The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
AROUND TOWN
Aberdeen Fashion Show The Aberdeen Altens Hotel, Souter Head Rd, Aberdeen, AB12 3LF, 07762 101710. Sat May 7, 6-10.00pm, £15. As part of the Aberdeen Fashion Week, this event showcases designers living in or near Aberdeen. aberdeenfashionweek.org
The Fourth Branch Of The Mabinogion
Haddo House, Methlick, Ellon, AB41 7EQ, 0844 493 2179.
Sat May 7, 7-9pm, £10. The Fourth Branch Of The Mabinogion was first written down in the 13th and 14th centuries. Before then, they would have been handed down by generations of bards from memory. Now they are freed from the page to be enjoyed as they originally were, from the lips of a cyfarwydd (aka storyteller). These tales are full of the bizarre and the beautiful, the charming and the marvellous, but not necessarily to be heard by young ones. nts.org.uk/visit/ places/haddo-house
My Last Supper: One Meal, A Lifetime In The Making By Jay Rayner
St Margaret’s , Glenshee Road, Braemar, AB35 5YP, 07553 088605.
Sat May 7, 7.30pm, £17.50£22. Imagine you are about to die. You have one meal left, so what are you going to have? It’s the question award-winning restaurant critic, MasterChef judge and writer Jay Rayner has been asked most often by audiences across the UK. Here, he investigates our fascination with last suppers and tells the stories of the killer dishes that would end up on his table. stmargaretsbraemar.org.uk
Steve Backshall
Music Hall, Union Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1QS, 01224 641122.
Tue May 10, 7pm, £30.50. Steve Backshall will be bringing the sea to the stage with his brandnew stage show Ocean. aberdeenperformingarts. com
When The Grass Dances: Rebecca Marr And Valerie Gillies In Conversation The Pier Arts Centre, 28-30 Victoria Street Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AA, 01856 850209.
Tue May 10, 7.30pm, £1£5. Orkney artist Rebecca Marr and Edinburgh poet Valerie Gillies present a conversation of poetry and images related to their online exhibition When The Grass Dances, as they take us on a meander through the nation’s wild grasslands. pierartscentre.com
To Gather To Twist With Helen Jackson: A Third Stage Only Event
The Barn, Burn O’Bennie, Banchory, AB31 5QA, 01330 825431.
Wed May 11, 10am, £5. The process of making and using cordage or string is as old as the human race. Using plant fibres all around us, you can learn this ancient technique of twisting plant fibres to make string/cordage with local basket maker Helen Jackson. thebarnarts.co.uk
Scottish Six Days Trial
Various venues, Fort William, PH33, until Sat May 7, times and prices vary. Established in 1909, the Scottish Six Day Trial entices riders from across the globe to race their motorcycles through the Scottish landscape. ssdt.org
ART
ShetlandMade 2022 Bonhoga Gallery, Weisdale Mill, Shetland, ZE2 9LW, 01595 745750.
Fri May 6-Sun Sep 4, WedSun 10.30am-4.30pm, free. Summer craft showcases featuring 15 local designers and makers who work in various disciplines such as ceramics, jewellery, homeware and woodwork. shetlandarts.org
Masterpiece 2021: Joan Eardley’s Street Kids Duff House, Banff, AB45 3SX, 01261 813004, until Sun May 8, Fri-Sun 11am4pm, ticket price part of admission: £7.50-£9.50 (£5.50-£7.50; family tickets £19-£32.50). Visitors to Duff House will have the opportunity to view a masterpiece by one of Scotland’s most popular 20th-century artists. Street Children was first exhibited in 1951, the year Eardley discovered the fishing village of Catterline, south of Aberdeen. historicenvironment.scot
Visionary Palaces: Designs By Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Duff House, Banff, AB45 3SX, 01261 813004, until Sun May 8, 9.30am-5pm, included in admission price £5.50-£9.50; family ticket £19-£32.50. Schinkel was one of the most brilliant, accomplished and versatile artistic figures of his generation. In addition to being a celebrated architect, whose grand buildings transformed early 19th century Berlin, he was an exceptional painter and draughtsman, and designed interiors, furniture and stage sets. Through
a series of extraordinary colour lithographs which were published in the 1840s, Visionary Palaces explores two of Schinkel’s last, and arguably most spectacular, projects. historicenvironment.scot
Fiona MacRae: Just Is
Resipole Studios, Acharacle, PH36 4HX, 01967 431506, until Fri May 27, Tue-Thu. Sun 11am-4pm, free. A solo show of brand new works by Argyll-based artist Fiona MacRae, whose table-top still lifes feature an eclectic assortment of curios from her domestic surroundings. resipolestudios.co.uk
David Body - Mindscapes: From Reality To Abstraction
Castle Gallery, 43 Castle Street, Inverness, IV2 3DU, 01463 729512, until Sat May 28, Mon-Thu.
