Liam Rudden’s Must See Theatre March

Revolting children, Inspector Morse, Hercule Poirot and a brand new musical based on a best-selling novel fill the stages of Edinburgh’s theatres this month, what do you fancy seeing, cosy crime or magnificent musicals?

Only one musical has ever heard me rapt from beginning to end despite having a three hour plus running time. That was one of the earlier incarnations of Les Miserables at London’s Palace Theatre, back when the revolve was king and digital backdrops still the stuff of science fiction. So brilliant was that production that time stood still from the opening overture to the final bow.

Today, with very few exceptions I am firmly of the belief that, generally, anything running more more than an hour either side of the interval is heading in the direction of being overly-indulgent on the part of the ‘theatre-maker’ (a pretentious term if ever there was one) at the helm.

Unpopular opinion I’m sure but Wicked, at 2 hours 45 minutes, is just interminable, even Hamilton, with the same running time, drags in parts, while The Lion King at 2 hours 30 minutes could easily lose a number or two without surrendering its overall impact.

Based on the 2009 novel of the same name by David Nicholls, the World Premiere of One Day: The Musical (until 27 April), which actually opened in previews at the end of last month, is a love story. Emma and Dexter first meet on the night of their graduation, 15th July 1988, St Swithin’s Day. It’s an unexpected meeting that will change both of them forever as over the next 20 years we return to them on the same day each year as, through joy and heartbreak, missed opportunities and second chances, they navigate love, ambition, and the unpredictable twists of life.With a company led by London West End musical theatre favourites Jamie Muscato and Sharon Rose as Dexter and Emma, and having already had its run extended by two weeks due to popular demand, there’s little doubt that One Day: The Musical in this month’s Must See Theatre in Edinburgh.
Running time 2 hours 40 minutes with 20 minute interval, tickets here.

For lovers of cosy and classic crime, there’s murder galore at the Festival Theatre this month, kicking off with Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts (3-7 March), the first-ever stage adaptation of the iconic detective.
Inspired by the novels and characters created by Colin Dexter, House of Ghosts is an original story by Alma Cullen, a writer from the ITV series starring the late John Thaw as the titular detective. It follows Morse and DS Lewis as they investigate a chilling death with links to a sinister event 25 years earlier.

When a young actress suddenly dies on stage in front of a full-house, the pair must piece together the clues to find the culprit but what begins as a suspicious death inquiry takes a darker turn when Morse uncovers a connection to sinister events in his own past.
And there’s a familiar face stepping into the brown brogues of Thaw too, Father Brown favourite Tom Chambers stars as Inspector Morse.
Running Time 2 hours including interval, tickets here.   

Later in the month, on the same stage, Agatha Christie’s Death On The Nile (24-28 March) finds Hercule Poirot in a world of bitter rivals, buried secrets and a love to die for and embarks on a waterborne quest to find a murderer.
On board a luxurious cruise under the heat of the Egyptian sun, a couple’s idyllic honeymoon is cut short by a brutal murder. As secrets that have been buried in the sands of time finally resurface, can the world-famous detective untangle the web of lies and solve another crime?
Following Murder on the Orient Express stop at the Festival Theatre last year, the European premiere of Death On The Nile reunites writer Ken Ludwig and director Lucy Bailey.
With Mark Hadfield as Poirot, Dempsey & Makepeace and Blake’s 7 icon Glynis Barber features as eccentric, flamboyant romance novelist Salome Otterbourne.
Running time 2 hours 20 minutes including interval, tickets here.

 
15 years since it premiered on stage in Stratford-upon-Avon and following performances in 100 cities across 17 countries worldwide, Matilda The Musical (4-22 March) returns to the Playhouse this month telling the story of an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
The production, from the Royal Shakespeare Company is another long one. Inspired by the Roald Dahl story, with a book by Dennis Kelly, music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and direction by Matthew Warchus, Matilda has now won more than 100 global awards, including 24 for Best Musical, but then it does boast one of favourite numbers ever, the joyous, anthemic and ridiculously uplifting, Revolting Children, which is worth the ticket price alone.

And thanks to ‘RSC £10 Tickets’, supported by TikTok, that ticket doesn’t have to break the bank. 10 x £10 tickets are available for every performance, bookable online in advance and on the day of performance for 16-25 year olds. Also, there’s a buy one and get one under 16s ticket half price on selected seats for all Tuesday to Thursday performances.
Running time 2 hours 35 minutes including interval, tickets here.  

Finally, this month, the latest lunchtime season of A Play A Pie And A Pint continues at The Traverse with Someone’s Knockin’ At The Door by Milly Sweeney (3-7 March), a nostalgia-filled comedy-drama about a bickering couple embarking on a mission to meet their idol, Paul McCartney.

Bests, Liam