Story, Music and Performance by Tom Oakes Poetry and Dramaturgy by Kolbrún Björt Sigfúsdóttir ★★★★ Irrespective of culture or background, the conceptual hearth is a remnant throughout our shared histories. It's a place of warmth and welcoming, fire and spark, but also of comradery and fairytale. It’s the focal point of the home where we … Continue reading The Hearth – Scottish Storytelling Centre
https://youtu.be/ZdLseDHj8to Written by Arthur Miller Directed by Josie Rose Embleton, Tazy Harrison-Moore and Catriona Maclachlan ★★★★★ There’s a figurative list of productions in critical circles, of shows and titles that (for lack of a better descriptive) make eyes roll or force exhales of breath. They’re the titans of theatre, particularly attractive to the amateur dramatic … Continue reading All My Sons – Teviot Row House
https://youtu.be/-1nU252z4oA Book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan Music by Marc Shaiman Lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman Directed by Paul Kerryson ★★★★ The beat is back in Northampton town! Welcome to Baltimore, 1962. Teenager Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart dreams of dancing on the Corny … Continue reading Hairspray – Royal & Derngate
Written by Athena Stevens Directed by Lily McLeish ★★★★ Hands up if you’ve ever sent a nude photo. Careless fun, intimate and a solidifying sign of trust in our partners or potential lovers. But what happens when someone violates consent and shows this photo to their best-friend – harmless fun, right? When A is shown … Continue reading Late Night Staring at High-Red Pixels – Finborough Theatre
https://youtu.be/7rjNoXRwN90 Written & Directed by Jordan Gh USA/2021/85mins ★★★★ Secrets, anxieties and squabbles, the Sator watches over as a family reaches dysfunctional heights amidst the wilderness. Yet, there’s an allure to the creature, to the darkness it slinks within. In an atmospheric and creative venture, Jordan Graham creates a contemporary horror which lays its foundations from spiritual … Continue reading Sator – Review
Written and Directed by Ian Dixon Potter ★★★ Climbing the social, political and career ladder is a bugger for all, though there are those men who seem to be ‘pre-destined’ for success. Is it down to their genetics, connections, or could there be something in their raw, animalistic attitudes towards women, other men, and life … Continue reading The Beast – Golden Age Theatre
Written & Directed by Kamir Aïnouz France, Algeria, Belgium / 2020 / 100 mins ★★★ Intimacy is a universally coveted desire. Its neglect can have severe consequences and impacts, and even its perception can alter the relationships we forge. Living under the strict regime of a patriarchal family, Selma begins to recognise the turbulent struggle … Continue reading Honey Cigar – French Film Festival
Written by Anton Chekov Directed by Ian Rickson ★★★★ “Everything’s the same, but worse” – Uncle Vanya’s opening sentiments reflect a great many thoughts across the nation, as the ennui of our provincial lives shrink in perception as the world shutters itself inward. Ever since its debut in Moscow in 1899, Anton Chekov’s Uncle Vanya emerged as a staple … Continue reading Uncle Vanya – Harold Pinter Theatre
https://youtu.be/7q6Co-nd0lM Directed by David Dobkin Written by Will Ferrel & Andrew Steele ★★★ With 2020 cascading a series of cancellations on major cultural events, none have hit fans as hard than the postponement of The Eurovision Song Contest. Starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams, David Dobkin’s musical comedy Eurovision Song Contest: Story of Fire Saga has hit Netflix, and while it’ll scratch … Continue reading Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga – Netflix
https://youtu.be/dyQx7H4fXh8 Opera created by Giacomo Puccini to a libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa Revival Direction by Jonathan Cocker Leader of The Orchestra of Scottish Opera - Anthony Moffat Conducted by Stuart Stratford Puccini’s melodramatic masterpiece Tosca has it all; corruption, lust, heartbreak and the bureaucracy of history. Shifting the timeframe into the 20th century, there is still … Continue reading Tosca – The Festival Theatre
