The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Father Stu (15)
Mark Wahlberg is miscast as an embattled soul who discovers his calling as a messenger of the Lord in a wellmeaning biographical drama of triumph against adversity that marks the directorial debut of Mel Gibson’s partner, Rosalind Ross.
Inspired by an improbable true story, Father Stu is a passion project for the devoutly Catholic leading man.
He invested millions of his own money to finance the faith-based picture and consumed 11,000 calories a day to achieve a startling physical transformation as his character battles a degenerative muscular condition.
The script preaches forgiveness and resilience in broad strokes, following Wahlberg’s eponymous brawler turned priest as he draws on a turbulent childhood to minister to his flock until a shocking medical diagnosis tees up the tear-stained final act.
Despite a two-hour running time, the film repeatedly uses shorthand to illustrate fraught relationships.
Stu’s ability to engage in an unapologetically forthright manner merits a single scene of uncomfortable home truths to a room full of bullish prison inmates.
A central romance lacks fluidity and, when two feuding characters hurriedly reconcile on screen, Stu’s visible confusion perfectly reflects our bewilderment.
From an early age, Stuart Long (Wahlberg) yearns to impress his hard-drinking father Bill (Gibson) but the death of his brother Stephen creates a rift in the family that can never be healed despite the best efforts of Stu’s longsuffering mother Kathleen (Jacki Weaver).
Consequently, Stu rages against the world like his belligerent old man.
As an amateur boxer, he loses just two of 17 bouts inside the ring but repeated blows to the body and head take their toll and Stu decides to try his luck as an actor in Hollywood, eventually landing a daytime TV commercial for Marvelous Mops.
Working on the meat counter of a grocery store between auditions, Stu becomes instantly smitten with one customer, Carmen (Teresa Ruiz).
She is an active member of the local Catholic Church so Stu is baptised and persuades sceptical Monsignor Kelly (Malcolm McDowell) to enrol him in a seminary alongside parishioners Ham (Aaron Moten) and Jacob (Cody Fern).
“I’m gonna be a priest,” Stu informs his mother.
“For Halloween?” replies Kathleen, dumbfounded.
Speaking from the heart, Stu forms meaningful connections in California until a rare muscleweakening disease, inclusion body myositis, forces him to move back home to Montana to live out his final days with his parents.
Father Stu fails to dig deep beneath the bruising facade of the titular protagonist and the people around him.
Weaver is under-used and Ruiz has disappointingly limited screen time in which to make her sassy love interest feel like more than a plot device.
Archive footage of the real-life priest over the end credits delivers a heftier emotional punch than anything Ross and her collaborators can muster.
AROUND TOWN Weaving With Words: Women’s Lives In Cromarty
Hugh Miller Museum and Birthplace Cottage, Church Street, Cromarty, IV11 8XA, 0844 493 2158.
Sat May 14, 12-1pm, £5. Self-taught geologist, folklorist and social justice campaigner, Hugh Miller was one of the great Scots of the 19th century. Taking inspiration from his life and work, Hugh Miller’s Birthplace Museum hosts immersive walking tours around Cromarty. nts. org.uk/visit/places/hughmillers-birthplace
Aberdeen City Centre Walking Tour With Scot Free Tours
Mercat Cross, Castlegate, Aberdeen, AB11.
Sun May 15, 10am, free. Explore Scottish history with this two and a half hour walking tour of Aberdeen city centre, with tales of pirates, wizards, Harry Houdini and Lord Byron. aberdeenfreetours.com
Brodgar Walk
Ring of Brodgar Stone Circle and Henge, Stenness, Stromness, KW16, 01856 841815, until
Thu September 29.
Thu 1pm, free. Informative guided walks around Scotland’s largest stone circle. Free event with no pre-booking required. historicenvironment.scot
John O’Groats Book Festival
Seaview Hotel, County Road, John O Groats, KW1 4YR, until Sun October 30, times and prices vary. The John O’Groats Book Festival enters its fourth year with events held from now through to a final festival weekend in October. A number of local and more widely published authors, as well as poets and musicians, are being lined up. johnogroatsdt.org
ARTS Fiona MacRae: Just Is
Resipole Studios, Acharacle, PH36 4HX, 01967 431506, until Fri May 27, Tue-Sat 11am-5pm.
