A look at some of the cultural highlights from around Scotland this week.
Jesus Christ Superstar
Edinburgh Playhouse, Tues to Sat
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera tells the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus Christ.
It has some of musical theatre’s most legendary songs from I Don’t Know How to Love Him, and Gethsemane through to Jesus Christ Superstar.
Glenn Carter will play Jesus, a role he has played in the West End, on Broadway and on film, while Welsh baritone Rhydian Roberts, who first shot to fame in 2007 as the runner-up on The X Factor, is Pontius Pilot.
Allan Stewart’s Big Big Variety Show
King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed to Sat
Last March, Allan Stewart and his regular Edinburgh panto pals, Andy Gray and Grant Stott, proved that variety is still very much alive and kicking with the first Big Big Variety Show.
Now they’re back and it promises to be even bigger than before.
With an all-star cast live on stage and Allan’s own big band, joining the trio will be comedians Kev Orkian and Jo Caulfield, music sensation Saxation and the undisputed stars of last year’s show, the McRoberts Brothers.
Dominic Kirwan & Mary Duff
Empire, Inverness, Thurs, Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, Fri, Hamilton Town Hall, Sat
Two of Ireland’s finest and best-loved entertainers take to the stage together. Dominic Kirwan brings his own inimitable style to the vast and rich musical heritage of his homeland. Joining Dominic is internationally-renowned songstress Mary Duff, who has often toured and recorded with Daniel O’Donnell, promising an evening to remember as the pair showcase their outstanding talents with a string of hits and traditional Irish classics.
Paul Simon & Sting
The Hydro, Glasgow, Fri
As long-time friends, the concept for this tour originated at the Robin Hood Foundation Benefit in 2013 where they performed together for the first time.
Blending their voices and bands while performing their best-known songs, both together and apart, the 30-plus song set features massive favourites such as Boy In The Bubble, Fields Of Gold, Driven To Tears, Desert Rose, Every Breath You Take and The Boxer.
Their dates in America and Canada were some of the most highly-praised concerts of 2014.
Fast & Furious 7
In cinemas from Friday
It’s 14 years since the first Fast film and the series shows no signs of coming to a halt.
Now Universal’s biggest franchise of all time, having taken $2.3 billion at the box office, an eighth film and spin-offs have already been announced.
Joining regular cast members Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Dwayne Johnson are Jason Statham and film legend Kurt Russell. The movie also marks the final screen outing for Paul Walker, who died while the film was being made.
Woman in Gold
In cinemas from Friday
An all-star cast led by Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds, also features Katie Holmes, Elizabeth McGovern and Jonathan Pryce, Woman in Gold the true story of Maria Altmann.
Altmann was an elderly Holocaust survivor living in Los Angeles, who fought the Austrian government for more than a decade, helped by lawyer E Randol Schoenberg, played by Reynolds.
They battled to reclaim the iconic Gustav Klimt’s painting of her aunt, Adele Bloch Bauer I, confiscated from her relatives by the Nazis.
Dara O’Briain: Crowd Tickler
Dundee Caird Hall, Tues, Dunfermline Alhambra, Wed, Glasgow Clyde Auditorium, Fri, Sat
Born in Bray, County Wicklow, the 43-year-old studied mathematics and theoretical physics at University College Dublin, before finding his voice as a stand-up comedian.
He’s now one of the most recognisable faces on TV, thanks to his duties as host on Mock The Week, The Apprentice: You’re Fired, Star Gazing Live and Dara O Briain’s Science Club.
Catch one of the most charismatic, intelligent, fast-talking and downright funny live performers working today as he tours Scotland.
Grease
Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow, Wed to Sat
Presented by The Apollo Players, this is one of our favourite musicals of all time.
Starring veteran entertainer Christian as Teen Angel, it’s brimming with hit songs including Summer Nights, Greased Lightnin’, Sandy and You’re The One That I Want.
When Danny, a popular tough guy, and Sandy, a do-gooder, go back to school after a summer fling, Sandy finds that Danny is a different boy from the one she knew over the holidays and must decide if they really go together.
Verdi’s Rigoletto
His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, Sat
Starring Vladimir Dragos as Rigoletto, this is a stunning traditional production recapturing the decadence of Renaissance Italy with lavish sets and opulent costumes.
Verdi’s masterpiece is a dramatic tale of the jester’s daughter whose heart is stolen by a charming but unreliable ruler and how her father’s attempts to prevent the love affair lead to tragedy.
The opera features two of the most celebrated tenor arias, La Donna Mobile and Questa o Quella, turned into classics by Caruso.
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe