Writer Unblocked

Scottish Ballet – from Sublime to Stravinsky

Scottish Ballet’s double bill (The Fairy’s Kiss followed by The Rite of Spring) was a spectacular and enjoyable evening, featuring two pieces that contrasted yet complemented each other perfectly.

I was mesmerised by the sheer beauty and perfect technique of the Fairy (Constance Devernay) in the first piece. Her effortless performance was stunning, poetry en pointe, movement that melted in your heart. She was the highlight of my evening, technique and talent intertwined in a tapestry of skill.

The energy of the second piece had me hooked, a festival of ferocity as the male dancers embodied raw emotion.

The orchestra was first class, the music of Stravinsky timeless and unique.

A truly fantastic evening, ballet as it should be.

Collieston

A coastal village that defies time. It hugs the cliffs, contours of history entwined with the sweet northerly wind of a new day. All time, no time, all the tomorrows defying their end. A sky that kisses the land with a promise of forever, shining in the blank windows of houses that will not forget.

Between Newburgh and Cruden Bay, Collieston is a unique north east Scotland village, a mixture of permanent and holiday residences. Charm is an understatement. The cliffs jut in to the sea as they have done for centuries, and the houses cling to the land as if they may be swept away.

The air is salty and fresh, the sea sighing like a haunted heart. The view is magnificent, a song of wild nature hand in hand with village monotony, a painting by a visionary, a portrait of poetry in stone and sand. The former fishing village emanates a magic that melts in your stomach, food for the soul. In one word: enchanting.

Nuart Aberdeen 2017

An idea can inspire genius. And so with Nuart Aberdeen, a project in which international street artists have brought the duller areas of Aberdeen alive with colour and character.

The below pictures are from the Aberdeen market area, but the camera barely does the raw art justice. Street art brings culture to the mundane, and allows art to be as it should be: central to society.

Haunting eyes survey the green, a face where youth does battle with an inner wisdom, a soul on fire behind the perfect visage.

Information on Nuart: www.nuartaberdeen.co.uk

A Walk Back in Time

Aberdeen University campus on a sunny day is centuries old architecture at its finest, granite gleaming in the sun, a taste of the past on your lips and a vision of beauty in your eyes. To study in such surroundings is a privilege, but to walk down the old streets a joy free to all. An air of majestic melancholy is around: cobbled streets winding back in time, singing of a past gone forever and for a future we can not know.

Embracing the Edinburgh Fringe

Edinburgh during the Fringe is a wonderland of wit, comedy, dance, drama and general feel-good furore. Walking up the Royal Mile, the street performers and excited crowd join in a common purpose: to entertain and to be entertained. Edinburgh becomes a haven of hilarity and happy times.

The Best of Edinburgh Showcase Show, at 1.10pm at the Pleasance, is the perfect appetiser for those deciding what to see. On Friday five excellent comedians whetted our palates for more.

Host Damian Clark erupted on stage with mirth in his eyes, the usual front row introductions as funny as anticipated. First comedian Carl Donnelly satiated the audience’s appetite with a string of real life predicaments, humour in the mundane. Then Jake Yapp treated us to a quick overview of the entire Fringe, a mini-tour of the unexpressable perfectly phrased. John Hastings delivered a tirade of wit and ironic observation that redefined humour. Finally, Jess Robinson gave a delightful impersonation of a variety of singers, finishing with Julie Andrews does “All About the Bass,” a crazy combination of saccharin and street wise. Check out the full programme of the Fringe below:

Edinburgh Fringe: www.edfringe.com (from 5 to 29 August 2016)

Around Edinburgh:

Science comes to life at Dynamic Earth.

The sheer beauty of Arthur’s Seat.

Aberdeen May Festival 2016

For a small city, Aberdeen is blessed with festivals throughout the year – from art to architecture, sound to science, dance to drums, there is indeed something for everyone. Last weekend was the best of them all: Aberdeen University’s May Festival, covering literature, poetry, music and science, and featuring events for all ages.

A taste of London under the trees, a tea shop masquerading as a bus:

Wayne Price and Jen Cooper Talk:

An hour of sea, salt and silence; a melody of the mundane made beautiful. Jen Cooper’s poems transported us to the sea, the moon and back, in a beautiful lullaby of life. An enchanting narrative of nature: herons, gulls and foxes shared their animal antics, amidst visions of a sea that stretched to forever.

Dr Wayne Price’s “Salt” metamorphised our minds in to a vulnerable teenager, feeling his frustration, fighting his feelings. We were simply there. The skill of well-written prose: no barriers, you are just present with the power of the word. I could have listened to him for hours.

Kings College:

David Wheatley and Sheena Blackhall Talk:

From Iceland to illusion, from literature to laughter, this talk took us to all the nuances inbetween. Dr Wheatley’s poetry massaged the mind, words woven together to create magic, solace to the soul. The multi-talented Sheena Blackhall entertained with poetry, song and humour that was an art in itself.

Find out more: May Festival

Hidden Cinemas of Aberdeen

Hidden Aberdeen Tours are an informative, entertaining and above all unique way to learn about Aberdeen. www.hiddenaberdeen.co.uk

This weekend I took the Lost Cinemas Tour, a cruise down a river of nostalgia and urban legend, a journey of discovery and delight. Walking through today’s streets, a fleeting vision appeared of yesterday, a performance unfinished in time, a sleeping shadow behind the Aberdeen granite.

This walking tour satisfied the soul’s quest for marvels. Over the years Aberdeen has hosted no less than 42 cinemas, their song snuffed silent long ago, with only a single historic one left: the Belmont. Moonlight that fades before dawn, art deco cinemas, the finest architecture of the day, have retreated beneath the dust of progress, their soul haunting the brickwork that survives, thirsting for a beauty so long denied.

Dr Fiona-Jane Brown narrated a mesmerizing tale of gems of the past, jewels in Aberdeen’s architectural history, their ghost raised from the ashes and given the send off they so deserve.

Find out all about Aberdeen’s fascinating cinemas on the next scheduled walk on Friday 24th June. Walking Tour dates

The remaining facade of the once famous Capitol Theatre (now a major office development).

Scottish Ballet: Swan Lake

Swan Lake is an old time favourite. The Scottish Ballet 2016 production is refreshingly modern, while retaining the authenticity and tragedy of the original story. Transported to a tranquil land of en pointe magic, the music and dance combined in a delicious expression of eternity.

Sophie Martin delivered a gentle yet powerful rendition of Odette, the beauty of the Swan Queen in each step, her song shouting from within each graceful move. Christopher Harrison stunned as Siegfried, a gifted dancer who embraced the love and tragedy of the role and made it his own.

Choreographer David Dawson made the bold move of removing all tutus, set designs and general aplomb. By their omission, we were drawn deeper in to the story of each dancer, no barriers to perceiving the beauty of their bodies and the melody of movement. In this performance, the dancers are everything: the focus, the fusion, the finale.

However, the production retained the time-defying music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, a composer for each century, a music that can not die. There were beautiful interludes of mere music: the opportunity to close one’s eyes and just be, at one with the meaning of the symphony.

All in all, a great performance, and a ten star gold rating for this seamless marriage of modernity and authenticity. Ballet at its best, this is a performance with something for all.

Wet Wet Wet: A Magical Evening

Wet Wet Wet performed at Aberdeen’s AECC on Sunday 13th March. A rollercoaster ride of music and mastery, Wet Wet Wet delivered a night of non-stop nostalgia, a journey through a goldmine of 1980 music.

A inter-generational mix of young and old, the audience were united by music that defies age and genre, a magical mix of timelessness. From Sweet Little Mystery to Temptation, an electric atmosphere charged the arena, the audience dancing a  wired waltz in time. A collective smile lit up the night, the feel good vibe almost as audible as the live music.

Marti Pellow impressed with near-perfect vocals, from beginning to end. Indeed the whole performance was superb, from their first song to roars of excited anticipation, and their finale to a chorus of cheers – Love is All Around, a timeless classic that evoked near hysteria.

The support acts were also first class. Ben McKelvey epitomised the spirit of raw energy, with songs that struck a note deep within. Markus Feehily (from Westlife) wowed the audience with his new tracks, then lulled us in the luxury of Westlife classics. A tear rose in my eye at the sheer beauty of You Lift Me Up.

All in all, it was a marvellous and memorable evening. Timeless and tremendous, long may Wet Wet Wet’s music continue.

Joy

I am an unashamed film lover: there is no greater indulgence than sitting in the warm for two hours, entranced by the drama unfolding on a big screen in front of you, transported magically to another world far from dreary daily worries.

Recently I saw the film “Joy” at my favourite cinema in Aberdeen – the Belmont Filmhouse on Belmont Street.

An American Dream story meets frenetic family fairytale. Drama and desires in a fertile fusion of edge-of-the-seat entertainment.

Heroine Joy embodies the frustrations and setbacks we all suffer, and through her passion and prowess we grow too. A masterclass on aiming for your dreams, this film is a must see for anyone who aspires to a better life: and needs that gentle nudge to begin their journey.

Jennifer Lawrence delivers an exceptional performance, a charismatic and well-defined character who draws us deep in to her world. She proves herself to be one of the best actresses of her generation. As Joy she shines, a hurricane of golden wind clearing the way for her dreams to come true. A heroine to be emulated.

The other characters also come alive in their own unique way: the absence of shallow stereotypes refreshing.

This film leaves you emotionally electrified. I would recommend to anyone who appreciates real life meeting unreal epiphany.