Listings Mon 27 Mar – Sun 2 April 2023
What’s on Edinburgh’s stages this week…
The big noise this week is the arrival of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – the Musical, at the Playhouse, but the big news comes from a couple of much smaller productions – at the Storytelling Centre and the Fruitmarket.
Charlie will certainly be pulling in theatre goers by the thousand – it is at the Playhouse for 25 performances. Lyceum AD, David Greig is on book writing duties for the show based on Roald Dahl’s novel and the Warner Bros film. And this new touring production of the successful West End and Broadway musical is directed by James Brining. Book here.
A scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – the Musical. Pic: Johan Persson
Rather smaller audiences will be privileged to see the two most interesting shows of the week. Both are returning productions and both have a real depth to them which goes a long way beyond their entertainment value.
First up, Magnetic North’s magnificent Walden is returning as part of the company’s residency at Fruitmarket and will include an artistic response from Harvey Dimond: so many keen and subtle masters which will explore the subject of black ecologies in relation to Walden.
The play is adapted from Henry David Thoreau’s account of his ‘experiment in simple living’ in the Massachusetts woods in the 1840s. It premiered at Stills in 2008 and in this revival Nicolas Bone will be directing Shakara Rose Carter. Book here.
The other smaller production is at the Storytelling Centre, where Strangetown bring back their production of Storm Lantern. This is Duncan Kidd’s distillation of the final hours in the life of Sophie Scholl, who was caught distributing leaflets against the Nazi party in Munich in 1943 as part of the White Rose movement.
The Future is Unwritten
The play focusses on Scholl, fellow White Rose member Gisela Schertling and their interrogator, Robert Mohr, in such a way as to examine how it must feel to stand up to oppression – and to be almost the only one doing so.
It is part of Strangetown’s The Future is Unwritten series of plays touring Edinburgh schools and provides both a compelling insight into resistance, but also provides a touchstone for further debate. Book here.
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of Swan Lake.
Elsewhere, classical ballet fans are very well served this week as Birmingham Royal Ballet come to the Festival Theatre with their Swan Lake. The images from the production make it look gorgeous. Book here.
The brilliant Lung Ha’s are also on stage this week with Linda McLean’s Castle Lennox at the Lyceum while Nicola McCartney and Dritan Kastrati’s How Not To Drown returns to the Traverse. For anyone interested in the writers and performers of the future, the PASS students have three productions on around town and Stage2Page returns to the Storytelling Centre. See listings below for details.
Addendum: The Scottish Dance Theatre production at the Brunton on Friday has been cancelled due to unforeseen building issues in the theatre. The company are now performing the pieces at Dancebase as a free sharing – but tickets are very limited.
Listings
Assembly Roxy
2 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU
Six on the Sofa (PASS)
Thurs 30 March 2023
Evening: 7.30pm. (Roxy Upstairs).
What’s Mikey done now? Will Sandra ever get to do her yoga in peace? And who is that strange man in the Hawaiian shirt? By What a Farce! Theatre. Part of the BREAK OUT festival of new work by dance and drama Students from PASS, Edinburgh College. Book here.
The Brunton
Ladywell Way, Musselburgh EH21 6AA. Phone booking: 0131 665 2240
Thin h/as h/air & The Flock (Scottish Dance Theatre)
Fri 31 March 2023.
Evening: 7.30pm (Venue 1).
NB This Scottish Dance Theatre production has been cancelled due to the unforeseen building issues in the theatre. The company are now performing the pieces at Dancebase as a free sharing – but tickets are very limited.. Book here.
Festival Theatre
13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000.
Swan Lake (Birmingham Royal Ballet)
Thurs 30 Mar – Sat 1 April 2023
Evenings: 7.30pm, Mats Thurs: 2pm, Sat: 2.30pm.
The greatest of all romantic ballets returns in “one of the world’s finest productions” (The Observer). BRB revives Peter Wright and Galina Samsova’s glorious Swan Lake – with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia performing Tchaikovsky’s superb music alongside BRB’s spectacular dancers. Book here.
Fruitmarket
45 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DF
Walden
Weds 29 March – Sat 1 April 2023
Evenings: 7pm; Sat matinee: 3pm.
