Friday, December 19

Latest Articles

20/20 – theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall
Scotland

20/20 – theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall

20/20 tackles the timeless tale of Orpheus and Eurydice with a modern twist, taking place in 2020 with Orpheus falling in love with a reincarnated version of Eurydice. This baseline for the plot had much potential, as the Greek tale is still ripe with thematic relevance, as seen by the recent smash hit ‘Hadestown’. However, it saddens me to say that this needed a lot more re-drafts and a more focused understanding of the tone before being executed on a stage. I truly admire the passion and dedication poured into this show, as you can see it reflected on stage through each actor's performance. The lead actors of Orpheus and Eurydice are very charming, and if given stronger material, they could have shown off their talents in a much more effective way. The material itself bounces from...
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical – Liverpool Empire
North West

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical – Liverpool Empire

From the opening notes of ‘Simply the Best’ and the curtain rising into the sky, you know you’re in for a rollercoaster of a night. Tina: The Tina Turner Musical delivers a powerful evening of storytelling and soul, bringing the extraordinary yet deeply intense life of Tina Turner to life. This heart-wrenching yet highly energetic performance had audiences cheering Tina on her journey from the very start. Elle Ma-Kinga N’Zuzi sensationally portrays the role of Tina, embodying her every move and likeness to a tea. Her vocal prowess is something to be rivalled; she really brought Tina’s vulnerability and powerful nature to the audience. Her ability to maintain vocal composure whilst depicting the raw and emotional scenes of the domestic violence Tina went through really allows for audienc...
Cara & Kelly are Best Friends Forever For Life – The Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker Three)
Scotland

Cara & Kelly are Best Friends Forever For Life – The Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker Three)

A powerful two hander which packs a punch with its raw and honest portrayal of two larger than life best friends, with some fatal consequences. Nothing is off topic between best pals Cara and Kelly, inseparable soul sisters and best friends who each wear the other half of a heart necklace, a symbol of their friendship. Yet loyalties become blurred as their union is tested to its limits.   A friendship, which as we discover, inhabits cracks observed during their scathing arguments, which are littered with hurtful truths. A co-dependence is suggested by Kelly feeling put upon and burdened by Cara’s needs fueled by her broken family background and absent care givers.  Their different socio-economic backgrounds become increasingly and painfully apparent.   Hanging o...
1 King, 2 Princes and Shakespeare’s Lie – theSpace @ Symposium Hall
Scotland

1 King, 2 Princes and Shakespeare’s Lie – theSpace @ Symposium Hall

‘History is written by the victors’, an aphorism ascribed to many political figures, has never been more apt than in the shaping of the narrative around Richard III, the last Plantagenet king of England. Now Slade Wolfe Productions give Richard the opportunity to set the record straight in this entertaining and informative hour which will leave you questioning your perception of the ‘Hunchback King’ Andrew Slade is the eponymous King, entering cloaked and crooked backed as in popular conception before subverting expectations to reveal himself as a handsome and erudite nobleman. Over the course of the next hour, Richard proceeds to debunk the mythology created around his reign - chiefly created by the arch Tudor propagandist William Shakespeare - who defamed poor Richard to shore up ...
Hold On To Your Butts – The Pleasance Courtyard (Forth)
Scotland

Hold On To Your Butts – The Pleasance Courtyard (Forth)

Ingenious and hilarious! Who needs special effects and CGI when you have Recent Cutbacks, who are back at the Fringe with a playful retelling of the biggest prehistoric hit movie ever made. Fresh from a critically acclaimed UK tour, a West End debut, and a sell-out run at Fringe 2024, Hold On To Your Butts is a frantic, non-stop whistle stop parody of 1993’s Jurassic Park. Iconic moments and shots are recreated in such hysterical and imaginative ways you’ll wonder why Spielberg bothered with the animatronics. Two actors and a Foley artist hustle their way through the entire film, conjuring up dinosaurs, and drama providing an enjoyable retelling. This creative parody delivers as much spectacle and ‘special affects’ as the Blockbuster it’s based on. Scene for scene, the cast na...
The Big Bite Size Breakfast Show – The Pleasance Courtyard
Scotland

