Scotland Archives - Page 59 of 157

Looking For Me Friend: The Music Of Victoria Wood – Traverse Theatre

26Apr

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

Looking For Me Friend: The Music Of Victoria Wood – Traverse Theatre

Such is the national treasure status accorded the late great Victoria Wood it’s easy to forget quite how barbed and satirical she was. It’s a great credit to Paulus The Cabaret Geek (with piano accompaniment from the esteemed Michael Roulston) for delivering a hefty reminder that the ‘gentle genius’ smuggled smut and ferreted filth by the barrow load past light entertainment audiences on a regular basis. Concealed behind the cheeky grin and homely asides was a rapier-like wit and a perception regarding peculiarly British sensibilities, but above all, it was FUN. In capitals. Paulus set about the canon with relish, employing his trademark flamboyance and exuberance, interspersing the songs with anecdotes illustrating how his own life was affected and influenced, revisiting many of th...

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) – Festival Theatre

23Apr

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) – Festival Theatre

Accomplished Scottish writer, actor and director, Isobel McArthur, has taken the old adage, while the cats away the mice will play and crafted an absolute winner in Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of). It is hilarious and superbly performed by an ensemble of talented actors. Costume changes happen as if Houdini were channeled (or maybe Derren Brown with his clever psychology and hypnotism). Characters leave the stage and re-enter at the speed of light, transformed into a newly minted persona! It is brilliant! It is funny! It is hugely entertaining and modern. Of course, the occasional black-out and the odd bit of glitter ball dancing all elevate the fun, thanks to the lighting designer, Colin Grenfell. The cast can sing, dance and act their socks off and when this is combined with an...

Tim Rice – My Life in Musicals: I Know Him So Well – Festival Theatre

23Apr

By Wendy McEwanNo Comments

Scotland

Tim Rice – My Life in Musicals: I Know Him So Well – Festival Theatre

Tim Rice is a man of many words. He’s been writing lyrics for 60 years, collaborating with some of our most celebrated composers - Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Elton John, of course, and more recently, Gary Barlow. He even wrote some lyrics for Elvis. Rice wanted to be a rock star, so he sent demo tapes to all the leading record labels. Impressed by his lyrics, a musical publisher introduced him to Lloyd-Webber, and a great songwriting partnership was born. A teacher friend invited the pair to write a song for a school concert. The result was an early iteration of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The concert was a great success – “This is the first time the parents have enjoyed a school concert”, said the teacher. One of those parents was a leading theatre critic, and a coupl...

Donald Grant and The Scottish Ensemble: Thuit an Oidhche Oirnn (The Night Overtook Us) – Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh

15Apr

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Donald Grant and The Scottish Ensemble: Thuit an Oidhche Oirnn (The Night Overtook Us) – Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh

A foot tapping and thought provoking night from one of Scotland’s finest fiddle players accompanied by the tartan security blanket of the Scottish Ensemble, who together created something of a sonic explosion at The Queen’s Hall. Following on from their puppet based space Odyssey The Law of Gravity which I loved at The Traverse earlier this year, The Scottish Ensemble, champions of classical Scottish string, led by Artistic Director, and 1st violin Jonathan Morton head back to their native roots, but with many a twist along the Highland track. Before Donald Grant takes to the stage we are treated to the Ensemble’s remarkable rendition of Touch and In Memorium, by Martin Suckling, like a murmuration of starlings, swooping and wheeling seemingly defying logic (or melody) and yet still ...

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake – Festival Theatre

10Apr

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake – Festival Theatre

Having previously been swept away by Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet and the haunting brilliance of Edward Scissorhands, I knew to expect something bold, something unexpected. But nothing quite prepares you for Swan Lake – The Next Generation. This isn’t just another reinterpretation of a classic – it’s the jewel in Bourne’s already glittering crown. Now in its 30th anniversary revival, Bourne’s audacious take on Swan Lake has lost none of its bite. If anything, this latest incarnation feels sharper, more intimate and emotionally resonant than ever. From the moment the curtain lifted at the Festival Theatre, there was an electricity in the air – the kind that only comes when something truly iconic is about to unfold. For those unfamiliar, Bourne's Swan Lake made waves in 1995 for...

