Scotland Archives - Page 63 of 91

Love The Sinner – Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

18May

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

Love The Sinner – Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

The Seven Deadly Sins are sometimes known as capital vices and it’s appropriate that writer and performer Imogen Stirling chooses a fever dreamscape of Glasgow as a backdrop. She says it’s ‘Glasgow-but-not-quite’ but two key components of the play are a big river and an awful lot of rain. It’s a landscape reminiscent of Alasdair Grey’s Lanark, each sinner - it might be said - redolent of the characters in David Keenan’s ‘This Is Memorial Device’ set just down the road in Coatbridge and Airdrie. Officially North Lanark. They each employ their own strategies to deal with life’s perceived flaws, but the stars of Stirling’s second book of poetry, Sloth, Envy, Greed, Gluttony, Pride, Lust and Wrath, share something in common in that they are all, apparently, isolated. It’s no surprise to learn ...

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

18May

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s longest running Musical theatre company, Southern Light Opera shine extra bright for this no-expenses-spared phantasmagorical production of the stage version of the much-loved 1969 MGM musical film. With one of the best special effects, I have ever seen on stage, this is one show you do not want to miss! The original film and subsequent stage adaptation is loosely based on the children’s novel Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car by Ian Fleming (better known as the creator of James Bond) from 1964 and adapted for the silver screen by Roald Dahl. The story follows recently widowed inventor Caractacus Potts and his two children and their love of an old ex-champion racing car, threatened with the scrap heap, but brought back to life (and then some!) by Potts. Chitty take...

Strictly Ballroom The Musical – Edinburgh Playhouse

11May

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Strictly Ballroom The Musical – Edinburgh Playhouse

Based on Baz Luhrmann’s Australian 1992 award-winning worldwide film phenomenon, the show adapted for the stage is currently touring the UK and Ireland till July 2023. It lands in Edinburgh with a star-studded cast, including Kevin Clifton of BBCs Strictly Come Dancing fame and Faye Brooks of ITVs Coronation Street and Dancing on Ice, in the lead roles. If you are a fan of Strictly I expect you are going to enjoy this show (whatever I say) for Kevin, for the expert dancing, outrageous and pretty revealing costumes and heaps of glitz and glam. The bright and cheesy glamour of the ladies’ sequin and feather costumes marries up nicely to the intentionally badly made and hideously fitted wigs adorning most of the cast. The wigs take a bit of getting used to but are all part of setting the a...

A Streetcar Named Desire – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

4May

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

A Streetcar Named Desire – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Since its debut in 2012, the Scottish Ballet’s production of “A Streetcar Named Desire” has been proved to be a stunning interpretation of Tennessee Williams’ classic play. It is a faithful adaptation of the original story that feels completely fresh and innovative in its ballet form. The choreography and music perfectly capture the emotion of the story and the performances are outstanding. This production is a beautiful expression of the themes of love, loss, and desire, and it is easy to see why it has won so many accolades. Every movement is deliberate, emotional, and perfectly timed to convey the psychology and inner battles of the characters. The dancing is both sensual and powerful, effortlessly capturing the passion and intensity of the story. In particular, the pas de deux be...

27Apr

By H.S. BakerNo Comments

Scotland

The Mousetrap – Edinburgh Playhouse

Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” is most famous for being the longest continually running show in the world. Still being performed in the West End, it is now celebrating its 70th year with this anniversary tour. There is one original cast member still performing to this day! That is the voice of Derek Guyler, playing the radio announcer. Set in the early 1950s at a remote countryside guest house, five guests and the newlywed owners of Monkswell Manor are snowed in, with phone lines out of action and roads closed. Then a detective sergeant arrives on skis, with news that a killer is amongst them. The play was originally written for radio with the title “Three Blind Mice” and the somewhat eerie refrain of that nursery rhyme provides a suitably atmospheric th...

