Raising the curtain on fun and the little tastes of freedom

I’ll never forget my first proper trip to the theatre. It was the early 90s and my dad bought tickets for the whole family to see Jesus Christ Superstar. My brother and I were super excited because as kids we got heavily into the original 1970s album, which my parents had on double cassette.

Even the fact that Dad opted for the cheaper seats with a “restricted view” didn’t dampen the mood as we settled in the gods – if anything, it added to the drama. that was until the crucifixion scene when, because the upper half of the stage was beyond our line of vision, we could only see Jesus’ feet.

Despite this less than perfect introduction I’ve grown to love the theatre, especially now I can buy my own tickets.

I’ve missed the buzz of live events, so it’s exciting to see so many top shows coming back to Scotland now restrictions have lifted.

On page 17, we catch up with the star of The Woman In Black which hits the Theatre Royal in Glasgow this week. Antony Eden, who also directs, tells us he first saw the terrifying stage adaptation as a 14-year-old and has been passionate about it ever since.

Eden perfectly sums up theatre’s return when he says: “we’ve been able to appreciate it and look at it again like it’s a new gift.”

This week we welcome back another small slice of normality as our resident undercover cafe critic, Scone Spy, makes a return on page 12.

Whether or not you feel confident enough to venture to a show or meet a friend for a cuppa is of course a personal choice - but doesn’t it feel good to have the option again?