It’s been a while since we’ve featured any theatre on here but the return of award-winning Scottish play Black Watch is as good a reason as any to put that right…

Hurtling from a pool room in Fife to an armoured wagon in Iraq, Black Watch is based on interviews conducted by Gregory Burke with former soldiers who served in Iraq.  Viewed through the eyes of those on the ground, Black Watch reveals what it means to be part of the legendary Scottish regiment, what it means to be part of the war and what it means to make the journey home again.  John Tiffany’s production makes powerful and inventive use of movement, music and song to create a visceral, complex and urgent piece of theatre.

Since its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2006, the National Theatre of Scotland production has played to over 113,000 people across three continents and has garnered 22 awards.  Most recently the production won four Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Director, Best Theatre Choreography, Best Play and Best Sound Design and the company won its first US award with the New York Drama Circle naming Black Watch Best Foreign Play.

There’s some local interest too as Aberdeen actor Ian Pirie will play the role of the First Officer/Lord Elgin, and he’s clearly relishing the prospect of returning to his home town:

‘It’s great to be involved in such an iconic production and I really hope my friends and family make it along to the show in Aberdeen.  As an actor Black Watch really pushes you to your limits and right outside your comfort zone which makes it even more thrilling.’

Amen to that, and amen to big-time Scottish theatre productions in general. Recommended.

Well, this looks quite exciting does it not?  We’ll let the poster do the talking:

You can’t have failed to notice it’s almost youth festival time again.  As per usual there’s so much going on, that to list it all here would break the internet.

So, here’s the official AIYF listings site,

Their Twitter,

and their Facebook Page

There you go.  All bases covered.  If we come across something truly fantastic however, we’ll be sure to give you a shout.  Meanwhile, the Festival Parade on Saturday 31 July (11am, Union Street) is usually a good place to start…

We’ve not featured many German plays on The Kiosque (we’ve not featured any to be honest), so now’s as good a time as any to start.

Presented by the University’s German Drama Group,  it’s a modern interpretation of Friedrich Schiller’s 1781 play ‘Die Räuber‘ (The Robbers) and focuses on the relationship between two twentysomething sisters (the original play had two brothers as the main protagonists).  Don’t worry if you’re German is non-existent, there are English subtitles and the play will be summarised in English as well. There’s also a chance to ask the actors some questions afterwards too…

Not too long ago a shudder of positive excitement ran through the cultural community of Aberdeen when the PVA proposed new arts centre was, remarkably, given approval by the local authority in a move that took many by surprise.   Understandably this quickly led to a feeling of optimism across the sector and, with seemingly brighter days ahead, we all thought and acted accordingly; new art projects and businesses came to the fore, young artists decided to stay in Aberdeen, dance and theatre improved their visibility and music promoters, buoyed by the idea of a new venue for live music, became excited by the acts that could be brought to this part of the country.

As promptly as our optimism arrived it all but left.   A disappointing reversion to type by the local authority led (again) to stalemate around a large and progressive capital project.  Indeed, one could be forgiven for suggesting this condition is ingrained and historically ritualistic within the authority at this end of the country.  The cultural sector’s hopes were stalled.

Moving forward a year or so and we view a cultural landscape that appears to be defying our justified concerns.  A mass exodus, or hibernation, of disillusioned creative talent has not taken place (as one could rightfully have expected) but rather we find ourselves in a steady period of growth.  A period that sees the arts sector build, albeit under a corporate shadow, momentum toward realising the vision of becoming a significant and worthy contributor to the national and international art world.

Like a music scene, an arts sector does not filter up and out through just one channel or venue, and nor should it.  No one place, project or concept can lay claim to making things better, a collective sensibility that takes strength from within does that job, and that’s the juncture we’re at right now.

The proposal by Peacock Visual Arts to build an outstanding, and much desired, centre for contemporary arts and culture certainly played a vital and healthy role in galvanising the sector into believing itself worthy and we must do everything possible to ensure this building, or an appropriate equivalent, happens.   Aberdeen needs a hub that will encourage a sense of infrastructure and ‘the new centre’ is the likely candidate for this role.   The thought that we may be deprived of this idea/ideal through the whim of a businessman’s ill-placed concept has developed a fighting spirit in the arts resulting in what I see as a progressive, and somewhat ironic given the circumstances, growth of the sector.  One could suggest that there is a large subconscious ‘f**k you’ being aimed up and out at the business world.

There is much work to be done but I can attest to the aforementioned progress, and take heart from my email activity that on a daily, often hourly, basis accepts invites to numerous art openings, notifications of networking events and workshops, marketing for dance, theatre events and gigs, numerous blogs that can be read and digested at leisure and e-promotion of a new arts-based business or space starting out on a new and precarious venture.

Historically art has spurts of growth and change, at a conceptual and physical level, when it circles the wagons and rallies toward or away from a specific purpose, thus we find ourselves in the midst of our own geographical cultural revolt.

Regardless of Union Terrace Gardens, and the broader outcome of the campaign, Aberdeen is absolutely more than capable of maintaining a momentum of growth across the arts and cultural sector in order to attain deserved recognition of its talent..

The questions to be asked are:

Will the desire and energy remain in place if the carpet is seen to be pulled from beneath by the hands of the self-titled ‘City Fathers’?

Can (with or without the proposed new art centre) the Aberdeen creative sector believe enough in itself to rise above this and become a recognised city of cultural vibrancy and excellence?

Or is this is one ask too far?

This is a bit different to yer usual comedy night. Italian performer Ennio Marchetto races through 50-odd costume changes during his show…and they’re all made of paper. I’ll just let the video do the talking shall I?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAFI1i5FIBc]

‘Men Behaving Badly’ star Neil Morrissey and Oliver Chris play the parts made famous by Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise respectively in this new adaptation of the 1988 Oscar-winning movie.

The plot? LA car-dealer Charlie Babbit (Morrissey) discovers that his estranged father’s fortune has been bequeathed to an autistic brother, Raymond (Chris) he never knew he had…

If it’s as funny and touching as the original celluloid version this’ll be a winner, and reviews are suggesting it just might be…

http://www.rainmanonstage.com/