Ms. Wright’s debut work, published by Parlando, shows a distinctly feminine voice and wry humour. While conventional in style, the poems offer great variety, which both engaged and entertained the live audience. The selection performed included a few poems using the Scots language, a medium in which Wright shows herself to be equally effective. Many of the poems bring out the humour in everyday situations, with the woes of an overly full handbag striking a chord with many female audience members. However, Wright does not shy away from more serious issues with particular highlights of the evening including Annie’s Bunnet and The Coat, skillfully performed by Debbie Cannon and Jamie Griffin respectively, both touching tales of the power attached to seemingly ordinary objects and the memories they can evoke.

For this event, twenty-five poems from the book were arranged into a cohesive whole and brought to life under the direction of Flavia D’Avila. Performances took place around the space, with the audience’s attention drawn in turn to each cast member with the use of a silent figure to direct attention where required and to chivvy along members of the audience who were getting too comfortable. Accompanying music from Iain Orr and Andrew Henry added an effective extra dimension. The variety of material in Wright’s book provided excellent opportunity to showcase the range of acting talent amongst the cast who rose admirably to the challenge.

While readings are common at book launches, bringing these texts to life in performance helped realise their full potential of warmth, wit and the occasional cheesy rhyme, admirably fulfilling Tightlaced’s mission of developing new work. Overall, the mix of the literary and the theatrical provided both an enjoyable evening’s entertainment and an excellent method of promoting up and coming writers.

Guest review by Amy Hanson

Songs From The Heart & Elsewhere

The collection will be launched at Blackwell book store on South Bridge this week on Wednesday 9th June at 6pm and will also feature a performance intervention.

Then, at 7pm on Thursday 10th at Augustine Church Centre on George IV Bridge, the emphasis switches with a performance installation (featuring a book launch), in collaboration with Edinburgh-based theatrical group Tightlaced Theatre.

Beverley will be available to meet after both events, and £1 from the purchase of each book sold will be donated to Cash For Kids.

Further information is available from Flavia D’Avila at flav@tightlacedtheatre.org and Ariane Oiticica from Tightlaced Theatre, and bookings can be made by contacting bookings@tightlacedtheatre.org.

Any Given Day

Sadie and Bill are ‘mentally defective’ and live together in a council flat, in constant fear of abuse from their neighbours.

Bill’s niece Jackie works in a city centre wine bar, struggling to support her disabled son and to keep her anger in check. Even Dave, Jackie’s seemingly-confident boss, is confined by his own loneliness.

Any Given Day is split into two halves. The first takes place in Sadie & Bill’s flat as they take comfort in routine as they prepare for a visit from Jackie. Real-life brother and sister Lewis and Kathryn Howden play this challenged couple, swinging between scenes of heart-wrenching tenderness and abusive bickering.

The characters are well-written and the performances convincing – although some of Kathryn Howden’s exaggerated movements and postures stray close to cariacature at times.

Dialogue has an absurdist tone, heightening the couple’s predicament and obsessive behaviour. This is most notable in a touching scene where they search through their jigsaw collection for a piece to disguise a hole in their smashed window. “We’ve got hundreds of puzzles,” says Bill, consoling a distraught Sadie. “We’ve got hundreds of skies.”

Kate Dickie as Jackie gives the play’s standout performance. Lonely, embittered and frustrated, Dickie lets Jackie’s angst and emotion simmer and bubble to the surface in a sympathetic and gripping portrayal of a woman given a rare – yet still bitter – taste of happiness. Phil McKee as Dave is her foil here, with more lyrical and quasi-realistic dialogue used to uncover the characters’ hidden hopes and fears.

Any Given Day is at times uncomfortable viweing, unafraid to challenge and turn a lens on our own perceptions of relationships and responsibility for our loved ones.

A simple set and starkly effective lighting heighten this almost clinical examination of a world where people cling to the safety of routine whilst – like Sadie & Bill as they sift through their puzzles – they try to and understand how they fit.

Any Given Day runs at the Traverse Theatre until 19 June. Details of times and ticket prices are available on the Traverse website.

We're caught in a trap - Suspicious Minds

Elvis leaving the building is really the only predictable thing you’ll be exposed to in Suspicious Minds, the latest production from Edinburgh-based theatre company Siege Perilous.

Director and company co-founder Andy Corelli tends the bar in this innovative site-specific production at The GRV. With a complex and clever script by Edinburgh writer Caroline Dunford, the four-strong cast act and narrate their way through a tale of friendship, murder and childhood secrets.

Allan Scott-Douglas portrays Elvis-loving John extremely well, with a perfect balance of Scottish hardman bravado and emotional immaturity. Ruth Tapp as his overlooked wife Fiona is also excellent, and is given the most to work with by Dunford’s script, convincingly portraying the inner thoughts and feelings of a woman whose dreams have been dashed by her husband’s cheating heart.

The script flits between the present and episodes from the characters’ past, where the actors demonstrate their range by stepping into the shoes of their childhood and adolescent selves. This is effective and easy to follow, not really needing the audience asides where the characters explain what’s going on.

Colin Little as Dave exudes menace throughout, his rough exterior concealing a manipulative mind beneath. And recent QMU graduate Bill Addison can be justifiably proud of his first professional performance as mild-mannered and troubled Tim, capturing the stoically British essence of a man frustrated at how his life has turned out.

Direction and staging is effective and original, with the cast making use of the intimate venue and limited props and costumes to tell the dark and compelling tale. The choice of venue is also effective – although due to its small, in-the-round nature you may find yourself sitting directly in the glare of a spotlight.

Pop art comic book paintings hang on the walls of The GRV bar. Suspicious Minds has some of the same surreal and fantastical qualities, but it is to the company and cast’s credit that they turn this into a multi-layered and intriguing performance which grips from the outset and doesn’t let go until the final ‘thank you very much’.

Suspicious Minds runs until Saturday 29th at the GRV. Tickets are £6 and can be booked online here.

From 7^th – 11^th July, Edinburgh is playing host to the first ever Edinburgh International Magic Festival, culminating in a Magic and Variety Gala Show on the 11^th July at the Royal Lyceum Theatre.

Featuring some of the best of The Inaugural Magic Festival 2010, world renowned acts and a few Edinburgh Fringe Favourites: 

Sock Puppets

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre, a double act that has to be seen to be believed. Stars of BBC3’s Comedy Shuffle and Upstaged, these knitted entertainers are the winners of our very own Edinburgh Festival Insider Comedy Award 2009, and have appeared on MTV’s Best Show Ever. 

The Great Nardini, a man whose fantastic mix of comedy and magic has led him to be one of only two Scottish performers ever honoured at Magic’s equivalent of the Olympics, The World Magic Championships.

Keelan Leyser & Charlotte Marie, Arguably the best Quick Change Artists in the world, and certainly the fastest! This pair will stun you with their incredible dance and magic. 

John Archer, described by Derren Brown as having a reputation in the magic world that is ‘…among the very best’ and is the Magic Circle’s current ‘Stage Magician of the year’. Archer successfully mixes comedy and mind reading to brilliant effect.

Plus: Alan Hudson and Edinburgh International Magic Festival performers Xavier Mortimer, Colin Mcleod and many more to be announced.

Kevin McMahon, Edinburgh International Magic Festival Creative Director said: ‘We’re very excited to bring this really original event to such a magical city. Even with the rich culture Edinburgh has, I can’t remember there ever being a variety show like this. Its going to be a great opportunity for the people of Edinburgh to get up close and personal with some of the best that magic has to offer’

Book now to avoid disappointment as this is surely going to be one of the most spectacular events you’ll see this summer.

Tickets are available now and are priced £18/15 Adults, £15/12 Concessions, £10 Children

Family Ticket £50/44 (2 Adults + 2 Children)

Tickets available online, the booking hotline: 0131 473 2000, or in person at the Hub, Castle Hill, Edinburgh EH1 2NE

Charlie & My '45

On the strength of this – its opening performance – she and Tightlaced Theatre have nothing to be sorry about.