Magnetic North re-stage its intimate, simple distilation of Henry David Thoreau’s account of his ‘experiment in simple living’ in the Massachusetts woods in the 1840. Performed by Shakara Rose Carter, with accompanying response installation from artist Harvey Dimond. Book here.
Lyceum Theatre
Grindlay Street EH3 9AX. Phone booking: 0131 248 4848.
Castle Lennox
Linda McLean with songs by MJ McCarthy
Thurs 30 March – Sat 1 April 2023
Evenings: 7.30pm; Sat matinee: 2.30pm.
When Annis, a young girl with autism, finds herself incarcerated in Lennox Castle Hospital, her first impulse is to try and escape the brutal regime of punishment and medication. However, as she gets to know her fellow patients they introduce her to another world. Lung Ha’s in a co-production with the Lyceum. Book here.
Playhouse
18 – 22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA. Phone booking: 0844 871 3014
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Musical
Wednesday 29 March – Saturday 15 April 2023
Evenings Tue – Sat: 7pm; Sun 2 April: 7pm.
Matinees: Thurs, Sat: 2.30pm; Sun: 2pm.
Roald Dhal’s devilishly delicious tale of young golden ticket winner Charlie Bucket and the mysterious confectionary wizard Willy Wonka. Using songs from the Warner Bros. film, a book by David Grieg and in a new production by James Brinning with design by Simon Higlett. Book here.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
43-45 High St, EH1 1SR. Phone booking: 0131 556 9579
Page 2 Stage
Tue 28 March 2023.
Evening: 7.30pm.
New writing performed script-in-hand. This months plays are: The Scaff by Graeme Smith; The Fall: Defence 11:06am by Wren Brian; The Wake by Anna McGrath and Varmints by Ben Ramsay Book here.
Storm Lantern (Strange Town TC)
Thurs 30/Fri 31 Mar 2023.
Evenings: 7.30pm.
It only takes one voice to resist. Caught by the Nazis distributing forbidden leaflets, Sophie Scholl is facing the guillotine. Only one route remains: confession and betrayal of everything she stood for… but will she take it? What would you be willing to die for? Book here.
Traverse
10 Cambridge Street, EH1 2ED. Phone booking: 0131 228 1404
Variant (PPP)
Tue 28 Mar – Sat 1 Apr 2023.
Matinees: 1pm. (Traverse 2).
By Peter Arnott
A man and a woman are on stage and there’s something going on between them…but what is it? At first, you think it’s one thing. Then it’s something else. Maybe a flirtation, a thriller, a crime story? Maybe it’s all happened before? Maybe it’s a joke? Maybe it’s just a Variant… Book here.
Home
Tue 28 March 2023
Evening: 8pm (Traverse 2)
A reading of a new play by Traverse Breakthrough Writer Eliza Gearty.
Ardi and Cate live in a one-room flat they can’t afford above a pub. Meanwhile their landlord, Racken, watches them via CCTV. He sends constant reminders via text about the washing up and outstanding rent. Book here.
How Not To Drown
Wed 29 Mar – Sat 1 Apr 2023
Evening: 7.30pm, Sat mat: 2.30pm. (Traverse 1)
By Nicola McCartney & Dritan Kastrati.
In 2002, in the turmoil after the end of the Kosovan War, Dritan is sent on the notoriously perilous journey across the Adriatic with a gang of people smugglers to a new life in Europe. He relies on his young wit and charm to make it to the UK. But the fight for survival continues as he clings to his identity and sense of self when he ends up in the British care system. Book here.
Voodoo Rooms
19A West Register Street, EH2 2AA.
The Fool (PASS)
Wed 29 March 2023
Evening: 7.30pm.
Opulence, luxury and splendour. Sylvia see’s through the royal family’s priviledges. Hiding in the shadows, she has discovered things that no one but a humble servant would notice. By Horrendously Modern. Part of the BREAK OUT festival of new work by dance and drama Students from PASS, Edinburgh College. Book here.
Wee Red Bar
Lady Lawson Street, EH3 9DF.
Last Orders (PASS)
Mon 27/Tue 28 March 2023
Evening: 7pm.
The Seaman’s Inn is the heart of the community. Or at least it once was before they lost customers and Dennis the manager stopped paying the bills. By Untamed Productions. Part of the BREAK OUT festival of new work by dance and drama Students from PASS, Edinburgh College. Book here.
