Recently I admitted to a close friend that I had never seen Willy Russell’s acclaimed musical, ‘Blood Brothers’. This admission prompted a sharp scowl followed by the statement “until you see this musical, you cannot call yourself a theatre critic”. To my friend's relief, I (hopefully) can now once again call myself a theatre critic after attending the latest [...]
The Woman In Black is reliant on tradition and its influences, but it still proves to be an infectiously enjoyable experience, and a timely reminder that theatre is best shared with a packed audience. The show runs from the 12th - 16th October 2021 at the King’s Theatre, Edinburgh. Those expecting to see a carbon [...]
“They’re Beautiful, aren’t they? The lives we don’t live.” Groan Ups was very exciting for me, as I have never seen “The Play That Goes Wrong”, Mischief Theatre’s comedy that exploded them onto the Theatre scene. I knew I was in for a night of fantastic physical comedy. And that’s just what I got. The [...]
Everyone remembers the 1978 Grease movie, but the original 1971 musical is brought back to life in this new-old adaptation of Grease by director Nikolai Foster. Whilst maintaining the vibrant, fun-loving grease we all know and love, this version focuses more on the original script, leaving us with a grittier, more powerful version of the classic tale. With upbeat [...]
It’s time to slick your hair and wear your buckles shoes and head to the Edinburgh Playhouse to see Chicago! I have seen Chicago twice before, but this was a very special press night for me, as it is the first show I have seen since March 2020. Based on a true story, Chicago is [...]
After 545 days of closure, the Edinburgh Playhouse shined like the sun last night as Dolly Parton’s iconic musical ‘ 9 To 5’ re-opened the UK’s largest theatre. Based on the 1980s motion picture, ‘9 To 5’ follows the stories of Violet Newstead, Judy Bernly and Doralee Rhodes as they struggle in a male dominated world. Eventually it all comes too [...]
In Your Tomorrow we are presented with a rare chance to see a mid-length jazz dance performance. Your Tomorrow is sweet and emotional with the romantic goal of “celebrating the private moments, uplifting intimacies and companionable bliss of the relationships that unite us”. Combined with this celebration is the appreciation of having someone to catch [...]
Alan Cumming has come home to Scotland to perform two nights at Edinburgh International Festival’s Old College Quad outdoor venue with his new show ‘Alan Cumming Is Not Acting His Age’. The performance features hilarious and wholesome anecdotes, with some showstopping musical numbers. True cabaret, fronted by a true showman. Alan Cumming’s presence alone is [...]
Reviewing bad theatre is easy; reviewing good theatre is hard; reviewing great theatre is very difficult indeed. When I sat down to watch Moonlight on Leith, I confess I was hoping for an easy ride. Damn you to the bowls of hell REDCAP Theatre because this is a hard review to write. The difficulty is [...]
It’s the party to end all parties. But two entertainments have been double-booked to mark the evening’s climax – a serious opera and a slapstick comedy. The star soprano is throwing a tantrum and the staff are hiding the chaos from the boss. There’s only one solution: perform both shows at the same time. I [...]
Spontaneous Potter is an improvised comedy show performed by The Spontaneous Players. The actors take a title suggestion from the audience, inspired by Harry Potter and improvise a whole show based around the title which creates an exciting, unpredictable and hilarious atmosphere. Of course, the story is based around Harry Potter with the actors playing [...]
I didn’t know what to expect when entering the spacious, socially distanced seating area for Dancing in the Streets, but when I heard the patter of bare feet as Janice approached the front of the hall, I knew I was in for a different type of show. I prepared myself for something other than the usual performance or [...]
‘Press’ from Black Bat Productions is currently playing the Cabaret Bar at The Pleasance as part of the Edinburgh Fringe. The play follows film producers, David and Kate as they wait in anticipation hoping for their prestigious Civil War epic, Catch Me Some Freedom, to be nominated for plenty of Goldies. Until, however, they learn that [...]
‘Bard in the Yard: The Scottish Play’ is a fantastic play that follows our beloved bard, William Shakespeare as he creates his Scottish masterpiece Macbeth. Shakespeare has come up on trip to Scotland for inspiration for his new play and is looking for help from the people of the fringe. Caroline Mathison offers a brighter, [...]
Patricia Gets Ready (for a Date with the Man that Used to Hit Her) is a one woman play, following Patricia, who bumps into her abusive ex who she hasn’t seen in sometime. After a scene of fumbling, she agrees to have dinner with him. The story follows her journey of hyping herself up to meet him, whilst retelling [...]
Last night (Monday 16th August 2021) at Edinburgh International Festival’s enormous pop-up venue at Edinburgh Park, Shona the Musical Choir presented the original music from the in-development production of 'Shona the Musical’. This new original musical is packed full of vibrant, emotional and dynamic music inspired by the native sounds of Zimbabwe. The story and music [...]
