Sunday, December 22

Tag: Paul Tinto

Trouble In Spiritland – Traverse Theatre
Scotland

Trouble In Spiritland – Traverse Theatre

A story written as a poem by performer Paul Tinto (Guilt, King Lear, Outlander, The Last Post). An epic, complex poem no less, mining for the roots of how in heaven’s name the planet’s most dominant inhabitants have driven it into the state it’s in in 2024. Running to 156 pages in a spanking hardback it’s available for purchase after the show, a boon, since plenty bears re-reading over a pint. Whereupon a couple of lines rise from the text, striking at the heart of the endeavour, Lust telling us we live in a world ‘where saints share the streets with the damned’. Why else would ‘Hate’, the bastard son of ‘Fear’ exerts such an influence on proceedings? Tinto stalks the stage, drawing us into intimacy, then, propelled by Abbott’s playing, beating us back into our seats with raw tirade...
The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart – Royal Exchange
North West

The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart – Royal Exchange

At Christmas the Royal Exchange usually stages a classic musical to bring us some festive cheer with Sweet Charity, Guys and Dolls and Gypsy being recent successful offerings. It is therefore something of a radical departure this year to find the new team of Artistic Directors (Bryony Shanahan and Roy Weise), plumping for a play based around Scottish folk ballads to entice theatregoers away from pantomime, hearth and home. As I made my way to my favourite theatre, braving monsoon conditions, drunken office parties and the questionable attractions of the Manchester markets, I was intrigued by this quirky choice. I left three hours later, exhilarated, charmed and slightly confused by this uneven but undeniably captivating piece of theatre. We are presented with the eponymous Prudencia Har...