The Big Bite Size Breakfast Show – The Pleasance Courtyard

A clever carousel of laugh out loud comedy, and one of the fringe’s stand out shows which will leave you with a belly full of laughs and a big bite of the funnies.  White Room Theatre is taking its 19th run at the Fringe with The Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show. Serving up three all-new, rotating menus of perfectly portioned 10 – 15-minute mini plays providing comedy drama, and delightfully clever twists and turns. With complimentary strawberries, tea or coffee, and a delicious fresh croissant we take our seats ready for today’s Menu 2, if the other menus are anything like today’s serving you are in for a real treat. A strong ensemble of 5 versatile actors multi role, not only serving your morning refreshments but also taking on the wide variety of colourful and quirky chara...
The Football Actress – C Venues
Scotland

The Football Actress – C Venues

This one-woman show is billed as an autobiographical drama-comedy featuring Lucia Mallardi, a former semi-professional footballer who travelled as a street artist.  The show’s advertising blurb claims that Lucia’s story is empowering, challenging boundaries, merging sports and theatre. Well, firstly – yes, this show is autobiographical.  Very.  The performer is telling the story of her own life.  Undoubtedly bright and brave, she is performing in English, not her native language, with a smattering of rapid fire Italian and accents of languages picked up on her travels.  However, just because you’ve chosen to live an unconventional life doesn’t mean that the recounting of some of it will add up to something which will hold an audience’s attention.  After...
Benedetti & Sitkovitsky: Tribute to Menuhin – Usher Hall
Scotland

Benedetti & Sitkovitsky: Tribute to Menuhin – Usher Hall

Nicola Benedetti kicked off the evening with a warm welcome, telling us it was going to be “a lot about the violin” and a tribute to Yehudi Menuhin. She mentioned that in her early career she had often played second violin to Alexander Sitkovetsky, but tonight she certainly wasn’t playing second for long. The atmosphere was set, intimate, personal, and just a bit cheeky.The concert opened with Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, lush and romantic, a soft embrace of a piece that filled the hall with warmth and a gentle nostalgic glow. Its three movements flowed effortlessly, a perfect opener that drew the audience in with grace rather than bombast.Then, Alexander Sitkovetsky took the stage for Panufnik’s Violin Concerto, a deeply spiritual work written for Menuhin. It’s reflective, lyrical, and q...
Note of Concern – theSpace on the Mile
Scotland

Note of Concern – theSpace on the Mile

In Note of Concern things take a turn for old school friends Scott (Will Evans) and Alec (Jordan Monks) when they get trapped in a classroom during their High School reunion. Secrets are uncovered, old feuds are rehashed, and the body of their old teacher Mrs Cruickshank is found in the supply cupboard.  Produced by Fast Snail Productions and written by Evans and Monks, this show is a one act play that looks at growing up, growing apart, and the unseen turmoil people face alone. Both Evans and Monks seem to thrive in the realist and naturalistic style of the play - of course it does help that they themselves wrote it so have a greater understanding of the tonality of the piece.  Stephanie Austin’s direction made for a snappy and fluid show, with the actors delivering re...
Mother, Maiden and Crone – theSpace @ Niddry St
Scotland

Mother, Maiden and Crone – theSpace @ Niddry St

Based upon the witches of Macbeth, Mother, Maiden and Crone retells this classic tale in the setting of Club Limbo (or should I say Limbo Bar and Kitchen) — a gay bar in which the witches work. Mother (Lewis Gemmell) is the bar’s only drag queen, Maiden (Ewan Burns) is the signature messy twink bartender, and Crone (Fin Watt) is the feral, nonconformist DJ. Together they face the horror that is a straight hen-do, who have booked into Limbo for the night. With gay-adjacent bridesmaid Brandi (Zara Kennedy) having booked the venue, the rest of the gaggle aren’t best pleased, so Mother, Maiden, and Crone have a little fun stirring the pot, leading to McBride’s (Erin McGivern) demise. Ewan Burns’ writing makes for a hilarious evening, with dialogue from Macbeth being campified and modern...