Hill Street Theatre Archives - North West End UK

21Aug

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Ripper – Hill Street Theatre

Reconnect Theatres brings back its grizzly rock-musical for a second time at the Fringe. Based on the infamous murderer Jack the Ripper, we watch police officer Frederick Abberline (played by Stephen Kerr) tackle the seemingly unsolvable trail of gruesome murders. Right off the bat, I was hit with chills – Kerr’s vocals are astounding - in fact the whole cast’s vocals are astounding - truly a spectacularly talented lot. The rock style was perfectly suited to the two leads. Our ripper is played by Alex Lyne who brings a suave, dogmatic feel to the character – so charming you almost forget he is the villain - or is he?... Being such a small cast, some of the bigger numbers of the musicals are difficult to tackle – with no ensemble to fill the stage certain numbers...

20Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

Conspiracy – Hill Street Theatre

Conspiracy is the story of the 1942 Wannsee Conference, the secret 90 minute-meeting chaired by the SS which put in place the Final Solution, responsible for the deaths of at least 6 million Jews (as well as some other groups). This stage version by Strawmoddie and RFT, a remount of their 2018 production, was adapted from the 2001 TV film of the same name, itself adapting the authentic script taken from the only surviving transcript from the meeting. Following in the steps of the HBO film is no mean feat. Its cast included Colin Firth, David Threlfall, Kenneth Branagh, and Stanley Tucci, the latter two of which won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award respectively. However the point of the story is to put you into the room of the most evil "this could have been an email" ...

Murder at the Fringe – Hill Street Theatre

17Aug

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Murder at the Fringe – Hill Street Theatre

Following up on their first instalment at this year’s Fringe (The Court), Edinburgh Little Theatre brings us another audience-forward crime puzzler. After introducing the murder case, we were given the evidence, suspects, and their testimonies. Having seen the cast perform in The Court it was wonderful to see the dynamic range of every actor – each person’s character was on the completely opposite side of the spectrum compared to their last – even if you had not seen The Court, the conviction of each actor is undeniable. I was particularly impressed by the “floozy” mistress, the bumbling butler, and the seedy financial advisor – all round authenticity. Delivering their alibis in a verbatim-esque style, the audience jotted down notes as each suspect spoke, then late...

5Aug

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

The Court – Hill Street Theatre

If you fancy yourself a sleuth, a Judge Judy, or even a Jeremy Kyle, this show is for you. The Court, produced by Edinburgh Little Theatre, invites audience members to participate in a mock trial, testing their powers of discernment and morality. Cathy, the defendant is accused of illegally euthanising her terminally ill mother. It is up to the audience to decide whether it was murder, or manslaughter. With pie and drink retrieved (both of which are included in the ticket price), we were guided into the courtroom. The braver members of the sell-out audience got the chance to volunteer as the jury, getting a seat next to the witness stand right amidst the action. “All Rise!” shouts the judicial assistant, and so it begins. The interactive ...

3Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

Doped – Hill Street Theatre

Debuting at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a brand-new three-hander providing 55-minutes of ultimate Scottish patter. Xander Cowan (Buzz), Keiran Lee-Hamilton (Faolan) and Sam Stuart Fraser (Tinny) invite the audience into the front room for an hour of paranoia, rage and an alternative take on friendship and greed. Written by Sam Stuart Fraser (trained at Glasgow Clyde College and a repeat performer with Reconnect Theatres) and Sean Fullwood, this new perspective on the life of the stoner is hilarious and very Scottish. Fraser tells us: “The story of “Doped” is an idea myself and Sean had for a long time. We show what can happen to young men left on the outskirts of society - left to fend for themselves. Although Doped is a comedy, the emotions and struggles these character...

18Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Ripper – Hill Street Theatre

A small ‘black box’ theatre venue with a pronounced AC thrum and uncomfortable chairs does not auger well for this brand new musical by Pete Sneddon. However, once the action started I am pleasantly surprised, both by the quality of the acting, the script and the music accompanying this pacy rock opera, directed efficiently by Mark Jeary-Fairbairn. It just goes to show what can be produced on a tight budget, with enough commitment and talented actors. A few tweaks of the lighting set up would improve the audience experience, with bright LEDs behind the stage area causing some unnecessary glare issues, particularly for the front row. That having been said, John Christopher is excellent in the lead role, which requires real commitment and attack from the very start, and which he...

The Grandfathers – Hill Street Theatre (Dunedin Theatre)

15Aug

By Marcelina KruczyńskaNo Comments

Scotland

The Grandfathers – Hill Street Theatre (Dunedin Theatre)

A truly emotion packed performance that will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will make you quiver in your seat, but it will also leave you wanting more. Performing for the first time at the fringe, The Grandfathers is a play that indulges in the idea of national conscription in modern times. This is shown through eight young men, Kol, Val, Kost, Stas, Dim, Lev, Sash, and Zhen whose choice was taken and are now forced to fight for their country. The performance investigates what benefits the group thought would come from being in the military (being regarded as heroes) and then crushes these thoughts with the harsh reality. Despite the strong themes the comedy side of it balances it out, not allowing you to get caught up in your emotions but rather enjoy the performance. The...

Alan Turing Guilty Of Love – Hill Street Theatre, Edinburgh

8Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Alan Turing Guilty Of Love – Hill Street Theatre, Edinburgh

A decent sized crowd half-fill this nice little raked traditional theatre venue for a brand new musical, Produced and Directed by David Kettle. Seeking at its core to expose the disgraceful torment and shame piled on the code-breaking genius by the British establishment due to his homosexuality. Jamie Sheasby is simply electrifying in the demanding lead role, rarely off stage with a sheath of lines and multiple songs and a massive arc to accomplish, from nervous schoolboy to war code-breaker at Bletchley Park to persecuted adult, he is completely committed and utterly believable. I enjoyed the Enigma machine scene, the script, the acting, the choreography, and the song, ‘man is a machine’, which ran through it. Sheasby is again very good in delivering this scene and song. Unfortunate...

Revenge For The Count Of Monte Cristo – Hill Street Theatre

7Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Revenge For The Count Of Monte Cristo – Hill Street Theatre

Hill Street Theatre has long been a regular haunt of Fringe goers, with the battle-hardened / extremely charismatic / miserable b* (delete as appropriate) producer/director Derek Douglas at the helm once again. Mixing a combination of brand new shows with re-run favourites, aiming to balance the books when the curtain eventually comes down. (hopefully!) Revenge, as they say, is a dish best served cold. This brand new musical written by Pete Sneddon and directed by Mark Geary-Fairbairn, set in post-Nepoleonic France, is at times stone cold and difficult to follow. However, it is saved to some extent, by some excellent singing by a talented cast. Lewis Carlton excels as Edmond, the titular Count and opens the show with the rousing number ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’. So far so good....

Hey, That’s My Wife! – Hill Street Theatre

17Aug

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

Hey, That’s My Wife! – Hill Street Theatre

Hey That’s My Wife! is a satire of 1950s Americana starring Joey DeFilippis, Matthew Ferrara, Espi Rivadeneira, Caroline Hanes and Ryan O’Toole, as two advertising executives, their wives and their boss. Together and apart they navigate work issues, a demanding boss, and the challenges of marriage. The play is a comedic spin on the works of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. However, the mix of cigarette smoke, scotch, and conflicts revolving landing The Big Account, the boss coming over for dinner, and cheating partners contain enough general 50s and dramatic tropes to make sure the show can still land with people who might not be able to name 5 works by either of those authors. And on top of that there are the jokes on human nature which, perhaps unfortunately, never age, as we...