Music: Matthew Kilner Producer, recording & mixing engineer: Douglas Whates Mastering engineer: Christoph Stickel Cover image: Mark Quinn Anyone who enjoyed the Matthew MKilner Quartet at Cowdray Hall during the Aberdeen Jazz Festival will have been watching out for his promised EP. It has now been released and is called Lives Move Like Circles. Although it is only three songs long they last for just over 19 minutes. The other two songs are called Kindred and Hygge. Matthew Kilner wrote all three beautiful pieces of music and plays them on his saxophone. He is accompanied by Graeme Stephen and Kevin…
Author: The Reviews Hub - Scotland
The Reviews Hub - Scotland
The Scotland team is under the editorship of Lauren Humphreys. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. We aim to review all professional types of theatre, whether that be Commercial, Repertory or Fringe as well as Comedy, Music, Gigs etc.
Book: Jake Brunger Music: Pippa Cleary Lyrics: Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary Director: Judith Stephen Most people will be aware of the Great British Bake Off television series, which Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood judge. Each series follows a group of contestants, and their back story, as they try to win the title of Great British Baker. It is intriguing to see how such a TV show will transfer to the stage, and be a musical. AOC Productions do a great job of replicating the renowned set of a large white tent. There’s a very large cast providing the: contestants,…
Writer: Hannah Howie Director: Chris Stuart Wilson Stepping into the Assembly Roxy in Edinburgh, the tone is immediately set for the audience: to welcome them, a person in a black veil plays a mournful piano tune (later, we learn his name is the Master of the DD, all puns intended). Soon, Hannah joins the stage with two mysterious figures: her left and right boobs, Frida and Georgia. Each with their own personality, each with their own dimension (pun also intended), and ready to narrate their life story. At the core of it is the symbolic and physical weight that breasts…
Director: Thea Sharrock Book: Alexander Dinelaris Based on the smash-hit 1992 Warner Bros. film, The Bodyguard the Musical arrives at the Edinburgh Playhouse with all the blockbusting scale and vocal pyrotechnics audiences expect. Centred on superstar Rachel Marron and the stoic former Secret Service agent hired to protect her from a sinister stalker, the production effortlessly bridges the gap between Hollywood thriller and high-energy stadium concert. Sidonie Smith steps into the spotlight as Rachel and possesses absolute star quality. She commands the stage with the effortless charisma of a real-world icon. This is vital, as the production relies heavily on…
Pierre Novellie has experienced some significant life changes since his last show, having married and moved across London from a fraught, high rise flat to a house in a more genteel suburb. Yet in a professional capacity it’s business as usual for the South African-born Manxman, with his latest show comprised of lucidly witty observations, leading up to the distilled trauma of making the big move. Having hit 35, Novellie is acutely aware of the dangers of accepting the mind and hobby set of an eccentric dad. He’s a special case however, having come to his interest in early 20th…
Local band UNF are celebrating releasing two songs and their latest music video for Wannabe at well known Aberdeen music venue Café Drummonds. Filmed by Barry Thackrey, who is also at the gig working on the next in the series of videos, as this band likes to do things a bit differently and has a story running through their latest series of videos. It is a late start to the evening, but this just gives the other bands more time to delight the audience. The Velvet Room kick off the night of live music and do a fantastic set including…
Writer: Gary McNair Director: James Brining Music: Ricky Ross The joys and sorrows of football are always challenging to render on stage. That’s especially true in the case of the lower leagues and less glamorous teams, but this high-calibre production captures something of the essence of true fandom. Gary McNair’s script waves the flag for Cowdenbeath FC, the self-styled ‘Blue Brazil’, sharing moments both ephemeral and eternal – from pie-munching banter on the terraces to stories of near-triumph and adversity. Names and sporting attributes of past players are dredged up and celebrated. Even though the audience won’t remember them, they…
Writer: Frances Poet Director: Jemima Levick This play, by the National Theatre of Scotland and the Tron Theatre Company, follows the true story of the Lee Jeans factory in Greenock. When “the Americans” try and make everyone redundant and move operations to Ireland to avoid paying taxes, the workers stage a sit-in. This mostly female staff of 140 people cannot afford to lose their jobs, especially as similar cuts are affecting many companies in the area so there is a high rate of unemployment. A lady called Helen Monaghan (Jo Greer) is the union representative and takes leadership in their…