Latest news with #Summerhall
Time Out
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Adam Riches: Jimmy
This review is from the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe. Adam Riches's comedy shows have long been high concept, high effort affairs; now he crosses over to the dark side of the Fringe programme (aka the theatre bit) to make his Summerhall debut with Jimmy. It's a one-man-show about US sportsman Jimmy Connors, the bad boy of '70s tennis, who was eventually eclipsed by the likes of Boris Becker and John McEnroe. They, however, retired as relatively young men. Jimmy is set at the 1991 US Open: with the 39-year-old Connors now way down in the rankings, we meet him just as he's losing a match to Patrick McEnroe, John's little brother. Connors is not happy, a wounded old tiger with nothing but contempt for an opponent he knows he'd have swept past a decade ago. There are no actual balls in Tom Parry's production. But there is a lot of sweat: racket in hand, Riches hurls himself energetically around the 'court' in recreation of Connors's actual moves. I'm sure it's not a perfect replica, but Riches is bloody good, both lucidly conveying the flow the match and conveying a level of dogged persistance that feels important for Connors's story. Although it has a lot in common with Richard's comedy shows - character work, accent work, just a lot of work - it's definitely not trying to be funny in the way that they are, with just a ghost of his usual infamous audience interactions. The gangly Riches does undeniably remain an intrinsically amusing performer, but the category change makes sense. Eventually, a despairing Connors sinks into his thoughts and we get a journey through his past: specifically being raised by his tough single mum and coach Gloria, who encouraged him to be aggressive, a trait that won him games but lost him friends. Introspective, Jimmy begins to accept it's over for him. But then his temper is inflamed again – and so begins one of the all time great sports comebacks. It's an electric performance from Riches: it doesn't need to be nuanced or subtle, it needs to be shattering to watch, and it is. The text, however, feels shy of where it could go: Connor's rage is shown to be a curse more than a blessing, and yet the end does by and large conform to uplifting comeback tropes. It feels on the cusp of saying something quite profound about toxic masculinity in sport but tosses it away at match point. But we're still left with a thrilling display.
Scotsman
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Previously unheard recordings of jazz legend Miles Davis to be heard in festival play premiere
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A play about the life of jazz legend Miles Davis and featuring previously unheard tracks is to be performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival after winning a funding award. Miles, which details the life of the American musician, based on his own autobiography and describes the musician as 'pimp, addict, genius', is the winner of the Meadows Award for underrepresented artists of colour. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The production, which details the "chaos" of the making of a Kind of Blue, the bestselling jazz album of all time, will receive cash to fund a full run at Summerhall. Presented by theatre company :DELIRIUM: and Lauren Reed Productions, the play will see acclaimed jazz trumpet player, Jay Phelps perform alongside an actor representing Miles. Mr Phelps, who has performed at London jazz club Ronnie Scott's and the BBC Proms, has recently been touring Kind of Blue in various venues across the country with his band. Described as a 'hypnotic, smoke-laced fever dream', the story of Mr Davis' life is said to be 'a visceral journey into the soul of an artist who redefined modern music'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Miles Davis Quintent, Hammersmith, London, 1967. Artist Brian Foskett. (Photo by National Jazz Archive/Heritage Images via Getty Images) | National Jazz Archive/Heritage I Creative director Oliver Kaderbhai, who was resident director for the UK tour of hit musical Hamilton, said: 'As a mixed-race theatre maker of Anglo-Indian descent, I am curious about identity - what drives people to do the things they do. We're interested in humanity under pressure. 'Miles was a complex man and we're going to explore how he became the creative genius we know today - how did his race, his circumstances, his upbringing impact his choices? And would we have been a different Miles if he existed today?' Summerhall Arts, the new charity heading arts and culture provision at the venue for the next three years, said: 'Summerhall is proud to support MILES. through the Meadows Award, a production that embodies the bold, necessary, and artistically rich storytelling we believe deserves to take centre stage. We are committed to making space for Artists of Colour at the Fringe and thrilled to see MILES. lead that vision.' International work makes up more than half this year's Fringe Summerhall this week announced its line-up for this year's Fringe, which includes over 50 per cent international work, with artists from countries such as Singapore, Brazil, New Zealand, and the USA. It features a 50 per cent female-led line up, with 20 per cent of shows created by artists of colour and 25 per cent including LGBTQ+ narratives. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Highlights include Skye: A Thriller, written by Ellie Keel. Set on the Isle of Skye, follows a group of siblings confronting the reappearance of their deceased father. Earlier this year, a financial crisis at Summerhall was averted after a winding up order over alleged unpaid tax was abandoned. Summerhall's management announced that HMRC had dropped a legal action that led to its bank accounts being frozen. A public consultation is being launched into the future of the building, which has operated as an arts hub for 14 years. Developer AMA recently said it wanted to include residential properties in its redevelopment of the venue, as well as commercial space and a 'facility to sustainably continue the provision of the arts'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Summerhall Arts Fringe producer and programmer, Tom Forster, said: 'As promised back in January, our 2025 Fringe performance programme continues to be exactly what we know and love. It's the same beating heart - consisting of colleagues old and new - but underneath brand-new skin, an approach that denotes quality not quantity.' MILES. premieres at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Tech Cube Zero at Summerhall,
Scotsman
29-04-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
AMA enters contract to proceed with acquisition of Summerhall
