Assembly Rooms Archives - North West End UK

24Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Sunshine On Leith – Assembly Rooms

A firm Edinburgh favourite, for locals and tourists alike, musical, Sunshine on Leith, set to the original songs of The Proclaimers, always does very well at Fringe time. Last years’ production by the same company, Captivate Theatre, was one of my Fringe highlights. So, I was looking forward to this one, accompanied this time by my musical loving daughter. Following a pair of discharged soldiers, Ally and Davy, as they return home, across Pilrig Street and via Central bar to their beloved Leith, it is a simple romantic tale which initially at least, leans more towards comedy than drama and lets the music do most of the talking. Early highlights, I’m On My way, it's over and done with, and Let’s get Married set the tone, and have the packed crowd chanting along to these uplifting son...

16Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Dear Billy – Assembly Rooms

Partick, birthplace of comedian, Billy Connelly, back when it was a small countryside village on the outskirts of Glasgow, on the banks of The Clyde, famous for fish and hunting, Aye, it had a hundred chippies and you had to watch out for people with knives! The world and the words of National Treasure, Billy, are brought gloriously to life by multiple Fringe-First winner, Gary McNair, accompanied by the musical talents of Simon Liddell and Jill O’Sullivan. But this is no tribute act, despite the obvious visual similarity between McNair and a young Billy. Instead, it is an array of stories and recollections, of the big man, hilariously voiced and acted by McNair, collected across the length and breadth of Scotland, most humorous, but some surprisingly deeply moving. From his childho...

13Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Don Quixote – Assembly Rooms

Clowning around, Finnish-style (remember they like naked saunas), includes a tiny bit of acrobatic bum exposure and a splash of front bottom gymnastics. So, if bottoms are off the table for you, give this one a miss. However, I liked it. Not the bum cheeks (or the dangly bits) in particular. I liked the whole thing. There was certainly a lot of energy from the two performers, Timo Ruuskanen as Don Quixote and Tuukka Vasama as his side-kick Sancho Panza. Red Nose Company combines physical comedy, live music and witty gags. They create a warm welcome with their painted faces, red curtains and interactive banter. Their commitment to their audience and their story is clear to see. The duo has been on tour since 2008. They perform in four languages: English, Swedish, Spanish and Finni...

7Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Shantify! – Assembly Rooms

Fishy fun never sounded so good! The six likely lads that make up Shantify are off to a winning start. The sold out tent does not lie! Six because they get to call themselves a sextet, which is way cooler than a quartet or a quintet! Anyway, it’s all blue jeans and brown leather boots, stripy tops and Fairisle sweaters (looks hot!) and neckerchiefs as they drop anchor (well, they started it!) in George Street, Edinburgh for the duration of the fringe. Folks are going to be clambering for tickets for this one. Seriously though, like all great ideas, this one is so simple, but is so well executed! Combining six of the West End’s leading men creates some dreamy harmonies, as a selection of popular songs from stage and chart are turned into sea shanties. First up for the Shanty...

Wyld Woman: The Legend of Shy Girl – Assembly Rooms

6Aug

By Tom ScottNo Comments

Scotland

Wyld Woman: The Legend of Shy Girl – Assembly Rooms

A twenty something New Yorker is painfully shy. On first seeing us, she struggles to get a word out. She holds a set of crib cards to help her through what is clearly an ordeal. The shyness affects her physicality, too. Although she’s standing, she curls up as if she’s trying to make herself as small and insignificant as possible, hoping that no-one will notice her. Gradually shy girl relaxes. She welcomes us to her apartment and calls us ‘Legends’. She aspires to be one, too. Legends are people who are not shy, thus cool. Shy girl doesn’t have any real friends, but lots of imaginary ones. It turns out that we in the audience are her imaginary friends, too. And she’s using us to rehearse for the arrival of some real Legends who she’s invited to dinner. This is a hugely enterta...

