Vicki Manderson Archives - North West End UK

28Aug

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

Scotland

When Prophecy Fails – Studio Theatre

In a small Midwest American town there is a strange phenomenon happening. Researchers have arrived to observe a group of people transfixed on a prophecy “that the world is ending and that they alone know the truth” on how to save humanity. This story is based on a 1956 book by social psychologists Leon Festinger, Henry Riecken and Stanley Schachter. In ‘their’ world of UFO’s sightings and religious belief systems their leader Marian convinces the group that the world would be destroyed by a catastrophic flood in December. When this prediction did not happen instead of believing the failure the opposing view grew into a committed sense of greater belief. A true concept of cognitive dissonance when a group of people’s beliefs conflict with reality. You would not be wrong in thinkin...

Wild Rose – Royal Lyceum Theatre

Rose-Lynn Harlan loves country music and is pretty good at singing it too. Her burning ambition is to sing at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The trouble is, she’s just been released from prison and has a tag on her ankle. Whilst Rose-Lynn was incarcerated, her mother has been looking after her two children and now thinks her family deserve her presence and attention. Set in Glasgow, it turns out that Glasgow has its own Grand Ole Opry, (who knew?) and Rose-Lynn gets a job as a cleaner. The rest is fairly standard and predictable. Mother give Rose-Lynn the money to go to Nashville, Rose-Lynn realises what’s really important and the final song, “Glasgow (no place like home)” says it all. But this show isn’t about the narrative, it’s about the music, and if you like country m...

The Outrun – Church Hill Theatre

Amy Liptrot's 2015 memoir of a generation lost to trivia and over-consumption certainly struck a chord. A film of the book is released this year plus this co-production between Edinburgh International Festival and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh. The Outrun is beautifully staged. Milla Clarke works some artistic magic, along with a collection of talented creatives from Lewis den Hertog on video (superb), Lizzie Powell on lighting, Michael Henry and Kev Murray on music and sound. The piece is cleanly directed by Vicky Featherstone. Vicki Manderson’s chorus opening as waves is very atmospheric and intriguing. Set partially in Orkney, waves are relevant. Additionally, a wave can knock us off our feet and fighting a wave can prove fruitless. Metaphorically, the waves work for this pie...