Scotland Archives - Page 43 of 93

The Kids With Nae Hame – C Arts, C Venues

29Aug

By Tom ScottNo Comments

Scotland

The Kids With Nae Hame – C Arts, C Venues

This new play gives a voice to children who have been taken into ‘care’. They are ‘The Kids With Nae Hame’. The script, written by Geraldine Smith, is based on the personal experiences of the care system by some of the cast members. The company formed to present this play is called ‘It’s About Time (Scotland)’. That title encapsulates the campaigning spirit of this play. Children in care have, for a variety of reasons, been taken away from their parental homes. But sadly, in the care system they’re not necessarily getting the care and attention they need. In this play we see acts of emotional ill-treatment, even cruelty, by care workers. There seems to be a continuous battle being waged between the staff and the teenagers. The ongoing Scottish Child Abuse enquiry has hear...

007 Voices of Bond – theSpace @ Symposium Hall

28Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

007 Voices of Bond – theSpace @ Symposium Hall

007 Voices of Bond is any James Bond fan’s dream. Brought to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by Night Owl Shows, this hour-long concert takes the audience on a journey through the title tracks of Bond. Other than the opening number, Diamonds are Forever, the songs are performed in chronological order of release date, charting the evolving style of the music through the decades. Between each song either Maia Elsey, the truly phenomenal lead singer, or a pre-recorded video of ‘Mike’ (a hilarious yet informative M stand in), provide the audience with the context of each track. How they came to be made, what the meaning behind the song is, and its place within the wider world of music. These brief interludes were fascinating, and enhanced the experience from beyond just spectacle, to a genuine e...

Yippe Ki Yay – Gilded Balloon at the Museum

28Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

Yippe Ki Yay – Gilded Balloon at the Museum

The phrase “Yippe Ki Yay” originated in the 19th-century Western United States, making its way into the 1988 film Die Hard entirely within the context of old Westerns: it closes a scene in which Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber accuses Bruce Willis's John McClane of having seen to many John Wayne films and the latter answers he always preferred Roy Rogers. Though the show adds the words “the Die Hard parody” in brackets at the end of its title just to be sure, I wouldn't imagine there is a soul on Earth that went into a show named Yippe Ki Yay looking for a musical about the Old West, such is the hold Die Hard now has over the phrase. It has since been said in every sequel (and a poster) without even an attempt at another cowboy reference, the franchise itself providing its context now. ...

A Night With Me, Myself and Bipolar Brenda – theSpace @ Symposium Hall

27Aug

By Amy HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

A Night With Me, Myself and Bipolar Brenda – theSpace @ Symposium Hall

Bipolar UK ambassador Natasha Rea performed solo in this emotive and raw show which was part autobiographical drama and part persuasive monologue. Natasha is a talented actress who cares deeply about how her performance represents and advocates for the bipolar community. The show detailed the ups and downs of bipolar disorder (BPD) and everything in-between without romanticising the mental health condition. Personal antidote was interlaced with shocking statistics such as people with bipolar disorder are 20 times more likely to commit suicide. As the end approached Natasha made an emotionally driven plea for the audience to help make systemic changes to the Mental Health system through political action. She also urged us to do more for friends and family struggling with their menta...

Grown Up Orphan Annie – Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

27Aug

By Wendy McEwanNo Comments

Scotland

Grown Up Orphan Annie – Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose

Little Orphan Annie (Katherine Bourne-Taylor) has grown up into a lovable, but insecure, girl-woman with a serious Ovaltine habit. Her happy ending with Daddy Warbucks was a sham: he took all her money, he controls the rights to all her hit songs, and he even stole her dog. Life has been cruel to Annie, but she bustles on with her characteristic optimism infused with desperation. We like her, but she is hard work. This is a one-woman show, but Annie longs for connection and Bourne-Taylor interacts with the audience, and the tech guy, throughout. She asks us if she can go to our “hang” after the show, enlists an audience member to help her onstage, and calls us all her “Fannies”. (I am now the proud owner of a sticker that says “#1 Fannie”.) We catch up with Annie after the ...

