Scotland Archives - Page 47 of 91

Back to Black: The Music of Amy Winehouse – The Space @ Surgeons Hall

15Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Back to Black: The Music of Amy Winehouse – The Space @ Surgeons Hall

A fantastic night of Jazz and neo-soul from singer Reine Beau who inhabited Amy Winehouse down to the last growl. There is nothing so enjoyable than watching an expert singer purring along, completely in her comfort zone and with plenty left under the bonnet if she needs it. In what was one of their first, and most well-travelled shows the winning Night Owl docu-style formula works really well with Beau filling in the blanks and video and audio clips from Winehouse’s back story. There is also the superb musicianship of the Night Owl band, who are as usual fantastic and note perfect. No more so than Luke Cunningham jazzing it up in fine style on the keys. A whistle stop tour through the Winehouse back catalogue in less than an hour, we hear the classics, Me and Mr Jones, Tears...

Joni Mitchell Reconstructed – The Jazz Bar (Venue No.57)

15Aug

By Amy HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Joni Mitchell Reconstructed – The Jazz Bar (Venue No.57)

The first of two shows starring jazz vocalists Jess Abrams and Claire Daly kicked off tonight at The Jazz Bar. This reconstruction of Joni Mitchell’s work was not trying to be a tribute according to the duo who added their own nuance to Mitchell’s tunes. The passion-filled show was a bit rough around the edges but in a lovable way. The pair seemed slightly nervous during their opening number “Blue” but gained confidence as they moved into more upbeat numbers. It was a nice touch that they chose songs which reflected their personalities as well as their voices such as Abrams singing the soft “River” and Daly singing the edgier “Harlem in Havana “. The variation between the duo’s voices meant they could sing a wider variety of Mitchell’s songs making the show more textured overall. Ho...

Baby Belle: Young, Dumb and full of Autism – Greenside @ Infirmary Street

15Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Baby Belle: Young, Dumb and full of Autism – Greenside @ Infirmary Street

Jax Braithwaite is at the Edinburgh Fringe to tell a personal story. It’s about a slow awakening to personal identity. A one-person show, Jax took a last-minute opening at the Fringe and put this piece together because it matters. The show is funny and warm and aimed at both the neurodivergent and as an edutainment piece, where those who fit the norm might better appreciate that autism is as nuanced and individual as each individual on this planet. It’s a tale of how they discovered their autism as an adult. As an aging linguistics graduate, I wonder if, over time, he and she will disappear altogether. If so, what will the French do? But I digress. Jax’s story is told through song and direct address. It is very relatable. And it makes me think. As an older person, I wonder if ...

National Youth Choir of Scotland – Usher Hall

15Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

National Youth Choir of Scotland – Usher Hall

If you were lucky enough to get to the Usher Hall by 4pm on Sunday, you will have joined a lively run-down (and audience challenge) detailing how and why Scottish National Youth Choir is so exemplary. The choir caters for 0-25-years-old. It is truly outstanding thanks to the skill, playfulness and overall enthusiasm of Artistic Director and Conductor, Christopher Bell who formed the choir in 1996. In 2012, the National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCoS) became the first youth company to win a Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award in the Ensemble category. Bell calls the company’s methods “stealth teaching” and the games-based learning is just up my street. Balls, hula hoops and old-fashioned clapping games get the rhythm and mood started and the children learn without knowing it. “S...

15Aug

By Stephanie DunkNo Comments

Scotland

Gabby Killick – Gilded Balloon Teviot

In the midst of pink hues and a half full room, Gabby Killick's stand-up comedy show offers an approach to humour that certainly sparks conversation. With an emphasis on audience interaction, Killick goes into her dating life, sharing stories of drunk texting exes and the perils of mixing love and intoxication. She doesn't shy away from taboo topics, bravely venturing into subjects like abortion and school shootings, where her willingness to tackle tough subjects is undeniable, however, there are moments where the execution feels insensitive. Her exploration of serious matters like sexual harassment and paedophiles, while brave, could benefit from a more empathetic approach. Killick's comedic one-liners, occasionally miss the mark, leaving the audience waiting for the punchline.&n...