Last night was the closing evening for youth theatre, A-Team Productions’, run of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’. This open aired production was one of the few established musicals running at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Downtown New York is the setting for ‘Little Shop of Horrors’, where Seymour – a nerdy florist's assistant – fights for [...]
Mediocre White Male, co-written by Will Close and Joe Von Malachowski, follows a 30-year-old male who reminisces about a previous relationship and the nostalgia of his younger years. During his narration of distressing issues, the effects of his past and the prospect of male privilege in a world that is continuing to develop and leave [...]
A fun, female driven play. THIS is what we like to see at the fringe. F-BOMB Theatre is a theatre company based in Scotland. Their aim is for women to make theatre for women and to create a great night out for their audiences. 'Afterparty' at The Space Triplex - Jenner Theatre embodies this and they more [...]
‘Wish List’ by Katherine Soper explores the hardships of dealing with mental illness through our government’s broken system, it also displays the shocking conditions of working for conglobates like Amazon. This production is currently running every second day till the 28th August at The Space Triplex as part of the Edinburgh Fringe. Chloë Johnson as Tasmin [...]
After the last 15 months of theatre being missed, I was delighted to be back at The Edinburgh Fringe this year to review Black Bat Productions ‘Fear of Roses’. The company returned to the fringe after triumphant reviews of their previous show Chagos 1971 which received brilliant reviews at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This [...]
‘Screen 9’ from Piccolo Theatre in association with Survivors Empowered, is a powerful piece of verbatim theatre which explores the horrific shooting during the Colorado premiere of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in 2012. This production is currently playing The Pleasance at the EICC on and off until 29th August as part of the Edinburgh Fringe. The four [...]
The Edinburgh Festival has always been a great birth place for prominent pieces of theatre and this year is no exception, Enda Walsh’s ‘Medicine’ is a new play which examines how, for decades, we have treated those we call ‘mentally ill’. This co-production between Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival already has sold out [...]
Do you believe in love at first sight? Will has a secret. He’s hopelessly in love with the unattainable Candy — she’s an epiphany, a revelation, and his best friend Billy in drag. Can he ever be with her? And what does loving her really mean? 'CANDY' written by Tim Fraser is a comedic play [...]
Theatre is back at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre with Scottish Opera’s production of ’Falstaff’ as part of the Edinburgh International Festival. Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Falstaff’ is adapted from Shakespeare's’ ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’. The story follows Sir John Falstaff, who needs a ruse so that he can continue his life of excess. He decides to try [...]
Trigger Theatre present their debut production, a digital version of the Tony nominated musical ‘[Title of Show]’. This brand-new production of the hit musical, can be seen as of 7pm on Friday 25th June till 7pm on Sunday 27th June. ‘[Title of Show]’ is a musical that chronicles its own creation from inception to opening night on Broadway - in [...]
Scottish Dance Theatre in association with Dundee Rep present the digital production ‘The Life and Times’. Tonight (17th June) I was lucky enough to attend the world premiere of this production. Audiences will be able to watch another performance of this production tomorrow evening (18th June). ‘The Life and Times’ is a visual meditation on human fragility [...]
Theatre has still not resumed in Scotland. Scottish Digital productions are slowly reducing due to companies preparing for (hopefully) live performances later this year. Which means that Scottish theatre goers are currently needing to look further afield for some new digital theatre. Well, look no further than the Brighton Fringe and specifically ‘Rosie Sings: Facts [...]
This week (3rd - 7th May) Framework Theatre presented their ‘Framework Festival’, a digital festival for emerging artists in Scotland. On offer were informative workshops and six brand new productions, two of them (‘Acting Appropriately’ and ‘Four Marys’) being live and the rest (‘Yours,’, ‘The Butterfly Effect’, ‘Roko’s Modern Life’ and ‘All I Ever Knew’) being pre-recorded [...]
Can the soul of a man be trapped in the body of a woman? This remarkable story of Adam Kashmiry asks that fundamental question. Now showing on BBC iPlayer ‘Adam’ has been reworked and adapted for an on-screen production. As a Glaswegian anytime I hear of a theatrical phenomenon being created out of or based around Glasgow I am instantly [...]
I was lucky enough to see 'The Deep Blue' Sea as part of National Theatre at Home during this lockdown. Premiering at the Lyttelton Theatre in 2016 it was added to the National Theatre at Home collection to allow us to fill the void that Covid-19 has created in our love for theatre. Terrence Rattigan [...]
Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple tells the story of Celie; twice impregnated as a teen, robbed of her children, given into an abusive marriage, separated from her beloved sister and abandoned by the woman with whom she finds love. But eventually, she comes to term with who she is, enough so to stand up [...]
