Listings: Mon 11 – Sun 17 March 2019
What to see on Edinburgh’s stages this week
It’s week two of the Amateur residency at the King’s and the always impeccable EdGAS take their turn with a production of The Mikado.
Elsewhere, amateur companies bring very different productions to the stage. First up, at the Church Hill, EPT has gentle comedy in the form of The Cemetery Club.
Momoko Hirata as Belle with Artists of Birmingham Royal Ballet as the Ravens in Beauty and the Beast. Pic: Andrew Ross
Then there are student productions – which are very much open to the public. At the Pleasance the EUSC has a modern take on The Taming of the Shrew and at Bedlam the EUTC take on Lorca with a production of Yerma.
Dance fans are taking notice this week as Birmingham Royal Ballet are in town with David Bintley’ choreography of Beauty and the Beast danced to music by Glenn Buhr.
Still in the dance world, but with a definitely political slant, Fat Blokes at The Traverse addresses something of dance and society’s attitudes to the male body. And at the Assembly Roxy, Kath Burlinson also uses the human body as a canvas in InVisible Lines.
Also at the Roxy, the reliable Edinburgh Studio Opera has a production of Eugene Onegin, while there will no doubt be much dancing and singing in the aisles at the Playhouse this week with first Brendan Cole: The Show Man, and then Abba Party Night.
Oh, and this week sees the first preview dates of Local Hero at the Lyceum. There are still a number of £10 seats left – but not that many – ahead of the full opening on March 23.
Full listing with ticket links
Assembly Roxy
Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU. Phone booking: 0131 623 3030
Eugene Onegin
Tuesday 12 – Friday 15 March 2019
Tue, Thurs, Fri Evenings: 7.30pm. (Central)
Robert Hersey directs the Edinburgh Studio Opera in Tchaikovsky’s adaptation of Pushkin’s novel about a selfish man who lives to regret his rejection of a young woman’s love – and careless incitement of a fatal duel with his best friend. Book here.
InVisible Lines
Wednesday 13 – Saturday 16 March 2019
Evenings: 7.30pm (Downstairs)
An intimate and daring odyssey, conceived, written and performed by Kath Burlinson, that uses the human body as a canvas to explore ageing, loss, life-cycles, seasonality, death and defiance. Book here.
Bedlam Theatre
11b Bristo Place, EH1 1EZ
Yerma
Wed 13 – Sat 16 March 2019
Evenings: 7.30pm
Federico Garcia Lorca’s 1934 piece challenged the social order of the time and the claustrophobic expectations of a rural Spanish village. It is relevant in our world of pressure and expectation, where women can be just as crippled by the judgment around them. In this bold new multi-sensory adaptation, Lorca’s age-old themes will be rendered contemporary. Book here.
The Brunton
Ladywell Way, Musselburgh EH21 6AA. Phone booking: 0131 665 2240
Billy Bremner and Me
Thursday 14 March 2019
Evenings: 7.30pm
A schoolboy’s dream. To be a professional footballer, to play at the highest level, to represent his country and to usurp the crown of his school’s greatest hero: Leeds United and Scotland footballer Billy Bremner. The schoolboy was comedian Phil Differ and only one thing stood in his way – mediocrity. Discover the fruits of Phil’s failure in this autobiographical one man show. Book here.
Church Hill Theatre
33a Morningside Road, EH10 4DR
The Cemetery Club
Wed 13 to Sat 16 March 2019
Wed – Fri evenings: 7.30pm; Sat: 2.30pm.
Comedy drama by Ivan Menchell about three Jewish widows’ monthly visits their husbands’ graves. Ida is the home maker type, Lucille imagines that every man is eyeing her up and Doris likes everything to be done properly. The wisecracks are flowing until one day Sam the butcher – a man! – arrives to visit his wife‘s grave and upsets the apple cart. Book online.
Festival Theatre
13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000.
Birmingham Royal Ballet: Beauty and the Beast
Wed 13 – Sat 16 March 2019
Evenings 7.30pm, Matinees Thu & Sat 2.30pm.
A cruel prince, cursed to spend the rest of his life living in a fantastical castle with the animals he callously hunted, finds salvation in the heart of a beautiful girl. Music Glenn Buhr, Choreography David Bintley. Book here.
First Steps: Beauty and the Beast
Fri 15 March 2019
2.30pm (1 hour).
Interactive show, specially adapted for children aged 3+, featuring ballet excerpts from Beauty and the Beast. Book here.
King’s Theatre
2 Leven Street EH3 9LQ. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000
EDGAS present The Mikado
Tue 12 to Sat 16 March 2019
Evenings: 7.30pm; Matinees Sat: 2.30pm.
Edinburgh Gilbert and Sullivan Society present Gilbert & Sullivan’s legendary smash hit. Set in the fictional Japanese town of Titipu with exotic costumes and a large and impressive cast, this production promises to be a treat for all ages. Book here.
Lyceum Theatre
Grindlay Street EH3 9AX. Phone booking: 0131 248 4848
Local Hero
Thurs 14 March – Sat 4 May 2019
Previews: Thurs 14 – Fri 22 March; Opens Sat 23 March 2019.
Evenings Tue – Sat: 7.30pm; Matinees (from 27) Weds, Sat: 2pm.
A wry comedy about a man who sets out to buy a beach, but ends up losing his heart to a village, Bill Forsyth’s magical Local Hero takes to the stage with new music and songs by the legendary Mark Knopfler.
A co-production with The Old Vic. Book here.
Playhouse
18 – 22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA. Phone booking: 0844 871 3014.
Brendan Cole: The Show Man
Wednesday 13 March 2019
Evening: 7.30pm.
Brush off your tails, Brendan is back! This brand new production for 2019 promises unparalleled entertainment as Brendan Cole leads his stunning cast in a thrilling extravaganza of music and dance. Book now.
Abba Party Night
Friday 15 March 2019
Evening: 7.30pm.
Aileen McLaughlin & TJ Davis – who formally fronted Björn Again with a full live band perform the greatest hits of ABBA in their own fun and unique style. Renowned for their authentic voices, musical excellence and original costumes, this is a must see show for all the Dancing Queens. Book now.
Pleasance Theatre
Pleasance Courtyard, 60 Pleasance EH8 9TJ.
The Taming of the Shrew
Tue 12 – Sat 16 Mar 2019
Evenings: 7.30pm.
See preview: EUSC Take on the Shrew.
With disorder, deception and disguise, The Taming of the Shrew has all the makings of a classic Shakespearean comedy and yet, underpinned by misogyny and domestic abuse, contains some of the most hard-hitting themes of the canon. The EUSC’s 11th annual production will address these themes head-on in a frank and bold retelling of a controversial classic. Book here
Traverse Theatre
10 Cambridge Street, EH1 2ED. Phone booking: 0131 228 1404.
Fat Blokes
Fri 15 – Sat 16 Mar 2019
Evenings: 7.30pm (Trav 1)
Fat Blokes is a sort of dance show about flab, double chins and getting your kit off in public. It uncovers why fat men are never sexy but are always funny, always the ‘before’ but never the ‘after’ shot. Book here.
National Theatre Connections 2019
Sun 17 – Wed 20 Mar 2019
Evenings: 7pm.
The National Theatre Connections festival is a celebration of young people, theatre-making and the importance of access to the arts. Book here.
