Captivate Theatre’s ‘Sunshine On Leith’ returns to the Edinburgh Fringe running at The Rose Theatre till Sunday 28th August. ‘Sunshine On Leith’ follows the highs and lows of Ally and Davy as they negotiate families, friendships, and love in this comedic and moving story featuring songs of The Proclaimers.
Sandy Queenan portrays Rab as a crabbit auld man whose hard exterior crumbles when it comes to the love of his family. Sandy’s approach gives a true Scottish authenticity to Rab’s intentions and general demeanor. When it comes to Rab’s other half, Hazel Beattie gives us a stunning portrayal of Jean. This is one of the finest performances on The Rose Theatre stage this Fringe. The comedy, the emotion, and the devastation is all portrayed with such naturalism and raw emotion. Hazel’s rendition of the title song, ‘Sunshine On Leith’, is jaw-dropping, it is utterly stunning, the audience erupted after this gorgeous performance.
Martin Mitchell as Ally and Sean Quinn as Davy both show the struggles of returning from the army and longing for love. Martin and Sean have great chemistry, you really believe they are best friends, the banter is great and the moments of conflict are tense. Vocally the two actors gave strong renditions of iconic Proclaimers hits such as ‘I’m on my Way’ and ‘Life with You’. Pairing this with the relationships they have with their other halves and ensemble members, the audience absolutely love these characters because of Martin and Sean’s portrayal.
Georgia Roberts is brilliant as Liz. Georgia shows Liz’s inner struggle with such honesty, you reason with her, you see her ambitions through the energy and emotion that Georgia puts into Liz. Not to mention the lovely performance of ‘Letter from America’ which shows Liz’s fear of leaving her family and Ally. Linzi Devers presents Yvonne as a young woman who struggles with trust due to the wounds of her previous relationships. We see her insecurities and understand how desperate she is for things to work between her and Davy. Linzi gives Yvonne a rationale for her emotions, something which previous actresses have struggled to do before, Yvonne sometimes feels irrational, however gives Yvonne a purpose behind her actions. Linzi’s duet with Sean as Davy, ‘Then I Met You’, perfectly portrays Davy and Yvonne’s complex conflict, it is also an absolute bop.
Dannielle Logan portrays Eilidh as a woman who is curious to get to know her father. Dannielle brings innocence and comic nuance to Eilidh, even though she is a supporting character, you don’t judge her for her actions as the catalyst in the narrative.
The ensemble for this production is amazing. The energy, and unbelievable vocal talent featured really does lift this show. This is possibly the best ensemble I’ve seen in general this year, nevermind at the fringe. The ensemble are as follows; Aisling Anderson (Karen), April Beattie, Brett Herriot (Call Centre manager), Eilidh Sanderson, Laura Cross, Melissa Smith (Cleaner), Niamh Osborne, Rachel Duncan (Moira), Robbie Small (Andy), Sarah Lou Christie (Hazel), Sarah McLeod (Karen), Scott Coltman (Bar man), TJ Connel (Innes, Busker) & Ollie Hiemann,
Sally Lyall directs this production with the clear ambition of matching a professional production with the scale of the fringe, this means she pushes the cast to make the numbers and dialogue the best they have ever been performed. This vision pays off, as this cast undoubtedly produce the best incarnation of these characters. Maddy Baron’s musical direction adds to this by making The Proclaimers hit tracks sound the best they ever have. Dannielle Logan’s choreography lifts each musical number, bringing great energy to the most iconic Scottish tracks in history.
Captivate Theatre’s production of ‘Sunshine on Leith’ will leave audiences wanting more. And emphasizes why this musical truly belongs in the hands of an Edinburgh-based cast and company.
Get your tickets for ‘Sunshine On Leith’ below:
Theatre Scotland 
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