To celebrate LGBTQ+ history month, tonight (Sunday 21st February 2021) Queerativity presented us with an evening of LGBTQ+ monologues. Queerativity is a new platform specializing in showcasing queer art and creating LGBTQ+ events. The event kicked off with Megan Black performing her beautiful original song ‘Fur Coat Queen’. Megan’s voice is stunning and this original song compliments it with an [...]
Valentines has arrived! It’s a day which is loved by many and dreaded by some; therefore, we need some good old entertainment supplied for both parties on the most romantic day of the year. BBD Productions are on hand bringing us Big Band Does... Valentine’s, all to raise money for Acting for Others. I got [...]
Digital performances are becoming the new norm, as great as some of them are, the urge to return to our theatres grows. A Little Company brings us some content to help our urges in the shape of their digital fundraiser ‘A Love Letter to Theatre’. This is available from 14th - 21st Feb for a donation which [...]
Something which I have been actively rooting for, for some time now, is homegrown talent producing fabulous work which embraces their Scottish culture and truly showcases what Scotland has to offer. Well, Scott Coltman and BBD productions have done exactly that in their digital production ‘Big Burns Night Bash’ This bash is a digital production which [...]
Rarely in our generation is a musical made that is socially relevant, and also so phenomenally entertaining. ‘Kinky Boots’ has toured the UK, played London’s West End and Broadway. This weekend The Shows Must Go On! are streaming the recorded West End version of the show. But does this recording do well to capture the hit musical? ‘Kinky Boots’ is [...]
Christmas is just around the corner! This year our festive theatre fill is going to be rather scarce due to the coronavirus, but thankfully some companies are coming to the rescue with some digital theatre content. Bare Productions are one of the companies which are giving us a festive treat in the form of their [...]
Digital theatre comes in many shapes and sizes as we have seen over the last few weeks. One particular production I was looking forward to was Big Band Production's take on Halloween. Big Band Productions are an Edinburgh based company produced by Jonnie Grant & Scott Coltman, they are well known for their superb fringe shows [...]
It seems the foreseeable future of theatre is going to be digital. Therefore, many companies are venturing into the unknown and exploring this new medium of theatre by creating digital productions. One of those companies are The Outsiders. They are doing an entirely filmed in isolation production of ‘Fugue’ by Rona Munro. ‘Fugue’ is a suspenseful [...]
The past few months have been horrific for theatre fans as they have been deprived of their beloved musicals and plays. Theatre fans were gifted with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit musical, ‘Hamilton’ being put up onto Disney’s streaming service, Disney+ last Friday (3rd July). Having never seen this musical, I thought I would use this release as [...]
The Old Vic has posted their 2018 production of A Monster Calls to YouTube in the hopes of entertaining us theatre goers, who are locked inside our home, itching to relive that live theatre buzz once more. I was aware of the film that was released in 2016, although I had never seen it, I [...]
Every musical fan within the UK is either stuck indoors or working hard as a key worker right now. With theatres being closed, some are finding it difficult to transpose over to the new online content that theatres and producers are supplying, and just want to be in a theatre enjoying their favourite show. One recorded production [...]
When I was told I was going to see Allan Stewart’s new (and last) Big Big Variety Show, which was in celebration of his 60th year in showbiz, I thought I knew what I was in for. To a degree, I was correct, but I also could never have truly guessed what surprises where in [...]
‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ has been a smash hit in London’s West End since 2017, and now three years later it is heading on it’s first national tour. I headed to Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre for it’s Scottish debut to see why everybody’s talking about Jamie! Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is based on a true story, following [...]
A Theatre by the Lake, David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers have produced the major 40thanniversary production tour of Willy Russell’s ‘Educating Rita’. Originally the play was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Warehouse Theatre in London 1980 starring Julie Walters and Mark Kingston. Julie Walters played the role of Rita again in the [...]
Frantic Assembly are the UK’s leading physical theatre company, their productions are renowned for being revolutionary and breaking the mold. Their latest production ‘I Think We Are Alone’, written by Sally Abbott, plus co-directed by Kathy Burke and Scott Graham is currently playing Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre. ‘I Think We Are Alone’ is a bittersweet and funny [...]
J.M Barrie’s whimsical tale of the boy who never grows up in Neverland is one which has been seen revived on stage many times in many different forms, however in recent years there has only been one production which critics and audiences alike have been raving about. That is of course Mischief Theatre’s ‘Peter Pan [...]
The great D.C Thompson/Sunday Post comic strip hero, ‘Oor Wullie’ has been transported onto stage in a brand-new musical produced by Dundee Rep and Selladoor productions. This week (28th Jan – 1st Feb) the production hits Scotland’s capital playing the Edinburgh King’s Theatre. The story follows Wahid, a young indian boy who is not fitting in at his school because of his [...]
