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Articles by Matthew Keeley
Hawk’s Prey: Snatching SSH Credentials
Greetings. This week, I am excited to unveil Hawk, a tool I developed specifically for monitoring /proc for SSH, SU, Sudo, and Passwd credentials on Linux systems. Hawk is adept at escalating privileges within a network by capturing credentials in real time as they are used.
Grace Jarvis: This Is the Last Goldfish That I Am Going To Eat For You
Grace Jarvis sums up her stand-up persona pretty clearly as she begins her set, telling us she’s like ‘Enid Blyton if she wrote Thirteen Reasons Why‘. The self-aware joke is an apt summary of her style – dependable punchline setups with a giggle that sometimes veer into dark territory. Jarvis takes us on a guide of autistic traits after a recent diagnosis. She makes it OK for us to laugh at topics like her favourite pen, teenage fascination with heroin, and her autistic ‘coming out’.
Queer Folks’ Tales
Queer Folks’ Tales host Turan Ali issues a warm, inviting welcome to the queer members of the audience as well as the handful of ‘brave’ heterosexuals in witty, disarming fashion. Tonight, we’re here for a Fringe performance of the bi-monthly storytelling event – now scheduled to run until at least December 2024 – and are told proceedings will take a slightly different form from the usual structure.
Alex Hylton: Love, Probably
As the title suggests, stand-up Alex Hylton tells us from the off that this will be a rom-com of sorts. After welcoming us amiably like a group of friends, he begins the show by rating himself as a ‘7’ and goes on to detail, via funny observations, why this is pretty reasonable – comparing himself to Hollywood film stars and knocking out other groups below him on the scale one by one.
Love Me Or I’ll Kill Myself
Manic story of a breakup aftermath is a mixed bag Love Me Or I’ll Kill Myself’s unhinged title serves well as an indicator of the nature of this one-woman show, which details the central character’s love affair with a handsome Spanish man and the mental health fallout of their subsequent breakup. Although the subject might not be completely unique, this represents only part of what is presented to us on stage at ZOO Playground.
Max Dickins Billy No-Mates: How I Realised Men Have a Friendship Problem
As an accomplished comedian, actor, writer, and public speaker, Max Dickins might seem like an outgoing social butterfly, teeming with friends, and never short on company. However, as he reveals in the opening chapter of Billy No-Mates when it came to choosing a best man for his wedding, he found he had no close male friends he could easily call upon.
Psychodrama - Review - The Wee Review
Captivating monologue delivers Hitchcockian thrills Opening with the sound of ominous and recognisable strings, the immediate connection to Hitchcock will become apparent to any film buffs in the audience. As performer Emily Bruni appears and launches into her monologue, the premise is established and it’s clear we’re in for some black humour and filmic thrills. The tight story centres on an actress auditioning for a new stage version of Psycho.
Rob Madge: My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do) - Review - The Wee Review
Dazzling and moving mini-musical about a kid who loved musicals Within seconds of the show beginning, Rob Madge manages to create the majestic atmosphere of an epic musical in their one-man show, My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do) at the appropriately larger than life Underbelly tent, George Square. Maybe it shouldn’t be surprising – Madge has been appearing in West End shows like Mary Poppins and Les Misérables since childhood, and it’s theatre itself that takes centre stage here.
Pauline - Review - The Wee Review
Personal and powerful exploration of a troubled family history Beginning at a spotlighted microphone with a tablet at the ready, Pauline is presented almost as an audiobook or radio play. However, writer and performer Sophie Bentinck proceeds to expand from here, guiding us through a layered storytelling format: monologue, audio recordings, projected text, and role-switching between characters with a symbolic chest full of symbolic props to aid the narrative.
Happy Meal - Review - The Wee Review
Funny and moving portrayal of queer friendship in the digital world Happy Meal is immediately impressive in its setup – two large cube ‘tents’ are on stage with animated graphics projected onto them. Meanwhile, a penguin welcomes us in with waves and cute dance moves. Unexpectedly then, perhaps, this is a coming-of-age play about acceptance, secrecy, and the trans community.
Twinkle Twinkle
Some articles may include Amazon affiliate links. All proceeds go to helping us pay for original stories and to support writers of speculative fiction. Read more here. By Matthew Keeley The sunlight panel beams on from the corner of the room to wake me. But I’ve been listening to the wind pummel the house for hours. I don’t move. Just lie a while longer, listening to Mum creaking around downstairs and Philip vrooming toys along the floor next door. I should have packed those last night.
Who Killed My Father
Poignant play combines the personal and political with uneven results Tron Theatre is home to the UK premiere of Who Killed My Father – an English adaptation of French writer Édouard Louis‘s memoir Qui a Tué Mon Père. It combines personal history with political commentary, piecing together a picture of Louis’s childhood growing up with homophobic parents in rural France. Simultaneously, it attempts to explore legislation in France that disadvantaged Louis’s father and drove him to an early grave.
