International
| 06 September 2009
Edinburgh Playhouse
4-5 September, times vary.
This was a treat for everyone present. Celebrating its 40th birthday, Scottish Ballet put on a trio that spanned 60 years of ballet: Frederick Ashton’s ‘Scenes de Ballet’ (1947), William Forsythe’s ‘Workwithinwork’ (1973) and Ian Spink’s updated version of the 1911 Stravinsky/Fokine/Diaghilev ballet, ‘Petrushka’.
| 04 September 2009
The Royal Lyceum Theatre
2–5 September, 19. 30 (also 5 September matineé, 14.30)
The tale of Peter Pan has inherent charm, but this artful, thoughtful production adds yet more magic.
| 03 September 2009
Greyfriars Kirk
2 September, 17.45
We tend to associate Bach primarily with his sacred works. By the 1920s the Swedish theologian Nathan Söderblom regarded him as the ‘Fifth Evangelist.’
| 03 September 2009
The Hub
29 August – 5 September, 20.00
A tree, bare of leaves and surrounded by snow; eerie silence, and an old man sitting motionless in a wheelchair, staring into nothing...
| 03 September 2009
King’s Theatre
31 August, 1–5 September (ex. 2) various times.
An ‘endless tundra of loneliness’ has stretched in front of Andrey and Sonya, only to be briefly arrested by a chance meeting in a Moscow café.
| 31 August 2009
King’s Theatre
August 29th, 30th and September 1st (21.00), 4th (17.00) and 5th (14.00)
‘People watching’ is a wonderful way of wasting time. Find a seat, buy a coffee and sit. Now watch.
| 30 August 2009
Festival Theatre
28, 29 and 31 August, 19.15
Any doubts about the cosmopolitan nature of the International Festival should be dispelled through a quick synopsis of this production.
| 26 August 2009
Royal Lyceum Theatre
23-29 August (ex.24) times vary.
You expect a polished production from the EIF and my goodness do you get one in The Last Witch. The latest offering from the prolific talent of Rona Munro transports us to Dornoch, 1727, to witness the build up to the last execution for witchcraft in Scotland. Though not quite marching to the tune of this year’s theme of Enlightenment, The Last Witch is certainly a captivating, challenging and thought provoking piece of theatre.
Munro presents a flamboyant widow, asserting herself in a parochial society, using her fondness for curses and escapism to effectively manipulate her neighbours and support her daughter. This role is played with astounding zeal by Kathryn Howden, who brings to the character a feisty flirtatiousness, domineering strength and almost pathetic humanity. Interestingly, while one could argue that she is hoist by her own petard, central to her downfall is the fact that there is nothing more dangerous than a man scorned in a patriarchal society.
Fluctuation of tone and an air of uncertainty are key features of a play that boldly manipulates with seeming simplicity. One particularly interesting, and at times unsettling aspect of Munro’s writing is her penchant for undercutting the most painful, harrowing moments with genuinely comic one-liners. While humour pervades this production, thanks particularly to Janet Horne’s mischievous, raucous character, the instances in which it trespasses on tragedy’s domain create a sense of hollowness rather than mild relief.
Typical of the production, the simplicity of the set initially masks its great potential. A sunken sphere created the perfect focus for action, particularly in some of the more torturous scenes, and especially in the second act. The use of projected images creates an ominous atmosphere and a terrifying finale: there was a unanimous exhalation as the lights went up; three hundred people had been holding their breath!
Rona Munro has created a paradoxically entertaining, yet profoundly unsettling and strangely open-ended play. The language is often bawdy and humourous despite the constant presence of poverty and certain death. Central themes of power, law, magic and gender are teased out yet left hanging or engulfed in the flames. An exquisitely crafted piece of theatre.
| 20 August 2009
King's Theatre
2, 4, and 5 September, 19.30
Amid the elegant surroundings of the King's theatre, Dublin's Gate Theatre presents Faith Healer, one of three plays intended to celebrate the 80th birthday of Brian Friel, arguably Ireland's greatest living playwright.
| 03 August 2009
Look on the bright side
Physical comedian Frank Woodley brings a fresh perspective to Voltaire’s eternally hopeful Candide in new adaptation Optimism.
| 03 August 2009
Burning issue
Witch trials aren’t just the property of Arthur Miller any more.
| 03 August 2009
Real horrorshow
Staging Goethe’s infernal masterpiece takes a cast of 100 and inventive, far-reaching vision. Thankfully director Silviu Purcarete has both.
| 03 August 2009
The return of the king
Updating the story of Ulysses to a South African hospital ward populated by puppets has been a real labour of love.
| 03 August 2009
Raw power
Twenty years after his first, and last visit to the festival, Michael Clark, the irreverent punk of dance, is back with a show devoted to rock stars.
| 03 August 2009
Unique perspective
Cesc Gelabert brings his innovative and creative approach to dance to two shows at this year’s festival.