‘The Lion King’ is no doubt one of Disney’s best motion pictures, in my opinion it is the best. The story of Simba has reached the hearts of billions and makes it one of the greatest films out there. This moving and heartbreaking story not only is one of my favourite movies but the megahit stage adaptation [...]
The Edinburgh King’s Theatre is widely renowned for it’s spectacular pantomimes. Yearly the fantastic trio Allan Stewart, Andy Gray and Grant Stott bless the stage giving us an Edinburgh spin on a classic fairytale. Last year Andy Gray was sadly missing from the humongous hit that was ‘Beauty and The Beast‘ due to him being no [...]
9 to 5 the musical has arrived in Edinburgh this week and it was time to see what all the hype was about. I was very keen to experience this musical, as it is one I have never seen before. I attended the press night at the Edinburgh Playhouse to see if it was worth stumbling out [...]
Who doesn’t love the story of the three drag queens travelling in a big bus to a casino via the Australian outback? It is a movie which was just destined for a stage adaptation. After it being a few years since I’ve seen the feel-good film that is ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’, I attended [...]
Cabaret the musical has landed with bang at Edinburgh Festival theatre this week. I, like many others was familiar with specific musical numbers from this classic musical and have listened to 1998 Broadway cast recording which features Alan Cumming a fair few times to say the least. I was incredibly excited to see how this musical [...]
If you’re looking for an exciting, sexy and empowering evening full of outstanding vocals and impeccable sass, grab yourself a ticket to the UK tour of SIX the musical at the Theatre Royal Glasgow this week! This show has truly put its own powerful stamp on the musical theatre scene with going from the Edinburgh [...]
I am a horror fanatic; I absolutely love stories which scare me. It takes real talent for someone to be able to make the audience feel in danger and frightened for themselves or the characters involved in the horror. The main franchise which is dominating the horror genre right now in film is ‘The Conjuring’ [...]
It’s astounding that I have never seen the ‘Rocky Horror Show’. I have of course seen the iconic 1975 film starring Tim Curry and the show’s creator Richard O’Brien. And obviously who is not familiar with the legendary soundtrack with hits such as ‘The Time Warp’ and ‘Sweet Transvestite’. This Halloween the tour has its final [...]
“If I can’t see I don’t want to live. It’s the darkness I fear not the death.” I had no idea what to expect going into ‘Prism’. All I knew is that it featured a big name in the industry; Robert Lindsay. I was excited for his performance and the story the veteran actor was [...]
Rona Munro’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s iconic horror novel hits Edinburgh’s Kings Theatre. Having seen many iterations on the character, be it animated movies or skit comedy, I was interested to see how this horror giant would hold up on the stage. The story follows the desperate attempts from a frantic Mary Shelly at writing a genuinely [...]
After its award winning run in the west end, The King and I began its first leg of the UK tour in Edinburgh. I was looking forward to being able to see this production as the only previous encounter I have had with this show was watching the 1956 film version with Yul Brynner when I was very young. I remember watching [...]
J B Priestley’s classic thriller ‘An Inspector Calls‘ has arrived in Edinburgh at the King’s Theatre. Stephen Daldry’s acclaimed production has toured time and time again, plus it returned for a stint in London’s west end. But does this production still hold up in 2019? The story is set in world war two Britain, it follows the [...]
‘We Will Rock You‘ is one of those musicals where audiences that don’t usually visit the theatre flee to get tickets. It conquered London’s Dominion Theatre from 2002 till 2014, making it one of the west end’s longest running shows. It has been years since this show toured, many diehard fans of the show (including myself) have been craving for this musical to return to UK stages. And now FINALLY, there is a re-imagined production touring. I headed along to Edinburgh’s answer to Broadway, The Playhouse for the press evening of this new production to see if it lived up to the legendary original production.
‘Still Game‘ is Scotland’s most loved sitcom. It has captured the hearts of all generations through its brilliant scope on the people of Scotland. Jack and Victor bowed out in spectacular fashion earlier this year in their ninth series of the hit TV show. However, the final farewell is still to be had for some fans of [...]
‘A Taste Of Honey‘ is a play which within recent times I have become pretty familiar with, mainly because only last year it was a play myself and my classmates had to read for one of our modules within university. A few eyebrows have been raised as to why the National Theatre would produce Shelagh Delaney’s play [...]
Twenty years ago in 1999 a brand new jukebox musical set on a Greek Island featuring the music of the iconic pop band ABBA debuted. Now twenty years later, the very same musical has just set off on another tour of the UK with an exciting new production and cast. I was lucky enough to be invited [...]