Me and My Sister Tell Each Other Everything
A doll house takes centre stage of the Tron‘s Changing House theatre. Its windows are illuminated and behind it, the set is built as an amplified version of one of the doll house’s interior walls. Already, director Kolbrún Björt Sigfúsdóttir is introducing the audience to the themes of secrecy, hidden depths, and family life in Uther Dean’s Me and My Sister Tell Each Other Everything.
The Metamorphosis
Tron Theatre brings us a new(ish) version of Kafka‘s classic, this time adapted and directed by Vanishing Point‘s Matthew Lenton. In fact, The Metamorphosis was initially playing at the Tron in March 2020 before being cancelled midway through its run for obvious reasons… It now returns, opening in Glasgow before a Scottish tour to Dundee, Inverness, and Edinburgh.
Dreaming Walls - Review - The Wee Review
Pensive exploration of the infamous Chelsea Hotel and its permanent residents Advertisement Maya Duverdier, Amélie van Elmbt/ Belgium France Netherlands Sweden/ 2022/ 80 mins This is not the first time New York City’s infamous Chelsea Hotel has been the subject of a documentary. In Dreaming Walls, the focus is the permanent tenants – some of whom have lived here for decades – who have now been residents of what has essentially become a building site.
Inu-oh - Review - The Wee Review
Historical tale is demanding and, at times, mesmerising Advertisement Adapted from a successful novel, Inu-oh is a historical tale of the emergence of the style of theatre during a politically unstable time – 14th Century Japan – and incorporates elements of fable and the supernatural. Its protagonists are the titular Inu-oh and Tomona, a duo whose passion for storytelling and art – along with their status as social outcasts – draws them together.
Interview: Jonas Chernick, Amanda Brugel, and Natalie Brown
Jonas Chernick, Amanda Brugel, and Natalie Brown are the stars and co-writers of new film Ashgrove, which has had its world premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival 2022. They spoke to us about the experimental approach to making the film, the challenges of keeping its secrets, and audience reactions. Can you talk about the inception of Ashgrove? JC: [Jeremy LaLonde and I] were here two years ago with our last film called James Vs His Future Self.
Ashgrove - Review - The Wee Review
Alternative reality pandemic film plays with layers of secrecy Advertisement Jeremy LaLonde and Jonas Chernick‘s new collaboration (after 2019’s James Vs His Future Self) opens with a hauntingly familiar audio overlay of a news interview discussing viruses, vaccines, science journals, and death rates.
Moorcroft - Review - The Wee Review
Moorcroft is writer-director Eilidh Loan’s tribute play to the working class world of football that her dad lived in for years and is inspired by the various teams he played for and stories he told. It focuses on Garry who is ‘celebrating’ his 50th birthday and looking back on the boys of the Moorcroft football team that he grew up with and was intensely connected to.
Julie Corbin - Whispers of a Scandal - Review - The Wee Review
Domestic thriller is fairly sedate yet works as a page-turner Advertisement Julie Corbin‘s latest novel sits somewhere between cosy mystery and crime thriller. It centres on a trio of mothers whose children attend the same primary school and begins with one of the children bringing home a threating handwritten note tucked into her schoolbag. Subsequent notes reveal personal secrets about adults in the community and even begin to pose dangerous threats.
The Tempest - Review - The Wee Review
Timed to coincide with COP26, Tron Theatre Company’s production of Shakespeare’s stormy final play, The Tempest, relies on recycled stock for all of its costumes, props, and set design. The cast is also comprised solely of female-identifying actors making for an interesting interpretation of the play’s central themes of power and manipulation.
Horror Hour - Review - The Wee Review
CCA Strong collection of queer short horror films entertains Advertisement In collaboration with feminist horror film collective Final Girls Berlin, SQIFF has put together a selection of queer short horror films for this year’s festival (thankfully back in person at the CCA). The hour comprises representation from various countries, perspectives, and aesthetics. Opening film, The Elephant Joke (dir. Rim Kang, Korea, 2020), operates on two levels.
Adam - Review - The Wee Review
CCA Divisive comedy explores trans issues and young love Advertisement Originally released in 2019, the divisive Adam arrived with baggage in the shape of a controversial source novel and a petition to ‘cancel’ the film due to its treatment of trans issues. As it begins, the titular protagonist is quickly established as an outcast – both from his peers and even at home, as his parents flippantly suggest he is depressed and ‘down in the dumpies’.
Alan Cumming is Not Acting His Age
Multi-talented performer Alan Cumming has had an astonishing career in film, theatre, television, music, and probably countless other spheres. In this return to the Edinburgh International Festival, he ruminates on a handful of his experiences, doles out wisdom on the ageing process, and ties all of this up with a series of smashing show tunes.