Sun 11am-4pm, free. A solo show of brand new works by Argyll-based artist Fiona MacRae, whose tabletop 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-Sat 10am5pm, 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 12-5pm, 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-4.30pm.
Sun 11am-3.30pm, 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 copublished 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
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. aberdeenartists society.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
ShetlandMade
Bonhoga Gallery, Weisdale Mill, Shetland, ZE2 9LW,
01595 745750, until Sun Sep 4, Wed-Sun 10.30am4.30pm, free. Summer craft showcases featuring 15 local designers and makers who work in various disciplines such as ceramics, jewellery, homeware and woodwork. shetlandarts.org
Gerard Murphy Photography Summer Exhibition
Corgarff Community Hall, Corgarff, AB36 8YL, until Fri September 30, 10am-5pm, free. This annual summer exhibition is now in its ninth year showcasing recent images by the Northumberlandraised photographer. gerardmurphy.co.uk
Kenny Hunter: Sculpture Court
Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen, AB11 5BY, 03000 200293, until Sun October 30, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 11am-4pm, free. For sculptor Kenny Hunter the monument is a form in flux. Sculpture Court, his new exhibition for Aberdeen Art Gallery, is both a provocation and a reflection on the role of public artforms such as the traditional monument. aberdeencity.gov.uk/AAGM
Masterpiece Loan 2022: Sir Alexander Morison, 1779-1866
Duff House, Banff, AB45 3SX, 01261 813004, until Sun March 19 2023, ThuSun 9.30am-5pm, included in admission price £9.50 (£5.50-£7.50; under fives free); family ticket £19£32.50. The portrait on show was painted at the end of Alexander Morison’s 17 years as consultant to Bethlem Asylum in Surrey. The artist, Richard Dadd, was one of Morison’s patients. duffhouse.org.uk
COMEDY Dylan Moran: We Got This
The Ironworks Live Music Venue, 122b Academy Street, Inverness, IV1 1LX, 0871 789 4173.
Thu May 12, 7.15pm, £28.13; Music Hall, Union Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1QS, 01224 641122.
Sat May 14, 8pm, £29.15. 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. ironworksvenue.com; aberdeenperformingarts. com
Larry Dean: Fudnut
The Tivoli Theatre, 34-48 Guild Street, Aberdeen, AB11 6NB, 01224 641122. Sat May 14, 8pm, £18.50.
Stand-up comedy from the well-respected young Scot. thetivolitheatre.com
FAMILY
Bookbug Storytime Mareel, Shetland Arts Development Agency, Mareel, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0WQ, 01595 743843. Thu May 12, 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
Cairngorms Nature BIG Weekend
Cairngorms National Park, Cairngorms, PH26 3AG, 01479 873535.
Thu 12-Sun May 15, times and prices vary. A weekend celebrating the amazing nature of Cairngorms National Park for all the family. cairngormsnature bigweekend.com
Art Labs
An Lanntair, Kenneth Street, Stornoway, Isle Of Lewis, HS1 2DS, 01851 708480. Fri May 13, 2-4pm, free; Tarbert Community Centre, Tarbert, HS3 3DG.
Tue May 17, 5.45-7.45pm, 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. lanntair.com
Gordon Castle Highland Games And Country Fair
Gordon Castle And Walled Garden, Fochabers, IV32 7PQ, 01343820244.