Sat & Sun 10am-5pm, free. A solo exhibition of acrylic, mixed media and collage paintings inspired by the croft houses, harbours and fields of sheep in Caithness. castlegallery.co.uk
The Edge
Tin Shed Gallery, Larach Mhor, Torloisk, Isle Of Mull, PA74 6NH, until Sun June 5, Wed-Sun 125pm, free.
The Edge is works on paper by Roy Jackson, an Australian artist with works in major galleries in his homeland, while hand-built ceramics by Charlotte Mellis will also feature in the show. mellisceramics.co.uk
Frances Walker: Printing On
Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen, AB11 5BY, 03000 200293, until Sun June 12, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm.
Sun 11am-4pm, free. Frances Walker CBE RSA is one of Scotland’s most highly-regarded living artists. A painter and printmaker, Walker studied at Edinburgh College Of Art and was a founding member of Aberdeen’s Peacock Printmakers. This exhibition features six new co-published prints made by Walker at Peacock’s print studio workshop. aberdeencity.gov.uk/AAGM
Gableopolis: The James Gray Low Collection
Montrose Museum, Panmure Place, Montrose, DD10 8HE, 01674 662660, until Sat June 25, Thu-Sat 10am-3pm, free. Rarely seen views of Montrose in bygone days as seen through the collection of watercolour paintings by James G. Low who lived and worked in Montrose more than 100 years ago. angusalive.scot
Aberdeen Artists Society Exhibition 2022
Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen, AB11 5BY, 03000 200293, until Sun July 3, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 11am4pm, free. This exhibition of selected works by UK-based artists includes drawing and painting, ceramics, sculpture, prints, photography, jewellery and video. The judging panel for the 2022 exhibition are Joe Fan, Ade Adesina and Rachel Maclean. aberdeenartistssociety.co.uk
Grave Goods
Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen, AB11 5BY, 03000 200293, until Sun August 28, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 11am4pm, free. Burial practices around the world celebrate lives and honour deaths. They are determined by culture, religion, climate and geography and might use earth, air, fire and water. In some cultures, it is believed that people continue to live in the afterlife as they did during their earthly existence. Discover more in this spotlight display of objects dating from the Bronze Age to the present day. aberdeencity.gov.uk/ AAGM
BOOKS Ullapool Book Festival
Various venues, Ullapool, IV26 2UR, 07754 835935. Fri 6-Sun 8 May, times and prices vary. Continuing the importance of literature in Highland culture, this festival brings together writers from the local area, Scotland and abroad. Among this top line-up are Chris Brookmyre, Hannah Lavery, Val McDermid, Graeme Macrae Burnet and Leila Aboulela. ullapoolbookfestival.co.uk
Freya North Author Talk
An Lanntair, Kenneth Street, Stornoway, Isle Of Lewis, HS1 2DS, 01851 708480. Wed May 11, 7-8pm, free. Meet this bestselling author of 15 novels as she gives an illustrated talk about her life as an author, the writing process and how she finds inspiration for her characters and stories. Her latest book, Little Wing, is set in Harris. lanntair.com
COMEDY Gary Meikle And Dazza Podcast Show
Breakneck Comedy Club, 2-8 King Street, Aberdeen AB24 5AX.
Sat May 7, 4.30pm, £20. Daz & Gaz will be discussing the trending topics of the week and getting you involved every step of the way with unique challenges and the chance to win some truly worthless prizes. breakneckcomedy.co.uk
Rob Beckett: Wallop
Eden Court Theatre and Cinema, Bishop’s Road, Inverness, IV3 5SA, 01463 234234.
Sat May 7, 8pm, £26.50. Observational and highenergy show from the stand-up whose TV appearances include All Together Now, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Live At The Apollo. eden-court.co.uk
Bill Bailey: En Route To Normal
P&J Live, East Burn Road, Aberdeen, AB21 9FX, 01224 824 824.
Mon May 9, 8pm, £45. Beloved comedian (and Strictly legend) Bill Bailey presents his newest touring show, a reflection on the pandemic and other equally destabilising, chaotic moments in history. But with laughs, obviously. pandjlive.com
Dylan Moran: We Got This
Corran Halls, The Esplanade, Oban, PA34 5AB, 01631 567333.
Wed May 11, 8pm, £27.50. The Irish comic and actor is back with his own brand of surrealist observational comedy, as he continues to navigate the weirdness of modern life. argyll-bute. gov.uk
DANCE Scottish Ballet: The Scandal At Mayerling
His Majesty’s Theatre, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen, AB25 1GL, 01224 641122.
Thu May 5-Sat May 7, 7.30pm, £18.50-£43.50. Scottish Ballet stage the scandal that rocked an empire, centred around the suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf. Choreography comes from Sir Kenneth MacMillan and it features a score of works by Franz Liszt. aberdeenperformingarts. com
Oti Mabuse: I Am Here
Music Hall, Union Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1QS, 01224 641122.
Fri May 6, 7.30pm, £25£42.50. Star of Strictly and The Greatest Dancer pays homage to her influences and inspirations at this evening of music and dance. aberdeenperformingarts. com
YDance: Destinations
Eden Court Theatre and Cinema, Bishop’s Road, Inverness, IV3 5SA, 01463 234234.
Sat May 7, 7.30pm, pay
what you can £4-£12 (free). Offering a diverse line-up of performances, Destinations is a vibrant showcase of the best youth dance companies from across Scotland. edencourt.co.uk
FAMILY
Bookbug Storytime 2022 Mareel, Shetland Arts Development Agency, Mareel, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0WQ, 01595 743843. Thu May 5, 10.30-11am, free. Shetland Arts and Shetland Library present Bookbug Storytime for under 5s with stories being told in the upper café. shetlandarts.org/venues/ mareel
Art Labs
An Lanntair, Kenneth Street, Stornoway, Isle Of Lewis, HS1 2DS, 01851 708480. Fri May 6, 2-4pm, free. An Lanntair Art Labs in Stornoway and Tarbert are places for young people to explore their own creative ideas supported by a lead artist. There are also lots of activities based on exhibitions and events held at An Lanntair. lanntair.com
Family STEM Club
The Rockfield Centre, Rockfield Brae, Stevenson Street, Oban, PA34 5DQ, 01631 701921.
Sat May 7, 2-4pm, £3 (children £2).
Become inventors, scientists, engineers, or mathematicians with the whole family in this monthly club. therockfieldcentre. org.uk
Clàr/Platform
An Lanntair, Kenneth Street, Stornoway, Isle Of Lewis, HS1 2DS, 01851 708480. Wed May 11, 5.30-7pm, free. Join An Lanntair’s youth production platform, Clàr, for our weekly sessions in which you’ll be honing your music and video production skills to create a collaborative visual album, culminating in a live showing and online release. lanntair.com
Lorn Drama Festival
Corran Halls, The Esplanade, Oban, PA34 5AB, 01631 567333, until Sat May 7, Tue-Thu, times and prices vary. A festival of one-act plays performed by drama groups from all over Argyll. liveargyll.co.uk/event/lorndrama-festival/
Big Kid Circus
Grant Park, Victoria Road, Forres, IV36 3BN, 07766 552211, until Sun May 8, Thu-Sat 10am-8pm, £8. Big Kid Circus brings us MAYHEM, a new show full of excitement for the whole family and loads of surprises to keep everyone on the edge of their seats. bigkidcircus.co.uk
MUSIC
The Elephant Sessions The Lemon Tree, 5 West North Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AT, 01224 641122. Thu May 5, 8pm, £15.40. Elephant Sessions transcend boundaries and shake the very foundations of expectation. Exploding onto the indie folk scene to unparalleled effect with their last album All We Have Is Now, the band have since appeared at some of the world’s most notable venues and festivals. aberdeenperformingarts. com
Songs And Stories
The Rockfield Centre, Rockfield Brae, Stevenson Street, Oban, PA34 5DQ, 01631 701921.
