Scotland Archives - Page 4 of 154

Boogie on the Bones – Anatomy Lecture Theatre at Summerhall

24Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

Scotland

Boogie on the Bones – Anatomy Lecture Theatre at Summerhall

Within Theatre Company is an award-winning company, brought together from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine by the reality of their situation of being displaced and working in London. As an ensemble, they create work that shares their belief in freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and using art to resist oppression and totalitarianism. It is therefore, fitting that they have chosen to write about an era in the history of the Soviet Union following the death of Stalin, when a section of the young Soviet community chose to rebel against the grey nature of their existence, in 1955 Moscow. This underground counterculture movement called themselves the Stilyagi (style hunters), they wanted to love a more colourful life with jazz music, dancing, and to express their passions wi...

24Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

The Hunger – Space @ Niddry Street

Deborah (Susan Jayne Robinson) and her daughter Megan (Hollie Burgess) live on their pig farm, once an independent and isolated business, now a seemingly last haven in a post-apocalyptic hellscape. Besieged by the mutated and desperate humans outside, inside mother and daughter clash over nostalgia, how to live in this brand new world, and how to behave towards the unseen creatures roaming outside. As directed by Natalie Simone, Robinson and Burgess are excellent, believable as mother and daughter and intensely realistic in their situation and surroundings. Aided by very well designed and chosen set (corrugated plastic walls that are at times either metal-looking or see-through) and props (the utilitarian food and gun are their own centrepieces at times), the show is effectively gritty ...

24Aug

By Christina SchmidtNo Comments

Scotland

Deluge – Underbelly Cowgate

Inspired by a break-up and interviews with 40 other people dealing with some form of loss, Gabi Flares merges these stories into a 60min fever-dream of Jam Jars, live piano playing and singing, emotional outbursts, flooding houses and just about every manner of movement whilst carrying around a ladder. Though calling it a comedy show might be a bit of a stretch, there were certainly funny moments, along with every other emotion as well. Flares doesn’t just explore heartbreak and grief theoretically, she fully embodies it. The messiness, the flip-flopping from being angry to exhausted to overjoyed and sad again, and generally just spilling over with emotions that have nowhere to go anymore. The constant dripping that slowly floods her world being a reminder of what she’s lost and how tho...

23Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Hang Time – Royal Lyceum Theatre

Hang Time is unlike almost anything I have seen before, particularly within the ornate surroundings of the Royal Lyceum. Three Black men hang apparently lifeless in mid-air, an extraordinary and initially almost unbearable image which writer and director Zora Howard gradually makes us accept as normal. Kamal Bolden's Slim, Julian Rozzell's Bird and Bryce Foley's Blood simply hang around. There is something almost Beckettian in the absurdity of three dead men passing eternity through mundane conversation, discussing relationships, blues music, faith and even the weather. Slim is the antagonist, constantly needling the God-fearing Bird about whether there really is anything waiting on the other side. We discover that Slim murdered his wife's lover, while Howard offers no correspondin...

Jody Kamali: This Is My Dad – Assembly George Square

23Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

Scotland

Jody Kamali: This Is My Dad – Assembly George Square

‘This is My Dad’ is a son’s reflection on his father’s life, and the man that he knew…or did he? Jody Kamali plays himself, the son of his Iranian father who died on the 29th October 2024, at a barbecue. And this is the first thing that we see as we enter The Crate, his father is hosting a barbecue, but he needs help. Kamali immediately engages the audience by including them in the preparations of the food, this inclusion is one of the recipes for the success of this show. Kamali’s father talks to the audience as though he were in his neighbourhood bar or cafe chatting to the locals, and from how Kamali presented his father, I can imagine that he had the ‘gift of the gab’ as they say. As the play progresses, it becomes apparent that the process of devel...

