Kathleen Mansfield

Contributing Editor at Southern Distinction

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Articles

Review: Robert Dick leads Peebles Orchestra in scintillating performance

1 week ago | bordertelegraph.com | Kathleen Mansfield

REVIEW by Kathleen Mansfield This evening (May 24), Peebles Orchestra, conducted by the inimitable Robert Dick (“one of the most sensitive and least clichéd conductors I have ever worked with.” - Nicola Benedetti) produced its trademark hum, buzz and bravado to a full house of appreciative music lovers. Robert Dick is an accomplished musician with a plethora of credits to his name and a host of international engagements.
Peebles Orchestra Concert - Peebles Burgh Hall

1 week ago | northwestend.com | Kathleen Mansfield

Weber Overture, Preciosa, J. 279Mozart Minuet in C, K.409Haydn Piano Concerto No. 11 in D, Hob. XVIII:11 (with guest pianist, Pawel Szulc)Mendelssohn Symphony No. 5 in D, Reformation, Op. 107This evening, Peebles Orchestra, conducted by the inimitable Robert Dick (“one of the most sensitive and least clichéd conductors I have ever worked with.” – Nicola Benedetti) produced its trademark hum, buzz and bravado to a full house of appreciative music lovers.
Living With the Dead - Augustine United Church, Edinburgh

1 month ago | northwestend.com | Kathleen Mansfield

Writer, Cossette Bolt, creates a homage to humanity with this script. The sensitive subject (set in a funeral home where the dead are finally prepared for their send-off) is a tribute to the lives each body recently encompassed. Bolt says: This story exists because tragedy exists. [A] staggering number of lives [are] lost as a result of natural disasters, human disasters, and the pandemic.
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) - Festival Theatre

1 month ago | northwestend.com | Kathleen Mansfield

Accomplished Scottish writer, actor and director, Isobel McArthur, has taken the old adage, while the cats away the mice will play and crafted an absolute winner in Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of). It is hilarious and superbly performed by an ensemble of talented actors. Costume changes happen as if Houdini were channeled (or maybe Derren Brown with his clever psychology and hypnotism).
Down The Hatch - Pleasance Theatre

2 months ago | northwestend.com | Kathleen Mansfield

What began as slightly self-conscious soon developed into a showcase of joy for this young collection of enthusiasts. The premise was simple: a tavern with a collection of characters who told their stories through song and dance. It reminded me of Jim Cartwright’s TWO but the stories were somewhat thinner, each tale being bound by the lyrics of a particular song. My favourite was the traditional Irish ballad, Aililiú Na Gamhna, sung by second-year, Lily Hodge.
Spring Serenade Concert with students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland - Carlops Village Hall

Mar 3, 2025 | northwestend.com | Kathleen Mansfield

Oodles of talent poured forth at a humble village hall in the Scottish Borders on Sunday afternoon. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s young talent got themselves organised and created a programme of music which was a delight. Eighteen-year-olds, Maria McMaster (voice) and Lena Błotnicka (Cello) and nineteen-year-olds, Michael Gemmell on piano and Kristie MacKenzie on flute are all first-year students at the Conservatoire.
The Makropulos Affair - Festival Theatre

Mar 2, 2025 | northwestend.com | Kathleen Mansfield

As ever, Scottish Opera delivers sumptuous sets, great lighting, singers who can act, and a wonderful orchestra that never disappoints, but this English rendition of The Makropulos Affair, by Leoš Janàček jarred my senses with its modern-day, casual lexicon. Words, such as F*ck somehow don’t marry comfortably with the impassioned, heightened music and traditional, elegant, and beautiful costumes. It was, no doubt, a deliberate choice.
The Nutcracker - Festival Theatre

Jan 11, 2025 | northwestend.com | Kathleen Mansfield

Familiarity, surprise and a sumptuously sparkling set from Lez Brotherston: that’s Scottish Ballet’s The Nutcracker. It’s a wonderful escape on a sub-zero evening. The orchestra is superb and Daniel Parkinson’s musicians deliver Tchaikovsky’s score with aplomb and tenderness in turn. The corp de ballet and the principals effortlessly float and gracefully swirl as if the demanding choreography were simple. The layered, cosy set is like a warm hug. It draws you in and cradles you in its dreamworld.
Don Pasquale – Festival Theatre - North West End UK

Nov 12, 2024 | northwestend.com | Kathleen Mansfield

General Director, Alex Reedijk, has spent the last nineteen years building Scottish Opera into a force to be reckoned with. This latest production is a reprisal of a 2014 creation by Renaud Doucet and André Barbe of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. It is a frivolous affair, thankfully without the tra-la-las of which Mozart was so fond. The concept is bright, clever and amusing, giving the production so much more than the score and libretto.
Only Fools and Horses the Musical - Edinburgh Playhouse

Nov 6, 2024 | northwestend.com | Kathleen Mansfield

Nothing compares with a theatre full of supportive fans who love what is going on up there on the stage. So, it was with Only Fools and Horses and the West End cast performing in Edinburgh. The jokes are wonderfully familiar, the characterisation excellent and the musical interludes perfectly pitched. This show is an out and out winner for Del Trotter fans and Rodney’s fellow aspiring art students.