The Shawshank Redemption – Edinburgh Festival Theatre

25Apr

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

The Shawshank Redemption – Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Ben Onwuke, playing Ellis ‘Red’ Redding, carries this story beautifully. He tops and tails it with a mellow voice and a story-telling style to captivate. No wonder he has numerous audio books to his credit. However, the first half is a bombardment of aggression with little remission. No doubt, prison is like that, yet, undoubtedly, there is plenty of subtle menace and understated tension simmering. A mood of depression must prevail in some corners - hence the high rate of suicide. Here we find a storm of high-pitched savagery. As a result, the director (David Esbjornson) offers the cast little scope to build tension and create climactic power. A little more ebb and flow, a smidgen of the off button in the volume would help build and release tension. Even in the supposed searing heat,...

Rock, Paper, Scissors – Traverse Theatre

25Apr

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Rock, Paper, Scissors – Traverse Theatre

Established in 2016, Tandem Writing Collective comprising of three young(ish) writers Mhairi Quinn, Jennifer Adam and Amy Hawes, gave us a sneaky peek of a trio of (in workshop) new plays to a rapt and enthusiastic audience at the subterranean Traverse 2 tonight, for one night only. And with the juicy promise that all three will become fully developed plays later this year. Accompanied very nicely by musos, Celloist Jessica Kerr and keyboard player Aaron McGregor on stage, actors Kim Allen, Natalie Arle-Toyne and Betty Valencia, with scripts in hand bring the three workshop pieces to beautiful and dynamic animated life, to the obvious delight of the writers sitting in the front row with beaming smiles. And why not, all three pieces sounded and looked great and the actors, to a woman,...

Pass Out: Utter Filth – Traverse Theatre

19Apr

By Wendy McEwanNo Comments

Scotland

Pass Out: Utter Filth – Traverse Theatre

For their HND showcase, the emerging performers from PASS at Edinburgh College devised and performed two pieces of theatre, both inspired by the provocative theme of “Utter Filth”. In the first performance, “Utter Filth” is a nightclub. The kind of place young people go to when they want to test their boundaries, with illicit substances aplenty. There are some nice group scenes, with collective movement and chit chat between the clubbers. We are introduced to “Josh” (Joshua Thomson), a likeably awkward young man. He is introduced to a group of friends by a mutual pal (Dan Webb) and there is some amusing dialogue between the two as Dan asks Josh to tone down his geekiness with these, clearly judgemental, new friends. The group discuss what to do on their big night out.&...

The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Festival Theatre

19Apr

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Festival Theatre

If it’s the Stranger Things style poster that caught your attention or simply the usual high standard that comes with productions by the National Theatre one thing is to be sure you will not be disappointed when going to see the spooky phenomena that is The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Based on the best-selling novel by Neil Gaiman (also known for Coraline, Stardust, Good Omens and many more), you are bound to expect to be taken on a journey through the strange and wonderful but at times frightening. The National Theatre have managed to take Gaiman’s story of a young lad both coming to terms with the suicide of their family lodger due to money as well as learning to deal with the monsters (or should I say flees) he had no idea where lurking at the edges of his world and stamp it onto t...

Hal Cruttenden: It’s Best You Hear It From Me – The Stand, Edinburgh

19Apr

By Ella CatherallNo Comments

Scotland

Hal Cruttenden: It’s Best You Hear It From Me – The Stand, Edinburgh

Hal Cruttenden, a regular feature on the UK comedy circuit, returns with his new show centred around his recent divorce which is currently touring the UK. I saw posters for Cruttenden’s show around Edinburgh during last year’s Fringe and was very close to buying tickets but didn’t end up going. It was for this reason that I was so excited to get another chance to see it. This show walks a number of fine lines with ease. For example, ample audience interaction meant that the show never felt over-scripted or over-rehearsed, but it was also always apparent that Cruttenden was decidedly in charge of the narrative. Tangents that seemed off-the-cuff at the time ended up being worked seamlessly into overarching throughlines, giving a sense of both spontaneity and well-thought-out craft. Crutte...