theSpaceUK Archives - North West End UK

Drama Girls – theSpaceUK @ Symposium Hall (Annexe Theatre)

19Aug

By Al CarrettaNo Comments

Scotland

Drama Girls – theSpaceUK @ Symposium Hall (Annexe Theatre)

For Lisa, Dani and Jen the financial pressures of drama school reign supreme. The showcase was everything but as the event looms, it’s importance fades. The minutiae of tuition delivered under scrutiny and constant criticism is exposed. The overbearing voice of the tutor snipes through the speakers. Unseen but damning the actor’s lives are made or broken by the instruction given. The bubble of performance can be a petty one. Tilly Woof’s play captures this essence; however, the actors themselves aren’t always given enough raw material to demonstrate the respective talents they clearly possess. This is ironic as the exact flaw of a showcase revolves around its inability to adequately sell performers. Woof’s play circles around the quips, bitching and petty arguments that fire back an...

2Aug

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Summer Fling – theSpace @ Niddry Street

Student Theatre at Glasgow brings their satirical and raunchy rendition of ITV’s hit reality show Love Island to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Summer Fling, written and directed by Grace Donaldson, follows the journey of four Love Island contestants navigating their morality and sexuality as they compete to win the grand prize of £100,000, not to mention the highly sought after fast-fashion brand deal. This play highlights the social concerns and qualms surrounding reality television in a brassy but intelligent approach. Following the success of STAG’s 2024 fringe show, Lads of the Flies (also written and directed by Donaldson), it’s clear that STAG and their audiences hold great appreciation for Donaldson’s quick-wit and playful direction. Lola Gibbons (playing Ma...

When Judas Met John: Songs of Dylan and Lennon – theSpace @ Surgeons Hall

7Aug

By Amy HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

When Judas Met John: Songs of Dylan and Lennon – theSpace @ Surgeons Hall

Brothers Broke’s clever show was simple and sweet. Starring two men, two guitars and one harmonica, this show presents the infamous connection between Bob Dylan and John Lennon through short sections of commentary and adapted songs. Whilst the story behind Dylan and Lennon’s affiliation was nothing ground-breaking, it was interesting to hear the brother’s interpretation of comments made by the musicians. Their dissection of lyrics and themes within chosen songs helped to turn a few comments made by two musicians into an engaging story of rivalry and respect. The version of Like a Rolling Song into Dig It was an obvious choice for a mash-up. It began with the classic Dylan track and flowed naturally into the opening lyrics “Like a rolling stone; like a rolling stone; like a rolling s...

5Aug

By Euan HuthNo Comments

Scotland

Drop Dead – theSpace @ Niddry Street

Everyone has heard of people doing rehearsals for their wedding, so their big day goes all according to plan and it’s the best day of your whole life. But what about a rehearsal for your funeral? Bit of a weird one, isn't it? Rehearsing for the most important day of your life that you never get to see? Drop Dead takes this idea and runs with it to tell a classic story of a group of oddballs fighting over who gets the inheritance, with an abundance of farcical devised comedy. The moment the show began I was immediately struck with how much fun the actors seemed to be having playing off each other, you can tell these are a group of people that really enjoy their work. Every actor brought their character to life in an energetic and wonderfully entertaining way that made all the intera...

The Fleetwood Mac Story – The Space @ Symposium Hall

5Aug

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

The Fleetwood Mac Story – The Space @ Symposium Hall

This was – A stunning and emotional performance. Welcome to this beautiful little intimate theatre, clean leather seats nicely spaced and on a steep rake, and with a brilliant acoustic, probably the comfiest music venue in all of Edinburgh - and not a bad seat in the house! An expectant and responsive full house attended this first performance and were certainly not disappointed. The standing ovation that ended this show was never in doubt. Hosted by the enormously talented Night Owl Shows duo of Hannah Richard’s and Alex Beharell, performing alongside the brilliant Night Owl Band who gave it their all this afternoon. Only their fifth gig of the day! There is a clever use of different band members to talk about the brief history of the band, which makes you feel really connect...

