Scotland Archives - Page 45 of 128

19Aug

By Wendy McEwanNo Comments

Scotland

Deadheads – Assembly George Square

Miriam (Maria Pointer) hasn’t seen her sister, Jade (Gráinne Dromgoole) for two years. Their mum is about to remarry, and the sisters awkwardly reconnect while sorting through boxes of memories in the loft. The conversation is interwoven with scenes from their childhood. The sisters have a five-year age gap, and nearly-four-and-a-half-year-old Jade looks up to big sister Miriam. Miriam nurtures Jade and gives her advice. Sometimes she messes with her, like when they play hide-and-seek and Miriam pretends that Jade is invisible. As they get older, Miriam becomes the rock of the family, supporting their mum when times get tough. She’s strong in public, but vulnerable deep down. No wonder she moves away to focus on her career. When the sisters reunite, Miriam is outwardly more successf...

Colin Cloud: Consequences – Underbelly, Bristo Square

19Aug

By Susan CohenNo Comments

Scotland

Colin Cloud: Consequences – Underbelly, Bristo Square

Colin Cloud's return to the fringe is something to be celebrated, nay, something to be shouted about. HURRAY! The America's Got Talent Las Vegas hotshot appears in what feels like a gothic setting in the McEwan Hall, the perfect venue for his performance which goes l-a-r-g-e and roves around the audience. Since I last saw Colin (yes, I feel as if I know him from way back when the family and I first saw him on stage) he seems to have become more - more steampunk, more fearless. Och, just more. I'm very aware that there are probably those who don't believe in Colin's mentalist powers. Are these audience members planted? How could he possibly know this? How could he possibly know that? Well, I'm here to tell you that several years ago,...

Tales of Haunted Edinburgh: Echoes From Beyond the Grave – Arthur Conan Doyle Centre

19Aug

By Susan CohenNo Comments

Scotland

Tales of Haunted Edinburgh: Echoes From Beyond the Grave – Arthur Conan Doyle Centre

Ewan Irvine is a psychic and paranormal medium, tutor and author. He has hosted ghost hunts of ancient buildings, has had his own radio shows and appeared on TV. He has done spiritual readings across the country and has written books and published articles. Also, I must say here and now that Ewan is known to this reviewer as a very dear friend - full disclosure. I have watched Ewan become a powerful speaker, in recent years. This is not his first foray into the Edinburgh Fringe and I'm certain that it won't be his last. Every year, though he seems to bring something very different to the speaking lectern. This year, he spoke about tales of hauntings, of ghosts, of inexplicable phenomena which are particular to the capital city. And he - almos...

19Aug

By Susan CohenNo Comments

Scotland

Caroline Criado Perez – Lyceum Theatre

According to Wikipedia, Perez is a feminist (‘radical feminist, if you don’t mind’), author, journalist and activist. What Wiki doesn’t mention is that Perez is also an extraordinary speaker, a punchy communicator. Fuelled by fire, she leans over the lectern and looks the audience right in the eye as she delivers so much content that she couldn’t fail to have made points which were new and surprising, even to the most aware of audience members. Perez was firing on all cylinders in this talk – from the quotation of shocking statistics on female under-representation in popular culture to the unrecognized contribution of unpaid female labour to the national economy, from the gender data gap to the lack of respect and recognition of women who choose moth...

Circa Humans 2.0 – Underbelly Circus Hub

18Aug

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

Scotland

Circa Humans 2.0 – Underbelly Circus Hub

Wow, wow, wow! My second circus of the festival (with two more to come) Circa Humans 2.0 offers a stunning piece of theatrical circus with a physicality and choreography, unlike anything I have seen before. It is a high energy, high octane, high silk infusion of circus and humanity with truthful seam running through the middle. Circus is hard enough with all the skills and abilities it entails, but then to lay on top an artistic aesthetic which makes us go away thinking not only of the turns and the tricks but of the humanity underneath is certainly an impressive feat. And talking of impressive feats the show was full of them. Against an ululating, pulsating, stamping, stomping soundtrack a gaggle of black clad acrobats, gymnastics and aerialists rotate, rock and revolve in a tho...

