Augustine United Church Archives

10Nov

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

(Parent)ified – Augustine United Church

In Erstwhile Media’s final play of their “One Dramatic Night” at Augustine United Church, we saw Rhona O’Donnell star in Cosette Bolt’s one-woman play (Parent)ified. Based on Bolt’s own experiences, this play was heartbreakingly raw, looking at the impact abusive parenting has had on our protagonist’s life as she is forced to step up to the plate and raise her younger sister, putting her own life on hold. Directed by Oliver Giggins as well as Bolt, this play is dynamic, displaying not only the frantic nature of our protagonist’s life with the fast-paced blocking, but also the passage of time as we pendulate between her life in the early teenage years all the way through to her mid-20s. O’Donnell was the perfect choice for this role, engaging us completely throughout which...

The Ebony Frame – Augustine United Church

10Nov

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

The Ebony Frame – Augustine United Church

Based on Edith Nesbit’s story of the same title, Erstwhile Media presents us with Oliver Giggins’ adaptation of The Ebony Frame—the second instalment of work at “One Dramatic Night” in Augustine United Church. Much like the source material, Giggins’ adaptation is an atmospheric and haunting tale in which protagonist Arthur Marsh (played by Alexander Donaldson) inherits a house where he discovers a portrait in an ebony frame. Unlike Nesbit’s original, the subject in the portrait is a man by the name of Raoul (played by Pedro Branco), giving this gothic horror a queer twist as Marsh becomes enraptured by the portrait’s presence. He soon encounters the ghost of Raoul and begins to uncover the torrid love affair the two men once shared in a past life. Giggins’ writing is enticing, and w...

Who’s the Fairest of Them All – Augustine United Church

10Nov

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Who’s the Fairest of Them All – Augustine United Church

Seeing us into panto season, Who’s The Fairest of Them All is writer and director Holly Wagner’s adaptation of Snow White, in which the magic mirror is featured as the real villain. Exploring the lengths one goes to for the sake of vanity and validation, we see not only the classic story of Snow White versus her wicked stepmother, but also the relationship Snow White has with her own daughter and the ways in which the title of Fairest of Them All has shaped her character. Held in Augustine United Church, the scene is set in the black-box-style theatre using minimal set and tech design, allowing the writing and acting to take centre stage. The space, although small, was well-utilised, with the actors parading up the staircase through the audience and out secondary exits as...

Living With the Dead – Augustine United Church, Edinburgh

26Apr

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Living With the Dead – Augustine United Church, Edinburgh

Writer, Cossette Bolt, creates a homage to humanity with this script. The sensitive subject (set in a funeral home where the dead are finally prepared for their send-off) is a tribute to the lives each body recently encompassed. Bolt says: This story exists because tragedy exists. [A] staggering number of lives [are] lost as a result of natural disasters, human disasters, and the pandemic. I recognized the normalcy with which people tossed around numbers of dead in the hundreds and thousands but seemed scandalized by smaller-scale tragedies. A young American, who has completed her post-graduate MFA Acting for Stage and Screen at Napier University, Bolt relishes the Edinburgh vibe and creative flow. Paired with the youthful, Not so Nice! theatre company (headed up by Matthew Attwood) Bol...