This week 5 – 11 March 2018
On Edinburgh’s stages this week
After the tribulations and cancellations due to the snow last week, all productions in Edinburgh this week are scheduled to go ahead, thanks to much hard work behind the scenes.
The one casualty is the opening night of Hello Dolly! which has had to be put back 24 hours, as the folk at Southern Light battled valiantly to get to rehearsals, pick up their costumes and get their set delivered and into the theatre.
Jane McCarry, Jo Freer, Wendy Seager, Louise McCarthy, Darren Brownlie, Barbara Rafferty credit Mihaela Bodlovic
New company Shoots Theatre has also had a mountain to climb in their staging of the Edinburgh premiere of Little Women – the Musical. Snow-bound cast members, cancelled rehearsals, a set buried in snow and cancelled deliveries will not stop the show going ahead as planned, however.
This week’s big opening show is the world premiere of Bingo! at the Assembly Hall on the Mound, which sees Stellar Quines and Grid Iron teaming up for a musical comedy by Anita Vettesse, Johnny McKnight and Alan Penman. Directed by Jemima Levick and with a pretty stellar cast, this is one to look forward to before it heads off on tour round Scotland.
The big dance piece of the week is at the Festival Theatre where “physically charged and sensual choreography fuses contemporary dance with nods to the Spanish paso doble and flamenco” as Ballet Hispánico perform CARMEN.maquia – a Picasso-inspired, contemporary take on Bizet.
must see
Entering its last week, The Belle’s Stratagem is a must-see show – and on Monday the Lyceum has an extra bonus with Talk Show, an evening of ideas, talks and art stimulated by the themes of the show.
There is some gritty stuff from the student companies this week. At the Bedlam, the EUTC is picking up the #MeToo movement with an evening of personal accounts. Stories of sexual assault and harassment which are difficult and honest and heartbreaking and true. We Need To Talk is about making an agreement that whilst those may have been the stories of yesterday and today, those are not the stories of tomorrow.
At the Pleasance the EUSC promise a visceral, contemporary take on Romeo and Juliet, which aims to strike a balance between the brutal realities of life whilst taking the audience into a magical realm.
For those who like their theatre so new it has even been fully formed yet, there are a couple of great events. The Rose Theatre welcomes Glasgow’ Short Attention Span for the first time – half a dozen short plays prepared for the evening. While Summerhall has two Scratch Nights of material not yet finished, getting its first ever workout in front of an audience – and maybe never to be seen in this form ever again!
Listings – 5 – 11 March 2018
Assembly Hall
Mound Place, EH1 2LU
Bingo!
Previews: Tuesday 6/Wednesday 7 March: 7.30pm.
Run: Wednesday 8 – Saturday 17 March.
Evenings Mon – Sat: 7.30pm; Matinee Sat: 2.30pm.
Featuring cracking original numbers, a lot of banter and cheeky humour, multi-award winning Scottish theatre companies Grid Iron and Stellar Quines invite you to join them for an unforgettable night at the Bingo. A new musical comedy with book and lyrics by Anita Vettesse & Johnny McKnight, music by Alan Penman and direction from Jemima Levick.
Assembly Roxy
2 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU
Little Women, The Broadway Musical
Wednesday 7 – Saturday 10 March 2018
Evenings 7.30pm; Matinee, Sat: 2.30pm.
Based on the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott, this musical adaptation with book by Allan Knee and Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein brings her story to life with a beautifully moving musical score by Jason Howland accompanying all the highs and lows of the March family’s journey as four young sisters find their way in the world.
The Turn Vol 1 : Speak
Saturday 10 March 2018
Evening: 7.30pm.
Taking inspiration from the party tradition of ‘doing a turn’ and their love of a ceilidh, TwentySomething presents the first edition of THE TURN, “an exciting new evening of performance, spoken word, dance and music”.
Bedlam Theatre
11b Bristo Place, EH1 1EZ
Travesties
Wednesday 7/Thursday 8 March 2018
Evenings: 7.30pm.
The EUTC with Tom Stoppard’s 1974 play about the elderly Henry Carr remembering James Joyce, Lennin and Tristan Tzara while he was a consular official in Zurich in 1917.
We Need To Talk
Friday 9 March 2018
Evening: 7.30pm.
An evening of solidarity devoted to “explicitly establishing what it is that we as Bedlam, as theatre makers and as students stand for: we will refuse to tolerate any form of discrimination, abuse or harassment, be it sexual or otherwise.”
The Brunton
Ladywell Way, Musselburgh EH21 6AA. Phone booking: 0131 665 2240
Transitions Dance Company: Triple Bill
Friday 9 March 2018
Evening: 7.30pm.
Specially commissioned contemporary works by choreographers Richard Chappell (UK), Jarkko Partann (Finland) and Hagit Yakira (Israel) with pieces ranging from the poetically human and the humorous to the intricately technical and dynamic. Transitions: www.trinitylaban.ac.uk.