James Phelan: Showman – Underbelly Circus Hub

23Aug

By Saira KunjuvalappilNo Comments

Scotland

James Phelan: Showman – Underbelly Circus Hub

Magician James Phelan has done a great job creating an entertaining and interactive show. From predicting cards to reading minds, there were plenty of moments that kept the audience interested and involved throughout the performance. The interactive nature of the show was definitely one of its strongest aspects, as it made the audience feel like they were part of the magic rather than simply watching from their seats. The lighting and overall presentation were also very well done. The lighting added to the atmosphere and helped create the right mood for the different parts of the performance. James did an excellent job engaging the audience, and his confidence and stage presence made the show enjoyable from beginning to end. However, one thing I would recommend is adding some new...

Nina’s C*nti Cabaret – Underbelly (McEwan Hall)

23Aug

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

Nina’s C*nti Cabaret – Underbelly (McEwan Hall)

Big venue, big lights, sound, crowd… but not enough Nina! The clues in the title of course, a genuine cabaret featuring two guest artists, and not the Full C*nti. Though someone who did avail of an All-You-Can-Eat breakfast buffet was first interloper Susie McCabe, a bonus surprise to anyone who wasn’t aware of the show’s format. Sadly (well, not that sadly as here she is alive and happily kicking) it led to a heart attack in the Bristol Hilton. As someone once said; ‘never let a crisis go to waste’ and in Susie’s hands the life-threatening incident provides much mirth. Albeit tempered if you’re from Bristol or Fife. Prior to this was Nina’s intro routine, her scratchy simian lowering whatever tone she thought she’d established, soiling every attempt at cordiality with the audience. ...

Yuck Circus: Naughties – Assembly George Sq.

23Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Yuck Circus: Naughties – Assembly George Sq.

I was probably doubly outside the target demographic for Naughties. I wasn't a teenage girl in the noughties, indeed I wasn't a teenager at all, but you don't necessarily need to have spent the decade clutching a flip phone and listening to Britney Spears to appreciate what Australian company YUCK Circus does here. The Palais du Variété is an excellent venue for this. A runway pushes deep into the centre of the lofty tent, while the considerable height above provides an ideal playground for the aerial work. Having previously endured the rather laddish Stamptown in this same space, Naughties proved a considerable improvement. Five women showed how this sort of circus cabaret can be done, with skill, personality and, appropriately enough, plenty of girl power....

Non-Human Animal – Gilded Balloon Teviot

23Aug

By Christina SchmidtNo Comments

Scotland

Non-Human Animal – Gilded Balloon Teviot

Roisin’s father was murdered. Now she’s left alone to deal with the consequeses – grieving, bingeing on mini Mars-bars and Gilmore Girls, shutting out the outside world, with a Mammy that’s suffering from dementia, and a health system that’s failing her. Writer Kat Woods pulled from her own experiences after the murder of her father which comes through in the confessional tone of the piece. Non-Human animal scratches the surface on many incredibly important topics, but unfortunately loses the actual storyline in this web of problems. What is the play about? The prison system? Trauma? Role-play? The NHS? Grief? Mental Health? Soberiety? Northern Ireland after the Troubles? Class? Social Media? Neurodiversity? Body image issues? Guilt? All of the above? Of course all of these socie...

Apples In Winter – The Annexe at Paradise in The Vault

23Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

Scotland

Apples In Winter – The Annexe at Paradise in The Vault

Miriam (Edie Campbell) loves to bake pie, apple pie to be exact with the apples from the tree in her garden that she lovingly nurtured to ensure that the apples in her pie were of the best quality. They should only be picked in September for the best apple pie…Robert loved her apple pie more than anything! Robert is Miriam’s son. Robert is in prison on death row, and his execution has been organised for midnight on that very day. His request for his last meal, is for his mother to make the apple pie that he loves so much. For Miriam, this request stirs up a tsunami of emotions, as she stands in the prison kitchen with her ingredients, to make the homemade apple pie for her son. Written by Jennifer Fawcett, and produced by Lynchpin Theatre Company, th...