Category: Edinburgh International Festival

In a post-pandemic era when theatre is still struggling to sell itself, it is no longer surprising that big names and faces are used to market the newest shows on the block. However, there is a point at which this brand of marketing can take it too far. I might very well be the only one who made this mistake, but it never occurred to me to draw a line between a story, helmed by Brian Cox, about the rise and fall of the Royal Bank of Scotland…and a jukebox musical.

Make It Happen is James Graham’s latest stab at revitalizing the oft-forgotten zeitgeists that deeply underpin our present sociopolitical moment. And, while it is important in its subject matter, ambitious in its scope, and bold in its choice to lean more on satire than drama, it does not feel like a finished piece. Choices – both textually and technically – muddy what otherwise might have been a powerful dramatization of a key chapter in Edinburgh’s history and a relevant comment on the Edinburgh International Festival’s theme this year, The Truth We Seek. Instead of kindling its audience with a healthy, democratic “thirst for awareness” that only art can nurture in an age of (mis)information overload – something Graham mentions in the website’s audio introduction of the performance – it leaves a dull reminder that theatre (and the marketing used to sell it) can be just as misleading.

There is a world in which the slow poisoning and catastrophic decay of the RBS by greed and corruption is told effectively onstage through flashy ensemble arrangements of Adele’s “Chasing Pavements” and Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out.” There is a world in which, even after a lovely rendition of Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know” (which still powerfully conjures memories of watching Glee in my teenage years), the dark and twisting epic of the RBS is told ingeniously, like a musical version of The Lehman Trilogy we never knew we needed. But this is not that world. And Make It Happen sadly never does live up to its title.

There were also equally confusing technical choices that plagued the story with distractions. It was difficult to believe we were in the CEO’s office of the most successful bank in the world. At one point, it was clear that actors were holding plastic champagne flutes instead of glass ones, especially when they awkwardly avoided clinking glasses for fear of revealing their props’ true, cheap material. Even more perplexing was the choice of Fred Godwin’s desk. At one point, he asks his secretary to secure a first edition of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, instructing him to “keep the price between us.” It is difficult to square comments like that when he then sits down to operate his global business from a skinny four-legged tramp of a desk from the likes of IKEA. 

For a story so central to the identity of Edinburgh, it is disappointing that its execution falls so short, especially with such a talented cast and within the context of the Edinburgh International and Fringe Festivals. Even with the promising concept behind Make It Happen, perhaps it’s best to let Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand drive this one back to the drawing board before it remounts anywhere else.

The Fifth Step, the latest play by David Ireland, and produced by the National Theatre of Scotland, is a story about the relationship between two men in sobriety. Directed by Finn den Hertog, we meet James (Sean Gilder) and Luka (Jack Lowden) – James having been sober for many years, and Luka being new to sobriety, and in need of guidance. As James becomes Luka’s sponsor and attempts to take him through the 12 steps, the relationship becomes tumultuous, resulting in a shattering climax. Dark humour sparkles in every scene, deftly laced in conversations around religion, sex, arson, fathers, adultery, women and spiritual enlightenment.   

The script weaves its way through the relationship, seemingly leading us in one direction, before spinning us in another. There’s an elegant balance between the seriousness of the subject matter, and the laugh-out-loud moments of humour, even in the darkest of moments. A disposable coffee cup will never be the same again. 

The acting performances were faultless throughout. Sean Gilder’s James projecting the perfect avuncular sage, but as his character is confronted, we see this morph into a contorted version of the man, practically spitting with venom and hypocrisy. Jack Lowden’s Luka is a twitchy bundle of guarded vulnerability and frankness, played with nuance as he develops his sense of integrity.  

Both actors showed incredible comic timing and cadence with the humourous lines, whilst still controlling the gravitas where required, perfectly in step with each other.  

Set design and lighting design is dazzling in its effectiveness. Slightly raised, each scene is set in claustrophobic intimacy – depicting corners of cafés, fluorescent-lit anonymous meeting rooms, the gym, and a hospital ward. The set apparatus revolves with each change of scene, often accompanied with emphatic sound and lighting changes. The set becomes a metaphor for the relationship, and visibly dismantled in front of us, as the relationship falls apart, leaving the raw bones of the set exposed. 