Thu May 5, 2-4pm, £2.50. A casual afternoon session listening to music or sharing songs and memories. Feel free to bring your own instrument and play a tune. therockfieldcentre.org.uk
True North Sessions: Razz Mattreezy
Music Hall, Union Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1QS, 01224 641122.
Thu May 5, 6pm, £11 (£8.80). Razz Mattreezy is the moniker of 23-yearold Aberdonian Matt Read whose four singles released throughout 2021 received continued support from BBC Introducing in Scotland on the genre mixing magic’ and pop out’ shows. aberdeenperformingarts. com
Deacon Blue
P&J Live, East Burn Road, Aberdeen, AB21 9FX, 01224 824 824.
Fri May 6, 6pm, £45. Scottish pop-rock band formed in Glasgow in the 80s and led by the revered Ricky Ross. pandjlive.com
Elsa Jean McTaggart: When The World Stood Still
The Rockfield Centre, Hill Street, Oban, PA34 5DE. Fri May 6, 7.30pm, £8£12. Elsa Jean and Gary McTaggart present a tuneful account of survival through a Celtic fusion of Hebridean Melody celebrating life, sorrow, uncertainty, joy and laughter. therockfieldcentre. org.uk
Fergus McCreadie Trio
An Tobar Arts Centre, Argyll Terrace, Tobermory, Isle Of Mull, PA75 6PB, 01688 302211.
Fri May 6, 7.15-9.30pm, free (pay what you decide). Young award-winning pianist with trio partners David Bowden (bass) and Stephen Henderson (drums). antobarandmulltheatre. co.uk
Jenny Sturgeon: The Living Mountain
The Barn, Burn O’Bennie, Banchory, AB31 5QA, 01330 825431.
Fri May 6, 8pm, £15; Minginish Community Hall, Portnalong, Isle Of Skye, IV47 8SL, 01478 640354. Wed May 11, 11am, £10
(£5; members £8; children free). The Living Mountain is a solo audio-visual performance inspired by Nan Shepherd’s celebrated book of the same name. The meditative experience of the combined audio and imagery will offer a soothing and poignant exploration of what it means to connect with a landscape and to find a sense of place. thebarnarts. co.uk/minginishhall.co.uk
Juice Vocal Ensemble
Belmont Filmhouse, 49 Belmont Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1JS, 01224 343500. Fri May 6, 8pm, £10 (£6). Highly rated experimental vocal trio of Anna Snow
(soprano), Sarah Dacey
(soprano) and Kerry Andrew
(alto), mixing alt-classical with folk, jazz, world music, pop and electronica. belmontfilmhouse.com
The Shee
The Lemon Tree, 5 West North Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AT, 01224 641122. Fri May 6, 7.30pm, £15.40. Cross-border folk multiinstrumentalists and festival favourites, The Shee met on the Folk and Traditional Music Degree course at Newcastle University in 2006. aberdeenperformingarts. com
Elgin City Band
St Giles Church, Elgin, IV30 1DS, 01343 545414.
Sat May 7, 7.30pm, £5-10. Elgin City Band is proud to present a Spring Concert featuring Tom Hutchinson, principal cornet with the Cory Band. The musical repertoire contains a variety of styles and includes fantastic cornet solos which show off Tom’s technical and musical skills. ticketsource.co.uk/elgincity-band
Glass Monkey
The Tunnels, Carnegies Brae, Aberdeen, AB10 1BF, 01224 211121.