This is a finely-paced and poignant exploration of loyalty, idealism and betrayal set against the backdrop of the 1745 Jacobite rebellion. It features a convincing, balanced performance from Howat himself as clansman Jamie, on a physical and personal journey as he travels south under the command of Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Although no doubt in part due to the limited funds and timeboxed planning, casting Adrienne Zitt in the dual roles of wife and harlot is extremely effective. She ably portrays the inner thoughts and emotions beneath two characters who could easily have been stereotypes. Instead, in her hands they become reflections of each other – and of Jamie’s developing character.

It will be interesting to see how the company’s plans to develop Charlie & My ‘45 into a longer piece play out. With a longer running length, its themes could be given more room to breathe and grow; and a little more time could be spent on fleshing out the character of Jamie’s wife, Mary. Though on the basis of Howat’s and Zitt’s performances, there is certainly no need to lengthen the cast list.

Charlie & My ‘45 has a short run at Augustine United Church, with performances at 6pm on May 7th; and 2pm and 6pm on May 8th. Tickets are priced at £5.

The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?

As it is however, the script busts as many taboos as the crockery Stevie (Sian Thomas) smashes during her powerfully raw and utterly convincing arguments with her husband Martin (John Ramm). In this production – the Scottish premiere of Albee’s 2002 play – director Dominic Hill ensures The Traverse maintains its reputation as a venue for cutting-edge, challenging theatre, able to attract a cast at the height of their abilities.

When Martin confesses the full details of his extra-marital affair to best friend Ross (Paul Birchard), he sets the scene for an explosive chain of events, which Albee uses to unflinchingly dissect the liberal attitudes and values of modern life.

Ramm and Thomas are both excellent as the long-standing husband and wife, with a chemistry that constantly bubbles between them, whether in scenes of touching tenderness, intellectual sparring or in the midst of explosive argument.

Kyle McPhail also impresses as the couple’s gay teenage son Billy, displaying a convincing mix of outrage and sexual confusion as he is faced with his father’s misdemeanours. As the relationships on stage split apart and break, all four of the cast – together with an impressive and well-realised set and lighting design – create a performance that grips throughout.

With a strong sense of the absurd and some tremendously witty dialogue and comic timing, The Goat or Who is Sylvia? is a powerful and at times hilarious production. If you’re uncomfortable with having your sexual taboos thrust in front of your face, you may find it hard to stomach; if however you’re keen to witness a superbly-acted piece which is unafraid to peel the lid off some of today’s views on what is acceptable, you’re in for a treat.

Highly recommended.

The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? runs at the Traverse Theatre until 8 May. Full details are on the Traverse website.

The Cherry Orchard

Replacing the early 20th century Russian lords and ladies of the original with the loons and quines of north-east Scotland, Byrne sets his piece immediately before Thatcher’s election victory in 1979 . This is undeniably topical, and although some of the dramatic brushstrokes are a little too broad in places, The Cherry Orchard is a delightfully entertaining and amusing production, with enough of an undercurrent of fin de siècle poignancy to keep things from sinking too deeply into farce.

The Ramsay-Mackays are reunited in their family pile as they face the prospect of losing their home to increasing debts. Mrs Ramsay-Mackay (Maureen Beattie) has returned from Paris with daughter Ainsley (Hannah Donaldson) and valet Cluny (John Kielty). Widowed, Mrs Ramsay-Mackay and her brother Guy (Philip Bird) are forced to grasp reality with unaccustomed hands as they hatch plans to rescue their home – and the famous cherry orchard which lies beside it. Local boy-done-good Malcolm McCracken (Andy Clark) lurks in the background, riding the early waves of Thatcherite capitalism as he sees his chance to add to his fortune.

Byrne’s adapatation is clever, with Chekhov’s themes & symbolism making it mostly intact. The coming-to-power of Thatcher is a change suitably seismic, allowing comparisons between traditional and rising right-wing views to be examined – although some of the supporting characters, such as idealistic tutor Trotter aka ‘Trotsky’ (Matthew Pidgeon), are little more than two-dimensional foils to this.

Performances from the 12-strong cast are strong. Beattie is at the core of the production and she is more than able to meet the demands of the character. At times nostalgic and out of touch; at others taking control of spiralling situations and emotions, Beattie is convincing as the matriarch of this dysfunctional clan. Clark also impresses, with an animated and commanding performance as McCracken, whose initial shallowness reveals more complex depths as the play progresses.

Comic relief comes mostly from Bird’s performance of the buffoonish Guy, in denial of the magnitude of the situation, forever hitting imaginary golf balls towards imaginary holes. Myra McFadyen also sparkles here, with her memorable pantomime-like portrayal of Charlotte, an ex-child circus performer now within the family’s employ.

Being a Scottish dramatic giant’s take on a theatrical classic, this is a fitting finale to the Lyceum’s excellent 09/10 season. With an accomplished ensemble cast, director Tony Cownie’s fine pacing and yet more impressive work from the Lyceum’s creative team, it is also an accessible and enjoyable production that should appeal to many.

Further details, including ticket prices, are available on the Lyceum’s website.

The Cherry Orchard

John Byrne adapts Chekhov’s original tale, transferring the action from turn of the century Russia to 1970s Scotland. Here, the Ramsay-Mackays find their well of past glories running dry, with their grand old estate in the northeast all that remains of their wealth. Ambitious young investor Malky McCracken is keen to make his mark on the world, and the Ramsay-Mackay pile could be just the thing to help him do it…

Tony Cownie directs a 12-strong cast in Byrne’s humourous and moving adaptation of this classic social comedy which will see the curtain fall on the Lyceum’s current season; and hopefully have us eagerly anticipating the 2010/11 programme.

Full details, including prices and tickets, are available at the Lyceum’s website.

Mary King’s Ghost Fest 18 – 23 March 2010
Paranormal investigations, celebrity ghost hunts and other spooky goings on at The Real Mary King’s Close.

Ceilidh Culture 26 March – 18 April 2010
Edinburgh’s traditional arts festival, featuring music, dance, storytelling and more.

International Science Festival   9-25 April 2011
The International Science Festival features a host of fun and educational events, lectures and attractions celebrating all things scientific.

Beltane Fire Festival   30 April 2010
Beltane is an ancient Celtic festival and Edinburgh plays host to some colourful and exciting celebrations to mark the date.

Imaginate Festival  10 – 16 May 2010
The Imaginate Festival is Edinburgh’s children’s festival and has loads of plays, activities and fun things to do for youngsters of all ages.

Leith Festival   11 -20 June 2010
Come and celebrate all things Leith at this festival, featuring music, dance, art and other exciting events.

Edinburgh International Film Festival  16 – 27 June 2010
The Edinburgh Film Festival is an internationally-renowned event on the movie festival circuit and attracts premieres and stars from all over the world.

West Port Book Festival 24 – 27 June 2010
An annual independent book festival taking place in 11 venues across Edinburgh’s West Port district.

Edinburgh Art Festival   29 July – 5 September
Edinburgh Art Festival celebrates the visual arts in all its diversity, from world-class exhibitions to strikingly original installations.

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival   30 July – 10 August 2010
Get your gladrags on and party to the sounds of the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, a popular event which attracts international talent.

Edinburgh Mela Festival   6 – 8 August 2010
Celebrating the cultural diversity of the city, the Mela Festival brings colour and exotic flair to Edinburgh in August.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival  6 – 30 August 2010
Getting bigger, better and – some may say – weirder every year, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the highlight of many a festival-goer’s calendar.

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo   6 – 28 August 2010
Selling out months in advance, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a spectacular event taking place on the Castle Esplanade.

The Edge Music Festival      August
Adding alternative music to the August festival mix, The Edge Music Festival attracts A-list bands as part of its programme.

Festival of Spirituality and Peace  7-29 August
The Festival of Spirituality and Peace features music, dance, talks and other events highlighting humanitarian issues and causes.