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now Edinburgh-based developer AMA has entered a contract to secure the long-term legacy of Edinburgh's cherished arts venue, Summerhall. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The deal, which will be complete upon receipt of satisfactory planning consent, will eventually see AMA acquire the Summerhall complex from its current owner Oesselmann Estate Limited, and sensitively develop it for the future. A representative from Oesselmann Estate Limited, commented: 'We are continuing to work closely with AMA to hand over ownership of Summerhall following a successful planning outcome. AMA has committed to creating a mixed-use space with a continued arts use that will truly enliven the fabric of the local community.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Stephen Kay, Director of Capital Markets at CuthbertWhite, the independent commercial property consultants managing the transaction, added: 'We are pleased to have secured agreement with Scot Art to manage the iconic Summerhall arts and entertainment venue. Within this process, Scot Art, alongside subtenant Summerhall Arts, have signed leases for the continued use of Summerhall for a minimum of three years.' Neil, Stephen, Ali The transaction was supported by Gavin Thain of Anderson Strathern, who acted for Oesselmann Estate Limited, and by Neil Gordon of EYCO and Kenny Irons of Gillespie Macandrew, who advised AMA. AMA will now embark on a rigorous public and planning consultation period to determine the future use of the site and hopes to lodge a planning application within the next 12 months. Dr Ali Afshar, Co-Founder and Managing Director of AMA, concluded: 'As a family owned, Edinburgh based company, we understand how deeply valued Summerhall is to the community here, and as its future custodian we will protect its historic legacy and forge a bright future for the estate. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "Having now formally entered a contract to acquire Summerhall, we will begin to consider the next steps to shape its plans for the future. In the coming months, we will begin to undertake consultations with the local community and The City of Edinburgh Council. Neil, Ali and Stephen 'We anticipate that this consultation period will take a considerable time as we prepare to lodge a planning application, given Summerhall is a highly sensitive site. This lengthy period will enable us all to agree a way forward. The redevelopment will be critical to maintaining the integrity of Summerhall and the fabric of its buildings, many of which are significantly underused, protecting them for the long term. 'We foresee that the result will be a mixed-use development, including both living and commercial space, while providing a facility to sustainably continue the provision of the arts. Our aim is to build a legacy that we can all be proud of, and we want to assure all parties that our guiding principle will be a commitment to creating a high-quality redevelopment for the benefit of all.' Future plans Those who would like to keep updated with the future plans for Summerhall are invited to register at AMA@ They will be able to receive regular updates and have the opportunity to feed into any future proposals. For more information about AMA, visit the website.
Scotsman
29-04-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Summerhall's Fringe venue hangs in the balance as homes to form key part of arts hub redevelopment
AMA will take over management of Summerhall, with a view to buying the venue Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Residential properties are to form a key part of the redevelopment of Edinburgh arts hub Summerhall, while the site's future as a Fringe venue is undecided, the company behind the project has revealed. Developer AMA said it plans to create residential and commercial space as well as continued arts provision at the complex in a 'high quality redevelopment that will be beneficial to all'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The housebuilder, which is to work on plans for the building - including obtaining formal planning consent - for the next three years, reiterated plans for a 'facility to sustainably continue the provision of the arts' at Summerhall. However, it refused to comment on whether it would retain Summerhall as a Fringe venue in the longer term. A public consultation is to be launched into the future of the building, the former home of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, which has operated as an arts hub for 14 years and a major venue for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. AMA, which is behind the redevelopment of the former Scottish and Newcastle brewery site in the city's Fountainbridge district, as well as other high-end projects across the city, said the final make-up of the building would be dependent on the planning and consultation process and insisted it was 'open minded'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dr Ali Afshar, co-founder and managing director of AMA, said the contract for his company's acqusition of Summerhall will be subject to acquiring planning consent. In the meantime, it will remain under the current owner, Oesselmann Estate. Meanwhile, the day to day management was last month taken over by charity Scot-Art, previously known as Edinburgh Palette, which will work alongside Summerhall Arts, a new charity headed by former Summerhall chief executive Sam Gough to 'provide year-round arts and cultural activities' at the venue. Dr Afshar said: 'As a family owned, Edinburgh-based company, we understand how deeply valued Summerhall is to the community here, and as its future custodian we will protect its historic legacy and forge a bright future for the estate. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Having now formally entered a contract to acquire Summerhall, we will begin to consider the next steps to shape its plans for the future. In the coming months, we will begin to undertake consultations with the local community and the City of Edinburgh Council.' The mixed use development is likely to include a commercial element as well as 'living space'. More than 100 organisations, predominantly artists and creative or tech-focused companies, are already based out of the site. Edinburgh arts venue Summerhall has been hosting shows and exhibitions since 2011 | Supplied Dr Afshar added: 'We anticipate that this consultation period will take a considerable time as we prepare to lodge a planning application, given Summerhall is a highly sensitive site. This lengthy period will enable us all to agree a way forward. The redevelopment will be critical to maintaining the integrity of Summerhall and the fabric of its buildings, many of which are significantly underused, protecting them for the long term. 'We foresee that the result will be a mixed-use development, including both living and commercial space, while providing a facility to sustainably continue the provision of the arts. Our aim is to build a legacy that we can all be proud of, and we want to assure all parties that our guiding principle will be a commitment to creating a high-quality redevelopment for the benefit of all.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad When asked if the company would retain Summerhall's status as a Fringe venue after the redevelopment, a spokesman added: 'At this stage AMA will wait until after the consultation process and outcome until any decisions are made, but we aim to continue supporting the arts.' A representative from Oesselmann Estate said: 'We are continuing to work closely with AMA to hand over ownership of Summerhall following a successful planning outcome. AMA has committed to creating a mixed-use space with a continued arts use that will truly enliven the fabric of the local community.'