Festival Theatre
13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000
Ballet Hispánico: Carmen
Tuesday 6 – Saturday 10 March
Evenings: 7.30pm; Matinees Thurs, Sat: 2.30pm.
the European debut of America’s premier Latino dance company Ballet Hispánico performing CARMEN.maquia, a Picasso-inspired, contemporary take on Bizet’s classic, coupled with Linea Recta.
Linea Recta from company Ballet Hispánico. Pic Paula Lobo
King’s Theatre
2 Leven Street EH3 9LQ. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000
Hello Dolly
Wednesday 6 – Saturday 10 March 2018.
Evenings 7.30pm; Matinee Sat: 2.30pm.
NB: Opening night has been put back 24 hours to Wednesday, due to logistical problems caused by last week’s snow.
Southern Light return to the King’s stage with their take on Jerry Herman’s perennial Broadway block-buster. Packed full of romance and energetic dancing it includes some of musical theatre’s greatest songs including Call On Dolly, Put On Your Sunday Clothes, Before the Parade Passes By, and, of course, the show-stopping titular song…
Lyceum Theatre
Grindlay Street EH3 9AX. Phone booking: 0131 248 4848
The Belle’s Stratagem
Saturday 17 February – Saturday 10 March.
Tue – Sat: 7.30pm; Matinees from 21st: Weds, Sat: 2pm.
A witty riposte to Farquhar’s The Beaux Stratagem, Hannah Cowley’s rediscovered gem, adapted by Tony Cownie and now set in Georgian Edinburgh, turns the tables on the farcical goings-on and has the women coming out on top. Read Æ’s review” ★★★★☆ Exemplary comedy.
Talk Show: The Belle’s Stratagem
Monday 5 March 2018
Early Evening: 6pm.
Short talks, song, music, poetry and conversation stimulated by the themes of The Belle’s Stratagem with guests: Professor Emeritus Sir Thomas M Devine, Dr Kate Newey, Sara Sheridan and Blueflint.
Playhouse
18 – 22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA. Phone booking: 0844 871 3014
Blood Brothers
Monday 5 – Saturday 10 Mar 2018
Evenings: 7.30pm; Matinees Wed & Sat: 2.30pm.
Willy Russell’s musical tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with fateful consequences. Lyn Paul returns to the iconic role of Mrs Johnstone in the Bill Kenwright production. Read our reviews of previous tours: tag: blood-brothers.
Pleasance Theatre
Pleasance Courtyard, 60 Pleasance EH8 9TJ.
Romeo and Juliet
Tuesday 6 – Saturday 10 March 2018
Evenings: 7.30pm.
For their tenth annual production, the EUSC promise a visceral, contemporary production of Shakespeare’s ultimate tragedy.
Rose Theatre
205 Rose Street, EH2 4AZ.
Short Attention Span
Tuesday 6/Wednesday 7 March 2018.
Evenings: 8pm.
Six short plays written and performed by emerging writers. The Chatanooga Choo Choo by Catriona Duggan, Becoming Doctor Barry by MJ Brocklebank, Home Body by Sarah Jane Quinn, Craig’s Da by Chris McQueer, Les Dawson’s Grand Piano by Tom Brogan and Something To Remember You By by Melanie Combe. Full details: www.facebook.com.
The Studio at Festival Theatre
22 Potterrow, EH8 9BL. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000
Thats What She Said
Thursday 8 March 2018
Evening: 7 – 10pm.
To celebrate International Women’s Day and the Year of Young People 2018 (YOYP2018), the Festival and King’s Theatres have been working with a group of extraordinary young women to co-design and present an inspirational and empowered work from local female artists. An open afternoon of workshops and networking followed by an evening of exclusive performances, photography and music from the likes of Janis Claxton, Storyboard Theatre and Flora Bird.
Summerhall
1 Summerhall Square, EH9 1PL
Summerhall Scratch
Thursday 8/Friday 9 March 2018.
Evenings: 7.30pm.
Two nights of scratch performances hosted by Mamoru Iriguchi.
Thursday
Rachel Jackson – Delusional; Belle Jones And Novasound – Closed Doors; Jen Mcgregor – Fine Girl; Claire Pençak And Merav Israel – Entr’actes; and Bibi June – Daughter, Mother, Truth.
Friday
Annie Lord – Celluloid; Katie Armstrong – Hand//Shake 1 And Hand//Shake 2; Théâtre Sans Accents – Knots; Shhe – Dýrafjörður; and Alle Dowska –Reflexions.
Traverse
10 Cambridge Street, EH1 2ED. Phone booking: 0131 228 1404
Mind Your Head
Thurs 8 – Sat 10 March 2018.
Evenings: 7.30pm.
Lyceum Youth Theatre and Traverse Young Writers present a double bill which examines the hot topic of mental wellbeing for young people today. Brainstorm, explores the complexities of the adolescent brain in a unique performance conceived by a playwright, a neuroscientist and partially devised by the LYT cast themselves. Mr Blue Sky, a devised drama exploring happiness, was first developed for Chrysalis festival.
ENDS