Sat May 7, 7-10pm, £5. Glass Monkey make their return to Aberdeen with a headline gig at Tunnels, featuring support from one of Glasgow’s finest bands, Wrthless, and up and coming alt rockers, Vulpine. facebook.com/ tunnelsaberdeen
Roddy Woomble
The Lemon Tree, 5 West North Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AT, 01224 641122. Sat May 7, 7.30pm, £19.68. Ayrshire-born singer who came to prominence as the frontman in indie rock band Idlewild. aberdeenperformingarts. com
Lizabett Russo & Baobab
The Lemon Tree, 5 West North Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AT, 01224 641122. Mon May 9, 7.30pm, £13.20. Baobab are a brother and sister duo from Japan who utilise instruments both modern and Medieval, while Scotland-based singer-songwriter Lizabett Russo merges her native traditions with elements of contemporary jazz, avant garde folk and world music. aberdeenperformingarts. com
Twin Atlantic
The Ironworks Live Music Venue, 122b Academy Street, Inverness, IV1 1LX, 0871 789 4173.
Wed May 11, 7pm, £20. Twin Atlantic are an alternative rock band from Glasgow whose latest album, Transparency*2, has the band covering everything from marriage, male friendship and the absurdity of social media to parenthood, medication and mums. ironworksvenue.com
THEATRE Julius Caesar
Universal Hall Promotions, The Park, Forres, Findhorn, IV36 3TZ, 01309 690110. Sat May 7, 7pm, £11 (£8.80; children £6.60). The superb physical theatre ensemble Company Of Wolves return with one of Shakespeare’s most renowned Roman tragedies. Five actors immerse us in this troubled time in history, creating a world on the brink of crisis, teeming with crowds and politics, exposing the thin line between trust and deceit, conspiracy and reality, civilisation and mob rule. universalhall.co.uk
Keepers Of The Light
Aberdeen Arts Centre, 33 King Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AA, 07554 447792.
Sun May 8, 7pm, £12-£14. Real-life mystery about three lighthouse keepers who disappeared in mysterious circumstances. aberdeenartscentre.com
One Mississippi
An Lanntair, Kenneth Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, HS1 2DS, 01851 708480. Tue May 10, 8-10pm, £12 (£9). A hard-hitting verbatim play that explores how the impact of childhood experiences shape men’s adult lives, and the journey it takes them on. Blending humour and storytelling with powerful elements of physical theatre,
One Mississippi is an uncompromising insight into what takes us to breaking point. lanntair.com
Derren Brown: Showman
His Majesty’s Theatre, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen, AB25 1GL, 01224 641122.
Tue May 10-Sat May 14, Tue-Thu 7.30pm, £25£57 (£23-£52). A brand new live show by the award-winning magician who has done everything from playing Russian Roulette to convincing people they needed to commit armed robbery. aberdeenperformingarts. com
Friends! The Musical Parody
The Tivoli Theatre, 34-48 Guild Street, Aberdeen, AB11 6NB, 01224 641122. Tue May 10, 7.30pm, £31.50. Friends! The Musical Parody celebrates and pokes fun at the wacky misadventures of the group of 20-something pals we love from the hit TV show as they navigate the pitfalls of work, life, and love in 1990s Manhattan. thetivolitheatre.com
A Play, A Pie And A Pint: Absolute Bowlocks! By Graeme Rooney
The Lemon Tree, 5 West North Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AT, 01224 641122. Tue May 10-Sat May 14. Tue & Wed 6pm; Thu 1pm & 6pm, £11. When pompous President Maxwell of the Bowling Club belittles the skills of Ladies Champion, Ailsa McKay, she decides to disguise herself and enter the Gentleman’s Championship. The straightforward plan soon becomes more complex when her alter ego, Alistair, is entered into other tournaments. aberdeenperformingarts. com
Sunshine On Leith: The Musical
Duthac Centre, Shandwick Street, Tain, IV19 1AA, 01862 894422.
Wed 11-Sat 14 May, 7.30pm, £8-£12. With a soundtrack from world-renowned Leithers The Proclaimers, Sunshine On Leith is both a funny and moving story about Davy and Ally, two soldiers from Edinburgh returning to their hometown after serving in war-torn countries and questioning what home’ really means. facebook.com/duthaccentre