Thursday, October 10

Scotland

Learning to Fly – Traverse Theatre
Scotland

Learning to Fly – Traverse Theatre

James Rowland’s one-man show, Learning to Fly, is engaging, heartwarming and very funny. He is a gifted storyteller with a tender heart and a grand sense of the absurd. After a tough week, he really lifted my spirits. His tale is personal. It’s about growing up and having an unusual bond with the old lady across the road. He lives it on stage and so do we. There’s something about his face and expression that transforms into a twelve-year-old with all its innocence that I found charming. He embodies the three characters he portrays with simplicity. It’s not a show of gymnastic characterisation, it’s a confessional, sharing a poignant and funny episode between people from different age groups, growing closer over classical music and cups of milky strong tea. Some people had seen...
Through the Mud – Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Scotland

Through the Mud – Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh

Extraordinary! The first word to come out of my lips after this exceptional performance. From the creators of ‘Black is the colour of my voice’, comes a powerful new story about the experiences of two African American women separated by 42 years, but suffering the same racial discrimination living as citizens in the, supposed, Land of the Free. Written and performed by Apphia Campbell and co-produced by Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and Stellar Quines, Through The Mud is a re conceived version of Woke, the one-woman play which won Campbell a Scotsman Fringe First Award in 2017. Although I never saw Woke, changing this from a one-woman to a two-woman play looks to have been a very inspired idea indeed. Alongside the seasoned Campbell, is the excellent Tinashe Warikandwa playing...
All, Here & Now – The Studio, Edinburgh
Scotland

All, Here & Now – The Studio, Edinburgh

Unearthed Dance Company perform four dances, produced by Oliver James Anwyl for Dance Horizons, directed and choreographed by Hannah Mason.  The company of ten dancers comprised nine females and a solitary male. Book Worms was a delightful piece inspired by Roald Dahl’s Matilda.  The dancers appear in childlike costumes of shorts and t-shirts each carrying a book in front of their face, the books being cleverly lit to illuminate the faces.  They sit cross legged on the floor and individually address the audience with lines from inspirational and fantastic literature, their faces full of wonder.  Of course, they’re dancers, but a little voice work in preparation would not have gone amiss because some could barely be heard.   The dancing though, was spot on.&...
The Barber of Seville – Festival Theatre
Scotland

The Barber of Seville – Festival Theatre

On the evening of November 3rd, 2023, opera enthusiasts gathered at Edinburgh's Festival Theatre to witness a remarkable production of Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville.' This comedic masterpiece, directed by Sir Thomas Allen, unfolded in English, featuring Amanda Holden's translation, and was a testament to the enduring charm of this operatic classic. The narrative centred around Figaro, a character known for his wit and resourcefulness, navigating a world filled with young love and the eccentricities of the elderly. Count Almaviva, smitten by the enchanting Rosina, sought Figaro's assistance in winning her heart. However, the journey was fraught with challenges, as Rosina's guardian, Doctor Bartolo, harboured plans of marrying her himself, keeping her under lock and key. This reviva...
Disney’s Aladdin – Edinburgh Playhouse
Scotland

Disney’s Aladdin – Edinburgh Playhouse

As a childhood favourite movie for a lot of people, Disney had a lot of work cut out for them to translate the magical animated masterpiece onto the live stage. Whilst they have some fantastic cast members and wonderful costumes, I’m sad to say the magic fell a little short. One cannot deny that the casting choices of the production team are impeccable: Gavin Adams plays the perfect cheeky thief Aladdin. His vocals never waver along with his energy. Our Princess Jasmine (Desmonda Cathabel) is head strong, witty and regal; she makes the perfect Princess Jasmine, bringing the animated beauty to life. Also true to the movie our villain Jafar (Adam Strong) has nailed the voice made famous by Jonathan Freeman and of course the laugh. Beside him Angelo Paragoso makes a hilarious Iago (huma...
The Grandmothers Grimm – Traverse Theatre
Scotland

