Published: May 24th, 2013 Longest serving Bond to appear at Festival Theatre
 Sir Roger Moore – publicity photograph By Thom Dibdin
Sir Roger Moore is to make his Edinburgh stage debut this Autumn when he appears at the Festival Theatre as part of a ten date speaking tour in conversation with writer Gareth Owen.
Moore became a household name in the 60s playing Simon Templar in The Saint and went on to star alongside Tony Curtis, in The Persuaders!. He joined the Bond franchise in 1973 at the age of 45 in Live and Let Die, taking over from Sean Connery. Over 12 years he starred in seven Bonds, finishing with A View to a Kill in 1985 when he was 58.
According to publicity for the event: “Roger will be discussing his astonishing life and career, with inside stories and exclusive anecdotes ranging from his internationally-renowned TV series The Saint and The Persuaders, through to Hollywood blockbusters and, of course, the 007 films.”
Moore will be interviewed by Gareth Owen, author of nine books who worked with Moore on his autobiography My Word Is My Bond and his 2012 book Bond On Bond. Gareth has … Continue reading Sir Roger Moore makes Edinburgh debut
Published: May 24th, 2013
 Conor Lovett in First Love by Samuel Beckett, directed by Judy Hegarty Lovett. Photo creadit Ros Kavanagh Traverse Theatre
Thurs 23-Sat 25 May, 2013
Review by Thom Dibdin
Samuel Beckett is back in the house, down in Traverse One with the return of the Gare St Lazare Players and their thorough, particular adaptation of First Love, a short story written in 1948 but not published until 1971.
On the surface, there is little to this first-person narrative. A young man leaves home when his father dies, meets a woman on a bench by the canal and, after a bit of havering, goes to live with her in her flat. Despite his best intentions he is in love.
But such a synopsis is an all-but-inappropriate oversimplification of a tale which twists with spite and failed lassitude. The sweet smell of corpses underlines it and the young man is motivated – if that is not … Continue reading Review – First Love
Published: May 24th, 2013
 Jenna Watt in Flaneurs. Photo credit Eoin Carey Traverse Theatre
Thurs 23/Fri 24 May 2013
Review by Irene Brown
The attack and mugging of a friend in London horrified writer and creator Jenna Watt. Even more so, when she discovered that the attack took place in front of many witnesses.
Watt uses an engaging direct narration to tell her personal response to the crime in which she makes a particular point of questioning the role of bystanders. There is a belief that “the larger the crowd, the less likely it is that anyone will intervene”.
It is this phenomenon that focuses Watt’s work and gives it its title. Flâneurs comes from the French verb flâner meaning to stroll – or, pejoratively, to hing aboot. A flâneur, then, is one who does … Continue reading Review – Flâneurs
Published: May 23rd, 2013 Original 500-word plays get August outing – & other Trav notes…
 The Traverse 50. Photo Credit Eoin Carie By Thom Dibdin
The Traverse has announced that it is to feature all the Traverse Fifty’s original 500-word plays – the Fifty Plays for Edinburgh – as part of the productions at this year’s Edinburgh festivals.
Originally produced as a marathon one-evening event, the 50 plays will return over two nights at the end of August – 25 plays each night. They will once again be directed by Traverse artistic director Orla O’Loughlin and associate director Hamish Pirie.
O’Loughlin told the Annals: “In the Traverse’s fiftieth year, we’re looking ahead to the next generation of playwriting talent. Putting our Traverse Fifty writers centre stage this festival was the perfect opportunity to celebrate our commitment to emerging writers, and showcase the compelling … Continue reading Taking the Traverse Fifty to the fringe
Published: May 23rd, 2013
 Publicity shoot at Craigmillar Castle. Photo © Robert Fuller. Church Hill Theatre
Wed 22 – Sat 25 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
Published: May 21st, 2013
 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
Published: May 20th, 2013 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
Published: May 19th, 2013 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 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
Published: May 18th, 2013 * * * * Steaming with vitality
 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
Published: May 18th, 2013 * * * Poohdunnit with claws
 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
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