Church Hill Theatre | Reviews

Review – Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off

* * Straightforward

The Cast of Edinburgh People's Theatre's production of Mary Queen of Scots got her Head Chopped Off on a publicity shoot at Craigmiller Castle, Edinburgh. LR: Anne Mackenzie (Chorus), Lynn Cameron (Elizabeth), Colin Povey (Riccio), Lynne Hurst (Mary), Kyle Sutherland (Darnley), Mags Swan (La Corbie), Kathryn Clark (Chorus), Graham Bell (Knox) and  Matthew Stanhope (Hepburn O’Bothwell). Photo © Robert Fuller.

Publicity shoot at Craigmiller Castle. Photo © Robert Fuller.

Church Hill Theatre
Wed 22 – Sat 26 May 2013
Review by Thom Dibdin

A strong and straightforward telling of the relationship between Mary Queen of Scots and her cousin, Queen Elizabeth the first of England, rises out of Edinburgh People’s Theatre’s production at the Church Hill Theatre until Saturday.

Liz Lochhead’s play, which premiered in 1987, is a mythologising account of that relationship. An examination, using verse and a fine, inquisitive eye (through her chorus character, La Corbie, the Crow), of how it is a reflection of Scotland’s relationship with England – itself a relationship based as much on myth as on reality. … Continue reading Review – Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off

King's | Reviews

Review – The 39 Steps

* * * *   Hitched high

Gary Mackay, Tony Bell and Richard Ede (Richard Hannay) in The 39 Steps, Photo credit: Dan Tsantilis

Gary Mackay, Tony Bell and Richard Ede (Richard Hannay) in The 39 Steps, Photo credit: Dan Tsantilis

King’s Theatre
Mon 20-Sat 25 May 2013
Review by Thom Dibdin

The upper lips are stiff and heroically pencil-moustached in Patrick Barlow’s rip-roaring, four-actor comedy version of The 39 Steps, which is at the King’s Theatre all week to Saturday.

This is very much the Hitchcock 1935 film version of Buchan, rather than the original novel. And it comes complete with all Hitch’s cinematic devices, from a German femme fetale to chases over the Forth railway bridge and a manacled race across clinging Scottish bogs.

The joke, and it is not one which is tempered in any way, lies in the deconstructed manner of this delivery. If the script calls for snow to fall outside a window then it will … Continue reading Review – The 39 Steps

News | Previews

Line-up for Words, Words, Words announced

Details of latest Traverse scratch night

By Thom Dibdin

The Traverse has announced details of its latest Words, Words, Words night of work-in-progress scratch theatre, with eight writers each teamed up with one of the theatre’s emerging directors.

The focus of the evening is on pieces which are not only brand new, but which are still forming, putting a strong emphasis on the development of work in progress.

Each writer and director gets 75 minutes to work on the script with their actors today. The scratch results will be performed this evening … Continue reading Line-up for Words, Words, Words announced

Previews

Preview of the week Mon 20 – Sun 26 May

What’s on in Edinburgh’s Theatres over the week ahead.

Victor Zarallo, Daniel Davidson and Nicholas Shoesmith in Scottish Ballet’s production of Matthew Bourne’s Highland Fling. Photograph by Andy Ross

Victor Zarallo, Daniel Davidson and Nicholas Shoesmith in Scottish Ballet’s production of Matthew Bourne’s Highland Fling. Photograph by Andy Ross

Compiled by Thom Dibdin

There is not quite as much on this week, after last week’s hectic schedule left many Edinburgh theatre-lovers wondering which way to turn. But there is still something for most tastes, from Beckett to Buchan by way of Liz Lochhead.

Getting the big ticket events out the way first, the spiffing four actor version of the 39 Steps returns to the King’s where it was last seen in 2008. At the Playhouse, Ghost the Musical continues to tug at the tear ducts.

Monday night is scratch theatre night at the Traverse, with Words Words Words. Opening on Thursday, the fabulous Jenna Watt returns with her Fringe First winning Flaneurs and the Gare St Lizare Players production of Beckett’s First Love, the latter ahead of the Gate Dublin Theatre’s production at the EIF.

The big amateur production of the week is … Continue reading Preview of the week Mon 20 – Sun 26 May

Reviews | St Serf's

Review – The Steamie

* * * *   Steaming with vitality

Doreen (Alison Carcas), Magrit (Carole Birse) and Dolly (Phyllis Rose) share the gossip. Photo © Richard M Marshall

Doreen (Alison Carcas), Magrit (Carole Birse) and Dolly (Phyllis Ross) share the gossip. Photo © Richard M Marshall

St Serf’s Church Halls
Thurs 16 – Sat 18 May 2013
Review by Thom Dibdin

The mince, tatties and pitch-black peat baths are all in order for the St Serf’s Players new production of Tony Roper’s great hit, The Steamie, up at the St Serf’s Church Halls in Goldenacre until Saturday.

The Steamie is one of those great, joyous plays which remembers and honours what was good about a time in our history – while keeping a very clear view of what was not so good about it.