Sun May 15, 10am-5pm, £13 (£8; children £5). Experience the best of Scotland with a day out at the Gordon Castle traditional Highland Games. gordoncastle.co.uk/ highland-games/
Clàr/Platform
An Lanntair, Kenneth Street, Stornoway, Isle Of Lewis, HS1 2DS, 01851 708480. Wed May 18, 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
Big Kid Circus
Montrose Links, Traill Drive, Montrose, DD10 8SW, 07766 552211, Wed May 18 until Sun May 22, 10am-8pm, £8.99. 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
Dominic Kirwan: Through The Eyes Of An Irishman The Tivoli Theatre, 34-48 Guild Street, Aberdeen, AB11 6NB, 01224 641122. Thu May 12, 7.30pm, £28.13. Ireland’s Dominic Kirwan takes to the road with a new show featuring all his big hits, along with a series of Irish favourites. thetivolitheatre.com
James Bay
Beach Ballroom, The Esplanade, Aberdeen, AB24 5NR, 01224 647647. Thu May 12, 7pm, £25. The singer-songwriter and guitarist from Hitchin plays uplifting folk-rock. aberdeencity.gov.uk
The 121S
Cafe Drummond, 1 Belmont Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1JR, 01224 619930.
Fri May 13, 7pm-12am, £8. The 121s are touring their brand new album Wired To The Moon. cafedrummond. com
Baby Strange
The Tunnels, Carnegies Brae, Aberdeen, AB10 1BF, 01224 211121.
Fri May 13, 7pm, £13.20. Glasgow-based trio specialising in energetic lo-fi garage rock. thetunnels. co.uk
Fergus McCreadie Trio
Nairn Community & Arts Centre, King Street, Nairn, IV12 4DN, 01667 453476. Fri May 13, 7.45-10pm, £17. Young award-winning jazz pianist with trio partners David Bowden (bass) and Stephen Henderson (drums). nairncc.co.uk
SNJO: Tales Of The Tribe
Music Hall, Union Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1QS, 01224 641122.
Fri May 13, 7.30pm, £25.50 (£23.50). The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra featuring
Phil Cunningham, Julie Fowlis, John McCusker, Michael McGoldrick and its leader, Tommy Smith, pay musical tribute to creatures of mythic proportion. From tales of dragons to vampiric ghosts, the SNJO gets its teeth into Tales Of The Tribe. aberdeenperformingarts. com/music-hall
Skye Live
The Lump, Portree,
Isle Of Skye, IV51.
Thu May 12-Sun May 14, times and prices vary. Music festival on Skye offers a fusion of genres, with traditional music, bands, DJs and dance acts on the bill, along with excellent food and drink courtesy of Skye’s finest foodies. skyelive.co.uk
Budapest Cafe Orchestra Craigmonie Centre, Glen Urquhart High School, Drumnadrochit, IV63 6XA, 01456 459224.
Sat May 14, 7pm, £16.50 (children free). Budapest Café Orchestra (BCO) play a blistering barrage of traditional folk and gypsyflavoured music from across the Balkans and Russia, with Klezmer laments, Romanian Doinas, Hungarian Czadas and their own unique reimaginings of some of the biggest tunes ever written by the classical greats. craigmoniecentre.co.uk
The Johnny Cash Duo
The Beaufort Hotel, 11 Culduthel Road, Inverness, IV2 4AD, 01463 222897. Sat May 14, 8-10.30pm, £15. The Johnny Cash Duo recreate the magic of June Carter and Johnny Cash playing a set of classics. beauforthotelinverness.uk
Karen Marshalsay: Scottish Harp Music
Eden Court Theatre and Cinema, Bishop’s Road, Inverness, IV3 5SA, 01463 234234.
Sat May 14, 7.15-9.30pm, £14. A master of all three Scottish harps, Karen Marshalsay delivers great tunes and entertaining stories. eden-court.co.uk
Rise Up! With Our Voices
The Lemon Tree, 5 West North Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AT, 01224 641122. Sat May 14, 8pm, £10. A night to celebrate and champion an array of Black and People of Colour talent from across Scotland, all of whom are changing the narrative within the country’s music scene. Among the acts are Clarissa, Danny Cliff, Ola Aisanya AKA Chef, Kapil Seshasayee and DIJA. aberdeenperformingarts. com
Soul At The Sandman Hotel Aberdeen
Sandman Signature Hotel, St Andrew Street, Aberdeen, AB25 1AD.
Sat May 14, 7.30pm, £8. An evening of soul, Motown, 70s soul, modern soul and Northern Soul, all played on original vinyl records. sandmansignature.co.uk/ Aberdeen
Aberdeen Sinfonietta
Music Hall, Union Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1QS, 01224 641122.
