Dance and Allan Radcliffe

A Streetcar Named Desire

Incredibly dynamic, exhilarating and edgy production from Scottish Ballet

25 Apr 2012

Early on in Scottish Ballet’s audacious adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire it hits home just how persuasively Tennessee Williams’ play has been adapted for non-verbal storytelling. Director Nancy Meckler and choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa have…

Top Hat

Loving tribute to the Fred'n'Ginger classic, starring Tom Chambers and Summer Strallen

24 Nov 2011

According to legend, screen hoofer Fred Astaire was such a perfectionist that, during the 40th take of a scene from Swing Time (1936), his partner Ginger Rogers’ feet started to bleed through her satin slippers. In this stage adaptation of one of…

Circolombia: Urban Intimo

Impressive circus showcase that leaves you wanting more

14 Aug 2011

This colourful, multi-faceted circus skills showcase opens with allusions to the impoverished backgrounds of its cast members. The master of ceremonies crawls into the space inside a waste bucket while screens at the back of the stage show images of the…

Korean Drum: Journey of a Soul

Dance to the rhythm of life

8 Aug 2011

Sometimes words are not required. Sometimes a single performer beating a frenetic rhythm on a drum suspended from an ornate frame is enough to raise the hairs on your arm. For those who love a bit of variety in their Fringe life, though, this showcase…

Transformation

Harrowing but uplifting tale of survival

24 Aug 2010

At first sight writer, director and performer Gemskii appears to have created a welcoming, informal atmosphere in her small space at the Roxy, handing out programmes and opening her show with a polite invitation to ‘laugh, even though this story is…

Reel-to-Real: The Movies Musical

Less chat more dancin’ and singin’ please

14 Aug 2010

Much has been made of Reel-to-Real’s impressive technical credentials, which allows live performers to perform iconic song-and-dance numbers against a backdrop of footage from classic film musicals. In fact the background projections, while cleverly…

Dance Doctor Dance

Joining in with the lord of the dance

11 Aug 2010

As the lights go up on PowerPoint equipment and a bespectacled, middle-aged man announcing himself as a reader in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, you fear you’re in for a lecture rather than an hour of Fringe fun. But twinkle-toed Dr…

Rhythm Of The Drums: Song Of The Cicada

Show but no tell

11 Aug 2010

The title is a little misleading: drumming is but a small part of this showcase of traditional music and dance from the minority Dong and Miao peoples of southwest China. The series of virtuoso displays, from the furious Wood Drum Dance to love…

Anatomy of Fantasy

Impressive if unfocused journey through the subconscious

8 Aug 2010

Anatomy of Fantasy is an appropriately elusive title for a multi-sensory show that, while enjoyable, at times lacks focus.

Edinburgh Festival 2010: More Fringe show highlights

Some of the shows to look out for at the Fringe

16 Jul 2010

With over 2,400 shows to choose from at this years Fringe festival, it's all to easy to succumb to the paradox of choice. Here we present our picks for some of the smaller shows that are worth looking out for.

Fifty Edinburgh Fringe shows for a fiver

13 Jul 2010

The economy may be in the stink-hole, but Julia Correia and Allan Radcliffe help stretch your pennies with this round-up of Fringe theatre shows for a fiver

The Nutcracker

4 Dec 2009

Scottish Ballet’s triumphant production of the classic ballet with Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score returns for a three-month Scottish tour. The Nutcracker is choreographed by Ashley Page, whose contemporary retelling combines the fairy tale world with…

Boh

Moving dance exploration of women’s roles

24 Aug 2009

This solo performance piece created by the Sanpapié theatre-dance company opens with a women sitting in a kitchen-like space munching on popcorn, a faraway look in her eyes. From time to time, props and bits of costume are fired out of a wardrobe at the…

Still Breathing

Impressive but joyless contemporary dance

18 Aug 2009

There’s plenty to admire in this new show by all-male company 2FaCeD DaNcE, not least the virtuosity of UK breakdancing champion, Robby Graham. Plus some incredibly tight ensemble routines, which fuse street dance with contemporary to explore the…

Tap Kids

Tapping the light fantastic

16 Aug 2009

Anyone who pitches up at Tap Kids with a cynical attitude and a sense of impending dread will quickly find themselves struggling to contain smiles of unfettered delight. While the show – a hybrid of Tap Dogs and High School Musical – is rooted firmly…

Northern Ballet Theatre: Swan Lake and Mixed Bill

5 Mar 2009

It may be the world’s most popular ballet in its traditional form, but Swan Lake can withstand a fair bit of manipulation. David Nixon’s innovative version takes place in New England during the early 20th century, where a wealthy college boy and his…

Behind The Mirror

Bizarre love triangle

21 Aug 2008

At first, Ad Infinitum’s infectious romp plays out like a physical theatre version of The Odd Couple, the buffoonish protagonist embarking on a slapstick turf war with his demonic reflection, who has escaped from his rightful side of the mirror. The…

Lost in the Wind

Lost Spectacles brings the outside inside

14 Aug 2008

Remember Let's Pretend, the kids TV show where the cast made up a play using whatever props and costumes found in the dressing-up box? This offbeat show from Lost Spectacles has a similarly patchwork feel to it. The cast use simple objects such as a…

A Night at the Movies

Classic scenes from the silver screen

7 Aug 2008

Golden moments from classic Hollywood films are the inspiration for this patchy production from US choreographers Gallimaufrey & Greene. While the intention is to provide an accessible entry point for theatregoers who are less familiar with contemporary…

Flamenco con Fusion

23 Aug 2007

Ricardo Garcia’s Familia Flamenca exemplifies the drama that can be created from a simple fusion of virtuoso musicianship and strong, deft footwork. Even stripped down to acoustic instruments, voices and movement, the show is no less uplifting. Whether…

Méli Mélo II

16 Aug 2007

Parody is a tricky thing to pull off. There’s a risk that, while attempting to point out the absurdity of the medium you’re lampooning, you destroy what made it worth imitating in the first place. Happily, Chicos Mambos succeed in negotiating that…

State of Matter

9 Aug 2007

The stark lighting and simple uniform of black tailcoats characterise the restraint that permeates this performance by Hereford’s 2FaCeD DaNcE Company. There is no narrative to this show, rather it is a collection of unrelated set pieces, the…

Tap Olé

1 Aug 2007

The words ‘Spanish’ and ‘dance’ are most likely to conjure up visions of a twisting bolero or majestic sarabande.

Score

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

19 Jul 2007

Edinburgh Festival Fringe A question of sport Allan Radcliffe talks to Quentin Ogier of 2002 Fringe award-winners Au Cul du Loup about their games-themed show

Scottish Ballet a step closer to new HQ

Tramway project further boosted by additional fund

13 Nov 2006

The proposals for Scottish Ballet’s state-of-the-art new home at Tramway have been given the green light by Glasgow City Council’s Planning Committee. Meanwhile, the Scottish Arts Council’s announcement of a £3.75m National Lottery Grant, together with…