Month November 2024

In Conversation with: Iona Lee, Acolyte

Reading Time: 3 minutesAcolyte is an Edinburgh-based poetic and psychedelic ensemble, founded in 2018. Described by The Skinny as a ‘supergroup’, Acolyte is made up of bassist Ruairidh Morrison (The Dark Jokes, The Microband), with synth and backing vocals from Gloria Black (Maranta), percussionist Daniel Hill and fronted by award-winning poet and spoken-word artist, Iona Lee. Acolyte fuse soundscapes with storytelling, hypnotic loops, harmonic depth and existential motifs to create truly unique performances and a genre-defying sound. 

In Conversation with: Sara Farrington

Reading Time: 5 minutesIn a flash of modern warfare, a mother loses her child, igniting a powerful one-woman journey through every iconic character in The Trojan Women. This reimagining of the world’s first anti-war play, originally staged in Athens in 415 BC as Euripides' protest against the Peloponnesian War, combines intense drama with uplifting and comedic physical theatre at its best. With world politics as they currently stand, this 2000 year old story reflects a world all too familiar!

In Conversation with: Guy Barker

Reading Time: 6 minutesThe much-loved festive, annual tradition of Guy Barker’s Big Band Christmas returns to the Royal Albert Hall for its ninth year, a swinging, soulful celebration of big band music with a Christmas twist! Guy Barker’s inimitable mixture of jazz classics, unearthed treasures and Christmas oddities will put a swing in your step in the midst of the festive season.

REVIEW: Virtual Concert: The Sound of Gaming

Reading Time: 3 minutesVideo game music has come a long way since 10-second loops of a couple of chiptune beeps-and-boops. Now, these scores are rich and diverse: they pluck at the heartstrings, build momentum, and enhance immersion. The Sound of Gaming spotlights this artistry, with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra presenting music ranging from Tetris to Call of Duty. Simultaneously live across three spaces – the physical performance, a broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and an Extended Reality (XR) online experience – the result feels like a glimpse into the future, whilst remaining thoroughly entertaining in the present.

REVIEW: The End of the Line

Reading Time: 2 minutesTheatre Paradok's original double entendre production, The End of the Line (written and directed by Alice Humphries) packs comedy, existentialism, political commentary and mawkishness into one hour. A colourful and uplifting dance sequence midway through the production, which had the full audience engaged and singing along, is a testament to Humphries script writing talent and a well orchestrated ensemble cast.

REVIEW: Haha. Oh God

Reading Time: 2 minutes“Sharp, relatable and effortlessly funny.” Lianna Holston, our protagonist, was recently rejected by ACE for a global visa to stay in the UK, with her comedic work assessed as part of a collective rather than her own.…