Hosted by John Simmit 

For a single night in the Festival Theatre, the long-awaited Scottish debut of RUSH A Joyous Jamaican Journey was something long sought after by audiences who had eagerly awaited a night of ska, reggae beats and bluebeat – the music they had grown with, but perhaps never fully grasped the cultural background. 

Was it worth the wait? Well, just ask the hips which had to be replaced the following morning.

Never has the Edinburgh crowd been so keen, and so at ease with the rhythm and comfort as they have with RUSH.

With around four-hundred years of intense history to divulge within the first act, comedian and narrator John Simmit does a strikingly accurate, poignant, and engaging job. Full of lush storytelling, slices of humour, but always with an aura of authenticity and gravity as RUSH traverses a history of colonialism, racism, deportation, and contemporary policies surrounding the Windrush Generation and migrants. It’s all done with tremendous delicacy and honesty, but all the while inter-spliced with moments of song, music, dance and rhythm to showcase the cultural significance and presence of Caribbean style through history.

RUSH is less a ‘show’ than a party, a celebration. The sooner some audiences recognise this, the faster they’ll enjoy themselves. But no party is without its gloomier moments, inevitably, even the wildest and catchiest of rhythms nights will slip (rightly) into politics and the continuing hypocrisies surrounding culture wars. The second act hits the more recent years, the violence of the seventies and eighties, right up to the current government. But through it, all are the astounding vocals of lead singers Janice Williamson and Ika, as we are treated to songs from Desmond Decker and Jimmy Cliff.

That by the end of the evening – we’re all “vintage”: a brilliance in Simmit’s delivery is that even when separation occurs for jest, or indeed severity, the message of us having a shared story rings through. It’s remarkably comforting, friendly, and with enough of that sparkling charm that the comedic style rings through the evening offering quips and audience interactions to make the whole affair feel more unique. They’re an excellent pairing with tonight’s DJ, DJ Ken Dread, who drips with the sort of vibes one could only dream of achieving.

Performed live by the JA Reggae Band, who not only regularly weave between numbers, but incorporate themselves into the performance in a variety of humorous ways, leaving the stage to mingle with the grooving audiences below. Featuring dancehall rhythms, with the intense energy of gospel (featuring a brief and welcome scene change), the celebration of the band is never really an offset to the seriousness of Simmit’s words, but rather part of the experience. RUSH is rooted, and the truth of the matter is that despite the subjects presented, the music of life, and celebration of culture is what shines through the evening.

The spice which has been missing from your life might just be around the corner with RUSH, a hearty infusion of the sights, sounds, and cultures which continue to influence British music, art, performance, and rhythm with this experiential ceremony through a shared history of Jamaica to the UK, and the trials, tribulations, and lives which come with that.