A swell time in the company of Slow Horses’ Freddie Fox, a peaceful Private making his professional debut and Hannibal the cannibal should prove the highlights of Edinburgh’s stages this September.
High Society, Edinburgh Playhouse, 8-12 September.
Running time 2 hours, 30 minutes, including interval, tickets HERE.
Based on the play The Philadelphia Story by Philip Barry and coming direct from London’s West End, High Society has been hailed as ‘pure theatrical escapism… studded with diamond performances from a top-notch cast’. Call The Midwife’s Helen George leads an exciting 28-strong company as glamorous socialite Tracy Lord, and is joined by Slow Horses favourite Freddie, Nigel Lindsay, Julian Ovenden and Malcolm Sinclair.
As plans for the society wedding of the year descend into chaos, old and new flames vie for attention while a sharp-eyed tabloid reporter hunts for a scandal at a waterfront estate.
Featuring a score of Cole Porter numbers, including Just One Of Those Things, Let’s Misbehave, I Love Paris, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Well, Did You Evah!, True Love, and many more, you could be well advised to heed the publicity blurb, which urges, ‘Clear your diary, because you’re invited to the most swell party of the year’.
Silence of the Lambs, Festival Theatre, 8-12 September.
Running time 2 hours 20 minutes, including interval, tickets HERE.
Across town, at the Festival Theatre it’s time to come face to face with the terrifying cannibal, Hannibal Lecter, in this world premiere of a new play based on Thomas Harris’s gripping psychological thriller. It’s a show that comes with a pretty hefty trigger warning: ‘Please note this production contains scenes of threat, violence and murder, strong language, sexual references and harassment, mutilation and body horror, psychological intensity, childhood trauma and onstage prosthetic human remains’.
If that’s not put you off, here’s the story: When FBI trainee Clarice Starling is sent to interview the psychiatrist and infamous murderer Hannibal Lecter, it’s hoped his brilliant mind will help catch a sadistic new serial killer, Buffalo Bill. Another girl is missing, and time is running out. But Dr Lecter has questions of his own, and now Clarice must decide: keep a safe distance, or let Hannibal The Cannibal into her head…?
Joining John Partridge in the title role are Corrie’s Mollie Gallagher as Clarice Starling, Emmerdale’s Oliver Farnworth as Agent Jack Crawford and Sam Jackson of Skins fame as Buffalo Bill. Make sure your interval order is a nice Chianti.
Private Peaceful, Royal Lyceum, 17-19 September.
Running time 80 minutes, no interval, tickets HERE.
Based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo and performed by Benjamin Cain, Private Peaceful is the unforgettable story of Tommo Peaceful.
After captivating audiences worldwide, Private Peaceful returns to the stage with fresh energy and timeless power. Lauded across the globe as an international hit, the production now embarks on a bold new chapter, which will star Benjamin Cain, making his professional debut as Tommo Peaceful.
On the eve of battle, Tommo looks back over the events that shaped his life: the warmth of family, the innocence of first love, and the deep bond with his brother that carries him through the horrors of war. In this one-person piece, adapted and directed by Simon Reade, Cain conjures an entire world of characters, landscapes, and emotions. At once heartwarming and heartbreaking, Private Peaceful is both a moving family drama and a powerful reminder of the human cost of war.
Don’t miss my monthly Must See Theatre column in the EDINBURGH REPORTER on the first of each month for more Edinburgh hot tickets
