The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Beau Is Afraid (15)
Being alone. Blood. Confined spaces. Crowds. Darkness. Death. Failure. Flying. Heights. Hypodermic needles. Intimacy. Public speaking. Snakes. Spiders. Thunder and lightning. The unknown.
Fears are deep-rooted in the human condition and sometimes override cool, rational thought.
In his stylish features, Hereditary and Midsommar, writerdirector Ari Aster plundered universal fears for skin-prickling discomfort.
He repeats the trick, with considerably less narrative clarity, in the horror comedy Beau Is Afraid, a beguiling exercise in self-reflection and self-indulgence tethered to a fiercely committed lead performance from Joaquin Phoenix as the titular worrywart.
A running time close to three hours will be a justifiable fear for some – and Aster’s picture certainly feels bloated.
However, this madcap odyssey into the mind of a damaged everyman is never dull, even when we are trapped in limbo between heightened reality and full-blown lunacy.
An episodic structure and flashes of directorial verve including a prolonged stop-motion sequence, masterminded by animators Cristobal Leon and Joaquin Cocina, demand attention as coherence is ritually sacrificed before our bewildered eyes, culminating in a monstrous encounter in an attic that cannot be unseen.
Imperious single mother Mona Wassermann (Zoe Lister-Jones) is a constant companion to her teenage son Beau (Armen Nahapetian).
She schools Beau to consider her love as a life raft in a sea of danger and disappointment – and reminds her boy that his father died mid-coitus courtesy of a heart murmur that he inherited through the genetic lottery.
It is little surprise that when Beau experiences the first pangs of romance, he goes no further than a kiss.
Now middle-aged and riddled with anxiety, Beau (Phoenix) visits a kindly psychiatrist (Stephen McKinley Henderson) ahead of a trip home to see his mother (Patti Lupone), who presides over a pharmaceutical empire.
Alas, Beau oversleeps and in the frantic dash to the airport, he is the victim of a bizarre crime.
He hurriedly telephones his mother for advice about calling the police and missing his flight – “I think you’ll do the right thing, sweetheart,” she tersely responds – and his best-laid plans quickly spiral out of control.
Evicted from his rundown apartment on to streets filled with violence, Beau collides with respected surgeon Roger (Nathan Lane) and his wife Grace (Amy Ryan), and they provide temporary sanctuary from the psychological storm with their troubled daughter Toni (Kylie Rogers).
Beau Is Afraid is a wildly ambitious mood piece that defies categorisation or succinct explanation.
Gobs are repeatedly smacked by Aster’s unwillingness to restrict himself to storytelling convention, abetted by Phoenix’s mesmerising theatrics. It is an admirable statement of intent that results in a sharply divisive work open to feverish debate or infuriated dismissal. Every strong reaction is justified.
Art should always make you feel something – even if, in this case, it’s dizziness and confusion.
4-6pm, £12 (babies free) .In a brand new show for 2023, Artie dusts off the original singing kettles and asks the audience to join in the rhyme: “Spout, handle, lid of metal, what’s inside the Singing Kettle?” Inside are clues to the silliest songs he can remember from this show’s vast repertoire. Don’t forget to wear a funny hat, which can be made in the workshop earlier in the day. lanntair.com
Mother Goose: The Cracking Family Pantomime
The Tivoli Theatre, 34-48 Guild Street, Aberdeen, AB11 6NB, 01224 641122. Sat May 20, 3pm, £10. Everyone loves Mother Goose, but she’s not happy as she wants to be beautiful. Demon Vanity can offer everything her heart desires, but at a price – her beloved goose. This cracking panto for all the family is full of your favourite traditions – a fabulous fairy, a baddie and, of course, a fella in a frock. thetivolitheatre.com
Peter Pan: The British Musical
Aberdeen Arts Centre, 33 King Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AA, 01224 641122, until Sat May 27, Wed, 7pm, £16.50 (£14.50). Join the Ragamuffins as they fly off to Neverland to follow the adventures of Peter, the Lost Boys and Tiger Lily, as well as mermaids, fairies, Captain Hook and his crew of pirates. A great evening of entertainment for the whole family based on JM Barrie’s classic tale. aberdeenartscentre.com
MUSIC Lunchbreak Concert: Music From Aberdeenshire
Cowdray Hall, Schoolhill, Aberdeen, AB10 1FQ, 03000 200293. Thu May 18, 12.45-1.30pm, pay as you feel. Senior pupils from Meldrum Academy perform a mainly classical programme with some contemporary music. Featuring soloists on flute, clarinet, oboe, voice, piano and bandura. aberdeencity. gov.uk/AAGM
Skinny Living
The Tunnels, Carnegies Brae, Aberdeen, AB10 1BF, 01224 211121.