Edinburgh International Festival   13 August – 5 September 2010
The one that started it all, the Edinburgh International Festival is a feast of world-class music, dance and theatrical performances.

Edinburgh International Book Festival  14 – 30 August 2010 
This literary event attracts major names in the writing, publishing and political fields to the serene Charlotte Square Gardens setting.

Scottish Story Telling Festival    22-30 October
Celebrating the great Scottish oral tradition, the Story Telling Festival showcases the talents of national bards, poets and tale-spinners.

Edinburgh’s Christmas    Date TBC – late November
Edinburgh sparkles at Christmas and features events, attractions and shows for all the family to enjoy during the festival season.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay   29 December 2010 – 2 January 2011
End the year with the biggest street party in the world!

Mac (Sean Scanlan) and Jane (Anne Lacey) are faced with this question in Zinnie Harris’ poignant short play The Garden. They live a fruitless existence on the fifth floor of an American apartment building: Mac lost in an Orwellian maze of reports and sub-committees; Jane passing the day cleaning the apartment and envying her neighbours who are moving away. Meanwhile, the world’s energy sources are dwindling in a sweltering future where everything feels hopeless.

When the wearied couple make an astonishing discovery – the seedling of an apple tree, growing against all odds from under the kitchen floor – hope, fear and regret cause them to question their lives and the choices they have made.

Scanlan, who also appeared in the Play, Pie And A Pint’s opening production Heaven, turns in an able performance as the stoic Mac; whilst Lacey captures Jane’s fragile and teetering character perfectly. Harris’ script is also excellent, with just the right amount of subtle exposition for a play of this length, and as things move towards an inevitable climax, The Garden proves to be an extremely touching and emotionally-charged piece.

The Traverse’s spring Play, Pie And A Pint season has provided a varied and enjoyable selection of new writing and impressive performances from a quality ensemble of actors. Its lunchtime sustenance will be missed, until it returns with a new run – and more of those fine pies – in the autumn.

As the house lights dim, you think this is perhaps a clever device to deliver a scene-setting character introduction. Over an hour later, as the lights fall on the interval, you realise it is not. And it is testament to the power of Jo Clifford’s writing, stunning performances from a convincing cast, and Mark Thomson’s original direction that you have barely noticed.

Every One is the world premiere of Clifford’s powerful and poignant study of death, loss and grief; and the impact they have on us all. With deft writing and realistic dialogue, it cleverly focuses on a family unit who are largely unremarkable. As mother and central figure Mary questions at the beginning: “we’re just normal people really, so I don’t see what all the fuss is about”.

However, this most certainly is a play worth fussing over. As we gain insight into the different family members’ perspectives and innermost thoughts, death itself is dissected: demystified, even. By choosing characters with whom we can all identify (the alienated son, the trend-obsessed daughter, the opinionated father), Every One becomes a personal, shared journey and examination of the play’s central themes.

The performances are excellent. Kathryn Howden as Mary is always convincing, her performance seamlessly travelling through denial, anger and acceptance as the play progresses. Jonathan Hackett as her husband Joe is also on fine form, and it is his helplessness and frustrations which provide most of the moments of spine-tingling emotion.

Thomson’s direction is highly effective, with some innovative fourth wall-smashing staging and set design which emphasise the universal relevance of the themes and highlight the fragile state between this life and the next.

After the interval, Every One shifts from fly-on-the-wall style docudrama into more metaphysical territory and here it is slightly less immediate and powerful – but only marginally. It is in this half that the piece’s inspiration – the medieval play Everyman – becomes most apparent, and the dreamlike direction allows for some moments of poignant beauty and tenderness.

The whole adds up to a deeply touching, personal and beautifully-acted piece that has a power rarely felt in theatre: to profoundly move every one in the audience in a production that – whilst it may cast death in a starring role – is ultimately about the precious, beautiful nature of life.

Every One runs until April 10th. Further details and tickets are available from the Lyceum website.

Set in a future where climate disaster has made all animals and other sources of food extinct, Battery Farm is a new short work by Gregory Burke, playwright behind several Scottish theatrical milestones, including Gagarin Way and Black Watch.

Here however, you feel Burke has scribbled down a rough idea on the back of a napkin after suffering the after effects of a dodgy kebab. Though, to his credit, the premise – with its cannabilistic solution to keeping the human race alive – adds an original twist to the well-trodden climate disaster scenario.

Battery Farm is played for laughs, with a mixture of satire and farce keeping the jokes afloat. Most work, although some of the satirical asides are a little on the laboured side (“Are you a man or a mouse?” – “What’s a mouse?”).

The welcome appearance of Andy Gray as the inhabitant of Row NN, Pod 777 elevates the play into something altogether more enjoyable. He brings his Frankie Howerd-like mugging, finely-tuned comic timing and rubber-faced expressions to the part, and these provide more comedic moments than the plot or dialogue combined.

Alan Bisset & Denise Hoey also entertain as the bickering and flirtatious – though sometimes over-earnestly portrayed – facility assistants.

Ultimately, the production is hard to dislike; it cracks along at a good pace and adds comic variety to the previous flavours served up as part of the Play, Pie & A Pint season.

And as long as you don’t go along expecting another Black Watch, Battery Farm’s interesting premise and Gray’s delivery will provide you several thought-provoking laughs and memorable scenes (at least one of which – involving Gray and a certain button – you’ll perhaps wish you hadn’t witnessed so soon after lunch…).

Spamlot tells the legendary tale of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table.

Coming to Edinburgh

I have seen versions of Spamalot in New York and Melbourne and recommend you buy a ticket as it will be worth every penny.  It is still not known at this time who is going to appear in this touring show, but I will update details as soon as they are become available.  It certainly helps to know the background of the film to understand all of the jokes and songs, but not a necessity to enjoy this comedic musical feast.

Just beware of the killer rabbits and the Knights who say Ni!

Runs nightly 18th – 23rd October (plus matinee on 23rd at 2pm).  We’ve got our tickets for opening night and can’t wait to see this version.

Sadly, his mother is in a constant rush with no time to listen; and whilst Dan is ready to face up to the challenges of adult life, his father is finding it increasingly hard to deal with his own.

Soup, a short play by Ella Hickson, is the third in the Traverse Theatre’s original and entertaining A Play, A Pie, And A Pint season.

It is a bittersweet tale of strained family relationships and the difficulty of coping with change, and contains solid performances from the cast of three.

John McColl as father James is given the most to work with, battling with his high standards, insecurities and his resistance to the digital age. In a pivotal scene, where he and Dan play an old childhood game of “would you rather be…”, he is uncharacteristically stumped, unable to answer when asked “…new or old?”.

Finn Den Hertog and Bridget McCann also put in good turns as Dan and his mother respectively, but McColl, as the father in the throes of a mid-life crisis, shines the brightest.

The plot is slight, and Soup is more of an observational, character-driven piece. The dialogue is sharp and amusing in places, particularly those exchanges between James and his son, but ultimately the story feels a little too flimsy and the denouement is both sudden and a little unsatisfying.

As such, Soup indeed feels more of an appetiser than a main course, although McColl’s performance, coupled with some sharp and bittersweet comments on modern family life, make it a dish worth tasting.

Soup runs at the Traverse Theatre until Sat 20th March. Further information and tickets are available from the Traverse website.

Every One

Jo Clifford’s Every One looks set to be less filled with murderous intent than previous shows; although death is still a prominent feature. Joe, Mary, Kevin and Mazz are a ‘normal’ family, with nothing marking them out as particularly special.

However, in Clifford’s piece, a modern reimagining of medieval play Everyman, events take unpredictable turns and the family’s belief in what is real is challenged and tested.

With fourth wall-breaking direction and a plot which promises to be deeply moving yet ultimately life-affirming, Every One looks as though it could be one of the Lyceum’s most intriguing productions for some time.

Every One runs at the Lyceum from 19 March – 10 April. Further details, including tickets, are available on the Lyceum’s website.

