Sunday, October 6

Tag: Cairns Theatre

Oh, Calm Down – Edinburgh Summerhall (Cairns Theatre)
Scotland

Oh, Calm Down – Edinburgh Summerhall (Cairns Theatre)

In 2024 it’s customary for plays, books or TV programmes like this to carry a trigger warning for anyone who suffers from any form of anxiety. Happy to report that this doesn’t carry any such warning as it’s precisely the sort of thing one should see. It’s sometimes uncomfortable and one audience member is seen leaving the theatre in tears, but this was simply testament to how vividly the two performers represented the issues, so respect to them and director Ed White. Beautifully paced, it sped up when it needed to, slowed when required and not a pause was wasted. At points, despite the subject, it managed to be funny and entertaining too. To start with, both Claire (Charlotte Anne-Tilley) and Lucy (Maddy Banks) are late delivering something, in Claire’s case some coursework for ...
The Bookies – Summerhall Cairns Theatre
Scotland

The Bookies – Summerhall Cairns Theatre

Treat yourself to a spot of pre-show research but hold on tight. Tapping ‘Bookies’ into any search engine is not an edifying experience. The avalanche of links, options and manoeuvres from betting sites is staggering. Obscene probably a more accurate description. Originally written as a sitcom pilot one pines to know why this script was never properly picked up, the seams of the subject rich enough to mine for episode after episode… anyway, years after, the writers re-wrote ‘hings as a play and pitched it to Dundee Rep who ran it in May 2022 to some well-deserved acclaim. Mikey Burnett (co-writer with Joe McCann) has worked in such establishments and hails from Edinburgh so ticks all the boxes necessary to fashion a paean to desperate locals, the lines between staff, customers and h...