Preview & Listings: Mon 1 – Sun 7 April 2024
What is on Edinburgh’s stages this week?
It’s a week of big openers in smaller venues this week. The much anticipated James V: Katherine is at the Studio (Fri 5 – Sat 20: tickets) and the returning This is Memorial Device is at the Traverse (Wed – Sat: tickets).
The big local amateur production is at the Church Hill, where the Forth Children’s Theatre is celebrating its 45th anniversary with the FCT Anniversary Gala (Thurs – Sat: tickets). Featuring company members “past present and future” – it’s sure to be a good one.
The politicians in Eusog’s Biolanthe.
There are two interesting student shows on offer this week. Eusog have an environmental take on Iolanthe with Biolanthe at Summerhall (Wed – Fri: tickets) and the EUTC have Sartre’s No Exit at the Bedlam (Thurs/Fri: tickets).
Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe: The Peer and the Peri follows the plight of a group of fairies as they are mocked and ridiculed by a crowd of peers of the realm. In revenge they send half-fairy Strephon, the child of the fairy Iolanthe and a mortal, into parliament to wreak havoc by ensuring all fairy laws are passed.
In Biolanthe, Fraser Grant’s adaptation gives a modern, environmentalist twist to the story, with eco-warrior pixies battling against self important politicians and the corrupt media in a fight to save the planet.
As for Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit, three characters who held significant control over other people when alive, are completely unable to influence the people they find themselves with in the afterlife. This anguish destines them to torture one another for eternity. Every character forever trying to gain recognition from another, and each in turn eternally unable to provide it.
Visually Impaired Creators Scotland
At the Assembly Roxy, Visually Impaired Creators Scotland have their latest show, Sense of Loss (Fri/Sat: tickets). This combines ideas of visual impairment (rarely thought about or discussed) and death (often thought about but barely spoken of), by exploring death through the lens of visual impairment.
The show features visually impaired Kirin, as she parties with friends and reflects on her struggle with losing her husband as it nears the 10 year anniversary of his death.
Also at the Roxy, Nick Cope has added an extra performance on Thursday afternoon of Nick Cope’s Family Show (tickets).
The big popular musical theatre opener Pretty Woman, is at the Playhouse (ends Sat 20 April: tickets). It is pretty much a guaranteed pleaser, with a fabulous cast led by Ore Oduba who is at the top of his game as the fourth wall-breaking Happy Man and hotel concierge Mr Thompson.
Amber Davies proves that there is a lot more to her than “winner of Love Island 2017″, with a strong vocal turn as prostitute Vivian Ward, while Oliver Savile is also outstanding as billionaire asset-stripper Edward Lewis. Noah Harrison puts in a particularly pleasing and scene-stealing turn as bellhop Giulio.
It’s the last of A Play, A Pie and A Pint’s current lunchtime theatre season at the Traverse, with The Scaff (ends Sat: Tickets).
Finally Hamilton continues its sold out run at the Festival Theatre (ends Sat 27 April: tickets). See our review for top tips of how to get tickets.
Have a good one.
Listings for week ending Sunday 7 April 2024:
Click on the name of the show or the Book here link to go to its ticketing site:
Assembly Roxy
2 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU
Nick Cope’s Family Show (Nick Cope)
Thurs 4 April 2024.
Two shows: 11am & 2pm (Central).
Nick Cope has been writing and recording his beautiful and totally unique songs for children and their families for over 10 years, he performs with his guitar and animations to sell-out crowds all over the country. He has an incredible fan base from all over the UK which has just grown immeasurably over the last year due to the phenomenal success of his CBeebies show Nick Cope’s Popcast, now into its third series. Book here.
Sense of Loss (Visually Impaired Creators Scotland)
Fri 5 – Sat 6 April 2024
Evenings: 7pm (Upstairs).
Death. It comes for all of us, eventually. We often think about this reality but barely speak it. Over 180,000 people deal with visual impairment in Scotland, a fact which is rarely thought about or discussed. VICS are combining these two facts and exploring death through the lens of visual impairment in their new production. Book here.