East of the Sun and West of the Moon

Six performers bring the tale of Bridgette and the Frog to life, using a mixture of mime, puppetry and physical theatre in what turns out to be a charming and unique show. Though aimed at the younger members of the audience, the production’s roots in experimental theatre show through.

The puppets are large in size, their papier-mache faces blank as the cast use expressive movements and choreography to bring the colourful characters to life. Some clever touches, such as a character losing his legs when he stands up; or the comic depiction of a troll on horseback, are well-staged and performed. A particular standout is an artistically breathy depiction of the North wind, masked and enveloped in billowing white sheets, as it carries Bridgette to her destination.

The human cast both operate and interact with the puppets, taking on roles of narrators, monsters and the piece’s quirky characters, such as a drunken blues musician or a mute farrier. Philip Kingscott as the narrator and The Frog has a manner perfectly suited to children’s theatre, speaking to the kids in the audience rather than at them in an empathetic and lively performance. Fernando Fresquez also shines in his brief portrayal of Blind Lemon Jackson (and shows he has a pretty fine blues voice into the bargain) and provides many of the show’s more comic moments.

This was the first night of a short run at The Roxy Art House, and it was mostly smooth. There were a few moments where onstage sound effects and actions obscured the cast’s speech, and a couple of line stumbles, but nothing too damaging to the piece as a whole.

The best judge of its success however was watching the rapt faces of the children in the audience: spellbound, laughing and yelping with fear in all the right places. Liminal Theatre have successfully crafted an enjoyable hour of entertainment which sweeps the young audience into a magical and inventive land of imagination, with a creative vision and originality that is a pleasure to behold.

East of the Sun And West of the Moon runs at the Roxy Art House on 13 & 19 March (6pm) and 20 March (2pm and 6pm).
Tickets are £9 (£5 concession) with family tickets costing £20.
Tickets can bought on the door, or can be ordered online here. They can also be bought in person at Tea Tree Tea in Bread Street.

The man is Eduardo Paolozzi, Edinburgh-born artist and creator of striking collages, mosaics and sculptures which were a precursor to the Pop Art movement in the 60s. Graham Eatough’s sometimes irreverent but ultimately respectful script pays homage to the artist, and through emotional and energetic performances from the cast of three, we gain an insight into Paolozzi’s life, work and legacy.

The elderly artist is played by Michael MacKenzie, who gives an astounding performance as the at first almost vegetative Paolozzi, evoking sympathy and pity with little more than eye movements. As his condition improves throughout the course of the 50-minute piece, his speech and movement return, but MacKenzie still captures the essence of a proud and unique individual, having the audience behind him at every tortuous step.

Ian Bustard puts in a spirited performance as the younger Paolozzi, emphasising his stubborn, almost arrogant belief in his own genius through his dishevelled appearance and manner. Louise Ludgate has the most work to do, changing character from nurse to lover; art patron to cousin – and she carries this off well, providing effective foil to the artist at both stages of his life.

The imagery, props and direction are inspired in places – although those not overly familiar with Paolozzi’s work may miss some of the references to his earlier artistic themes of pin-up girls, guns and Mickey Mouse. In this regard, the play suffers a little from its short length: if it was given more space to develop and exploit these themes, it wouldn’t feel as rushed as it does in places.

In summary however, A Shattered Head is a clever, moving and entertaining piece, with MacKenzie’s compelling and evocative performance transforming it into what could perhaps be the highlight of this year’s Play, Pie and Pint season.

A Shattered Head runs at The Traverse Theatre at 1pm every day until Saturday 13th. Further details on the Traverse website.

Ashley Smith & Scott Turnbull as Kellyanne & Ashmol

After a short run at their base of operations at The Brunton Theatre last week, the opening night of Rob Evans’ adaptation of Ben Rice’s story at the Traverse last night was a poignant, funny and uplifting delight.

Ashmol (keenly portrayed by Scott Turnbull) lives in the Australian outback with his mother & father and his sister Kellyanne (a wide eyed and fragile Ashley Smith). When Pobby & Dingan, Kellyanne’s imaginary friends, go missing, Ashmol is at first delighted, believing his sister to be a ‘loon’ for clinging on to such childish things. When she gets sick and begins wasting away however, Ashmol takes it upon himself to find his sister’s companions in a desperate attempt to make her recover. He sets about enlisting the help of the motley residents of Lightning Ridge as he tries to track down the creatures nobody can see except Kellyanne.

The four-strong cast bring the family & locals of Lightning Ridge to life. Damien Warren-Smith is particularly enjoyable as the father, his swaggering opal miner bravado shot through with moments of love and tenderness for his family. Ros Sydney plays the stoic ‘Pom’ mother, but the pair truly excel when portraying the characters of the town: whether it’s the eccentric shopowner Mrs Griswald or the rough and ready miners playing pool in the town’s ramshackle bar. These performances give the play most of its humourous moments and Warren-Smith and Sydney display some excellent characterisation and timing in these roles, obviously enjoying themselves as they do so. The simple but inventive set is also well-used, portraying the family home one moment, and the scary darkness of an opal mine shaft the next.

Pobby & Dingan

Pobby & Dingan is a modern-day fable about the loss of childhood and the recognition of what matters most. Catherine Wheels take this tale and add layers of poignant magic and emotion in a wonderfully staged performance that resonates with children and adults alike. Indeed, one of its most impressive feats was keeping the mostly youthful audience at the Traverse in spellbound silence throughout, as they were transported to Lightning Ridge and the potential of the power of imagination and hope.

Pobby & Dingan runs at the Traverse Theatre until Sat 6 March. Further details are on the Traverse website.

A short, 30-minute piece by Simon Stephens, Heaven is set in the departure lounge of an airport and depicts the meeting between the elderly and enigmatic Kyle (Sean Scanlan) and the edgy, guarded Sean (Robert Jack). The first half of the play is comic in tone, and Scanlan shows some precision timing as he deadpans through an increasingly-absurd exchange between the two men. In the latter part, things take a darker, more ambiguous turn; we start to question what Sean is escaping from, and the identity of the mysterious Kyle himself.

Directed by Dominic Hill, Heaven is an intriguing, indirect piece which doesn’t outstay its welcome. It turns satisfyingly from a Two Ronnies-ish skit into a more existentialist work, which leaves as many questions hanging as it answers. A marvellously surreal ending adds to the ambiguous tone; though those who prefer clarity and closure may find it a little too obtuse.

Heaven runs at The Traverse Theatre at 1pm every day until Saturday 6th.
More details on the website.

PS – the vegetarian haggis pie gets 5 stars from me…

A Play, A Pie, And A Pint

The second collaboration with Glagow’s Òran Mór, last year’s programme of lunchtime plays was a huge success. As well as providing sustenance for the mind, the £10 ticket price also includes physical fuel, in the form of a pie and a pint (optional!).

A different play runs for each week during March, beginning on the 2nd with Heaven (2 – 6 March), directed by the Traverse’s own Artistic Director, Dominic Hill.

The run finishes on the 3rd April with the last performance of Zinnie Harris’ The Garden (30 March – 3 April), a glimpse into a future devastated by the effects of climate change.

In between you can enjoy The Shattered Head, inspired by the life and works of Edinburgh-born artist Eduardo Paolozzi (9 – 13 March); Soup, a tale of family tension set in Morningside (16 -20 March); and Battery Farm, a dark comedy about the future of care for the elderly (23 – 27 March).

A Play, A Pie, And A Pint provides a great excuse to escape the trials and tribulations of the day and enjoy some new, cutting-edge theatre.

We leave it to you and the rest of your day’s schedule to decide if you accompany it with a pint – though we have it on very good authority that the pies are great!

More details and ticket information are available on the Traverse Theatre’s website.

In Tony Cownie’s crackling and well-paced direction of Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane, such mundane items and routines pile like straws upon Maureen’s (Cara Kelly) back as she tends to the demands of her manipulative mother Mag (Nora Connelly).

