Festival Theatre Archives - Page 8 of 12

The Barber of Seville – Festival Theatre

4Nov

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

The Barber of Seville – Festival Theatre

On the evening of November 3rd, 2023, opera enthusiasts gathered at Edinburgh's Festival Theatre to witness a remarkable production of Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville.' This comedic masterpiece, directed by Sir Thomas Allen, unfolded in English, featuring Amanda Holden's translation, and was a testament to the enduring charm of this operatic classic. The narrative centred around Figaro, a character known for his wit and resourcefulness, navigating a world filled with young love and the eccentricities of the elderly. Count Almaviva, smitten by the enchanting Rosina, sought Figaro's assistance in winning her heart. However, the journey was fraught with challenges, as Rosina's guardian, Doctor Bartolo, harboured plans of marrying her himself, keeping her under lock and key. This reviva...

28Oct

By Melissa JonesNo Comments

Scotland

Treason The Musical – Festival Theatre

Ricky Allan’s Treason, The Musical ends on a poignant point - years after the event itself, we’re fixated on the burning of a man who never started the fire. The story, in theory, is simple. Here is the Gunpowder plot, but like you’ve never seen it before. And, instead of focusing on the primary school stories of your youth where Guy Fawkes is caught red-handed and burnt at the stake, Treason focuses on the themes of persecution, scapegoating and secrecy to understand the motives behind the real plotters who took the Gunpowder plot from being a desperate last resort to a possible reality. Setting out the motivations behind the plot, the storyline follows Thomas Percy as he embroils himself in a group of plotters to take down parliament. At the same time, the figure of Guy Fawkes watches...

Scottish Ballet: Twice-Born – Edinburgh Festival Theatre

21Oct

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Scottish Ballet: Twice-Born – Edinburgh Festival Theatre

I defy anyone not to love Schachmatt by Spanish choreographer, Cayetano Soto. It translates as Checkmate and playfully works its way through a range of eras, drawing an ongoing smile from this reviewer. Acting as a warm-up to Scottish Ballet's latest work, Twice-Born (developed by new boy on the block, Dickson Mbi) it is a fabulously entertaining and quirky piece. At the get-go your curiosity is piqued as a moody stage is slowly revealed. What follows is witty, unique and brilliantly executed by a top-notch team performing with precision and speed. Christopher Hampson, Scottish Ballet’s CEO, watched Schachmatt two nights in a row: “I remember feeling instant joy because I was watching craft at its highest level,” he said. He knew immediately he wanted to bring it to the Scottish B...

Sister Act – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

5Oct

By H.S. BakerNo Comments

Scotland

Sister Act – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Born from the Whoopie Goldberg film of the same name, this musical is a ballsy, rollicking joyride from start to finish. With music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater and book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, Sister Act tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier (Landi Oshinowo), a nightclub singer with dreams of fame, fortune and a white fox fur, who goes into hiding after witnessing a gangster killing in Philadelphia. She enlists the help of her old school friend Steady Eddie Souther (Alfie Parker), a Philly cop, who arranges for her to lie low in a local convent until the trial is over. World weary Mother Superior (Lesley Joseph) is less than happy about this arrangement but puts Deloris in charge of the choir, which certainly needs some knocking into shape. ...

2:22 A Ghost Story – Festival Theatre Edinburgh

27Sep

By Beth EltringhamNo Comments

Scotland

2:22 A Ghost Story – Festival Theatre Edinburgh

2:22 A Ghost Story hits a little different to all the other ghost related plays you see on stage these days, there no Victorian costumes or creepy lantern lit faces in the darkness, instead just 4 people in an ordinary looking house and a baby monitor. Instead of giving us an eerie back story of lost lovers or vengeful spirits we are left with a scenario that’s even more terrifying, something that could happen in our very own homes. With an incredibly well written script 2:22 offers its audience the thrills and jump scares that they seek, but also incredible logic on ghost stories themselves. When Jenny (Louisa Lytton) becomes fearful of her new house, husband Sam (Nathaniel Curtis) is far from the comforting type insisting there is no such thing as ghosts. In a bid to make him believe ...