Bedlam Theatre
11B Bristo Place, EH1 1EZ.
No Exit (EUTC)
Thurs 4 – Fri 5 April 2024.
Evenings: 7.30pm.
In Jean Paul Satre’s vision of hell being other people, three characters find themselves in hell. A valet leads them into a small room, where they believe physical torture awaits. They gradually realise that the room itself is hell and the very presence of others is torture. Book here.
Church Hill Theatre
33 Morningside Road, EH10 4DR.
45th Anniversary Gala (FCT)
Thurs 4 – Sat 6 April 2024.
Evenings: 7.30pm, Sat mat: 2.30pm.
This year Forth Children’s Theatre is celebrating its 45th Anniversary. This is the company’s big celebration: a Gala Concert featuring some of the highlights of FCT’s history performed by FCT members past and present. Book here.
Festival Theatre
13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000.
Hamilton
Run ends – Sat 27 April 2024
Mon – Sat: 7.30pm; Matinees Thurs, Sat: 2.30pm (+Tue 3 April)
Æ Review: ★★★★★ The storm’s eye.
The story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and helped shape the very foundations of the America we know today. Book here.
Lyceum Theatre
Grindlay Street EH3 9AX. Phone booking: 0131 248 4848.
Playhouse
18 – 22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA. Phone booking: 0844 871 3014
Pretty Woman: The Musical
Tue 2 – Sat 13 April 2024
Tue – Sat: 7.30pm; Mats Wed, Sat & Sun: 2.30pm
Once upon a time in the late ’80s, Vivian met Edward and her life changed forever. Be swept up in their romance in this dazzlingly theatrical take on a love story for the ages – and get to know these iconic characters in a whole new way – in a sensational show that took London’s West End by storm, guaranteed to lift your spirits and light up your heart. Book here.
Studio Theatre
The Studio, 22 Potterrow, EH8 9BL. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000.
James V: Katherine
Fri 5 – Sat 20 April 2024
Previews Fri 5/Sat 6, Tue 9: 7.30pm.
Tue – Sat 7.30pm; Mats Thurs, Sat : 2.30pm.
See Æ news story: Next James play announced
The latest instalment in the James Plays series from writer Rona Munro. One woman’s love story, during the time that changed Scotland forever.” Any human soul has only two real choices. How we live and how we die…” Book here.
Summerhall
1 Summerhall, EH9 1PL.
Biolanthe (EUSOG
Wed 3 – Fri 5 Apr 2024
Evenings: 7.30pm (Tec Cube 0)
EUSOG’s fresh take on Iolanthe sees eco-warrior fairies pitted against arrogant and self-important politicians in a fight to save the planet. This eco-opera updates the original production’s lyrics, bringing 21st century satire to the iconic score. Book here.
Traverse
10 Cambridge Street, EH1 2ED. Phone booking: 0131 228 1404.
The Scaff (PPP)
Tue 2 – Sat 6 Apr 2024
Daily: 1pm (Trav 2).
Liam plays football at school with a close-knit group of lads who decide to enact revenge when they find out that he has been called the worst thing ever – a ‘Scaff’. When the scheme fails and ends up severely injuring the star striker, the consequences rip apart not only the boys’ friendship but the entire school. An epic and nostalgic comedy about a group of misfits who plot the worst football tackle of all time. Book here.
This Is Memorial Device
Wed 3 – Sat 6 Apr 2024
Evenings: 7.30pm ; Sat Mat: 2pm (Trav 1)
Æ EdFringe ’23 Review: ★★★★☆ Phantasmagoric realism
The fictional history of 1980s Airdrie’s mysterious, post-punk legends it is a gloriously hallucinatory journey, back to the hopes and dreams of early adulthood, performed by Paul Higgins (The Thick of It, Slow Horses) with music by Stephen McRobbie (The Pastels) and Gavin Thomson. Adapted and Directed by Graham Eatough. Book here.
*NB: This is intended to be a complete listing of all public theatrical productions on in Edinburgh. If you are staging a show which is not listed, or a listing is inaccurate, please get in touch through the contact page, here.