The Beauty Queen of Leenane

Whilst this may sound a bleak and depressing premise, McDonagh’s sharp dialogue ensures that The Beauty Queen of Leenane is injected with a black, twisted streak. Set in a small town in Galway, Maureen, Mag, Pato and his younger brother Ray (Dylan Kennedy) all speak with a unique tone and syntax. Although strange at first, the audience’s ear soon becomes attuned to it; whilst always present, it swiftly sounds natural – almost poetic – and takes on a character all of its own.

Kelly and Connolly are at the core of the play, and their performances are excellent. Kelly crackles as the frustrated and downtrodden Maureen, at times spitting acid-tongued insults at her decrepit mother; at others daydreaming about what her life could have been. As she gazes at the ceiling imagining meeting a suitor at Mag’s wake, her eyes sparkle with impossible hope and Kelly captures the character’s tragic, stifled situation in a convincing and heartfelt performance.

Connolly also excels as the manipulative Mag, her expressions and poses playing to the gallery for maximum comedic effect; her darker actions of selfish betrayal also carried out in subtle and powerful fashion. Kazek exudes at first stereotypical Irish swagger and charm, though this is soon replaced by caring compassion and love. Pato is a simple man with simple dreams and Kazek makes him instantly likeable. Kennedy provides a great deal of comic relief as the delinquent Ray; giving him a marvellously natural teenage arrogance and attitude as he unwittingly adds to the play’s confusions and misunderstandings.

McDonagh has been referred to as the “Irish Tarantino”, and the description is apt: the sharp dialogue; the bizarre anecdotes; and the idiosyncratic themes running throughout. In another similarity, the action can turn from moments of well-observed, black comedy into horrific acts of violence without warning. As such, The Beauty Queen of Leenane may not appeal to those of a delicate disposition; for most, however, it will be an absolute delight – a lumpy mixture of blistering humour, excrutiating tension, heartrending tragedy and compelling performances.

The Beauty Queen of Leenane runs until 13 March at the Lyceum Theatre.
More details, including ticket prices and information, are available at the Lyceum website.

East of the Sun and West of the Moon

Told using live actors and large, striking puppets, East of the Sun and West of the Moon is about Bridgette and her quest to save her hometown after breaking a promise made to a frog. She must embark on a journey to a far-off land to save those she loves and bring peace back to her village.

Liminal Theatre aim to showcase physical productions with cross-cultural influences and messages, and their production of East of the Sun and West of the Moon has been performed across America and Europe.

Playwright and director Joel Mason was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease; he is now a board member of the Edinburgh Parkinson’s Society and has set up a group for Edinburgh youngsters diagnosed with the disease. He believes the condition has not adversely impacted his ability to direct; if anything, it emphasises the need for him to be able to communicate effectively.

“As a director I’m pretty much the same as I ever was,” he says. “Maybe I’m more compassionate towards my characters.”

East of the Sun and West of the Moon promises to be a visually impressive piece of physical theatre, and appears at the Roxy Art House at 2 Roxburgh Place on 12th, 13th, 19th and 20th March.

Friday showings are at 6pm; Saturdays feature two performances at 2pm and 6pm.
Tickets are £9 (£5 concession) with family tickets costing £20.
Tickets can be ordered online here; or may be bought in person at Tea Tree Tea in Bread Street.

Pobby & Dingan pre-production shot

Pobby & Dingan is the latest production from the award-winning Catherine Wheels Theatre Company, a group based at the Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh who specialise in children’s theatre. Adapted from Ben Rice’s short story by playwright Rob Evans, the show is a contemporary fable for children ages 8 and above.

Featuring a cast of four actors directed by Gill Robertson, Pobby & Dingan promises laughs, sadness and pathos with a set & soundtrack which evokes the heat and dust of the outback; and the magic and mystery of the story’s strange characters.

Although aimed at children, the play looks as though it will appeal to anyone who has witnessed the wonder of childhood and the passion & conviction of belief.

The production’s run at the Brunton Theatre and Traverse mark the start of a short Scottish tour.

Tickets for the Brunton Theatre shows can be ordered online here, and for the Traverse here.

Cara Kelly and Nora Connolly as Maureen and Mag (photo by Alan McCredie)

Penned by Martin McDonagh, writer of the darkly comic movie In Bruges, Beauty Queen looks set to once again challenge the Edinburgh-going theatre audience with a brutal and twisted comic tale of betrayal, devotion and misunderstandings which pulls no punches.

Maureen lives a prisoner-like existence in a small village in Galway, caring for her needy and manipulative mother, Mag. Fate gives Maureen a chance of happiness and escape, but Mag has other ideas…

Tony Cownie directs a cast including Cara Kelly and Nora Connolly in a production we’re looking forward to with guilty pleasure. A full review will appear on the site during the first week of its run.

The Beauty Queen of Leenane runs from 19 Feb – 13 March. Prices, tickets and further information can be obtained from the Lyceum’s website.

A fitting finale to the Carry A Poem initiative

Original press release:

The Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, is to lead a once-in-a lifetime line-up of award winning Scottish and UK poets in Edinburgh to raise funds for the Haiti earthquake disaster appeal.

20 of the foremost poets in the land are coming together for an unforgettable evening of the finest poetry for the most urgent of causes. The event was inspired by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, and Dundonian Don Paterson, who next month will receive the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry. Poets reading on the night include such major literary figures as Alasdair Gray, Douglas Dunn, Jackie Kay, Kathleen Jamie and Sean O’Brien (the only writer to take the UK’s top two poetry awards – the Forward Prize and T S Eliot Prize – in the same year); as well as four UK poets laureate – Liz Lochhead (Glasgow), Ron Butlin (Edinburgh), Gillian Clarke (Wales) and Carol Ann Duffy.

Carol Ann Duffy said “Poetry has the power of prayer and is the place in language where we are most human. The people of Haiti need our humanity right now.”

Don Paterson said: “We’ve been completely overwhelmed with the speed and generosity of our colleagues’ response – it should all add up to the most spectacular poetry event ever seen north of the border, and we hope as many people as possible will come along and show their support.”

The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has given his full support to the event, describing Carol Ann Duffy as a “visionary humanitarian” and saying ”she has summoned together an amazing array of talent on one day in the service of one hope; a better future for the people of Haiti.”

The evening will be a fitting finale to the hugely successful and popular Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Carry A Poem campaign, run in collaboration with the Scottish Poetry Library, which is highlighting the power of poetry in people’s lives – in schools, communities, projected onto buildings in the capital and more.

The event will take place at the Queens Hall in Edinburgh on Sunday 28th February 2010 6.00pm – 8.00pm.
Tickets are £15 or £10 and available from the Queens Hall Box Office on www.thequeenshall.net or 0131 668 2019.

All participants have generously given their time in order that the proceeds from ticket sales and donations can be passed onto Mercy Corps for the Haiti Earthquake Emergency Appeal.

Arthur Miller - astute observer of the human condition

The Lyceum makes the wise decision not to have the safety curtain lowered prior to the start of The Price. This means we have the pleasure of enjoying the marvellous set even before the action starts.

Giant armoires and dressers stand like sentinels on stage; whilst smaller items and possessions lie haphazardly placed as if we’re witnessing the aftermath of an explosion in an antique shop. Most strikingly, lines of chairs hang suspended from the ceiling, like strands of their previous owner’s DNA.

Arthur Miller’s The Price is a realistic, character-driven piece which focuses tightly on the relationship between two estranged brothers, Victor & Walter. Circumstance reunites them as they are forced to sell their late father’s possessions and decide how best to split the proceeds.

Although both dialogue-heavy and character-driven, The Price is perfectly paced by director John Dove, who ensures the audience are captivated throughout in a powerfully understated piece of theatre. It is a production very much of two halves. In the first, we see Victor pick through the belongings on stage and through the bittersweet memories they evoke. Greg Powrie gives a believable and understated performance as the stoic yet embittered Victor, a man approaching his 50th year with a mixture of resignation and regret.

His wife Esther (Sally Edwards) joins him as Miller dissects their fading, passionless relationship in front of our eyes. “We were always about to be,” bemoans Esther; teetering on the brink of alcoholic depression though still possessing flashes of youthful optimism. “Vic, you look beautiful,” she says, observing her husband step back into his old fencing stance, in a touchingly observed piece of writing and acting.

