Overlooked Classics: Stage Beauty

Richard Eyre ”s 2004 film, with a wonderful screenplay by Jeffrey Hatcher, is a gem which still never seems to get the acclaim it deserves. I’ve never been quite sure why. The 17th century has often been mined for parody (think Blackadder, Monty Python etc) but this film, while often bawdy and hilarious, is exploratoryContinue reading “Overlooked Classics: Stage Beauty”

Edinburgh Festival Preview – Taiwan Season at Dance Base

Dance Base has always had an international remit, and the Festival for 2022 is no exception. The Taiwan Season features world class performance and incredible visuals. Here are three highlights to catch this year. Fusing classical ballet with martial arts and modern influences, Po-Ching Tsai’s Floating Flowers takes Buddhist ceremony and ritual as its centralContinue reading “Edinburgh Festival Preview – Taiwan Season at Dance Base”

Edinburgh Festival Preview: Americana- A Murder Ballad

This show, premiering at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, couldn’t have captured the zeitgeist more, as headlines about yet more mass shootings and the new firearms law in New York remain fresh in our minds . Written by leading Scottish playwright Morna Young and featuring music composed by Davey Anderson, the production from Pepperdine Scotland isContinue reading “Edinburgh Festival Preview: Americana- A Murder Ballad”

Book Review: Alex Rigg- Mouth to Mouth: Short Stories 1997-2001

Oceanallover’s artistic director Alex Rigg seems allergic to cliché. His site-specific theatre work- whether in performance, costume, music or text- is never about empty sensationalism; he reacts to, and transforms, the spaces around him. The work is unique, often something otherworldly and satirical. So it is with this collection of his short stories., gorgeously illustratedContinue reading “Book Review: Alex Rigg- Mouth to Mouth: Short Stories 1997-2001”

Interview: Carolyn Yates and Linda Duncan McLaughlin Talk ‘Gazing’

A powerful, challenging, provocative and funny new play, Gazing, looking at female representation and autonomy, has been inspired by Kim Ayres’ photography exhibition ‘Women over Fifty’. It starts on Saturday at Dumfries and Galloway’s DG Arts Festival. Ahead of its run this weekend, Lorna Irvine caught up with the creator, playwright Carolyn Yates, and castContinue reading “Interview: Carolyn Yates and Linda Duncan McLaughlin Talk ‘Gazing’”

Theatre Review: Krapp’s Last Tape/Go On, Tron Theatre

Go On Linda McLean’s plays are all about humanity in all its messy, smudgy forms, so it’s a fine companion piece to Beckett. Jane (Maureen Beattie) is training an Artificial Intelligence prototype, Jayne. One appears on a screen on a glowing cube, glugging down red wine in a suburban kitchen. The other is in personContinue reading “Theatre Review: Krapp’s Last Tape/Go On, Tron Theatre”