Festival Theatre Archives - North West End UK

14Nov

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

Albert Herring – Festival Theatre

On Wednesday night, Scottish Opera brought Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring to the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh, offering an evening of comic charm and lively satire. Directed by Daisy Evans, this fresh production reimagines Britten’s comic opera in the 1990s English countryside, a setting that adds humour and nostalgia to the story. Originally inspired by a Maupassant tale, Albert Herring revolves around its shy, naive protagonist, Albert, who’s crowned the town’s “May King” after no “morally suitable” young woman is found. The plot follows Albert’s transformation as he wrestles with the town’s rigid expectations and his yearning for personal freedom. Glen Cunningham’s portrayal of Albert captures both innocence and a quiet depth, making his character’s journey both touching and humo...

12Nov

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Don Pasquale – Festival Theatre

General Director, Alex Reedijk, has spent the last nineteen years building Scottish Opera into a force to be reckoned with. This latest production is a reprisal of a 2014 creation by Renaud Doucet and André Barbe of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. It is a frivolous affair, thankfully without the tra-la-las of which Mozart was so fond. The concept is bright, clever and amusing, giving the production so much more than the score and libretto. For that reason, this particular creation has been touring successfully in Italy, Canada and the United States. Guy Simard’s lighting supports the comedic storyline and the characters. His choice of colours and detail are spot on. A prolific force, Simard has collaborated with Doucet and Barbe for the last twenty five years. I particularly enjo...

Murder on the Orient Express – Festival Theatre

23Oct

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

Murder on the Orient Express – Festival Theatre

On the 22nd of October, Edinburgh Festival Theatre played host to an adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's most beloved mysteries: Murder on the Orient Express. This new production, directed by Lucy Bailey and starring Michael Maloney as Hercule Poirot, promises to be a thrilling and immersive experience for fans of classic crime drama and theatre alike. Set in the winter of 1934, the story unfolds on the luxurious Orient Express after it finds itself trapped by an avalanche in the snowy Balkans. With the train at a standstill and a murder on board, Poirot must solve the mystery before the train resumes its journey—and before the killer strikes again. The ensemble cast includes Bob Barrett, Mila Carter, Rebecca Charles, Debbie Chazen, Simon Cotton, and more. Based on Christie’s ow...

Ed Gamble: Hot Diggity Dog – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

22Oct

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Ed Gamble: Hot Diggity Dog – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Perhaps better known for his award-winning podcast Off menu with James Allcaster or for winning season nine of Taskmaster, the man-child that is Ed Gamble was a regular on the Stand-Up circuit long before pod casts even existed, and returns to his roots tonight in a laughter filled show at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh’s biggest stage. And despite the hurricane inspired winds outside it didn’t deter a packed house from enjoying almost two hours of lively entertainment. Ed is very ably assisted by noteworthy warm-up act, Chloe Petts, who fills the first thirty minutes with easy laughter, starting with her tales of being a ‘child geezer’, at age 13, six foot one tall, at an all-girls school and parents asking at ballet class lessons, why there is a bouncer in the room. She also hila...

21Oct

By Wendy McEwanNo Comments

Scotland

reINCARNATION – Festival Theatre

Nigeria’s population is overwhelmingly young, and unemployment is high. Amidst the hardship, dance is a popular creative outlet, and many young Nigerians share their talents through videos on social media. In 2014, Qudus Onikeku returned to his home city of Lagos, having achieved acclaim as a choreographer in France. He was inspired by the abundance of creative talent, and invited some dancers to a workshop. The workshop grew into a school, and the Q Dance Company is a creative home for the school’s graduates. The rehearsal period began with an improvisation session. Onikeku instructed the dancers to allow their bodies to take the lead, and let the dance pass through them. Throughout the session, Onikeku sketched, and he refined the ideas to devise the piece. The resulting choreo...

