Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the roar of a cheering audience has been regrettably absent from theatres up and down the country. With restrictions beginning to lift this summer, a longing for live performance remains high on many Scots agenda.
While a virtual theatre performance was a welcome distraction during lockdown, nothing compares to the raw tangible experience of being entertained with a theatre production.
Since being given the green light to reopen, theatres have been busy making up for lost time.
Events at The Gaiety
Let’s Build A Show - in 48 hours! – The opening event will be a brand new concept in participative theatre. So if you are a lover of theatre who has been missing out, now is your chance to jump right back in and be part of something special. Details will be revealed soon, why not subscribe to the theatre’s newsletter to be the first with the news.
Spuds (Tue 21 Sep) – A five-star musical comedy about grief, greed and grease. Sleeping Warrior Theatre Company are proud to present “Spuds” by Andy McGregor, following sell-out runs at Glasgow’s Oran Mor. Spuds is presented at the Gaiety with funding support from Creative Scotland.
When David MacGonigle’s wife dies, his perfect middle-class life collapses around him. But a freak occurrence, involving mouldy chips and Iron Bru, leads to his discovery of a new designer drug – Spuds. Soon he has built the ultimate criminal empire, but at what cost?
Girls Night Oot! (Fri 24 Sep) – Insideout Theatre Productions Ltd proudly present their sequel to smash hit “I Will Survive” - a night out for the girls. Join the girls on a hen night that you won’t forget, with a smash hit retro soundtrack. Songs from 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and now! To prepare for a marriage, all a girl needs are her friends and a guid old hen night.
Banterous and Bootyliciously good fun, with hit songs including ‘Hot Stuff’, ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’, ‘I'm Every Woman’ and many more. Written and directed by Paul Harper-Swan and musically directed by Alison Rona Cleland. Warning: 18+ Contains adult themes and strong language.
Also coming up - Daniel Sloss - Hubris, The Best of Take That - performed by Rule The World, Roy G Hemmings Motown Show, Abba Forever - Live in Concert, Talon - Best of Eagles, Come What May - The Ultimate Tribute to Moulin Rouge, Stars of Irish Country Show, Craig Hill - Pumped!, Russian National Ballet present Sleeping Beauty, Russian National Ballet present Swan Lake, The Best of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Midnight Train to Georgia - A Musical Celebration of Gladys Knight, Ian Waite & Vincent Simone Act Two, Michael English, Jimeoin - Turn It Up, The History of Rock.
You can book now via the gaiety.co.uk or 01292 288235.
Girls Night Oot - thegaiety.co.uk/events/girls-night-oot-insideout-productions
Spuds - thegaiety.co.uk/events/spuds-by-andy-mcgregor-sleeping-warrior-theatre-co/
Events at The Brunton Theatre
The Brunton, in Musselburgh, is delighted to carefully reopen its doors for the summer and welcome audiences back for live entertainment in East Lothian. The months of closure had a huge impact and the road to rebuilding the organisation, its audiences and events to pre pandemic level, will inevitably take time. Support from ticket bookers and donors is invaluable in helping The Brunton to survive and, in time, to thrive.
What better way to show support, than to enjoy some live Fringe Festival shows?
The Brunton is the complete Fringe venue at the coast, from 13 – 29 August. Each summer heading out and about with a fantastic selection of performances outdoors and indoors at The Brunton with physical distancing measures in place.
The indoors programme includes uplifting classical music from award winning guitarist, Sean Shibe and an evening of songs from Scottish tenor Jamie MacDougall. Acclaimed folk musicians Kris Drever (LAU), John McCusker & Roddy Woomble (Idlewild) perform together and Dougie MacLean, returns to the stage. Big Band Bublé bring a night full of seductive songs and big band classics, whilst legendary Status Quo lead singer Francis Rossi shares an intimate evening of chat and music.
The Brunton’s out and about programme at Musselburgh Racecourse includes Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, performed by Illyria; Quantum Theatre’s new adaptation of Treasure Island and Scottish Opera’s Pop-up Operas, HMS Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance.
Nutshell Theatre perform Allotment at Lewisvale Park, Inveresk and free hip hop from City Breakz will be popping up around Musselburgh with a final performance at Fisherrow Links.
The Brunton offers audiences an opportunity to experience live cultural events this summer and is looking forward to welcoming people to all events, presented in line with Scottish Government’s Covid safety guidelines.
Full programme and booking at www.thebrunton.co.uk, call 0131 653 5245.
Events at Eastgate Theatre
The Eastgate Theatre is, once again, buzzing with life – café, classes, cinema and, at last, live performances.
As the background noise of friends chatting, children laughing and the coffee machine hissing and clunking fills the Eastgate Café once again, new sounds reverberate around the building.
On Tuesdays it is the rhythms of the tap dance class. On Fridays and Saturdays, the excited sound of released lockdown children as they flock to Dance Pointe Academy and Fiona Henderson School of Dance classes for everyone from under 5s to under 15s.
The long awaited return of film began in June. During the enforced break work to improve the quality of projection and sound continued. This season all sorts of films – blockbusters, screenings of national theatre, opera and ballet and children’s films have been presented to socially distanced audiences twice during the week and at weekends.
The Eastgate Sessions, free and informal monthly music sessions have continued in the café courtyard with more and more musicians joining in to make a joyous sound on sunny Saturday afternoons.
First to perform live on stage this year were violinist Gina McCormack and pianist Nigel Clayton who played the first of two Midsummer Music concerts on 4 July. There could be nobody more appropriate to end the silence than the Patron of the local world class chamber music organisation Music in Peebles which organised the first ever concert at the Eastgate in April 2004.
“It is wonderful to see and hear the building come alive again,” commented Caroline Adam, Eastgate General Manager. “It’s an energy that comes as much from a new visitor to the café as having a fantastic drama company here on tour – which we hope will happen before very long.”
With two festivals taking place in August, everyone is looking forward to full houses for the first time in a very long time.
More information: www.eastgatearts.com
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