Sun May 15, 3pm, £15 (£7.50). Aberdeen Sinfonietta, under the baton of its principal conductor, Garry Walker, celebrates its return to the Music Hall with an afternoon concert of rousing music for full symphony orchestra. aberdeenperformingarts. com/music-hall
Peatbog Faeries
The Barn, Burn O’Bennie, Banchory, AB31 5QA, 01330 825431. Sun May 15, 8pm, £18. The Skye-based band fuses traditional Scottish pipe and fiddle tunes with jazz, hip hop, reggae and electronic influences. thebarnarts.co.uk
Rob Lamberti: A Celebration Of The Songs & Music Of
George Michael
Eden Court Theatre and Cinema, Bishop’s Road, Inverness, IV3 5SA, 01463 234234.
Sun May 15, 7-10pm, £30.50-£34.50. With some of George Michael’s personal musicians joining Rob Lamberti’s band, this performance is guaranteed to hypnotise the senses of any Wham fan. eden-court. co.uk
The Charlatans
Music Hall, Union Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1QS, 01224 641122.
Tue May 17, 7pm, £33. The ever-durable Charlies have weathered all kinds of upheaval over the years but have managed to thrive with considerable fan support. aberdeenperformingarts. com
Nina Stanger
Music Hall (Big Sky Studio), Union Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1QS,
01224 641122.
Wed May 18, 7pm, free. Nina Stanger is an Aberdeen based interdisciplinary artist and DJ, with a creative practice which combines digital media, sculpture and sound. aberdeenperformingarts. com
Pete Doherty
The Lemon Tree, 5 West North Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AT, 01224 641122. Wed May 18, 7pm, £28. The usual unpredictability and undeniable charisma from the Libertines and Babyshambles man. aberdeenperformingarts. com
THEATRE Sunshine On Leith: The Musical
Duthac Centre, Shandwick Street, Tain, IV19 1AA, 01862 894422.
Thu 12-Sat 14 May, 7.30pm, £8-£12. Easter Ross Musical Theatre presents the heart-lifting production with a soundtrack from worldrenowned Leithers The Proclaimers. facebook.com/ duthaccentre/
The Metamorphosis: Unplugged
The Rockfield Centre, Rockfield Brae, Stevenson
Street, Oban, PA34 5DQ, 01631 701921.
Fri May 13, 7pm,
£12 (£8). Created by Vanishing Point, this piece is based on Franz Kafka’s brilliantly funny and compelling story, unravelling as a warmhearted retelling of the mysterious tale of Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one morning to find he’s turned into a giant insect. This cabaret-style affair is told from the perspective of his sister Greta. therockfieldcentre.org.uk
Art In Motion
Aberdeen Arts Centre, 33 King Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AA, 01224 641122. Sat May 14, 10.30am & 2.30pm, £14.
LG Dance Company brings us little dancers with big dreams and an abundance of talent as they aim to put on a truly special show. aberdeenartscentre. com
One Mississippi
The Lemon Tree, 5 West North Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AT, 01224 641122. Sat May 14, 7pm, £13.20 (£5.50-£9.90).
This hard-hitting verbatim play explores how the impact of childhood experiences shapes men’s adult lives, and the journey it takes them on. aberdeenperformingarts. com
The Book Of Mormon His Majesty’s Theatre, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen, AB25 1GL, 01224 641122.
Tue May 17-Sat June 4, Tue-Thu 7.30pm; Fri & Sat 2.30pm, 7.30pm, £12.50£78.50.
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone’s Tony Award-winning musical satire chronicles the misadventures of two Mormon missionaries in a remote village in northern Uganda, where the villagers have more pressing concerns on their mind than listening to their evangelism. aberdeenperformingarts. com
Derren Brown: Showman
His Majesty’s Theatre, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen, AB25 1GL, 01224 641122, until Sat May 14, 7.30pm, £25-£57 (£23-£52).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
A Play, A Pie And A Pint: Absolute Bowlocks! By Graeme Roone
The Lemon Tree, 5 West North Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AT, 01224 641122, until Sat May 14.
Thu 1pm & 6pm; Fri & Sat 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