Listings: Oct 26-Nov 1
Listings for week ending Sunday 1 November
Full details of what’s on Edinburgh’s stages this week.
Bedlam Theatre
11b Bristo Place, EH1 1EZ
Cagebirds (Tuesday 27-Saturday 31, 7.30pm)
In the Cage, six prisoners are isolated in their own thoughts and co-exist in a delicate harmony, until their peace is shattered by the Wild One. Captured and cast into the cage, she tries to escape, but in doing so she threatens everything the cagebirds believe in. A new production of David Campton’s play about the dangers of mob mentality and the price of free will.
Gerard Carey (Lord Farquaad) in Shrek, at the Playhouse to Sunday. Photo Helen Maybanks
The Brunton
Ladywell Way, Musselburgh EH21 6AA. Phone booking: 0131 665 2240
The Great Gatsby (Thursday 29/Friday 30: 7.30pm)
Immersed in the decadence of America’s Jazz Age, The Great Gatsby is brought to life in this sizzling new stage adaptation. Recreating the sights, sounds and feel of America’s Roaring Twenties as seen through the eyes of Nick Carraway, Fitzgerald’s masterpiece is a brilliant evocation of a society obsessed with wealth and status.
It’s a Wonderful Life (Saturday 31: 7.30pm)
The iconic story of idealist George Bailey, whose dreams look set to be dashed by small town scandal and big business. Alone on a bridge, he decides that everyone would be better off without him. Or would they? It falls to hapless guardian angel, Clarence, to try and save him.
Church Hill Theatre
33a Morningside Road, EH10 4DR
South Pacific (Wednesday 28 – Saturday 31: 7.30 pm; Sat mat: 2.30pm)
It should be some enchanted evening up at the Church Hill as EdGaS take on Rodgers and Hammerstein’s biggy. Fun, funny, romantic and thought-provoking, this is packed with some of their best known tunes, from There is Nothing Like a Dame to Younger than Springtime and Honeybun.
Festival Theatre
13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000
Giselle (Tuesday 27 – Saturday 31: 7.30pm; Matinees: Thurs, Sat: 2.30pm)
The Royal New Zealand Ballet open their UK tour in Edinburgh with their acclaimed production of Giselle. One of the most dramatic and beautiful of ballets, the beautiful peasant girl, Giselle, falls for Albrecht who conceals his identity to win her. The discovery of her lover’s deception shatters Giselle’s innocence and causes her to die of a broken heart.
Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Giselle Act II. Photo: Evan Li
King’s Theatre
2 Leven Street EH3 9LQ. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000
And Then there Were None (Monday 26-Saturday 31: 7.30pm; matinees Wed and Sat: 2.30pm)
A group of 10 strangers are lured to a remote island in this Agatha Christie. Upon arrival it is discovered that their host, an eccentric millionaire, is missing. Stranded on the island by a torrential storm and haunted by an ancient nursery rhyme, one by one the guests begin to die…
Starring BAFTA nominated stage and screen star Paul Nicholas, Colin Buchanan, from Dalziel and Pascoe, Deborah Grant, who starred in Not Going Out, Peak Practice and Bergerac, TV favourite Mark Curry and from ITV’s award winning Soldier Soldier, Ben Nealon.
Lyceum Theatre
Grindlay Street EH3 9AX. Phone booking: 0131 248 4848
Tipping the Velvet (Wednesday 28 October – Saturday 14 November. Tue-Sat: 7.30pm; Matinees Weds/Sat: 2pm)
Laura Wade’s adaptation of Sarah Waters’ audacious bestselling novel in a Lyric Hammersmith co-production. It’s 1887 and Nancy Astley sits in the audience at her local music hall: she doesn’t know it yet, but the next act on the bill will change her life. Tonight she will fall in love… with the thrill of the stage and with Kitty Butler; a girl who wears trousers. Giddy with desire and hungry for experience, Nancy follows Kitty to London where unimaginable adventures await.
Out of the Blue
Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny St, Edinburgh, EH6 8RG. Phone booking: 0844 871 3014
The Bridge (Friday 30 October: 8.30pm)
The last date of Annie George’s brief tour of her revival of her remarkable story, traced back through family memories, which pieces together the short life and lost work of poet and author PM John, from Kerala India, shortly before Independence. Over the last year, George has updated and evolved the script which was already “thought provoking” when Hugh saw it at the Fringe in 2014 (click for link). This performance is part of the 19th Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair.
Playhouse
18 – 22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA. Phone booking: 0844 871 3014
Shrek the Musical (Tuesday 20 October- Sunday 8 November)
Tue-Sat (except Tue 27) 7pm; Sun: 1pm & 5pm
Matinees: Sats & Weds 28: 2pm.
Based on the award-winning DreamWorks animation film. Join our unlikely hero and his loyal steed Donkey as they embark on a quest to rescue the beautiful (if slightly temperamental) Princess Fiona from a fire breathing, love-sick dragon. Featuring all new songs as well as cult Shrek anthem I’m a Believer. Recommended for ages 5+.
See Æ’s review: Shrek The Musical Tour Review
Summerhall
1 Summerhall, EH9 1PL. Phone booking: 0131 560 1581
The Moonlit Road (Wednesday 28 – Saturday 31: 7.30pm)
A young man crouches in a darkened room late one night and waits. He waits. He waits, for something terrible to come for him. His unfortunate family has witnessed many strange tales: disturbing events, skeletons in closets, things half glimpsed. But the story he is about to uncover is, perhaps, the strangest and most disturbing of the lot…
See preview: Back on the Moonlit Road.
Traverse
10 Cambridge Street, EH1 2ED. Phone booking: 0131 228 1404
PPP: A Word with Dr Johnson (Tuesday 26 – Saturday 31: 1pm, Fri 2: 7pm)
The last of the A Play, A Pie and A Pint autumn season. In 1746 Samuel Johnson began to compile his famous Dictionary. Despite his antipathy to Scotland (“a very vile country to be sure”), five of his six assistants were Scots. How did they help him and what was the process like?
Thingummy Bob (Thursday 29 – Saturday 31: 7.30pm. Matinee Fri 20: 2.30pm)
Bob has lost something important, something that might make him happy, he just can’t remember where. The daughter of an old friend decides to help him. But she’ll have to move quickly before Bob forgets everything, including her.
Produced by Lung Ha Theatre Company in association with Luminate.
*NB: This is intended to be a complete listing of all public theatrical productions on in Edinburgh. If you are staging a show which is not listed, or a listing is inaccurate, please use the contact form here to get in touch.
