REVIEW: Bugsy Malone

Kenny Smith reviews classic musical Bugsy Malone at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow. THE wonderful thing about musicals is that they can be about pretty much anything – the lives of cats on the street, a battle between two men in revolutionary France, or a battle between gangsters in prohibition New York. The latter was…

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REVIEW: Rock of Ages

Kenny Smith reviews the Rock of Ages musical at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow. IF YOU’VE gone to the theatre and left with a big, broad smile on your face then the chances are it’s a damned good show. That’s exactly what Rock of Ages is – if you’re looking for deep and meaningful theatre,…

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Brian Cox and Alan Cumming back King’s Theatre rescue bid

ACTORS including Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, and Gabriel Byrne have backed a campaign to save the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh. The theatre is closing for a £25 million redevelopment. But the cost of the work has risen by 20-30% due to inflation and so Capital Theatres, which runs the site, is calling for increased funding,…

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FRINGE REVIEW: “Angel by Henry Naylor”

Angel by Henry Naylor – Venue 24: Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Other Yin – 4pm I’VE been very lucky at this festival and have seen some wonderful productions and now, having watched Angel, I can say that any further productions will have to be extraordinary to better it. Angel tells the story of a…

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FRINGE REVIEW: “9 Circles”

9 Circles – Assembly George Square Studios – Studio Two – 1.30pm THE title is structured around the nine rings of Dante’s Inferno. Watching this gritty, hard hitting, and at times raw and troubling production leaves you rattled. That’s good theatre in my book. The play is based on a US serviceman called Steve Dale…

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Review: Footloose – The King’s Theatre, Glasgow

Kenny Smith pulls on his dancing shoes to review Footloose at The King’s Theatre in Glasgow. WHEN you hear the word “Footloose”, the chances are you’re going to think of the ever-popular 80s film starring Kevin Bacon. However, there’s a new kid in town this week in Glasgow, as Joshua Hawkins sizzles in the role…

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Jousting sells out at Linlithgow Peel

LINLITHGOW Peel hosted its first jousting tournament over the weekend since the start of the pandemic. Organiser Historic Environment Scotland (HES) all of its tickets for the show, which is part of the public body’s summer events programme. Caerlaverock Castle in Dumfries, which is also managed by HES, will host a jousting tournament on 30…

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Review: Jason Donovan steals the show in Joseph

Kenny Smith revels in the return of an old favourite. THERE’S a good reason why Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat keeps coming back again and again – it’s a damn good musical. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s hit, based on a Bible story, is the show that keeps bouncing back, with a new…

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Scottish Opera opens 50th Perth festival

SCOTTISH Opera will open the 50th Perth Festival of the Arts on Thursday. The festival’s gala opening concert will feature sopranos Eleanor Dennis and Catriona Hewitson, mezzo-sopranos Catriona Morison and Lea Shaw, and baritone Jonathan McGovern. Scottish mezzo-soprano and winner of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Catriona Morison is making her debut with…

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