West End comes to Perth with darkly funny drama
Glenfarg Village Folk Club welcomes Brooks Williams, one of the modern-day great American blues and accoustic guitarists, to it’s Monday meeting in Kinross on September 24.
Brooks, hailing originally from Statesboro, Georgia, has relocated to the UK, but makes music that draws heavily on his native roots.
In recent years his music has been more heavily focused on the blues, and his style has been described as “a beautiful fusion of blues and old country with a touch of Americana”.
In November 2016, Brooks joined forces with the New York blues guitar legend Guy Davis, for a UK tour entitled ‘Inside The Delta’, a showcase of the many varied styles of the blues.
Then 2017 saw the release of a third ‘State of the Union’ album entitled ‘The Saltwell Sessions’ - another joint venture with British songwriter, Boo Hewerdine.
Brooks has performed at Celtic Connections, the Cambridge Folk Festival and many other gigs.
There’s anticipation for his night at Backstage, The Green Hotel in Kinross.
Tickets on the door cost £6 for GVFC members, £9 for everybody else. The West End drama ‘Apologia’ gets its amateur premiere in Scotland next month, with a series of performances by Perth Drama Club in St Matthew’s church.
In just under three weeks, between Wednesday, September 19 and Friday 21, Apologia, by Alexi Kaye Campbell will be performed by the club at the Tay Street venue.
The play had its debut production at London’s Bush Theatre in 2009.
Critics describe it as a searing and often darkly funny account of a family reunion where politics, idealism, and the personal price paid for success, collide.
Kristin (here performed by Susan Corbett), a renowned art historian is preparing for her birthday celebration.
The big event is to be attended by her two adult sons, Peter and Simon (Sean Dowling and Andrew John Illsley, who also directs), their partners Trudi and Claire (Melanie Figures and Megan Russell), and her long-standing best friend since her student radical days, Hugh (Niall M Robertson).
Kristin has also just published her memoirs, which focus on her professional life - but omit the existence of her two children entirely.
From the outset, it quickly becomes clear that this is no happy family. The secrets that emerge, and the very different perspectives about the past for Kristin, Peter and Simon, mean everyone will feel the impact of this gathering for some time to come.
Director and actor Andrew commented: “This is a challenging play, especially for those acting, but I am enjoying directing what will be the Scottish amateur premiere, and the cast is excellent.”
The show contains strong language and discussions of adult themes, so is not suitable for under 14s. Trudi (Melanie Figures) and Claire (Megan Russell) in PDC’s production of Apologia
Tickets for Apologia can be purchased online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/ Williams Brooks
perth-drama-club or from Concorde, Scott Street, Perth and Giraffe Cafe, South Street, Perth, priced £12 (£10 concessions).
Each performance begins at 7.30pm. www.facebook.com/PerthDramaClub.