Published: April 16th, 2014 The Beautiful Cosmos of Ivor Cutler opens in Glasgow
 Sandy Grierson as Ivor Cutler. Photo © Tim Morozzo Words: Thom Dibdin
Photos: Tim Morozzo
The strange and idiosyncratic world of Ivor Cutler has been brought to the stage in a new co-production between Matthew Lenton’s Vanishing Point and the National Theatre of Scotland.
The Beautiful Cosmos of Ivor Cutler opened at the Glasgow Citizens on Thursday 10 April and tours to Edinburgh’s Traverse from Tuesday 29 April for six performances.
Ahead of the production’s arrival in Edinburgh, when Hugh Simpson will be reviewing for Æ, here are some of the official pics of the show, taken by Tim Morozzo. … Continue reading First Look: Ivor Cutler
Published: April 15th, 2014 NT smash hit to play Edinburgh in April 2015
 Niamh Cusack as Siobhan and Luke Treadaway as Christopher Boone. Photo © Brinkhoff/Moegenburg By Thom Dibdin
The National Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is to tour to the Festival Theatre as part of a ten-date national tour.
The tour opens at the Lowry Theatre in Salford this December and continues in 2015. The show will arrive at the Festival Theatre for a two week run from Monday 27 April to Saturday 9 May.
Simon Stephens’ adaptation of Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel won seven Olivier Awards in 2013 including Best New Play, Best Director, Best Lighting Design and Best Sound Design.
It also won the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Theatre and has been seen by over 200,000 people during its run in the West End. … Continue reading Curious Incident Festival Theatre dates announced
Published: April 14th, 2014 Giving the quiet folk a voice
 For his round-up of spoken word events during the last weeks of April, resident poet J. A. Sutherland looks at events drowned out by the louder voices – in particular, those that don’t claim to be ‘spoken word’ but in which words are spoken and/or read aloud.
Over the last month or so there have been several book launches which, naturally, include readings. Two well-established publications – Magma, and The Istanbul Review – held their Edinburgh launches, in The Blind Poet and Looking Glass Books respectively.
Later in March, a capacity audience squashed into the Saltire Society for the launch of two new poetry books. The first was Alasdair Paterson, who read from his book Elsewhere or Thereabouts with … Continue reading Giving Voice – Wordly Wisdom for All
Published: April 14th, 2014 Scotland’s oldest concert hall relives ballroom past
 Pin-up and Pout! Photo © Laurence Winram Photography By Thom Dibdin
St Cecilia’s Hall on the Cowgate, Scotland’s oldest purpose-built concert hall, is to relive its trendiest incarnation in May, ahead of being closed for a £6.5m transformation.
Swing dancers, jazz musicians and vintage hairstyles are set to return the hall to its 1940s ballroom setting as part of a three-day series of events over the weekend of May 16-18.
On Saturday 17 May, One Last Dance will be an evening of dancing with live music from the University of Edinburgh’s Jazz Orchestra.
There will be an opportunity to take a swing dance class beforehand and, earlier in the afternoon, a master class in recreating 1940s hairstyles. … Continue reading St Cecilia’s takes One Last Dance
Published: April 12th, 2014 Casablanca: the Gin Joint Cut pauses before Paris
 Gavin Mitchell and Clare Waugh. Photo © John Johnston By Thom Dibdin
Classic fringe hit and product of the Oran Mor play factory, Casablanca: the Gin Joint Cut, returns to Edinburgh for one performance only this Sunday.
The play is off to Paris for a ten-night stint at the Théâtre Déjazet, on the request of Jim Haynes, co-founder of the Traverse and its former Artistic Director.
The production is a stunning and loving homage to the classic black and white movie from writer and director Morag Fullarton – presented in … Continue reading We’ll Always Have the Pleasance
Published: April 12th, 2014
 Anita Vettesse, Dani Heron and Scott Reid. Photo © Oran Mor Traverse Theatre
Tue 8 – Sat 12 April 2014
Review by Thom Dibdin
Tense and nervous drama of the kind that just won’t relax comes to the Traverse this week in the second instalment of the Spring 2014 season of lunchtime theatre A Play, A Pie and A Pint.
Writer Johnny McKnight, who has six seasons of successful pantomime at the macrobert in Stirling under his belt, is best known for his comedy – and this certainly sets out as such.
But he also knows how to write the sort of drama that will have you squirming in your seat at the truth and suspense of it all. Which is exactly where he has gone with this brilliant piece of lunchtime theatre. … Continue reading A Perfect Stroke – Review
Published: April 11th, 2014
 Laura Flynn and Alex Gordon. Photo © Mark Gorman Wed 9 – Sat 12 April 2014
Edinburgh Academy
Review by Thom Dibdin
It’s Good Morning Baltimore at the Edinburgh Academy’s theatre all this week where the young members of the Forth Children’s Theatre are getting it right with a super production of Hairspray.
The stage adaptation of John Waters film of racial integration and triumph over body fascism, set in early 1960s Baltimore, has big tunes, big dance numbers and big characters coming out of its ears.
Fortunately, FCT is equally well-equipped with great young performers who, if their vocal equipment is not yet quite up to the … Continue reading Hairspray – Review
Published: April 10th, 2014 Theatre groups invited to join marketing campaign #HomeTurf
 Carol Hayes and Amy Gilmartin at the launch of TheatreUncut last year. Photo © Philip Roberts By Thom Dibdin
Edinburgh’s professional theatre companies staging shows at this year’s fringe are being invited to join a new collective, under the banner of Home Turf.
Started by Amy Gilmartin of Urban Fox Theatre with Carol Hayes founder of the CulturePie website, Home Turf aims to unite Edinburgh-based companies whose work is listed in the Theatre section of the Edinburgh Fringe Guide.
According to the open invitation going to interested groups: “The idea is to group together and share resources to produce an A5 booklet featuring each company’s production, alongside a dedicated website, Facebook page and twitter campaign (#HomeTurf). … Continue reading New collective for Edin Companies at EdFringe
Published: April 8th, 2014 Opened doors, public art and poetics…
 The Culture Collider Now that the stooshie over spoken word performance has hopefully died down, here are this week’s collisions of culture and – even – science from resident perveyor of poetry J. A. Sutherland.
As spring tries to fight its way through the fog (that some folk erroneously called the “ha’ar”) there has been a profusion of public art popping up. Lights in St Andrew’s Square, photographs on The Mound and, last week, a dazzling display of artwork in the dank dungeons of Market Street.
Hidden Doors was more than just public art; it was a statement about how we use the empty spaces in our city and illuminate our darkest places. Particularly thought-provoking was the installation by … Continue reading Wordly Wise – April Collisions
Published: April 5th, 2014
 Rae Lamond and Susanne Horsburgh. Photo © Simon Boothroyd Tue 1 – Sat 5 April 2014
King’s Theatre Edinburgh
Review by Thom Dibdin
Uplifting grace and outmoded comedy combine in equal measures for the Edinburgh Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s new production of Princess Ida which plays at the King’s all week.
Written when Gilbert and Sullivan were reaching the peak of their popularity and just before the Mikado – reviewed at the Roxy Arthouse last week – Princess Ida itself finds its own set of internal contradictions.
On the one hand Sullivan’s music is some of his best – it got contemporary tongues wagging in 1894 and still gladdens the heart. On the other, Gilbert’s plot is a tirade against female education that is based on … Continue reading Princess Ida – Review
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