#Gig – Bookmarks and Stages by Lou

I (Louise) have seen a fair bit of theatre shows from from Fringe theatre to full on plays, musicals, talks and gigs. Creating a list of 10 took some thought, but here they are:

Pretty Woman the Musical

It was amazing just how close to the film it was. There were moments for scenery when I wondered if and how parts could be recreated, but it truly was. The cast were on top form and it was a masterpiece from beginning to end.
Discover the synopsis, the cast listing and my full review here: Pretty Woman

David Suchet – Poirot and More… A Retrospective (Talk)

David Suchet, famed for playing Poirot in every tv series gave the most fascinating talk about how he got into the profession, playing many parts that perhaps don’t know so much about and of course and how he ended up embodying one of the most famous detectives in the world – Agatha Christie’s Poirot. This was an amazing, flawless, entertaining talk that had more than anyone could’ve anticipated…
Discover the review and some photos here: David Suchet – Poirot and More

Rick Astley and his Swing Band (Gig)
He’s Never Gonna Give You Up… It’s Rick Astley. He returned with mostly covers from the greats of Swing and totally nailed it! There was amazing jamming of his Swing Band too. It was a fun night out that left me full of joy!
Find out more, including more photos here:
Rick Astley

Macbeth (Play)

Entering the walkway to the auditorium wasn’t how it normally is. The atmosphere and scene was set with big props and theatrics in lighting and plumes of smoke. It was like nothing else I’ve ever seen before (see photos in the blog link) Then you enter to watch what is an incredibly immersive, powerful, performance. It was so enthralling there wasn’t any chatter nor a rustle nor even a sneeze in the audience.

Discover those photos and full review here: Macbeth

Jekyll and Hyde (Play)

A minimalist set is all this play needed. What occurs on stage is nothing short of magic. This was a one man play and what happens on stage is nothing short of compellingly haunting.
Discover more of my review and more here: Jekyll and Hyde

The Last Laugh (Play)

Take 1 dressing room and 3 men you think you know – Tommy Cooper, Bob Monkhouse and Eric Morecambe and what you get is an excellent array of comedy mixed with poignancy as you see their inner thoughts, concerns and banter between each other before their shows.
Discover the synopsis and review here: The Last Laugh

Talk on Corners – The Corrs with Natalie Imbruglia supporting (Gig)

Return to the 1990’s and squish it together a bit and you get iconic people. Natalie Imbruglia is back! She sang from her new album just ahead of it being officially released (more about that in the link), with great catchy songs and of course sang Torn. She’s still got it!
The Corrs biggest album was Talk On Corners and they played drums and violin, sang their greatest hits and a few others as well as danced and twirled like it was the 90’s. The stage was electric and the atmosphere in the audience was amazing, with sing-along parts too. An excellent night out that left me very smiley like when I first heard them in my teens! The Corrs

Squidge (Play)

“You Can Count On Me Like 123 and I’ll Be There!” That song by Bruno Mars is the theme song throughout Squidge. Lots of people working in education, especially SEND will have it running through their heads countless of times as it fast became a favourite positive song for kids. Daisy is a teaching assistant and looks after those with special needs. Squidge is what she uses as a “tool” for a particular child. What unfolds is heartwarming, poignant and truthful in conversations and inner thoughts about work, school in general and life outside work. It’s as real as it comes, performed by a woman in the know… It was loads better than I expected and I was impressed.
Discover more here: Squidge

The Screen Test (Play)

Set in the 1930’s and played by Bebe Cave, The Screen Test introduces audiences to the character Betsy Bitterly, a charismatic, optimistic actress trying to forever move onwards and upwards in her career and concludes with a dramatic ending. It’s a great play for looking at behind the scenes and delving into the psyche of an actress who also has certain attitudes to deal with.

Find out more of my review and the synopsis here: The Screen Test

The Interval

We all see the person who sells the ice cream during the interval at the theatre, but do we know anything more? Not usually. This play peels back the face of who you see to the soul, experiences and raw emotions of the person we think we see. It’s gritty at times as well as humorous in what is an unforgettable play.

Discover the synopsis and review here: Interval

Rick Astley
Swinging Christmas Gig

Review written by Louise Cannon

Rick Astley makes Swing music cool again at the Usher Hall, Royal Albert Hall and other venues. If you ever get the opportunity to see him and his big swing band in future years, I highly recommend it. I saw him at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.

Rick Astley gigs are like a dose of wellbeing to your heart, mind and soul. They’re a terrific, memorable night out!

“Fly Me to the Moon”, I was certainly on cloud 9 at this gig and loved every second of it. It was a relaxed gig in a formal setting, which was perfectly executed.
Rick Astley dazzled the audience with a mix of Christmas songs done swing style and the classic swing songs. Solo and group instrumental parts were a delight as he allowed his band to showcase their talents and what they could do with instruments such as the saxophone, drums and more…

He put together a great repertoire that flowed well. It included songs Christmas songs such as “Winter Wonderland”, “Santa Clause is Coming To Town”, “White Christmas”, romantic songs such as “Strangers in the Night”, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” “As Time Goes By” and many more…

As Rick Astely sang, his voice for all his songs was exquisitely deep, rich, silky smooth and perfect for this style of music. I honestly couldn’t fault any of it as he emulated the original crooners. I was incredibly impressed!

The gig had heart, humour, poignancy and most of all, fun. He mentioned his mum and sang some of the songs she liked, he had a shot on drums himself and danced around. There was a festive, positive energy throughout. There were some audience singalong parts, of course, the major one being his 80’s hit “Never Gonna Give You Up”. He didn’t conclude on this, the last song was “White Christmas” and then you knew the festive season had officially begun. The gig started on a high and finished on a high. Not one bit of it waned. Everything he sang, everything he

Rick Astley has great longevity and deservedly so, especially as he does things how he wants to do them now. I’ve seen his Pop concerts and now this Swing concert and both styles show his enormous talent and a great sense of uplifting fun like he wants to be there and you don’t ever want him to leave.

If you ever get a chance to see any of his gigs, I highly recommend them. You won’t regret it and nor will you be disappointed. They’re a joy to the heart and soul.

Rick Astley also has a memoir – Never – Out Now!