Thu May 18, 7pm, £17.60. Soulful sounds from the indie three-piece. facebook. com/tunnelsaberdeen
Taigh: A Weekend Of Folk And Alternative Music, Food And The Highlands
Glen Dye Cabins & Cottages, Bridge of Dye, Strachan, Banchory, AB31 6LT, 01330 850689, until Sun May 21, Fri-Sun, day ticket £75-£89 (children free-£50); weekend ticket £175-£250 (children free-£150). Taigh is an immersive, intimate and fun weekend of folk and alternative music, food and the Highlands. Listen to music, learn new skills and lose yourself in nature. glendyecabinsandcottages. com
Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham: Phil & Aly
Braemar Village Hall, Mar Road, Braemar, AB35 5YL, 01316 535245. Fri May 19, 7.30pm, £25. Musical double act Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain bring a feast of musical talent and witty banter. philcunningham.com
BBC SSO: Elgar Symphony No2
Music Hall, Union Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1QS, 01224 641122. Fri May 19, 7.30pm, £17.50-£29.50 (£8.50). Elgar called his Second Symphony the “passionate pilgrimage of a soul” and some people think it’s his greatest. Chief conductor of the BBC SSO, Ryan Wigglesworth, closes the season with this huge work which bursts with feeling and orchestral colour. But before then, let 2012’s BBC Young Musician, Laura van der Heijden, delight you with Walton’s vigorous and heartfelt Cello Concerto. aberdeenperformingarts. com/music-hall
Patsy Cline & Friends
Aberdeen Arts Centre, 33 King Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AA, 01224 641122. Fri May 19, 7.30pm, £20 (£19). The music of Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and Jim Reeves is performed by Sue Lowry, Marc Robinson and Lee Davidge, backed by The Moonshine Boys. aberdeenartscentre.com
Rock For Heroes
Strathpeffer Pavilion, Strathpeffer, IV14 9DL, 01252 811009. Fri May 19, 7.30-11pm, £26.40. Rock For Heroes features music from iconic artists like Dire Straights, Status Quo, Queen, David Bowie and Madonna. Performed by a full live band, the show features more than 20 classic rock songs. highlifehighland.com/ strathpefferpavilion
Scots Scandinavian Traditional Music Night
SEALL at Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Sleat, Isle Of Skye, IV44 8RQ, 01471 844207. Fri May 19, 7.30-10pm, £10 (£5; children free). Sco-Scan is a longstanding collaboration between traditional music groups from Scotland and Scandinavia. This year, Sabhal Mor Ostaig will host the evening concert which features Lista from Norway, Sunnlaut and Lommobos from Sweden, Pigernes from Denmark, and Wall 2 Wall, Inverness Fiddlers and the Elgin and Strathspey Reel Society from Scotland. seall.co.uk
Dolly Parton Vs Kenny Rogers
OGV Podium, 17 Windmill Brae, Aberdeen, AB11 6HU. Sat May 20, 7-10pm, £15. Get ready for an unforgettable night of music in the ultimate showdown between two of the greatest country music icons of all time – Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. The worldclass tribute acts will be delivering all the pair’s hits, from Jolene to The Gambler. ogvpodium.com
Desperados: Eagles Tribute Show
Clickimin Leisure Complex, North Lochside, Lerwick, ZE1 0PJ, 01595 692114. Sat May 20, 8pm, £25. Celebrate the music of six-time Grammy winners The Eagles with tribute act Desperados. Expect to hear your favourite hits Take It Easy, Hotel California, Take It To The Limit and, of course, Desperado. desperadoeagles.co.uk
Shooglenifty
Universal Hall Promotions, The Park, Forres, Findhorn, IV36 3TZ, 01309 690110. Sun May 21, 7.30-9.30pm, £17 (£15; children £13). Funky ambient folk band from Edinburgh who fuse traditional and traditionalsounding melodies with the beats and basslines of more contemporary influences. universalhall.co.uk
Breabach
Lyth Arts Centre, Lyth, KW1 4UD, 01955 641434. Wed May 24, 7.30pm-11pm, £20. This award-winning band blend double bagpipes, whistle, fiddle, song and Scottish stepdance with Celtic flair and frenzy. Support comes from VRï, a new and exciting string trio from Waves. lytharts.org.uk
THEATRE Strictly Ballroom
His Majesty’s Theatre, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen, AB25 1GL, 01224 641122, until Sat May 20. Thu 2pm & 7.30pm. Fri 7.30pm. Sat 2.30pm & 7.30pm, £19-£56. Musical based on the Australian film set in the cutthroat world of ballroom dancing, starring Strictly Come Dancing’s Kevin Clifton and Coronation Street’s Faye Brookes, and directed by Craig Revel Horwood. aberdeenperformingarts. com
Abigail’s Party
Eden Court Theatre and Cinema, Bishop’s Road, Inverness, IV3 5SA, 01463 234234, until Sat May 20. Thu & Fri 7.30pm.