100 Things You Are Overthinking – Alchemist, St James Quarter

18Aug

By Saira KunjuvalappilNo Comments

Scotland

100 Things You Are Overthinking – Alchemist, St James Quarter

The show is a complete comedy experience that involves a lot of interaction with the audience. Francesco Kirchhoff and Ori Halevy did a great job making each performance unique. No two shows are the same because the topics depend on what the audience writes down about what they’re overthinking. The questions from the audience were really funny, like “Does my dog love me?” The answers were hilarious, and everyone was laughing out loud. Another question was “Will I ever be rich?” The response was light-hearted, saying life is already good and that overthinking isn’t necessary. One of the best moments was when someone asked how to find a boyfriend for their daughter. The funny advice was to install dating apps, create a fake profile for the daughter, and start swiping. Another great...

18Aug

By Tom ScottNo Comments

Scotland

Squidge – Pleasance Courtyard

‘Squidge’ is an absorbing one woman show about Daisy, a teaching assistant. It’s a heart-warming play about a young woman who makes life better for the children with ‘special educational needs’ she teaches. But it’s not just about life in the classroom. Daisy tells us about her love life, her relationship with her mother, and the recent bereavement that is gnawing at her soul. ‘Squidge’ is written and performed by Tiggy Bayley. She wrote it last year when she was still teaching, and this is her theatrical debut. It’s a beautiful script which crackles with energy, emotion and wit. This is a rollercoaster of a show which has plenty of laughs, but some heartbreaking moments, too. It reveals its secrets slowly and leaves us with hope. ‘Squidge’ is simply staged but it’s amazing what ...

18Aug

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

Scotland

The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return – Summerhall

“16 years on this planet and it comes to this…” Sometimes at the Edinburgh Festival amidst all the half-conceived artistic debris, the broken dreams and the ill-informed attempts at theatre, sometimes you stumble across a gem, a highly polished and presented piece which shines out, head and shoulders above the rest - such as the case in “The Chaos That Has Been And Will No Doubt Return” at Summerhall which takes as its narratological background Luton - not the most inspiring of cities in the United Kingdom, but in the hands of Chalk Line theatre company it becomes a fascinating youthful and exuberant place in a production riddled with the joyous exuberance of youth and the concomitant chaos which follows. The play, by a gifted Sam Edmunds, has a vibrant energy that is both engagi...

Out of the Blue – Assembly George Square

18Aug

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

Scotland

Out of the Blue – Assembly George Square

Out of the Blue, as always and forever, parade a cacophony of happy harmonies, joyous jingles and merry melodies. They stem from Oxford university, and they’ve been coming annually year in, year out to the Edinburgh festival to raise money for their chosen charity. It is an explosion of joy and a wonderous, marvellous experience. 20 young guys with perfect harmonies, a great sense of joy, a great sense of fun and a vibrancy that makes the building shake. The tone, the attitude, the approach is irresistible, endearing and beguiling. These guys know what they're doing. They've been residents of the festival for years. I first saw them in 2007 and was blown away. It's simple. It's clean. It's family fun with joyous songs from across the years and a smorgasbord of music! And the voca...

18Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Show Pony – Summerhall Main Hall

What happens to a show pony when it gets old? Yep, bang!! Three ‘middle-aged’ ladies pull back the curtain for a behind the scenes view on what it’s like to be a circus performer your whole life, with your body slowly giving up, facing the existential question, what next? An entertaining hour, of high quality tricks and stunts, but also much humour and insight, which suggests this talented trio are not done yet, and are more than one-trick-ponies. Along the way, we get to delve into the earliest memories of the strong woman, the aerialist and the contortionist. It’s a fascinating and beautifully choreographed introduction, with old photos, flickering videos and tricks aplenty, which has all the charm and otherness of a Wes Anderson flick. They explain that the rules of circus ...