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet – Festival Theatre

20Sep

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet – Festival Theatre

On its opening night, Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre came alive with the revival of Matthew Bourne's "Romeo & Juliet." Often regarded as a master of family-friendly productions, Bourne's latest interpretation delves deeper into the suppressed passions simmering beneath the surface, offering a fresh perspective on Shakespeare's timeless tragedy. The stage is transformed into the Verona Institute, an institution akin to an asylum for troubled youth, masterfully designed by Lez Brotherston. Its stark, white surfaces, imposing barred doors, and staircases leading to nowhere symbolize the suffocating conformity that envelopes its inhabitants. Yet, within these confines, the characters, clad in white, strive to break free with subtle acts of rebellion—flicks of the head, twitches of the arm...

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – Festival Theatre

29Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – Festival Theatre

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Programme 2 toilet talk: “It wouldn’t have been my choice, but it was good. I liked the last piece best.” For me, it was all an excellent choice. The dancing was supreme from this group of inclusive and artistic athletes. Their strength and supple limbs pleased me no end. Additionally, I really enjoyed the retro music. The beat and rhythm were retro because this programme hails from 1960 onwards. It was all choreographed by the company’s founder, Alvin Ailey and it still part of their international repertoire. This company is founded on the ethics of inclusivity, mutual support and opportunity for all. With this in their back pocket, the team at Alvin Ailey routinely invite local aspiring dancers to be part of their performances. The youngsters (...

16Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Mariza – Festival Theatre

Despite the language barrier there is no doubt at all that this is a heck of a show, and a display of superlative singing power and grace, from the statuesque Portuguese star Mariza returning to the Edinburgh International Festival in style after a ten year hiatus. At times dropping the mic and singing without amplification in the vast hall, shows the immense power of her voice, and her confidence in it. Singing songs in Portuguese, in the Fado (translated as destiny or fate in Portuguese) tradition, a style thought to have originated in Lisbon in the 1820s, often associated with pubs and cafes, and renowned for its expressive and profoundly melancholic character. Launching into Loucura, the first song from her first album all of 24 years ago, she reminisces that at that time the...

Lady Blackbird – Festival Theatre – Edinburgh International Festival

14Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Lady Blackbird – Festival Theatre – Edinburgh International Festival

Ending her three week long debut album Black Acid Soul tour, LA-based Lady Blackbird, AKA Marley Munroe, brought it home in fine style at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre tonight cheered on by a packed crowd of adoring fans. On what was her first visit to the Capital, and hopeful not her last, it was clearly an emotional moment for the artist and her band as the evening came to a climactic end with tears and a group hug on stage. And why not, it has been a long time coming, as she reached out her hand to the crowd she explained, ‘I’m closing one of the most incredible chapters in my life’. The set list is made up of many of the tracks from Black Acid Soul, released in 2021. The concert features jazz covers such as Blackbird, which Monroe took as her stage name, and also some folk covers alo...

Trojan Women – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

11Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Trojan Women – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Phenomenal. Raw. A fusion of golden talent across time and space. Combining Euripides’ play from 415 BCE with outstanding modern expertise is genius. Jung Jae-Il, the musical director, composer, is behind the success of Parasite (2019) and the cult TV series Squid Game; Scott Zielinski has lit more than 300 productions with numerous leading directors; renowned video/projection designer, Austin Switser, swamps and caresses the senses in magnificent style; Cho Myung Hee’s clean-lined, gorgeous, set is drop-dead wonderful; Wen Hui’s choreography is faultless; Kim Moo-Hong’s costumes … I want one. And then, of course, there’s the wonderful writer, Bae Sam-Sik who is acclaimed for outstanding structure, profundity and eloquence. The direction and conception is down to Ong Keng Sen, whose produc...