Plus, she has wrinkles. The Protagonist begs the Keeper of the Sands to spare her from the indignities of aging. But merciless Kronos is having none of it. The Protagonist receives the Tongue Sharpener, the Spectacles of Insight, and the Cloak of Invisibility (it's a beige cardigan), and embarks on an epic mystical quest full of pitfalls and wacky characters. Clown duo Abigail Dooley and Emma Edwards combine splendid silliness with a heightened, fantastical sensibility. The costumes, created by Jess Eaton, are a fine example of this elevated foolery. The "dragged through a hedge backwards“ costume features a wild...

2Apr

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

The Constant Wife – Festival Theatre

On its opening night at the Festival Theatre, The Constant Wife felt less like a revival and more like a reminder of just how ahead of its time W. Somerset Maugham really was. Written in 1926, the play sits neatly in the world of drawing-room comedy, but beneath the polished dialogue and social niceties there is something far more unsettling. It asks what happens when a woman refuses to react in the way society expects. That tension is at the centre of this new version by Laura Wade, directed by Tamara Harvey for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Wade keeps the 1920s setting but softly reshapes the structure, bringing moments forward and adding a flashback that shows Constance discovering her husband’s affair. It is a small change, but an important one. It shifts her from someone who seems...

2Apr

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

The Lighthouse – Traverse Theatre

There is no question that The Light House, written and performed by Alys Williams and directed by Andrea Heaton, arrives in Edinburgh with a strong reputation and a well honed touring confidence. This is a piece that knows exactly what it is doing, and, judging by the reaction in the room, it does it rather effectively for a good number of people.The subject matter, a relationship tested by suicidal ideation, is handled with care and clarity, and the production leans heavily into a theatrical language of puppetry, physical theatre, and audience interaction to carry its emotional weight. It is, in many ways, a carefully constructed machine designed to move its audience.And move them it does. I see visible tears in the auditorium, and a palpable sense of emotional release at the curtain call...

25Mar

By Dylan MooneyNo Comments

Scotland

Death on the Nile – Festival Theatre

The acclaimed Agatha Christie is adapted once more as Death on the Nile comes to Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre. Written by Ken Ludwig and directed by Lucy Bailey, this murder mystery production is sure to have you guessing ‘whodunnit?’ right up to the closing moments. On a luxurious Egyptian cruise, Hercule Poirot (Mark Hadfield) endeavors to have a peaceful break from his usual detective role. However, in true Christie fashion, it isn’t long before a brutal murder takes place and, of course, everyone is a suspect. Stuck on a boat in the middle of the Nile, Poirot aims to solve the case. With long buried secrets floating to the surface, will Poirot be able to find the killer? Hadfield, who plays the world famous detective, is truly a joy to watch. His portrayal feels original yet stil...

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...

21Mar

By Dylan MooneyNo Comments

Scotland

Saint Joan – Traverse Theatre

George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan is reimagined by writer/director Stewart Laing in a risky new version influenced heavily by an unproduced screenplay by Shaw. While this decision offers a unique take on theatrical adaptation, one must question whether this is the right form for a stage production. This version places Joan firmly at the center of the action during the Hundred Years War, showcasing her rise and eventual downfall as a soldier turned saint. With a strong focus on gender and the power of youth, Saint Joan aims to remind us that anyone is capable of making change. However, the play's structure, which moves away from familiar theatrical conventions, feels disjointed. Narrative is spoken as though direction in a screenplay, with reference to close ups and camera tracki...