An angelic sniper brings war home to us. - Edinburgh Festivals 1

Angel, by Henry Naylor, Gilded Balloon Teviot – until 29 August (*****)

Filipa Bragança is the Angel

Of all the definitions of ‘angel’, the least common would be ‘sniper’ – but that’s just what Angel, a new play from the pen of comedy writer Henry Naylor wants us to take on board.

The play, the last of his Arabian Nightmares trilogy, delivers a powerful and emotionally draining story about the ‘Angel of Kobanî’ – a legendary female fighter who defended the (mainly Kurdish) town from the hordes of ISIS fighters, shooting ‘over 100’ if truth is (unusually) not a victim on this occasion.

Filipa Bragança, a recent graduate of Drama Studio, London plays Rehanna, a young woman determined to leave her father’s farm and make her way as a lawyer. With little effort she also delivers, the ‘parts’ of her mother and father, herself at 12, her nemesis Waheed, and a number of other smaller characters.

It is no exaggeration to say that her performance is spellbinding, and is quite the crowning part of the play. She takes the packed audience through her life, and death on her own and with only a barrel for props. She never loses our rapt attention.

Tight writing ensures the retention of our concentration, and while there are moments of lighter humour, the grim reality of the war is never undercut. The second part of Naylor’s trilogy – Echoes -  also features Bragança and is still touring. Hopefully this too, will go on the road shortly. It is produced by Pipeline Productions.

It may be heavily booked, but if you can, you should try and see this play.

Revolution in the Magic Square. Ian Saville, Theatre Arts Exchange – Until 21 August (****)

Unprecedented! A socialist has been elected Leader of the Magic Square! As the only socialist

Who does this look like, again? Oh Yes.

magician, can Ian Saville fend off  the plots and coups of the people in the Square who hate, don’t like or are even lukewarm to him?

Can Karl help him? Or is he going to stick to telling him to ‘ask Gramsci.’? I know – why not ask an ordinary person? Can he overcome his natural reluctance? After all, he is a socialist – they don’t do that.

A new show – thinly based on events in another organisation which is definitely NOT the Labour party – oh no. Ian starts off slow, but when he warms up to a cracking pace the sparks fly. Try and see this show before it goes at the end of this week.

If not, well we’ll have to see what we can do to bring him back some time. Oh Jez we can!

May Day Celebrations take shape!

In this weekend's Morning Star there is a preview of some of the next two weeks activities, which you can link to here. The programme is shaping up to be one of the most interesting for some years, although I am probably too close to the original Mayfest to accept the Star's adoption of it for the preview's title!

Obviously one of the highlights is The Great MayDay Cabaret - the second Glasgow version of which is scheduled for Monday May 5 in Glasgow's Oran Mor (tickets still available over the bar for £13 and (+ a booking fee) on line at www.oran.mor. 

There are also healthy looking new shoots at Dumfries (Friday May 2)-tickets (£6/5) from Ian @ 01556 650459 and at Blantyre (Saturday May 3)-tickets (£5) from South Lanarks. TUC on 01698 454690.

Rab Noakes

Eleanor Morton

Starring in Glasgow is last year's headliner, Mark Thomas, and well-known singer-songwriter, Rab Noakes will be appearing at all three events, as will last year's hit, Marxist magician Ian Saville. Comedians Bruce, and Eleanor Morton (no relation, and catch her before she becomes famous!), moothie maestro Fraser Speirs, and political song guru, Arthur Johnstone round off the final (Glasgow) show.


Of course the MayDay marches and rallies are scheduled across Scotland, with the biggest in Glasgow on the 4 May. The main speaker will be author and commentator, Owen Jones. The march assembles in George Square at 11.30 with a collection for food banks in Glasgow. It rallies in the O2 Academy.

Elsewhere there is a book launch for a new print of From the Calton to Catalonia, a fundraising comedy afternoon for Scottish Left Review, a social for Cuba and an appreciation of UCS cartoonist and author, Bob Starret. The full programme can be found on the Glasgow Friends of MayDay website, here. Hope to see you at Oran Mor on the 5!

Red Music?

Following the hugely successful Great MayDay Cabaret last Monday - which saw a galaxy of stars including Mark Thomas, socialist magician Ian Saville, and Siobhan Miller & Jeana Leslie have a great night entertaining a sell-out crowd at Glasgow’s Oran Mor - Glasgow’s Friends of MayDay celebrations get underway for the final week.

Tonight at the STUC centre in Woodlands Road, Glasgow University Professor of Music, and well-known Scottish composer, Bill Sweeney gets to grips with the knotty issue of Music and the Working Class movement. While it is clear that some music is written from (or adopted for) a class or socialist perspective, how can that be identified? Especially if - being an extremely abstract art form - it has no words or history? Is it even a valid argument to claim a ‘class’ or ideological adherence for music? 

Bill Sweeney (left) shows earlier
commitment on the picket line during
1980s BBC Orchestra's strike

With Bill’s talent, experience and political background, expect an intriguing examination of the topic! This is a Morning Star, our class, our culture event starting at 7.00pm.

On Friday in the same venue, the Scottish Cuba Solidarity Campaign joins with the STUC to screen the film - Will the Real Terrorist, Please Stand Up? About the arrest and imprisonment by the USA of the Miami 5, it will be followed by a SCSC social. Again free to get in, but donations will be welcomed, this is at 7.30pm

Vladimir McTavish

And last but by no means least, the next afternoon at 4.00pm, Scottish Left Review stage their comedy and music fundraiser downstairs in the Stand Comedy Club. 101 uses for a Spare Bedroom is hosted by Elaine C Smith, and stars Vladimir McTavish, Susan Morrison, John Gillick and Andre Learmonth. Tickets are £12/£7 from the SLR website.

The musical accompaniment to the SLR gig is by Arthur Johnstone and friends, nicely providing the red musical thread that sews these series of events together.