Lament for Sheku Bayoh
Royal Lyceum Theatre Image: Jamal Yussuff-Adelakun A moving memorial that asks important societal questions about racism in Scotland Advertisement Though George Floyd’s name has become ubiquitous in recent times, it is shocking that Sheku Bayoh’s name is probably less widely known here in Scotland, despite the fact that he was killed at the hands of police in the middle of a street in Kirkcaldy. This play is both a tribute to him and a rallying cry for long-overdue societal change.
Scotland's arts and culture magazine
Edinburgh Festival Fringe [ONLINE] Interesting historical fiction could be even more engaging Advertisement My House is a fictional study of the various people who have lived in filmmaker Charlotte Lubert‘s Hollywood home since the 1930s including Charlie Chaplin, Carole Lombard, and William Powell. What becomes apparent early on, is that each set of inhabitants share common threads, usually related to the film industry and usually negative.
Intricate Rituals
Intricate Rituals begins as a classic unrequited love story – in this case between a queer young woman and her straight best friend, Dee (note: the play is being performed by a dual cast so some performances feature a male lead). It then expands into a coming-of-age chronicle. Its protagonist is at university, naively trying to make connections, and comes across a Wicca group.
Scotland's arts and culture magazine
theSpace @ Symposium Hall Comedy two-hander is light-hearted fun Advertisement Dino Land, like many plays at the Fringe, is a down-to-earth two-hander comedy featuring a couple of talented actors (Bethany Fox and Oliver Burkill). The titular “land” is an English holiday resort where screaming kids are entertained by low-wage performers who dance, sing, and dress up in ridiculous costumes for them.
Trevor Lock: Community Circle
Comedian Trevor Lock‘s new show isn’t a standup routine. It’s not a play. It’s not a sketch show. The best descriptor would be improv, but even at that this isn’t a typical series of games and adlibbed skits. Community Circle is a performance experiment pretending to be an experiment about something else. As the audience enter, several people sit in a semi-circle on stage alongside Lock.
Scotland's arts and culture magazine
Writer Sara Shaarawi’s Niqabi Ninja is an audio play that unfolds in the streets of Edinburgh city centre*. This isn’t a gimmick or a money-saving ploy, though. This outdoor experience – devised by Shaarawi alongside director Catrin Evans – is devised to force us to consider the safety of our own streets and acknowledge the fact that violence against women happens on all streets in every city.
Scotland's arts and culture magazine
Edinburgh Festival Fringe [ONLINE] Energetic play about love and magic is tricky Advertisement Open is a play of illusions and metaphor. It is staged sparsely, aided by careful lighting and imagination, and performer Megan Hill catapults us through a frenetic hour of storytelling, asking us to envisage various tricks and “props” to help illustrate her character The Magician’s love story.
Friend (The One With Gunther)
Pleasance at EICC Nostalgia trip is a frenetic hour of in-jokes and frivolity Advertisement The popularity of Friends has never really waned and, as such, remains a goldmine for merchandise, memes, outraged blogs, and one-man theatre spin-offs. Friend is obviously aimed at fans of the hit TV show, although even casual viewers (or anyone who was around in the 90s) will be able to pick up on most of the content.
Scotland's arts and culture magazine
Actor David Calvitto enters centre stage under a lone spotlight and begins to narrate himself, describing his own movements and behaviours. It’s meta-theatre, which he even jokes about, and it becomes clear that there will be no narrative here. Instead, The Event is a show about shows. And maybe more. Throughout, Calvitto makes clever and witty observations about theatrical conventions (the audience’s behaviour, role of the crew, the language of lighting etc.). It doesn’t feel like a lecture, though.
Scotland's arts and culture magazine
Lauriston Hall Gifted actor captivates despite sparse staging Advertisement It’s “muck-up day” for Yonni, a Year Eleven London student with much more on his mind than college. He’s Jewish, he’s gay, and he’s about to face some catastrophic events. Run is a one-man play that is very much a showcase for actor Jonathon Smeed who, with very little in the way of stagecraft (the play is performed in Lauriston Hall with no props, set, music or lighting effects), commands our attention for an hour.
We Just Need to Get Through This
The Georgian House Uneven play excels in its use of experimental music Advertisement Part of the allure of this production is its wonderful venue – the inviting drawing room of Edinburgh’s Georgian House, preserved in period décor. Ironically, We Just Need to Get Through This is set in the future, focusing on troubled couple Rob and Charlie in a (worryingly) not-too-distant time.
David Alnwick's Nightmare Magic
Banshee Labyrinth Mixed night of eerie storytelling and impressive magic Advertisement Edinburgh’s Banshee Labyrinth is the perfect venue for Nightmare Magic, lending itself to the gothic horror theme of the show. David Alnwick interweaves magic tricks with narrative telling a story that revolves around a mysterious box inherited from an uncle. He works his way through items and a journal inside the box, and each birth’s a new illusion, usually aided by some audience participation.