15Aug

By Danielle FarrowNo Comments

Scotland

The Messenger – Assembly Roxy

Motion. Emotion. Toilet Humour. This masked physical theatre play grabs from the start and we soon see the stakes are high. An imperial figure initiates the process for A Mission, where someone is endowed with the ability to carry this out through the bestowing of a special hat, accompanied by rousing adventure music. Costume is of the Korean Joseon period, but we quickly follow this new Messenger into the modern world, and there the fun begins. Hangings allow the set to swiftly change from neutral to a photographer’s studio / home. Different characters are strongly depicted, from an old photographer and the ill wife to whom he is devoted, to various amusing customers - including a dog - wedding planners, and, of course, the mysterious Messenger. The focus is on the relatio...

What You See When Your Eyes Are Closed/What You Don’t See When Your Eyes Are Open – Summerhall

15Aug

By Euan HuthNo Comments

Scotland

What You See When Your Eyes Are Closed/What You Don’t See When Your Eyes Are Open – Summerhall

What You See When Your Eyes Are Closed/What You Don’t See When Your Eyes Are Open is a very strange piece of art. You are in a small room, and as you enter you are greeted by an eight-foot-tall orange Cyclops who is staring at you. Behind him, a man lays on the floor with the name “Mamoru” on his jumpsuit. The show begins and Mamoru is on location reporting for the news about the fifty-foot Cyclops attacking the city, and like all good fringe shows there’s plenty of audience interaction too. I’ll try to refrain from saying too much about the events of the show, as I feel work of this kind is most effective when you go in completely blind, but to be honest I also don’t think I could begin to explain it clearly anyway. That’s the sort of piece this is, it’s a thought-provoking narrative ...

Creepy Boys – Summerhall Demonstration Room

15Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

Creepy Boys – Summerhall Demonstration Room

Two self-identified Creepy Boys in the Shining tradition are throwing their 13th birthday party, with their reluctant babysitter Sharon on tech and an audience full of potential best friends. What follows is a mixture of games, make-belief, some low-level satanism and a surprising amount of 00s (I guess this show definitely earns the right to call them the naughties) nostalgia, mostly around pop songs and the first Spiderman film, all against the cheery backdrop of a seemingly disused Victorian surgery demonstration room decorated with some balloons. (ah, the Fringe, where if it can't be used as a performance space, you're just not trying hard enough. Or maybe you're just trying at all.) Company Scantily Glad Theatre and writer-performers Sam Kruger and S.E. Grummett made their Edinb...

Nobody’s Talking About Jamie – Underbelly Cowgate (Iron Belly)

15Aug

By Ben PearsonNo Comments

Scotland

Nobody’s Talking About Jamie – Underbelly Cowgate (Iron Belly)

I am still not 100% sure whether this is a true story or not, but honestly it doesn’t matter. Whether fact or fiction, Jamie Finn has crafted a highly relatable, consistently entertaining and at times moving performance. Charting the highs and lows of romance and friendships, Finn takes us on his journey out of his first relationship and into the whirlwind life that followed. Accompanied by numerous original songs, the best of which is ‘a song for my ex-girlfriend’s current boyfriend (Warren)’, Finn’s storytelling is hilarious and heartfelt. The songs were all very funny, and suitably drove the plot. His voice was at times nasal and slightly out of tune, but I think this was a purposeful choice for the character. He isn’t meant to be a godly rockstar! There are so many moments in...

15Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

Scotland

AnotherKind – Edinburgh Fringe Online

AnotherKind is a multi-media scrapbook of the creative process, inspired by Amy Louise Wilson’s award-winning play, Another Kind of Dying, which tells the story of a young man who moves from the rural Eastern Cape to Johannesburg after the death of his father. For anyone who watches theatre but isn’t involved backstage, it’s easy to think that rehearsals mostly consist of actors repeatedly performing scenes until they stick, but AnotherKind offers a unique insight into what it actually takes for a cast to develop characterisation and explore plot to ensure that their show is as intricate and vibrant as it can be. A product of the pandemic and the effect it had on in-person theatre, the piece features heavy use of typed observations and narration, which are cleverly amended and corre...