Tubular Bells – Edinburgh Festival Theatre

16Oct

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

Tubular Bells – Edinburgh Festival Theatre

It’s funny to think that one of the albums driving so many into the arms of Punk back in 1976 should have been so instrumental in launching Richard Branson’s fledgling Virgin Records. Released in 1973 it – not least the money its success generated – enabled the label, a few years later, to sign and propel the short-lived, incendiary career of The Sex Pistols. Further intriguing that a piece, at points ethereal and plangent, should end up soundtracking a film like The Exorcist. Though the haunting aspect of the snatches employed in the film have in no way been diminished or Tarantino’d, representative of the fact they were part of a work more substantial; for here we are, over 50 years later, with a superb band, marshalled by director Robin Smith, bringing it to life on stage. Something the...

Blue Man Group: Bluevolution World Tour – Festival Theatre

11Oct

By H.S. BakerNo Comments

Scotland

Blue Man Group: Bluevolution World Tour – Festival Theatre

Where to start? Well, if you don’t like rib rattling drumming, strobe lighting and a full on multisensory happening, don’t see this show! It is an experience of epic proportions, colourful, loud, funny and stompingly engaging. The fun starts before the show begins, with public announcements being displayed on a board reminiscent of those motorway signs. Neon red letters requested us not to be annoying with our phones and announced that the flying of drones was definitely not allowed. Blue Men come in threes. They are mute, bald, blue and strangely endearing. They are curious about everything, like silent aliens they seek to connect with the unfamiliar world in which they find themselves. Essentially, I suppose the Blue Men are dru...

Dr Louise Newson – Hormones and Menopause: The Great Debate -Festival Theatre

9Oct

By Wendy McEwanNo Comments

Scotland

Dr Louise Newson – Hormones and Menopause: The Great Debate -Festival Theatre

It started in my mid-forties. A woman, maybe a decade older than me, would look around to check for eavesdroppers, then say something like, ‘I can’t drink coffee anymore. Not since the menopause.’ Nobody had prepared them for the change of life. Nobody spoke about it. For generations, everyone was blindsided by the menopause, just like that other taboo experience, menstruation. Now approaching the big five-oh, I’m a member of the first generation in recent history to have access to information on the menopause, thanks to the courage and kindness of those who walked this path before me. Dr Louise Newson is one of those women. She’s a GP, but her medical education barely covered the menopause. The symptoms of perimenopause started in her late thirties: depression, cystitis, loss of con...

A Chorus Line – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

26Sep

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

A Chorus Line – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

A Chorus Line, originally performed in 1975, is one of the most successful musicals on all time. However, it’s reputation for highly technical choreography and of requiring a large cast of superb dancers, with equally big voices, make it one of those shows which the amateur companies tend to give an almighty body swerve, which actually makes it quite a rare beast. This fabulous touring production is a must see for all serious musos, in fact with only four Edinburgh performances it is very much a case of catch it while you can. This classic Broadway hit follows harsh Director Zach (Adam Cooper) as he puts 17 hopefuls through their paces and baring their souls in the hope of being one of the chosen 8 for the chorus of a new musical. Highlighting the brutal reality of what it takes to get ...

Rebus: A Game Called Malice – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

12Sep

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Rebus: A Game Called Malice – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Rebus, the mega-popular paperback sleuth created by Ian Rankin in an Edinburgh bedsit back in 1985, is back, but not in print. No, this time he is a walking, talking, breathing creation, brought to vital life by actor Gray O’Brien. Given that this is only the second incarnation of Rebus on stage, following Long Shadows in 2018, which Ranking co-wrote with Rona Munro, A Game Called Mallice is bound to appeal constant readers of the taciturn detective, who all inevitably have their own ideas of how he sounds, looks and moves. As a constant reader myself, I was more than a little intrigued to see if Rankin could pull this off and if O’Brien could fill the very sizeable shoes of Edinburgh’s finest DCI. The setting is an opulent and art filled Heriot Row townhouse Drawing Room, Paul and H...