The State of Grace – Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

3Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

The State of Grace – Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

Aussie, Michaela Burger (A Migrant’s Son) is at her core a consummate storyteller, and no stranger to the Edinburgh Fringe. Through the mediums of video, music, song, prose and acting she returns to Edinburgh Fringe for the 4th time, supported by House of Oz to tell the story, the legacy, of fellow Adelaidian, Pippa O’Sulliven. Pippa, AKA ‘Grace Bellavue’ a sex worker, rose to meteoric fame and notoriety on social media before her untimely suicide at just 28, in 2015. Michaela has clearly researched hard, into the archive of Pip, talked to her parents and friends and traced the considerable digital footprint that Grace left. Pippa’s dream, to ‘Build the Grace Business’, learn Physics, savour food and make love did not turn out quite the way she planned, but from this evidence she had qu...

Hello, The Hell: Othello – Assembly Rooms

14Aug

By Danielle FarrowNo Comments

Scotland

Hello, The Hell: Othello – Assembly Rooms

Love. Murder. Regret. Agony. Love. Murder. Regret. Agony. Love... The repetition of his crime is something Othello fights with every fibre of his being as he faces aeons of punishment in hell. While he is tortured by nightmares, trapped and riddled with pain if he leaves his cage / shrine, Iago somehow roams freely, able to torment him even further. With Desdemona, these antagonists play out scenes of the past and of how Othello wishes to change it. The focused performances are supported by often dramatic music, while costume and lighting colours of red, black, white and gold are striking across a floor of red cloths with just a few hints of white. Knotted hangings form Othello’s cell and other restrictions within the space, completely filled by performers’ movements, which draw on t...

Sunshine on Leith – Assembly Rooms, Bijou (tent) George Street

12Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Sunshine on Leith – Assembly Rooms, Bijou (tent) George Street

Set in the inspired venue choice of a giant tent on George Street, Captivate Theatre bring this breezy and lively musical which can easily cope with some background street chatter. In fact, it fits right in (as if it’s meant) to many of scenes; in the pub, on the football terraces or in the hospital. And as for the lighting techie! It took me a while to realise that we were at nature’s mercy, and miraculously it seemed that the light rose and fell at all the right points. Behind a cloud for the sad scenes and full sun for the bright ones. Miraculous! To the wonderful music and lyrics of Scotland’s finest, The Proclaimers, Scottish Country (without the Western), we follow two likely lads, Ally and Davy, discharged from the army and returning home to Edinburgh (no, Leith!) to try to carve...

9Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Edges – Assembly Rooms, Music Hall

This was – Some very fine singing, but ultimately indecipherable and unrelatable! A production from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Edges, the blurb reads: a Musical from the creators of The Greatest Showman, La La Land and Dear Evan Hansen, Edges is a contemporary song-cycle which explores universal issues such as love, commitment, identity, and meaning. Well, great! As a big fan of all of those production, this sounds perfect, I was looking forward to this one. What a let down! This is maybe sounding and looking great and making perfect sense if you are a 20-something angst-ridden American female living in New York City. And I am probably sounding very old and very male now. A bright young thing launches into, Am I fulfilled. Do I care? A production that, on paper...

8Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Ed Byrne – Assembly Rooms Music Hall

That was – An unexpected rollercoaster of emotions, with joyous high points. An absolute master of observational comedy who is not scared to get down in the mud with his audience and let them in on the tough stuff as well as the funny stuff. Oh!…. Very funny indeed! Despite stiff competition from 2020 and 2021, 2022 was a total evil b*stard for Byrne. Pause, Pause, Stop! But 2023 is shaping up now, tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, and you can be sure that Ed is always going to come out swinging, this guy ain’t going down without a fight! Men want information, women want emotion. Men want information, women want emotion. Remember that Ed. The mirror that is severely cracked but still intact and still reflecting. You can be sure that Byrne micro-managed that right down to ...