The Month in Scottish Theatre: February 2018
The second month of the year is alive with shows and events, January is over, the pantomimes have definitely finished, and everyone can start over again
With this in mind, some productions are starting February with a bang. One of which is the classic musical Fame, which is set to be revived by Edinburgh University Footlights from 6-10 February at the Church Hill Theatre. The now classic musical takes place in 80s New York and follows a group of performing arts students as they try to make it big and contend with everyday issues.
Staying in Edinburgh, tales of free speech, persecution and just being yourself tread the boards at the Traverse. First up is Showtime from the Frontline, which runs from 14-17 February, and tells the story of what happened when Mark Thomas tried to set up a comedy club for two nights in Jenin, Palestine. It also stars Faisal Abu Alhayjaa and Alaa Shehada from Jenin Freedom Theatre. Later in the month, from the 21-24 February to be exact, The Last Bordello, a co-production between Fire Exit and Tron Theatre, takes the audience on an absurd and fiendish exploration of the inner workings of the last bordello left in a land brutalised by war.
Meanwhile after recovering from panto season, The King’s Theatre just up the road in Tollcross, presents Pressure (13-17 Feb), the acclaimed play by David Haig, which is a retelling of the real-life story of two warring allied meteorologists, tasked with predicting the weather conditions for D-Day. The play premiered at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh in 2014.
In Glasgow, Scottish Opera present two shows at the Theatre Royal this month. The first is a revival of their Edinburgh International Festival hit, Greek, a modern re-telling of the Oedipus myth by Mark-Anthony Turnage. Based on the play by Steven Berkoff, Greek runs for two nights only (2-3 Feb). The second production is the Scottish premiere of Jonathan Dove’s comedy opera Flight, at the Theatre Royal 17-24 February and Festival Theatre Edinburgh 1-3 March. Based on the true story of a refugee who was stranded at Paris Charles de Gaule airport for a staggering 18 years, this opera flings together a group of strangers who are stuck at the airport during an electrical storm.
BUZZCUT’S Double Thrills, their regular night of experimental performance and live art takes place at the CCA on 7 February. This month, Aby Watson and Nicola Hunter present their latest work. Watson’s –ish is a work in progress, a physical theatre piece that explores dyspraxia, and when someone goes from abled to disabled. Hunter’s MOTHERFUCKER is a conversation on gender, being a single parent, and the ongoing relationship a mother has with her body. The performances are BSL interpreted and are free for people living in Govan. If you want to take up this offer, or if you can’t afford a ticket to the event, email: buzzcutkarl@gmail.com
Moving up to Aberdeen, the sound of Stephen Sondheim will fill Aberdeen Arts Centre from the 1-10 February with Company. This dark comedy about life, love and marriage follows Bobby, a 35 year-old bachelor, and stars West End favourites Oliver Savile, Anita Louise Combe and Ashleigh Gray.
Dundee Rep’s first production of 2018 is Ira Levin’s infamous thriller Deathtrap, which begins on 20 February. Directed by Johnny McKnight, this 'play within a play' marks its 40th anniversary and follows a washed up playwright as he attempts to claw back his former glory at any cost. But is he capable of murder?