Friday, December 5

Tag: David Bon

Dinna Trust Anyone: Witches of Peebles – Eastgate Theatre
Scotland

Dinna Trust Anyone: Witches of Peebles – Eastgate Theatre

It’s 1629 in the market town of Peebles. There’s a war on, the harvest has failed, and rumours of witchcraft abound. The ghosts like to gather on Christmas Eve. A modern-day couple (Jennifer Bunyan, David Bon) settle into their hotel room. They gradually become aware that they are not alone. In the first act, the ghosts recount their grim stories. Some were convicted of witchcraft because they were childless, or gay, or foreign. Some seek to justify their role in the executions. But in this Peebles, the Devil wears a cassock. Reverend Syd (Will Tillotson) summons a storm from the pulpit. Examine your souls, my flock. Make a note of who’s absent from the congregation. The devil’s handmaiden has a barren womb. First-time playwright Kath Mansfield knows how to write words that come a...
The Merchant of Venice – Traquair House
Scotland

The Merchant of Venice – Traquair House

Regardless of the weather, you know summer’s arrived when outdoor Shakespeare comes around.  And of all the venues, Traquair House is surely the loveliest and most apposite in the Scottish borders.   Shakespeare at Traquair is a promenade production, moving from one picturesque location to another, with the mewling peacocks providing an atmospheric soundscape.  The night we were there, once the shower of rain had passed, we were relentlessly midged for the rest of the evening.  But such are the joys of outdoor theatre in Scotland, and it’s a testament to the competence of the large cast that I only saw one young person reacting to the pesky wee blighters.   In any case, they did little to detract from the enjoyment of this fine production of the Shakespea...