That time is the mid Fifties and the place is a Glaswegian steamie on Hogmanay evening. Doreen, Magrit, Dolly and Mrs Culfeathers are there to get the last … Continue reading Review – The Steamie

Reviews | Traverse

Review – The Bear

* * *   Poohdunnit with claws

Guy Darnell and Angela Clerkin star in The Bear, a stylish noir thriller. Photo credit Shiela Burnett

Guy Darnell and Angela Clerkin star in The Bear, a stylish noir thriller. Photo credit Sheila Burnett

Traverse Theatre
Thurs 16 – Sat 18 May 2013
Review by Irene Brown

Not the amazing dancing bear, but a murdering bear. Or so we are led to believe. A kind of Winnie the Poohdunnit with claws.

Sultry sax notes of 50s film noir and Grappelli-esque fiddle at the start give promise to a gumshoe genre that fails to fully materialise. A US voiceover continues the private eye theme as Angela Clerkin stands like a sleuthing Lily Marlene under the light of a yellow lamp. This element weaves in and out of the action but is lost as a dominant theme despite the play’s hype.

Instead, Angela Clerkin narrates her true story, based on … Continue reading Review – The Bear

Queen's Hall | Reviews

Review – Maria de Buenos Aries

* * * *   Latina Soul

Mr McFall's Chamber - Maria de Buenos Aires - Thu 16 May 2013 - The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh -0116-2 (l-r Brian Shiele playing violin + Su-a Lee playing cello) Photo Credit - Andy Catlin

Brian Shiele (violin) and Su-a Lee (cello) in Maria de Buenos Aires. Photo Credit – Andy Catlin

Queen’s Hall
Thurs 16 May 2013
Review by Hugh Kerr

Nuevo Tango came to the Queen’s Hall last night, replacing the cold of a May spring night in Edinburgh with the warmth of Latin America thanks to another great performance from Mr McFall’s Chamber.

With candle-lit tables in place of the formal rows of seats, once the music of Astor Piazzolla’s operetta Maria de Buenos Aries began it was easy to think you were in Buenos Aires. Not least because of the backdrop of Geraldine Comte’s film of street scenes from that city which, with selected subtitles, enhanced the performance.

Astor Piazzolla, who died in 1992, was a fascinating musician and composer who straddled the world of classical, jazz and dance musics, fusing them into … Continue reading Review – Maria de Buenos Aries

Church Hill Theatre | Reviews

Review – Ira Levin’s Deathtrap

* * *    A twist of meta-dunnit

Matthew Thomson (Clifford Anderson), Pat Hymers (Sidney Bruhl) and Jennie Davidson (Muyra Bruhl) in Leitheatre's 2013 production of Deathtrap at Church Hill Theatre. Photo © Marion Donohoe

Matthew Thomson (Clifford Anderson), Pat Hymers (Sidney Bruhl) and Jennie Davidson (Muyra Bruhl) Photo © Marion Donohoe

Church Hill Theatre
Wed 15-Sat 18 May 2013
Review by Thom Dibdin

Cutting like a honed knife, Ira Levin’s murder thriller is as intense and satisfyingly tricky as it ever was when it was written in the late seventies.

Deathtrap aspires to be the perfect two act thriller, as its own circling, self-aware script boasts at the outset. It has the right ingredients: one set, five characters, a juicy murder in the first act, plenty of twists in the second and enough comedy throughout to keep it light.

And the play delivers on the promise, even though its knowing post-modern deconstruction is not as trendy as once it was. So too, for the most part, does Leitheatre under the direction of Rosalind Becroft. … Continue reading Review – Ira Levin’s Deathtrap

Playhouse | Reviews

Review – Ghost: The Musical

* * * *   Puts the spectre in spectacular

Photo credit: Ghost the Musical on tour

Photo credit: Ghost the Musical on tour

Edinburgh Playhouse
Tue 14 May – Sat 1 June 2013
Review by Martin Gray

Sam Wheat has it all – a great job, a great home and most of all, a great woman. Then he loses it all, killed in an apparently random street mugging. He doesn’t move on to the next world, though, because he has unfinished business – protecting love Molly from the men responsible for his death. Unable to communicate with her, psychic Oda Mae Brown is his only hope …

A massive screen hit in 1990, Ghost had a generation in tears, as Demi Moore’s heart broke over the loss of Patrick Swayze, and Whoopi Goldberg tried to help. Adding song and dance is a risky proposition: it worked brilliantly as a straightforward … Continue reading Review – Ghost: The Musical

News

Susan Boyle July date at Festival Theatre

Seven date Scottish tour to finish in Edinburgh

Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh Susan Boyle Tour July 2013 By Thom Dibdin

Susan Boyle is to return to Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre on her first ever live tour in July. The Blackburn-born runner-up of Britain’s Got Talent 2009 will play two dates at the theatre on Friday 12 and Saturday 13.

The exclusive seven night tour brings Susan back to the Festival Theare where she appeared last September during performances of the show I Dreamed A Dream, the musical about the international singing star’s life.

Speaking of the upcoming tour, Susan said; “I’m really looking forward to getting on stage and singing with my own band for an entire show. This is the year that I feel that I would be able to give an audience what they want. I’ve always wanted to do my own show and now I feel confident enough to give it a go.”

Although Susan appeared on stage at the finale of select performances of I Dreamed A Dream, singing the song from Les Misérables which drove her to fame, she was portayed on stage by Elaine C Smith. … Continue reading Susan Boyle July date at Festival Theatre