There are baddies and goodies galore heading to the capital’s stages this month including hair-hoppers, missionaries and a Belgian sleuth on track to expose a murderer.
Lots to get through this month with the Playhouse, Festival Theatre and Royal Lyceum all bringing some cracking productions to the Capital.
So without further ado, we start off with a show suitable for all the family, especially the youngest members of your clan, The Baddies (4-20 October) at the Lyceum.
Suitable for three year olds and over and with a running time of less than an hour, the Baddies, based on the creations of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, are funny, silly and really, really bad.
Head to Grindlay Street if you are ready to meet the very worst Baddies in the world; a witch, a troll and an ancient ghost.
The Baddies love being bad. Watch as they roar, spook and cast wicked spells to try and scare a girl out of her wits but who will succeed? Or perhaps the girl is braver than they think…
With songs by Joe Stilgoe, The Baddies is ‘a laugh-out-loud riot’ for all the family.
Running Time under one hour. Tickets £11-£18 https://lyceum.org.uk/events/the-baddies#dates-and-times
At The Playhouse, Hairspray (7-12 October) marks the return of the beat you can’t stop.
Starring Strictly Come Dancing favourite Joanne Clifton as the fierce yet fabulous Velma van Tussle, this production sees Hairspray royalty Brenda Edwards (famous for her turns as Motormouth Maybelle) making her directorial debut and hoping to bring new energy to the show.
Based on the John Waters film starring Divine, join big-hearted Tracy Turnblad and her new friends the spirited Seaweed and his sister Little Inez, heartthrob Link Larkin and the resolute Motormouth Maybelle as they strive to change the world with their timeless message of tolerance and the fight against racial discrimination.
Featuring the hit songs Welcome to the 60s, You Can’t Stop the Beat, Good Morning Baltimore and many more, Hairspray is always an uplifting night out.
Running Time 2 Hours 30 Minutes including interval. Tickets £28-£83 https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/hairspray-the-musical/edinburgh-playhouse/calendar/2024-10-07
A week later those musical missionaries are back at the Greenside Place venue as Book of Mormon (15 October-2 November) returns for a three week run after the sell-out success of its last visit.
Not for the easily offended, this outrageous musical comedy from the creators of South Park, Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Bobby Lopez, follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent to a place that’s about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get.
Always a hot ticket, the New York Times called it, ‘The best musical of this century.’ See how many musical parodies you can spot hidden in the action.
Running Time 2 Hours 20 Minutes including interval. Tickets £13-£105 https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-book-of-mormon/edinburgh-playhouse/
The following week, head to Nicolson Street, where Murder On The Orient Express (22-26 October) pulls into the Festival Theatre with a mystery to be solved.
Following their sell-out tour of Agatha Christie’s ‘best-selling crime novel of all time’, And Then There Were None, Fiery Angel and Lucy Bailey bring Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of another Christie classic to the stage.
It’s winter 1934 and an avalanche stops The Orient Express dead in its tracks. A murder. A train full of suspects. An impossible case. Trapped in the snow with a killer still on-board, can the world’s most famous detective, Hercule Poirot, crack the case before the train reaches its final destination and discover whodunit?
Michael Maloney stars as the iconic Belgian sleuth and as always there’s a final twist, and this one is considered one of the author’s very best.
Described as ‘gripping, tense and masterfully cryptic’, this brand-new production is a thrilling ride guaranteed to keep you guessing until the end of the line. Please note, it’s recommended for ages 12+.
Running Time TBC. Tickets £22.50-£47.50 https://www.capitaltheatres.com/whats-on/all-shows/murder-on-the-orient-express/2309#
Last on the list this time around is A Streetcar Named Desire (24 October-9 November).
The Lyceum brings the hit Pitlochry Festival Theatre production of Tennessee Williams’ classic to Edinburgh.
After losing her family home and prosperous life, former southern belle Blanche Dubois moves into the shabby apartment of her younger sister Stella and her husband Stanley Kowalski in a poor neighbourhood in New Orleans.
Blanche and Stanley take an immediate dislike to one another. The conflict between them heats up as Blanche attempts to convince her sister to leave her abusive husband. Tensions mount with tragic consequences for Blanche.
Be warned, A Streetcar Named Desire contains ‘scenes that some people may find upsetting’, cautions the Lyceum.
Running Time 2 Hours 35 Minutes including interval. Tickets £18-£38 https://lyceum.org.uk/events/a-streetcar-named-desire#dates-and-times
Heading south this month for a theatre break? If it’s something a bit more intriguing than the usual West End musical theatre fayre you’re looking for, the Charing Cross Theatre could be the place to be with a two week run of the Japanese play, Tattooer (14-26 October).
Seikichi is a young tattoo artist and former Ukiyo-e artist of high repute. His longtime wish is to ‘carve his soul into the skin of a beautiful woman’ but he has been unable to find a willing partner.
Tattooer, by Takuya Kaneshima, which receives its UK premiere at the Charing Cross Theatre, explores what happens when Seikichi finally meets his ideal canvas… with audiences able to watch the ‘tattoo’ being applied live, during the interval.
Inspired by a short story by Junichiro Tanizaki, Tattooer is translated by Linda Hoaglund and aims to promote Japanese theatrical culture in the UK.
Running Time TBC. Tickets £12-£40 https://tickets.charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/WEBPAGES/EntaWebShow/ShowPerformance.aspx
Until next month, happy theatre going and keep up to date with all my latest news and reviews at MustSeeTheatre.com
Líam
Leither. Writer | Broadcaster | Actor | Award-winning playwright/director| Content Creator. Entertainment commentator. Theatre consultant. Former Edinburgh Evening News Arts and Entertainment Editor. 40 years in media.
