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Ankur Ha Ha Thu 21 Jun, 7.30pm. £8 (£5). A showcase of work produced by Ankur Ha Ha, a project supported by the Citizens’ Theatre to mentor and develop artists working in a range of genres. Part of Refugee Week. EDINBURGH
■ BRUNTON THEATRE Ladywell Way, Musselburgh, 665 2240. Alpha Dance Academy Thu 24–Sat 26 May, 7.30pm. £10.50 (£8.50). Annual showcase of dance, including ballet, tap and jazz, from pupils at the Alpha Dance Academy. Move It! Dance Show Wed 6 Jun, 6pm. £6.50 (family £24). Energetic dance from the East Lothian youth company. Morag Alexander School of Dance Annual Show Fri 15–Sat 23 Jun, 7pm (Sat mat 3pm). £11–£16. Annual performance of singing and dancing, with styles ranging from traditional Scottish to hip hop.
■ CAFÉ NEMRUT 255 Leith Walk, 554 0838. Katianna Was Here Thu 14–Sat 16 Jun, 7pm. £7 (£5). New devised theatre about a woman going on an important journey. Part of Leith Festival. ■ CHURCH HILL THEATRE 33a Morningside Road, 447 7597. Losing Louis Thu 24–Sat 26 May, 7.30pm. £10 (£8). Simon Mendes de Costa’s black comedy exploring the impact of infidelity and its aftermath.
■ CONSTITUTION BAR 48 Constitution Street, Leith, 538 9374. FREE Who Killed the Pop Star? Wed 13–Sat 16 Jun, 7pm. A murder mystery set in 1986 from Leith Community Theatre – follow the clues, if
Theatre you can see past the hairdos and lashings of eyeliner. Part of Leith Festival.
CO-PROMOTION
■ THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE 18-22 Greenside Place, 0844 871 3014.
✽✽ Oliver! Wed 30 May–Sat 23 Jun (not Mon), 7.30pm (Thu & Sat mats 2.30pm); Sun mats only, 3pm. £21.50–£55.50. After last year’s 50th anniversary, Lionel Bart’s musical take on Dickens’ classic transfers to Scotland, starring Brian Conley as Fagin. See preview, page 130.
■ EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE 13–29 Nicolson Street, 529 6000. Opera North: Ruddigore Thu 7–Sat 9 Jun, 7.30pm (Sat mat 2.15pm). £19–£39.50. Opera North brings to life Gilbert and Sullivan’s melodramatic story of witches, maidens and curses from beyond the grave. Porgy & Bess Fri 15–Sat 16 Jun, 7.30pm (Sat mat 2pm). £30–£45 (£27–£42). Cape Town Opera return with Gershwin’s popular opera, featuring ‘Summertime’ and ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’.
■ THE GRANARY 32–34 The Shore, Leith, 554 9465. Leith’s Hidden Treasure Thu 14 & Fri 15 Jun, 7.30pm; Sat 16 Jun, 2.30pm. £7 (£5). Citadel Arts Group presents a play by Laure C Paterson based on the memories of Leithers of the old hospital. Part of Leith Festival. ■ MALMAISON HOTEL EDINBURGH 1 Tower Place Leith, 468 5000. One Elliot Park Thu 14–Tue 19 Jun, 8pm (Sat mat 4pm). £10 (£8; all matinee tickets £6). Thought-provoking drama about a young woman who is accused of burgling her neighbours’ flat, written by
THE FESTIVAL THEATRE SERVES UP A SUMMER FEAST OF OPERATIC TREATS This summer’s spread begins steeped in the passion and glamour of 1940s Rome; the perfect setting for Scottish Opera’s powerful production of Puccini’s heartbreaking Tosca. Then, for those who prefer a comic dish, with heavy servings of theatrical mishaps and whimsical folly, Opera North’s marvellously entertaining Ruddigore gives Gilbert & Sullivan’s topsy-turvy burlesque of Victorian melodrama a fresh lease of life in the 21st century.
And what better way to round off the season than with Cape Town Opera’s triumphant return to Edinburgh with the 2009 sell-out sensation Porgy and Bess. This exuberantly colourful staging of George Gershwin’s universally loved ‘people’s opera’ is relocated to the townships of Soweto, South Africa, where the search for hope and happiness - amidst poverty and hardship - unfolds in a poignant tale of love and deprivation. A jazzy fusion of classical opera and Broadway musical, Porgy and Bess features unforgettable songs, including “Summertime” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So”.
True opera aficionados may want to gorge on all three courses, whilst others will pick a flavour that suits. Either way this is the perfect mix of operatic confections to titillate any tastebud. Scottish Opera: Tosca (23,25,27,31 May & 2 June) Opera North: Ruddigore (7 to 9 June) Cape Town Opera: Porgy and Bess (15 & 16 Jun)
24 May–21 Jun 2012 THE LIST 131