When Solomon (James Hayes), the aged yet lively furniture dealer arrives to give Victor ‘the price’ for the furniture, he injects some brevity into the mood. Hayes gives an energetic performance in the part; straying away from Shylockisms and cliches and instead making Solomon a Puckish character treading just the right side of comedic relief. By the latter stages of the play, Solomon’s personification of wisdom plays a crucial and pivotal role.

In the second half, brother Walter (a marvellously self-confident and smug Adam Gillett) arrives. In this section of the play, the focus zooms in with uncomfortable closeness to the strained relationship between the two brothers. Although Esther’s character is the least developed of the four, she acts as a reflection of our own shifting allegiances and judgements; ruled by her head one moment and her heart the next, with Edwards giving a convincing and painfully astute performance in the role.

The Price has themes as large and immovable as some of the furniture on stage. Loyalty, family relationships, sentimentality (“there’s no room for emotion in the second-hand furniture business“) and the weight and consequence of past decisions. The title takes on increased resonance as the play moves towards its climax, with the brothers recognising and reacting to the realisation of the true cost of their actions.

The Lyceum has started the 2010 part of their season strongly here, with – some may say – a return to more traditional, less edgy productions than in 2009. That said, Dove’s compelling production has an undercurrent of subtle tension and threat, brought to life by a cast who are a delight to watch, which ensures The Price is an enjoyable, thought-provoking and intelligent piece of theatre.

Adrienne Zitt, founder of Actors Kitchen

Taking the initiative after discovering there were few ways for like-minded individuals to collaborate, she founded Actors Kitchen, a collective for professional actors to come together and practice.

“I put a post online” says Adrienne, recalling how she got things started over a year ago, “and was inundated with responses.”

“Glasgow’s got the Actor’s Bothy, but there was nothing in Edinburgh. All the feedback I got was positive and enthusiastic, and so Actors Kitchen was born.”

Meeting weekly at the Screen Academy in Merchiston, Actors Kitchen has a consistent core membership of around ten actors and actresses, with others contributing on a frequent basis.

“I was keen to keep it as informal as possible” Adrienne explains. “A place where people could drop-in and practice, share different skills and techniques, attend workshops given by visiting actors, that kind of thing.”

After some initial brainstorming and realising that the group had a future, thoughts began to turn to doing more than just keeping skills fresh.

“Marion Shortt first had the idea for us to put on a production” says Adrienne. “We’d thought of it before, but she had the vision of creating something for us to focus on. Sessions at Actors Kitchen had a varied and informal format and Marion and Mark (Prebble, Marion’s partner) saw the potential for us to take some of our ideas, get some writers involved and work towards a real production.”

So, In Transit, Actors Kitchen recent debut production, was born. Helped in part by Siege Perilous and their plans to create opportunities for local groups to get their work out there beyond the Festival month of August, the vignette-based play was a great success.

“It was scary!” says Adrienne. “Especially when we realised how real it had become! Though it was down to Marion’s drive and ambition and Mark’s experience of writing – it was risky, but it paid off.”

The piece’s origins in improv were obvious, it being an ensemble of vignettes taking place in an unnamed airport struck by delays.

“The concept of people forced together in some enclosed space grew from some of our improvs based around our ideas and experiences” Adrienne says. “Mark invited writers in to observe us and together we all shaped the piece into a whole.”

“Some of the writers had never produced work for the stage before, so everyone had an input – it was a very creative process.”

Now In Transit has successfully completed its short run, I asked about Actors Kitchen’s future plans.

“Marion and Mark are off in New Zealand at the moment” replies Adrienne. “We’re back to our regular, open sessions and workshops – though there’s a few ideas on the table too.”

“Personally, I’d love to put on a classic, like Chekov or Shakespeare, but we’ll see what happens.”

The conversation turns to what she likes about Edinburgh and the theatrical scene here.

“I love Edinburgh” she replies. “The quality of life here is great. London is so expensive and hard to get around – Edinburgh’s just the right size. It’s big enough to be vibrant; yet small enough to walk around.”

“Yes, the scene’s smaller and competitive as a result, but it’s still great to be involved. It does feel as though there’s a bit of a buzz at the moment.”

As I left the Traverse theatre cafe where I’d interviewed Adrienne and walked past the Usher Hall and Lyceum, I found myself fired up by this talented actress’ initiative, enthusiasm and love for the city. With Actors Kitchen, she has successfully created something valuable and exciting out of nothing and is filled with optimism about the future.

And with the promise of what the theatrical seeds she has planted may grow into, so am I.

Visit the Actors Kitchen.

Ian Watt reading 'A Christmas Carol'

Not so at The GRV on Thursday 17th December, where master story-teller and Edinburgh stage veteran Ian Watt breathes life into a specially adapted reading of ‘A Christmas Carol’, hosted by Siege Perilous, an Edinburgh-based professional theatre company.

The last date of a short Scottish tour, this will be your last chance to see the show, which includes a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie in the price of admission.

The performance lasts approximately 90 minutes including a 15-minute break.
Tickets are £10/£8 (concessions for students, senior citizens and Equity members)
Call 0131 554 3005 or buy online here.

“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Edinburgh Panto

Our preview got us in the mood, but nothing prepared me for the amount of laughs I experienced through this excellent production last night. 

King’s panto stalwart Allan Stewart returned to the theatre this year to play Mrs Crusoe, whilst aforementioned Grant Stott plays the evil Pirate (Black Heart/Donald).  Johnny Mac takes on the role of Robinson Crusoe and Jo Freer as the Maggie the Mermaid.  Charlie Cairoli makes a welcome return to Edinburgh pantomime and Moyo Omoniyi plays Girl Friday.

Attending the evening performance on a Tuesday night, the majority of the audience were adults, ranging from young professionals to older couples (without grandchildren) confirming that this is popular with all of Edinburgh’s age groups.  This didn’t take away from the childish humour and need for audience participation – everyone was joining in.

I’m not going to give any story lines away in this review, but I was pleasantly surprised this year that there was a firm plot that was easy to follow.  Stewart is always the star of the show for me and made me laugh more this year than I’ve ever done in the past.  Mrs Crusoe’s costumes got progressively more flamboyant; with one towards the end in a certain sketch reducing me to tears of laughter.

Black Heart the Pirate (Stott) delivered a fantastic performance as the baddie, with all the kids (and older members) hissing and booing him as he announced his evil plans.  Playing opposite him was his wife he abandoned four years ago - Maggie the Mermaid (Freer) – who was amusing and entertaining in her own right, but especially funny when interacting with Black Heart like a squabbling married couple.

Robinson Crusoe (Johnny Mac) filled the role of the other main character well and was amusing throughout, and held his own alongside his onstage mother.   They travelled to Mango Island to try to find the treasure and bring it back to Edinburgh (to pay for the trams).  Black Heart the pirate is in close pursuit behind them, wanting the money for himself.  Versions of familiar popsongs and predictable jokes about other topical stories filled the first part, but it’s the slap stick comedy and so-bad-they’re-good jokes that make it so humourous. 

Towards the end of the first half, Girl Friday (Omoniyi) makes her stage debut on Mango Island with a song.  I was absolutely blown away by the quality of her vocals, simply an outstanding performance from this stunningly beautiful girl.

The rest of the cast were all great in their roles, but for me the dancers were another highlight when they were allowed to shine in more complicated dance routines, demonstrating their agility and rhythm in the fantastic choregraphy.  As always, the smaller members of the cast give the show the ‘cute’ factor and this year they did not disappoint.  In one particular ‘monkey’ number with Mrs Crusoe, they had everyone laughing for all the right reasons.

There was a clever comical underwater scene involving fluorescent puppets and lighting, to give the effect of fish and other creatures in the deep dark sea.  This scene was just another example of this spectacular production with amazing sets, costumes and music. 

