Burns Supper Spectacular
Rhona Taylor previews a music and cabaret extravaganza in Dumfries
IT’S a Burns Night celebration like no other – with 11 days of music, theatre, cabaret, magic, art and comedy in the town where the Bard spent his last years. Big Burns Supper, which threw open its doors for the first time in 2012, offers 111 events with KT Tunstall, Ed Byrne, Frank Turner, Alabama 3 and more.
The festival has grown into a diverse celebration focusing mainly on music and cabaret, with performances in its famous spiegeltent and venues throughout Dumfries. It fully embraces the spirit of Burns Night, according to executive producer Graham Main, who says he wants to ensure the town hosts the biggest and best celebration of its type in the world.
“I’m a firm believer that the memory and reflection of Robert Burns has created a phenomenon called Burns Night,” Graham explains. “This idea of Burns’ pals coming together and, I imagine, getting quite lubricated, they created this ritual of bringing people together, of singing and dancing, and of doing that over food. That’s what Big Burns Supper is really about. We have some events for die-hard Burnsians, but it’s the party that we focus on.”
The biggest night of the festival, January 25, is headlined by KT Tunstall. “Our Burns Night Live programme is really strong,” Graham says. “It’s Friday night, it’s Burns Night and I can’t think of anywhere else in the world you’ll get a party like this.”
Celebrated cabaret show Le Haggis VI takes the stage in the 800-capacity spiegeltent. Queer Haggis also returns, featuring some of the country’s best LGBT artists – organisers suggest the audience “let their hair down and dress scandalously”.
“Any trip to Dumfries is not complete without checking out Le Haggis. There’s a reason why it sells out every year – it’s artistic, inspirational, and really great