9Apr

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Sam Newbould Quintet – Traverse Theatre

The Sam Newbould Quintet, based in Amsterdam, arrived in Edinburgh to perform the second night of their week-long Scottish tour. Playing original jazz pieces composed by Sam Newbould, this quintet captivated the Traverse’s audience with their smooth and persistent sound. Combining both simple yet relentless licks and flowing, heavily layered textures, the Sam Newbould Quintet had the audience entranced. Xavi Torres on piano played with beautiful clarity of tone and a delicacy that was refreshing to hear - his solos were incredibly captivating, playing with a heartfeltness that really struck a chord with me (no pun intended). Keeping the pace and groove was Guy Salamon on the drum kit giving us flow and drive. Salamon’s drumming style feels incredibly intuit...

4Apr

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Nessie – The Studio, Edinburgh

Produced by Capital Theatres & Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Nessie, is a family-orientated tale of friendship, set to music with nods towards global warming, climate change and clean energy production that plays out a bit like a tick-box exercise for the 21st Century. However, from the reactions, the ooos and awwws, of the younger audience members and their quiet attention for 80 minutes it certainly seems to hit its target. And that, as we all know, is no easy feat! The life-sized puppets of Otter, ‘Oggie’ played by Keith Macpherson and Grey Heron ‘Heather’, operated by Alison Orr play a big role and are certainly cute and cuddly. And star of the show Nessa operated by Eden Barrie has a gurgling prehensile presence and a clever operation which allows her to be handled and operated r...

3Apr

By H.S. BakerNo Comments

Scotland

Little Women – Festival Theatre

Louisa May Alcott’s classic, much loved tale of the coming of age of the March sisters in 19th century Massachusetts, is brought to the stage in an adaptation by Anne-Marie Casey. The narrative will be familiar to many, and is loosely based on Alcott’s own life. Sisters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, living a frugal life with their mother, Marmee, whilst father is away fighting in the American Civil war, struggle to keep spirits up as they endure the deprivations that poverty brings them. They could ask rich Aunt March for money, but no one really likes her or her strict views on what is considered proper behaviour in good society. When father is injured in battle, Jo (always one for the dramatic gesture), cuts off her hair and sells it for $25 to help pay for Marmee to tra...

Beauty and the Beast – Church Hill Theatre

2Apr

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Beauty and the Beast – Church Hill Theatre

We all know that opening nights can go one of two ways; either a riot of mistakes ,technical blunders and missed lines or that rare perfect explosion of nervous energy which propels the production to new heights. I’m happy to say that tonight, on April Fool’s day, this is no blundering joke, instead it is one of those unique stunning, wonderful events. But this is no happy accident. Whether by stick or carrot, Director Louise Sables pulls off a masterclass of amateur direction and casting, to marshal the talented folks of EMT to tell a simple story with real emotion, humour and clarity, and at a pace that many a professional production would only dream of, whilst eking out a meagre budget in all the right places. Take the costumes for example: to open the programme and find that the ...

2Apr

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Down The Hatch – Pleasance Theatre

What began as slightly self-conscious soon developed into a showcase of joy for this young collection of enthusiasts. The premise was simple: a tavern with a collection of characters who told their stories through song and dance. It reminded me of Jim Cartwright’s TWO but the stories were somewhat thinner, each tale being bound by the lyrics of a particular song. My favourite was the traditional Irish ballad, Aililiú Na Gamhna, sung by second-year, Lily Hodge. It was pitch-perfect and filled with tender anguish. The blocking enhanced the sentiment of the piece. Ewan Robertson has a fine, sweet voice living within the body of a construction worker - tall, wide and muscular. He concluded the first half with a stunning lift of Elham Khosravipour who seemed anomalous in her belly-dancing...