Sat 2.30pm & 7.30pm, £18.00-£22.50. In her suburban living room Beverly prepares for the arrival of her guests. As the alcohol flows and the nibbles are handed round, Mike Leigh’s ruthless, achingly funny examination of 1970s British life begins. Michael Cabot directs this new take on a true modern classic. eden-court.co.uk
Inside The Mind Of A Serial Killer
Aberdeen Arts Centre, 33 King Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5AA, 01224 641122. Sat May 20, 7.30pm, £18. Serial killer expert and research psychologist Cheish Merryweather – as seen on the BBC – brings to the stage an new talk, Inside The Mind Of A Serial Killer. Based on psychiatric evaluations, courtroom transcripts, witness testimonies, crime scene evidence and criminal profiles, it’s a two-hour dive into the darkest criminal minds. aberdeenartscentre.com
Who Killed My Father
Universal Hall Promotions, The Park, Forres, Findhorn, IV36 3TZ, 01309 690110. Sat May 20, 7.30pm, £13.20 (£11); An Lanntair, Kenneth Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, HS1 2DS, 01851 708480. Tue May 23, 8pm, £12 (members £11; concessions £10). Based on the book by Edouard Louis, translated by Lorin Stein and adapted and directed for stage by Nora Wardell, Who Killed My Father deals with the difficulty of growing up gay in a small town and enduring violence and homophobia at the hands of an alcoholic parent. As anger turns to compassion, it is an intimate declaration of love from son to father, and a defiant call for social justice. Ages 16+. universalhall.co.uk lanntair.com
Thunderstruck
An Tobar Arts Centre, Argyll Terrace, Tobermory, Isle of Mull, PA75 6PB, 01688 302211. Mon May 22, 8pm, pay what you decide / £15; Bunessan Hall, Bunessan, Isle of Mull, PA67 6DG, 01688 302211.
Tue May 23, 6pm, pay what you decide / £15. Thunderstruck is an award-winning musical production concerning the legacy and mythology of a Pitlochry bin man who changed Scottish music forever by defying established tradition and pushing to the edge of what was possible. Take whatever romantic notions you have of the bagpipes and leave them at the door. facebook. com/ThunderstruckGD
Annie
His Majesty’s Theatre, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen, AB25 1GL, 01224 641122, until Sat May 27. Tue 7.30pm. Wed 2pm & 7.30pm, £20-£60. Set in New York during the Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Her luck soon changes when she’s chosen to spend a fairytale Christmas with famous billionaire Oliver Warbucks, but spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas. With classic songs such as It’s The Hard Knock Life and Tomorrow, you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll love it. aberdeenperformingarts. com
An Evening With Richard E Grant
Music Hall, Union Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1QS, 01738 621031. Wed May 24, 7.30pm, £32-£41. Since his breakout role in cult classic Withnail And I in 1987, Richard E Grant has become a much-loved fixture on our screens, starring in everything from Doctor Who to Downton Abbey and bagging an Oscarnomination along the way. Join him to celebrate the publication of his new book, A Pocketful Of Happiness, as he tells stories from his life, entwining tales from his time in showbiz with uplifting reflections on love and loss. aberdeenperformingarts. com