The Grandmothers Grimm – Traverse Theatre

Having just finished a quick nine reviews at the too-short Edinburgh Horror Festival, it was somewhat ironic that my next outing, The Grandmothers Grimm, had its premiere in Edinburgh at the very same event some six years previously. The show, written and directed by Emily Ingram in association with, Some Kind Of Theatre, has been on my radar for the last few years, doing the rounds in Scotland and further afield. I have always, somehow missed it, so I was doubly delighted to finally track it down, and to corner it in one of my favourite viewing spaces, Traverse 2. Expecting great things from what must surely be a polished pebble of a show, six years old, a lifetime in theatre land, I settled back expectantly to view proceedings. The first scene, probably my favourite of the whole pl...
Dead Dad Dog/Sunny Boy – Traverse Theatre
Scotland

Dead Dad Dog/Sunny Boy – Traverse Theatre

It’s a shame circumstances prevented us seeing ‘Sunny Boy’, the sequel to ‘Dead Dad Dog’, but, 35 years on from its debut in the late 80’s, with the luxury of hindsight, the original play delivered some unexpectedly poignant twists and turns. The historical context more clearly defined, the father/son relationship represented not just the uneasy shift between generations, but also the seismic changes affecting Scotland as ‘Thatcherism’ took the entire UK down and up a new capitalism rollercoaster designed to replace the coal, steel and shipbuilding industries finally forced to give in to global economic pressures. Traditional pubs faced the threat of imported concepts like ‘Brasseries’ and the ‘Smoked Sausage Supper’ was besieged by a thing called Broccoli. ‘Looks like unripe cauliflower’,...
Stand Up Horror – The Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh
Scotland

Stand Up Horror – The Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh

As Part of the Edinburgh Horror Festival, at The Banshee Labyrinth, Stand Up Horror sees actor, writer and tour guide Alex Staniforth concocting a wild and hilarious story on the spot from audience suggestions. The small size of the audience in the tiny bar space ensures that everyone has a chance to contribute and to feel part of the action, and this is perhaps the unique selling point of this unusual, brave and inventive show. Part dungeon master, part stand-up comedian, Staniforth relies on just a few props a very quick brain and a bit of nudging in the right general direction to move the story on apace, although it is never far away from taking a very sharp turn! As the programme alludes to, every show here is bound to be very different! Staniforth’s charisma and general enth...
The Ha Ha Horror Show – The Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh
Scotland

The Ha Ha Horror Show – The Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh

As Part of the Edinburgh Horror Festival, at The Banshee Labyrinth, The Ha Ha Horror Show draws a very small audience to a tiny bar, to a show that aims very low indeed and succeeds with aplomb! Advertised as ‘The return of the Great Mortar’, the mind-reading, fortune telling, death-defying magician. Unfortunately, the GM wasn’t feeling so great tonight, having been shot with a nail gun in a stunt that went wrong. In fact, he’s dead! This causes quite a bit of angst in the crowd, some of whom I’m convinced don’t realise that this is all part of the show, such is their show of concern. However, it all adds to the general confusion and hilarity. Anyway, stepping in at the last moment is the likeable Cooper-esque buffoon, Tom Short. Big Northern lad Short, I would have loved him ...
The Séance Adventure – Lauriston Castle, Edinburgh
Scotland

The Séance Adventure – Lauriston Castle, Edinburgh

As Part of the Edinburgh Horror Festival, at the historic Lauriston Castle whose high windows gaze down upon the Firth of Forth, The Séance Adventure draws a sell-out, audience who shuffle nervously, or perhaps to create heat, at the base of the imposing and grand stone staircase in the impressive double height entrance hall. It is only 3pm, but already the Winter sun is low, the clocks having just lost an hour of precious daylight. The dim is setting in. Ash Pryce’s entrance does little to lift the mood, as he beckons us, after a brief introduction, into the dark depths of the castle. Part, tour of the castle, and part interactive supernatural magic show, this is certainly a unique and original offering from the man who co-founded the Horror Festival. Pryce talks quietly and slowly ...