A Night to Remember – Edinburgh Fringe Online

27Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

Scotland

A Night to Remember – Edinburgh Fringe Online

A Night to Remember is a musical retelling of the nativity story, extended to include some of the wider biblical details around the birth of Jesus, which are usually not included in the treasured school tradition. Presented by an ensemble cast, this sung-through musical, composed and directed by James Arthur Patterson, is an interesting take on a Christmas story, which aims to educate the audience on the biblical aspects of the story. The show was performed in aid of veterans and featured some veterans and active service members in the cast. The show opens in the modern day, showing a busy city street with shoppers and the sadly ubiquitous homeless people. A song about the magic of Christmas is performed and several of the performers give money and gifts to homeless people, as an illust...

Some Sonnets and a Bit of Bach – Greenside @ Infirmary Street

26Aug

By Marcelina KruczyńskaNo Comments

Scotland

Some Sonnets and a Bit of Bach – Greenside @ Infirmary Street

Passionate about William Shakespear and Johann Sebastian Bach, or better yet wondered what these two historical figures have in common? Then you are in for a treat. Performed by the enthusiastic Sebastian Michael, performing his first spoken word solo at the Edinburgh Fringe. This spoken word program will take you back to the past delving into the lives of Bach and Shakespear. Michael not only discusses Bach and Shakespear but adds a personal touch to the performance where he talks about his own artistic journey and how he encountered his love of these two artistic legends. The simplistic staging and clear color theme (since everything is in the color black) all eyes are on Michael, making the performance all the more intimate. Michael’s passion shines through in the moments when he...

26Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Bluebeard’s Castle – Churchill Theatre

The collaboration between director/librettist, Daisy Evans, and conductor/arranger, Stephen Higgins, to create a dementia tale from Bartók’s only opera, Bluebeard’s Castle, is startlingly clever and beautifully produced. The set by Adrian Linford is simple, yet effective. The lighting is perfect for a castle where the sun never shines. The Hebrides Ensemble play like angels. And the two voices: Michael Mayes and Charlotte Hellekant - superb! Gone is the gothic horror and the manipulation of the male/female power dynamic of the original to be replaced by the less blameworthy machinations of memory loss through dementia. In reality, dementia is equally as frightening in its thievery, but not so terrifying in its conscious malice. In this version, Bluebeard and his wife, Judith, rev...

Call Mr Robeson – Edinburgh Fringe Online

24Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

Scotland

Call Mr Robeson – Edinburgh Fringe Online

Call Mr Robeson is a one-man show telling the story of the life of Paul Robeson, singer, actor, and political activist. Written and performed by Tayo Aluko and directed by Olusola Oyeleye, it is an interesting exploration of the early civil rights movement in America, against a background of Hollywood films, theatre performances and concerts, with live performances of Robeson’s songs sung by Aluko, accompanied by Michael Conliffe on piano. The piece opens with Aluko singing Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen while carrying a chair, which is used to symbolise the weight of the events of Robeson’s life on him. Aluko has a strong and operatic voice and performs the songs throughout the piece brilliantly, and often, particularly in the case of Old Man River, with dramatic flair and action w...

24Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

Scotland

Dibubuísmos – Edinburgh Fringe Online

Dibubuísmos is a short poetic video exploration of creativity and the self. Created and performed by Paes Loureiro, it is a unique way of delving into the artistic self and where the artist fits into the natural world. The piece opens with Loureiro mindfully cleansing herself and shedding her existing self. The movements are slow, deliberate and show an appreciation for the little things and living with intention and awareness. Loureiro contemplates herself and her surroundings in a place where land meets water, before floating through the river in a ritual of rebirth and peaceful meditation. Background music allows the mood of the piece to alter and moments of drama to be built up, which creates a sense of dialogue with Loureiro, even though the piece contains no spoken word. ...