After the short interval (ice cream available) we returned for the second half on Mango Island.  Of course the story culminated in a happy ending, it wouldn’t be panto without one.   Just as you thought the pantomine was coming to a close, the funniest act of all was performed by the male principal cast members and had the whole theatre in absolute hysterics.  You will never sing the Twelve Days of Christmas the same way again!

The finale ensemble song is uplifting and had everyone clapping in their seats, but as usual, the cast ended on their sing-a-long Status Quo encore which had every member of the audience standing up and joining in.  A brilliant production, with excellent performances that I highly recommend you go and see as soon as you can.

The show runs from 28th November until 17th January 2010.  Buy your ticket now , start your vocal warm ups of ‘he’s behind you’ and be prepared to hold your sides with laughter no matter what your age is.

By Lauryn, aged 10 and Nadine aged 8 (verbatim as they wrote it)

Peter Pan was really good and really funny. Our favourite character was Tinkerbell who talked in a funny way. We laughed lots and lots. It was an adventurous fairytale and a bit mysterious. I liked them flying but you could see the strings. Captain Hook was nasty and I was glad he was eaten by the crocodile.

I really liked the costumes and the music, but there was only a little of that.

4 stars out of 5, but you should really go and see it. It wasn’t too long either and you can get ice cream at the interval. I had a strawberry one and my cousin had chocolate.

We say

Excellent family entertainment throughout, with the wonderful Tinkerbell’s hilarious brand of gobbledigook stealing the show and prompting constant giggles from the children in the audience.

Wendy and Tiger Lily were stand-out performers as they try (and fail) to win Peter’s confused affections, but the epic final battle between the brilliantly evil crocodile-fearing Captain Hook and Peter Pan was the highlight for most.

The Lyceum proved the perfect, cosy, venue for this classic favourite, and the cast did well to produce their professional best despite a rude theatre-goer allowing their mobile phone to constantly beep! The thunderous applause at the end was well deserved for all.

Grab a ticket whilst you still can, via their box office. Photos of the production can be found on the Lyceum’s flickr set

Whilst the King’s Theatre will echo to boos, hisses and shouts of “he’s behind you” in their raucous and fun-packed production of Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates, the Lyceum will be filled with the charm and magic of a storybook come to life with this year’s production, Peter Pan.

Scott Fletcher as Peter Pan (Lyceum publicity photo)

The Lyceum Christmas shows have a tradition of bringing classic children’s tales to the stage and always feature wonderfully-imagined sets, beautiful costumes and spellbinding stagecraft and special effects that delight audiences young and old alike.

This year’s production promises to deliver on all these counts, with a new production by director Jemima Levick and a cast featuring Scott Fletcher (who captures Peter’s impish mischievousness perfectly) and Stuart Bowman as a marvellously villainous Captain Hook.

Production photos indicate that the sets are beautifully-designed and that the flying scenes look to deliver a real visual treat for audiences, bringing the magic to life effectively and gracefully.


The Lyceum’s Christmas show is always popular and usually sells out quickly. The website is constantly updated with availability for all performances, but if you want to add some of Peter Pan’s magic to your Christmas activities, I suggest you book quickly.

Peter Pan opens on Nov 27th with four shows each weekend until it commences its full run from 10th December to 3rd January.

Edinburgh Spotlight will be attending with small child in tow soon and will feature a review from their perspective – stay tuned for that!

Edinburgh Pantomime

The show runs from 28th November until 17th January 2010 and is always a fantastic day or night out for people of all ages.  Buy your ticket now and start your vocal warm ups of ‘he’s behind you !’

At the Lyceum theatre, Peter Pan runs from the 27th to the 3rd January and is suitable for children from the age of 6 up. 

Peter Pan at the Lyceum

JM Barrie’s legendary boy hero soars onto the Lyceum stage to entertain, astound and inspire. Gasp as Peter, Wendy, John and Michael (not to mention Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys!) do battle with the wicked Captain Hook and his pirate crew. It’s a world where crocodiles go tick-tock, fairies are real and children can fly – a place where dreams really come true!  Buy your tickets early as the Lyceum performances often sell out completely.

In Transit

If you’ve ever spent time in an airport waiting for a delayed flight, you may have passed the time wondering about your fellow travellers and what their stories are. What are that irate couple sitting opposite arguing about? Are those two over there just good friends or something more? And why is that woman at the bar dressed like something out of a 1950s movie?

The writers of In Transit have obviously thought the same, and have based their ensemble piece around the premise of holiday makers, business travellers and ground staff forced to face a day thrown together as they wait for their departures to be announced. Personal stories unfold as the day progresses until the flights finally take off, dissolving forever the transient microcosm of society that has been created.

Actors Kitchen are an Edinburgh based actors collective who use their time between jobs and auditions to meet and practice their skills. In Transit is their first production, and is produced by Marion Shortt and directed by Mark Prebble. Prebble, together with four other writers, has created the script; whilst Shortt and eight other talented and watchable actors perform the piece, some taking on several roles through the course of the 80-minute production.

The collaborative origins of In Transit are obvious, with several vignettes standing in complete isolation, unconnected to the others beyond sharing the setting. Two stories do however permeate the piece: one examining the dynamics of a couple on the brink of a life-changing decision; and another dealing with the tense and fragile relationship between two sisters, each seeking escape and redemption in different ways.

Although In Transit is set against the backdrop of a real-life event (Lockerbie bomber Al Megrahi being flown home to Libya amidst tight security, hence the airport-wide delays), this is largely irrelevant to the minutiae of events portrayed. Only one segment deals specifically with these events in a poignant piece written by Prebble himself: the rest are more concerned with the impact on relationships, most of which are already worn thin to the point of breaking.

Some of the standalone stories leave you wishing for a little more in terms of exposition or length; but that is more to do with the quality of the writing and characterisation than a criticism of their content. Two in particular – bittersweet slices of human observation penned by Helen Bang – are particularly effective and moving, and could easily form the basis for larger pieces in their own right.

That said, Prebble exercises measured and well-paced control over the segments, ensuring that In Transit is a satisfying piece as a whole; at its best when the tales intertwine and effect each other.

Performances are equally controlled and impressive, with the 9-strong cast demonstrating great ability to portray nuances of emotion and inner motivation. Particularly strong are Shortt herself and Danielle Farrow in the ‘Sisters’ thread, with Shortt’s clipped and frustration-borne performance as a member of the ground staff contrasting with Farrow’s wide-eyed and childlike portrayal of her psychologically-damaged sibling. This piece is the core of In Transit and is written and performed excellently, resulting in a moving and memorable backbone to the whole production.

Another standout performance is Margaret Fraser’s bullish, intolerant and foul-mouthed business executive. Her appearances throughout the piece are memorable and – given they provide the main relief from some of the intensity of the other segments – always welcome.

As a debut, self-produced piece, In Transit is an accomplished and well-formed piece of theatre and Actors Kitchen deserve recognition for their achievement and large audiences for the remainder of their run at The GRV.

In Transit runs at The GRV, Guthrie Street until 21st November. £8 / £6.50 concession

The director of the performance, Andy Johnston, was a cast member back in 1980 and was lucky enough to meet Ralph Reader, the founder of Gang Shows.  Johnston had the unenviable task of auditioning the cast members for the 2009 Gang Show in May of this year.  With shows such as the X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent hugely popular with the children, they can get their taste of fame by being part of ‘the gang’. 

Edinburgh Gang Show

Edinburgh Spotlight attended this evening, along with an 8 year old honorary reviewer.

The atmosphere before the show started was one of excitement with audience members clapping along to the opening number of the live band.  The show opened with an introduction from a very confident young man, leading into an ensemble number.  It was fabulous to see everyone from Brownies and Cubs through to older Guides and Scouts sharing the same stage.

Other numbers followed by smaller groups of the cast with a very funny song about how great it is to be Scottish including a poke at Alex Salmond and the Prime Minister.

A couple of particular highlights for me were the vocal ability of the girl who sang a version of a Kylie Minogue song whilst ‘levitating’ in the air; and the funny football changing room scene.