The visual impact of this play is startling, and combined with the stellar cast performances and beautifully written and paced script, this production is nothing short of breathtaking.   

Note: The Fifth Step runs at Edinburgh International Festival – 21 to 25 August, followed by Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow from 28 to 31 August.

https://www.eif.co.uk/events/the-fifth-step

Marooned on a deserted island in the 1700s, one Dutch sailor looks back on his past and how he got there. “Ascension”, a new play written by Dan Hazelwood and directed by Max Lindsay at the Bedlam Theatre at Edinburgh Fringe, is an adaptation of the real life diary that Leendert Hasenbosch kept as he slowly died of starvation on his own, punished for the crime of sodomy.

Hazelwood himself stars as Leendert Hasenbosch, abbreviated to Lee, and begins the play with an assurance that although his death may be, historically, the most interesting part of his tale, it is the story of his life that he is here to tell. For the most part this is a one man show, as Hazelwood commands the stage, deftly flitting between each numbered day of his exile to his upbringing in Holland and eventual enlistment in the military in Batavia, that day’s Jakarta. 

A welcome inclusion is Conor Mainwaring’s introduction as Lee’s love interest, meeting in Batavia and soon falling in love despite the taboo of the time. Having personally never heard of the story of Leendert Hasenbosch, I was pleased to see the realisation of this forgotten tale in the form that “Ascension” took. The pair’s chemistry was genuinely heart-felt and endearing and a sure fire way to capture the audience’s empathy to the cold reality of the situation.

At times the play moved into unexpected moments of surrealism, with modern pop music, choreographed dances and a lecture on how to not die of hydration. These elements were fun, but felt at odds with the identity of the main story. I would’ve loved to see both the historical setting and the surrealist components further integrated into the storytelling of the play.

“Ascension” is an important play that sheds light on a forgotten story that is truly remarkable. 

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/ascension

This is one of the most unique and meaningful versions of Hamlet I’ve ever seen. Produced by Peruvian theatre company Teatro La Plaza, directed and written by Chela De Ferrari, this version of Hamlet presents the stories of people with Down’s syndrome. Rather than being an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, this play is a narrative that uses the framework of Hamlet to explore the lives of people with Down syndrome. This play, which consists of eight adult actors with Down syndrome, deconstructs and retells the original play by focusing on several key themes—like the question, “Who is Hamlet?”

As the performers enact the story of Hamlet, they also weave in reflections on their own lives, their interpretations of the characters, and incorporate elements such as electronic music, rap, and multimedia videos. The crown is passed among the actors, each one expressing Hamlet’s inner turmoil in their own voice, redefining his pain in ways that are personal and universally understood. Hamlet’s famous question, “To be or not to be,” is his existential dilemma and search for the meaning of life. In this production, people with Down syndrome, who are often viewed as “different,” also confront struggles for survival and independence. In reality, there are societal prejudices against those with Down syndrome, seeing them as burdens, as marginalized members of society. 

In the play, the actors take turns portraying Hamlet and Ophelia, sharing their own life stories—about love, family, and their personal experiences. This intertwining of their pursuit of a meaningful life with Hamlet’s existential questions effectively brings together the challenges faced by people with Down syndrome and the struggles of Shakespeare’s character. There’s a saying: “There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes.” In this play, I saw that everyone is Hamlet, especially those who face unique challenges, each grappling with their own existential dilemmas.

One moment that deeply moved me was when the cast discussed how to portray Hamlet. Initially, someone imitated Laurence Olivier’s version of the character, but another cast member stepped forward to suggest that they should perform their own Hamlet. This moment was a powerful expression of the cast’s desire to assert their own identities, to reject living within the confines of others’ definitions, and to raise their voices. They are shouting to the world in their own simple but profound words. At the end of the play, the actors invited the audience to join them on stage to dance, which is like a communal celebration of the joy of life.

https://www.eif.co.uk/events/hamlet