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LOOD TIES – A DARK COMEDY MUSICAL
Venue: theSpace@Venue 45, 63 Jeffrey Street
Dates: August 12-24
Times: 21.05 (50 mins)
Tickets: Aug 12-14, 19-21 £8.00/Aug 15-18, 22-24 £10.00 (£8.00)
Box Office: 0131 510 2381, boxoffice.venue45@thespaceuk.com
A wedding. A suicide. A cleanup. A secret.
Based on true events Blood Ties is the “delightfully (and morbidly) hilarious” story of a hen party weekend that goes horribly wrong and will be performed at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe (Space Venue 45) from 12 -24 August. This darkly comedic chamber musical by Canadian writers Johnson and Johnston, will feature a cast of five (including the two writers) with live music.
Sheila’s uncle shoots himself in his bathroom on the eve of her wedding, and when her three best friends arrive in town for her hen night they are instead charged with the task of helping her clean up the considerable mess left behind. But in the process of mopping up blood and brains, disturbing details are uncovered, and it becomes clear that Sheila isn’t telling the whole truth. Blood Ties begins as a dark comedy and ends up a murder mystery, unfolding in an intense hour of sharp humour, suspense, and beautifully crafted songs.
The score is influenced by Johnson and Johnston’s roots in Canadian folk music and classic American music theatre. The show is intimate and acoustic, taking place in real time.
Blood Ties has been performed at 5 festivals in Canada, selling out each night at the Summerworks Festival last summer and this will be the UK premier of the musical. The show is directed by Ann Merriam and Julian Richings, with musical direction by Jeffrey Newberry who will accompany on grand piano. Blood Ties is produced by The Performing Arts Collective.
Cast: ‘Sheila’: Anika Johnson, ‘Franny’: Barb Johnston, ‘Larry’: Michael DeRose, ‘Paul’: Carter Hayden, ‘Conrad’: Kent Sheridan
www.bloodtiesthemusical.com/ twitter @bloodtiesmusic/ instagram @johnsonandjohnston
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
saw the show last week in Toronto. Smashing tunes and bloody funny. You folks are in for a treat
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