Great Women of Folk – theSpace @ Surgeons Hall

4Aug

By Amy HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Great Women of Folk – theSpace @ Surgeons Hall

Folk musician and singer/ songwriter Elsa McTaggart started of her Fringe 2023 run with a dazzling show. A few technical difficulties during this preview attested that McTaggart does not need fancy projectors and sound systems to shine, only her guitar (and Irish bouzouki). Whilst this was a showcase of great women in folk, McTaggart introduced each song with tales about the women in her own life, such as her mum and sister, which added a personal depth to her song choices. McTaggart started of slowly with “Tulsa Queen” by Emmylou Harris which foreshadowed the great show to come. As she quickened her pace, she showcased incredible playing on all three guitars. She navigated tight-turns with ease and her finger plucking on the bouzouki was especially impressive. Her voice was equally...

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Rosegold – Online@TheSpaceUK

Donna Kay Yarborough’s monologue, Rosegold, is a startling story of alcohol addiction which starts as a regular testament at a Zoom meeting of what seems to be a religious group for those with some sort of baggage but takes a slowly disturbing turn as the story progresses. Jamie is speaking from her porch, outside her home. Other than briefly introducing “Carrie”, who doesn’t speak and wears a mask to remind us of our current pandemic, she is on her own, sharing a story so bleak and horrifying it toys with the tropes we recognise from both the traditional Christmas ghost story and the type of horror film that includes “found footage”. Far from being a simple tale of abusing the bottle, Jamie’s tightly wound personality takes us into a crime scene where she was the only survivor. A cr...

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Happily Ever After – Online@theSpaceUK

Better Day Productions’ Happily Ever After from @theSpaceUK’s new season of online shows explores the story of bride to be Jasmin as she plans her special day with the help of Wedding Planners Frank and Gary. Written in a mockumentary style, the show begins by focusing on couple Frank (James Coare) and Gary (Perry Pullman) who were inspired by their own dreamy Disney-themed wedding to create their own wedding planning company. The light-hearted banter between Frank and Gary is definitely a highlight of the show. Filled with plenty of energy and hilarious one-liners, Coare’s performance as Frank was a standout for me. My favourite line was when we first meet the couple. Frank describes Gary as “the missing part of my Polo mint”, simple but performed perfectly and it really made me laugh....

The Corporate Knobs – Online @theSpaceUK

14Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

The Corporate Knobs – Online @theSpaceUK

Earl & Grace Productions’ The Corporate Knobs is a short comedy variety show exposing the truth about life in corporate America and how the pandemic has changed corporate work lives for better and worse. Performed by Lori Hamilton, the show opens with a short film showing the shady history of company, Landalor Industries as it grew from a small family business to the government’s main irresponsible disposer of nuclear waste. Diane Prenderghast (Lori Hamilton) is the exhausted and HR Director who leads us through our journey with the company. COVID, she tells us, has made many of us realise that we hate our jobs, but no one wants to quit when they can get a severance package, so she runs a short course in how to be a bad manager so that you can get fired and paid off. Or, if you d...

Piaf and Brel: The Impossible Concert – Online@TheSpaceUK

12Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Piaf and Brel: The Impossible Concert – Online@TheSpaceUK

Melanie Gall, a Canadian opera singer who works internationally bringing the singers and songs of the past back to life, now focuses on the greatest of French musical icons: Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel. The concert is not impossible because of the music, but because these two legends never worked together or even met. Piaf (1915-1963), her adopted name causing her to be nicknamed “The Little Sparrow” was born into Parisian poverty, a daughter of street and circus performers. Brel (1929-1978) was born in Brussels and is considered to be the master of the modern chanson. Vocalist Gall clearly feels both affinity and affection with the music associated with both artists, and despite not being a native French speaker her diction is impeccable, mining the meaning deep within her song choi...