Scotland's arts and culture magazine
ZOO TV An interesting but brief exploration of masculinity and attraction Advertisement Candy is a one-man play about Will (Mike Waller) – an English working-class white man who fulfils several stereotypes but struggles when his ideas about love and self are challenged. At 22 minutes, it’s a concentrated story that plunges to the crux after a slightly confusing prologue. Will is invited to a gig by best mate Billy who is performing. However, when Billy appears on stage, Will is flummoxed.
Dark Spirits, Black Humor: A Night of Cocktails and Storytelling [ONLINE]
Assembly Showcatcher (online) Mark Jude Sullivan’s evocative hour of storytelling is magnetic Advertisement Writer and actor Mark Jude Sullivan (virtually) welcomes us in from the dreich Edinburgh smirr. Through the potential coldness of a screen he perfectly sets the scene of a cosy, atmospheric bar, not just because he is standing behind the counter of one, but through his rich description and inviting, calm demeanour.
Black is the Color of My Voice
Pleasance at EICC Powerful one-woman show captures the essence of Nina Simone Advertisement The Cromdale Theatre at the EICC (operated this year by The Pleasance) is a suitably big space for the big voice and performance of Apphia Campbell. In Black is the Color of My Voice, she portrays Nina Simone in snapshots of her life charting her prodigious childhood, relationship with her parents, and traumatic romances.
Scotland's arts and culture magazine
Scottish Storytelling Centre Fascinating historical chronicle of love and loss Advertisement As the audience enters the Scottish Storytelling Centre theatre, a “museum curator” (Maria MacDonell who also writes and co-directs) is already on stage, reading handwritten letters by torchlight.
Scotland's arts and culture magazine
Assembly Roxy Burnt Out Thoughtful visual and dance theatre muses on fossil fuels, forest fires and climate change Nicolson Square We Came To Dance Vibrant immersive musical packs a punch with an optimistic message about our chance to tackle climate change Edinburgh Festival Fringe [ONLINE] Open Energetic play about love and magic is tricky Pleasance Courtyard Skank Saucy stand up provides food for thought Scottish Storytelling Centre Thunderstruck An unbelievable, seismic performance that...
Dan Webber - Genre Fluid
PBH Free Fringe [ONLINE] Comedic poetry show delivers moving moments Advertisement Genre Fluid is a show about labels – both in the arts and in the LGBTQ+ community. Performer Dan Webber opens with an explanation of the problems he faces in his industry, being “not funny enough to be a comic; not serious enough to be a poet.” However, he also takes issue with the labels often used in social circumstances (“gay”, “queer” etc.) and the harmful stereotypes that can stem from these.
Jane Healey - The Ophelia Girls
Captivating literary fiction creates hypnotic atmosphere Advertisement Jane Healey‘s follow-up to the excellent The Animals at Lockwood Manor is a much more stoic affair, moving away from the historical genre towards more emotionally complex literary fiction. This is almost a concept novel, centring on Healey’s fascination with floral-adorned Ophelias depicted in art and photography.
Rosie Wilby - The Breakup Monologues
Stand-up comic and writer, Rosie Wilby‘s new book, The Breakup Monologues, is a part-memoir, part-psychology text branching off from her successful podcast series of the same name. Its mission is to examine the idea of breakups: What forms do they come in? Why do they hurt so much? And how might they ultimately help us? The skilled raconteur explores each of these ideas in detail, littering the book with anecdotes, research, and plenty of laughs.
Scotland's arts and culture magazine
Inspired by events hundreds of years ago and, tragically, more recent incidents, Ghosts is an immersive theatre experience delivered via an app from National Theatre Scotland. The immersive element is an augmented reality feature that shows users various images, maps, and videos as they follow a walking route through Glasgow’s Merchant City.
The Price of Everything
Nathaniel Kahn/ USA/ 2018/98 mins @Glasgow Film Theatre from 2nd Jan “There are some who know the price of everything and the value of nothing,” or so we are told by art collector Stefan Edlis in Nathaniel Kahn’s contemporary art documentary. Opening with scenes from New York auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s, the film is an exploration of the extraordinary and outrageous high-end art world, featuring interviews with art dealers, collectors, historians, and artists themselves.
Scotland's arts and culture magazine
Christine Bovill returns to the Fringe with her Parisian review show, celebrating her favourite French songs of the 20th Century. This is no simple cover music recital or karaoke lineup, though. Supported by accomplished pianist, Michael Roulston, Christine Bovill’s Paris is a mesmerising hour of delightful storytelling and blissful song. Performed this year in the perfectly atmospheric setting of the New Town Theatre, Bovill’s show transports us to a Parisian jazz club after just one verse.
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