There really was a good selection of musical numbers interspersed with several comedy moments, with a few jokes slipped in just for the adults. The dancing ranged from ballet and tap through to jive and modern styles.

I loved the younger boys doing a version of Kids in America  (Kids of the Future) with the opening solo vocals filling up the theatre.  My fellow reviewer had to inform me that the song that followed by the younger girls was by Hannah Montana – well she is 8 years old after all and would know these things!

There were no campfire songs or mentions of woggles: everything was upbeat, current and enjoyed by their peers in the audience.  The finale saw the return of the members of Gang Shows from years gone by – it is the 50th spectacular show after all.

I found the Gang Show vibrant, colourful and exciting and well worth an evening of my time.  Although no fault of theirs, I did find that the theatre was extremely hot to the point of it being unbearable.  I would advise to wear layers and have a drink at hand.

The Gang Show is an excellent production, with some fantastic solo performances.  The children look like they are enjoying every single minute of their time on stage and the large ensemble is extremely well choreographed.  They have smiles on their faces throughout, and you are guaranteed to leave the theatre beaming too after sharing in an extravaganza that has delighted audiences for years.

Runs nightly at 7pm until Saturday 21st, (extra matinee performance on the 21st).  You can buy tickets through the King’s box office.

Story Of A Rabbit

Those who think this may be dark and morbid need not worry. Hughes has a unique style, delivering his monologues in a charmingly self-effacing and comedic manner with a heavy emphasis on the absurd. After personally greeting every member of the audience as they file into the theatre, he then darts between the cleverly-placed props on the stage, using each to recall a memory or emphasise a point.

Thus a sawdust sculpture of a rabbit becomes a metaphor for the inevitably of change; whilst a potato suspended from the ceiling causes us to question our individuality and the nature of existence. And in the context of the performance, that makes perfect sense.

Behind Hughes, slides and video are projected on a giant screen whilst his friend and co-performer Aled Williams creates live music on keyboard and other instruments to accentuate the mood. What commences as gentle and humourous observations on life and mortality soon meld eloquently into a poignant and personal performance which works on several levels.

Hughes and the mostly mute (“he’s not shy, he’s just quiet”) Williams form an effective and likeable duo, albeit a little exposed and dwarfed by the large venue. Hughes flips effortlessly from conversational manner to raw vulnerability whilst Williams creates an appropriate soundscape to accompany him, and this reaches its pinnacle in the beautifully moving closing scenes, where both tales converge. Even some stumbles, mostly caused by this being opening night in a new venue, are dealt with in such a charmingly open and honest manner that they are easy to forgive and soon forgotten.

Running at the Traverse One until Saturday 14th November, Story of a Rabbit is an emotionally resonant and life-affirming 90 minutes of well-crafted performance theatre. Definitely worth catching as part of its short run, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for Hughes and Hoipolloi in future.

And I may never look at a potato in the same way ever again.

Their first production – In Transit – opens next week. Representative of Actors Kitchen collective nature, In Transit is the product of five writers and features nine actors playing twenty-four parts in a sequence of interwoven stories based around a group of holiday-makers, commuters and airport staff thrown together for a day due to unforseen circumstances.

Promising to be moving, humourous and intricately-plotted, In Transit runs from 17 – 21 November at 8pm in The GRV in Guthrie Street. Tickets are £8 (£6.50 concession).

Edinburgh Spotlight’s review will be published on 18 November.

The monolithic set of Confessions Of A Justified Sinner at the Lyceum Theatre

Artistic director and producer Mark Thomson holds a mirror to the face of Robert Wringhim, the protagonist of his excellent adaptation of James Hogg’s 19th century novel, and reveals a disturbing reflection of madness and fanaticism that shines through the past to hold unsettling relevance today. What follows is a dark, oppressive and mesmerising slab of Scottish theatre which grips throughout in a chilling portrayal of one man’s relentless descent into a spiral of ‘justifiable sin’.

Ryan Fletcher is excellent as Robert, portraying him as a social outcast with a meek, detached conviction in his adopted clergyman father’s insistence that he is one of the Lord’s ‘elect’, put on Earth to carry out God’s work, with his place in heaven assured. The scenes in which he stands, facing the audience as he sings a hymn in small, reedy voice, whilst the consequences of his actions play out behind him are truly unsettling and excellently staged.

The rest of the cast also impress, with Kern Falconer in the role of Reverend Wringhim in particular standing out with a performance crackling with Calvinistic wrath as he imparts his dangerous wisdom into Robert’s naive and receptive mind.

This confused state and indoctrinated upbringing soon set unstoppable events in motion, with Robert’s belief that he is the ’sword of God’ unwavering as he exacts vengeance on those perceived deserving of his divine justice. He is encouraged on this path by Gil-Martin, a charismatic and mysterious figure that appears only to him and who goads Robert into terrible action to the extent where his confusion as to who is his real ‘lord and master’ is evident.

Thomson directs Gil-Martin’s character, portrayed by a conniving and snake-tongued Iain Robertson, with delicious ambiguity: is he the Devil – Robert’s oft-mentioned Prince – or a manifestation of Wringhim’s increasingly delirious mind? Thomson refuses to answer, a directorial decision which ensures the tale is allowed to twist in satisfyingly opaque and unanswered ways.

The stark, monolithic set is well used; evoking moonlit graveyards, portentous cliff edges, seedy Edinburgh brothels and – in those scenes with Robert and Gil-Martin – places more metaphysical. A revolving section allows for some original and effective staging, particularly in those scenes in which Gil-Martin takes on the appearance of other characters, allowing the cast to switch places without impacting the pacing of the piece. Lighting is understated but well-used, whilst a quietly discordant soundtrack pervades the production like a guilty conscience, increasing in volume and density only towards the play’s satisfying climax.

With Confessions Of A Justified Sinner, Thomson successfully breathes new and surprisingly relevant life into a 19th century classic and the cast – particularly Fletcher and Falconer – inject the tale with enough power and nuance to make it a disturbingly dark and thoroughly enjoyable piece.

There is some clever stuff going on here, with the stark and well-designed set literally presenting an underworld where the tale of Macheath – the dashing gentleman criminal of John Gay’s 18th-century ballad opera – unfolds. From a staging perspective, Vanishing Point also successfully transport the orginal into a post-apocalyptic near-future setting, allowing them to indulge in some striking cyberpunk wardrobe choices and effective dramatic devices, such as the digitally-rotoscoped animations projected onto a screen at the back of the stage.

However, the direction is a little less successful. Although Gay’s original was by its nature a populist satire, here The Beggar’s Opera becomes a camp cross-dressing cross between the Rocky Horror Show and a steampunk pantomime. There are times during the piece’s relatively short running length when I expected us to be encouraged to shout “he’s behind you” during Macheath’s prison incarceration; or to sing along to words appearing on a sheet dropped down from the gantry.

Fortunately, neither of these panto staples actually happened, but if they had they would have been completely in keeping with the piece’s mood and pace. Any opportunities for emotion and pathos were removed with a blunt instrument and replaced with frantic mugging and over-laboured attempts to shock. The actors did the best they could with the script, but characterisation was sacrificed to cariacature, leaving them with little to do. Perhaps most puzzling of all, the satirical opportunities were seldom taken, with only a few sideswipes at consumerism and the media being harvested from a fertile ground that could have offered so much more.

I also feel the choice of having a live band not only providing the soundtrack but integrated into the action was a mistake. This is not a criticism of A Band Called Quinn’s competent Moloko-ish style and sound, but more due to the fact that their presence seemed to encourage the rest of the cast into the belief they could sing, providing at least two unnecessarily toe-curling moments.

Visually, The Beggar’s Opera was wonderfully staged and executed and its dark futuristic dystopia was well-realised and portrayed. It was however a shame that this original and unique stage was then used as a backdrop for something so ill-fittingly camp.

The Beggar’s Opera runs at The Lyceum Theatre until 3rd October.