Strictly stars and singing sensations in Perth

A summer of culture is coming to Perth with a host of big names and talented local young people taking to the stage.

Perth Theatre will throw open its doors for a Youth Take Over day in June as part of Perth’s Diverse CiTay Festival for the Year of Young People. The Take Over is the culmination of Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre’s Youth Arts Festival where youngsters showcase their acting, singing, dancing and musical skills.

Local and professional dancers hit the stage in Perth Dance Festival’s The Great Big Dance Show in Perth Concert Hall. And with this year’s special guests internationally renowned award-winning Janis Claxton Dance, there are strictly no excuses to miss this celebration of dance across the region.

More rug-cutting comes in the shape of Remembering Fred featuring Strictly Come Dancing stars, Aljaž Skorjanec and Janette Manrara, An Audience with Ian Waite and Oti Mabuse, Britain’s Got Talent stars Flawless and Rip It Up starring Strictly’s Harry Judd, Louis Smith and Aston Merrygold.

Jason Manford is one of several top comics coming to Perth

Photography exhibition 11 Million Reasons to Dance in Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre is a series of emotive yet humorous pictures of people with sensory and mobility impairments who dance.

May’s Perth Festival of the Arts combines global names such as Jools Holland, English Touring Opera and Ruby Wax with performances from top home-grown talent, as well as family shows, exhibitions and much more.

Perth Theatre company tours to rural venues across Perth and Kinross in May. Artistic director Lu Kemp directs the Kieran Hurley scripted production of A Six Inch Layer of Topsoil and the Fact it Rains which playfully weaves conversations gathered from meetings in local communities with music and song.

Those who want a more hands on involvement in the work of Perth Theatre can sign up to An Introduction to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a week-long acting workshop with Lu Kemp. Perth Theatre’s costume maker Liz McCafferty leads two short courses – An
Introduction to Basic Sewing Skills and An Introduction to Basic Pattern Cutting.

Baba Yaga will entertain young and old

Youngsters can hone their acting skills at a Summer School for 5 to 18 year-olds which culminates in a performance of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr on the Perth Concert Hall stage.

Little ones will love Animals and Baba Yaga in Perth Theatre’s Joan Knight Studio in May. Using real and imagined stories collected from 6-year olds, Animals interweaves live music, dance and film. A brand-new take on an old Russian folktale, the terrifying Baba Yaga plays her music too loudly and eats jelly babies with her mouth open.

Two classical concerts celebrate Debussy’s centenary year in Perth Concert Hall in May – Hebrides Ensemble’s lunchtime performance and pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s debut Perth Piano Sundays concert.

The finest young talent from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland share the Perth Concert Hall stage with the Royal Scottish National Orchestras in June in an exciting opportunity to hear the musicians of tomorrow at the start of their careers.

Steve Earle and The Dukes

Graham Nash, Steve Earle, Iris DeMent, Rodney Crowell and Gretchen Peters headline Perth’s Southern Fried Festival of American roots music in July. They will be joined by many more country, soul, rock ‘n’ roll, blues and gospel acts in Perth Concert Hall, Perth Theatre and other city centre venues.

More musical highlights include a first visit to Perth Concert Hall by acclaimed Carpenters celebration The Carpenters Story. The Michael Jackson HIStory Show pays the ultimate tribute to the King of Pop.

Deacon Blue star Ricky Ross is joined by The Pumpkin Seeds String Trio in Perth Theatre in June. Some of the finest talents on the traditional and classical music scene perform in Duncan Chisholm’s The Gathering in Perth Concert Hall as part of the Celtic Sessions series.

The series continues in September with Blazin’ Fiddles and Karen Matheson. And two of the nation’s best-loved singing stars Jane McDonald and Elkie Brooks make welcome returns to Perth Concert Hall.

Perth funny man Fred MacAulay is back in Perth Theatre in June 30, Years On from his stand-up debut. More comedy gold to look forward to includes Ed Byrne, Joe Lycett, Jason Manford and Sarah Millican.
There is a chance to rub shoulders with stars from the Scottish theatre community as Perth Theatre hosts the annual Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) ceremony in June.

Visit the new website at www.horsecross.co.uk for tickets.