A look back at the entertainment world coming back to life at the start of 2022
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A year is a long time in entertainment and the arts – and this time last year, shows were still shut down, including Eden Court’s panto, as Covid had one more sting in its tail.
But Eden Court had already had two of the big hits in terms of ticket sales at the tail end of 2021 that buoyed their financial results out this week.
Previous theatre CEO James Mackenzie-Blackman was leaving for his next role in Plymouth, his last night the first of the musical Chicago – a first for the theatre and the city, and the first night Inverness audience packed out the theatre and joined 33 million people across the world who have seen the show – and fallen for its sheer pzazz.
But the CEO reminded that he had had to persuade the producer of Chicago that the show would sell its tickets in Inverness – and he was right, there were only a few remaining on the week the show opened. A couple of weeks earlier, 9 To 5 The Musical had also done the business at Eden Court, another top end West End production dropping by the Inverness theatre in touring form.
And the push to bring the big shows North continued into 2022 – with musicals such as Rock Of Ages and SIX. For 2023, Sister Act, a new production of the Broadway and UK smash hit musical comes direct from London in May with Lesley Joseph in the cast. And in October, the production of the stage musical of The Bodyguard that was nominated for four Olivier Awards, arrives in Inverness.
But at the end of 2021 Covid shut everything down again And looking back now, it probably took the world a little longer to embrace the idea of going out to a gig or a show than anyone might have predicted as 2022 began.
Even in masks, a reluctance to sit down or stand next to people, still meant audiences were down – if they turned up at all. And hopes in theatres and music venues that the dark days of lockdown and empty premises might be over, seemed a little premature.
But looking back through our pages – both newspaper and online – you can see a variety of things starting to book themselves into the Highlands and the North again as January progressed into February to bring some much-needed entertainment.
Scottish Ballet’s Nutcracker stopped off at Eden Court (though its Coppelia later in the year was even better).
Revived indie pop band Astrid also played the venue’s OneTouch space, rappers Damaged Goodz and Butterscotch appearing as Brothers From Another Planet entertained Mad Hatters, where there was also the return of visiting master-funksters James Brown Is Annie.
Highland creatives were producing their own work to share – from Bruce MacGregor with new album The Road To Tyranny to crime writer Helen Forbes’ latest thriller Deception.
And two writers won awards – our own Artyness columnist Barbara Henderson won the Young Quills Award for The Siege of Caerlaverock and Cal Flyn, with ties to Beauly and Inverness – where she went to school – won the important Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer Of The Year Award for her hard-to-put-down non-fiction account of neglected places, Islands Of Abandonment.
Our Living Landscape was part of a series of events featuring the music and culture of Achiltibuie, Lochinver and Assynt, including a concert in Achiltibuie Hall.
And as February ended, the exuberant Rocky Horror Show with Ore Oduba was one of the big musicals at Eden Court destined to lure audiences in – many people dressing up as their tribute for the show and the reaction of the crowd was so positive that, reviewing the show, I wrote – "… this crowd gave the biggest cheers I have heard in the theatre to deservedly celebrate this slick and life-affirming production".
Grantown's Hamish Napier finally got the chance to take his latest album The Woods on tour to dates in the North. The Nederlands Dans Theater2 came to Eden Court with a stunning show of contemporary dance, also the venue to see Ross Wilson as Blue Rose Code making the first of two awesome performances in Inverness this year, second suppporting Skipinnish) in December.
Already there were some exciting prospects in 2022 for those who love their drama – new production from Raw Material and Eden Court, musical The Stamping Ground based on Runrig songs; Raw Material & Capital Theatres in association with the National Theatre of Scotland brought Rona Munro’s James IV: Queen Of The Fight to Eden Court, continuing her sequence of historic plays set in Scotland; comic actor Jack Docherty in his first smart, funny and touching one-man play Nothing But; police drama Stand By; Alan Cumming in his one-man danced version of Burns’ life, Burn.
Picking out some events from spring, Inverness Choral Society’s return to live performance after Covid brought them to Ness Bank Church with smaller numbers but a programme of music treats.
Legally Blonde from Inverness Musical Theatre pushed their young cast, but the show really delivered.
Ullapool-based artist and musician Mairearad Green presented an exhibition of paintings, with a night of music too planned at the gallery.
Band Chancers released a new single Three Of Swords.
And Inverness folk singer Dougie Mackenzie played live.
A play based on real-life events The Riot Of Resolis was performed in Cromarty over the weekend of the Cromarty Crime And Thrillers festival, a striking and fascinating drama using large puppets written and directed by Jon Palmer. As Jon had hoped, the play toured later in the year too, appropriately to the Resolis Memorial Hall, as well as the Findon Hall, Culbokie, with a return to the Victoria Hall in Cromarty to end the dates on October 27.
Alness band The Side played live in Inverness having launched a new single, Scottish singer songwriter Horse talked about her 30-year career on the eve of her return to the North and in Dornoch Phillip Jon Taylor's Supportive Partner Please Stand By solo album came out. Inverness fiddle player Sarah-Jane Summers came over to play with her husband Juhani Silvola from their home in Norway to appear as guests at the Inverness Fiddlers Rally.
Read Sarah-Jane's QnA here: https://www.whatson-north.co.uk/whats-on/music/margaret-chrystall-has-a-q-a-session-with-sarah-jane-summers-275190/
Another music exile, James Mackenzie, came over for a series of gigs from his new home in Germany, sharing the music of his album Honeymoon. The gig in the Tooth & Claw in Inverness was intimate, warm – and packed with a welcoming crowd.
The Dazed Digital Age, Inverness electronic band returned to play live after Covid at the Tooth & Claw.
BBC Radio 3's Petroc Trelawny spoke to Here & Now Highland Media Group's entertainment section about bringing the station's breakfast show up to tour round the Highlands for a week, bringing sounds of the place and musicians, such as Duncan Chisholm, to the show's listeners.
Capercaillie's Karen Matheson talked about playing for the first time at The Gathering festival in Inverness. Elephant Sessions headlined and made "... the perfect experience live to dance The Gathering to the end of the night".
The XpoNorth creative industries conference with speakers and panels included guest, poet Michael Pedersen. The Mahler Players presented the composcr's Seventh Symphony (they triumphed with their performance of cleverly arranged excerpts of Wagner's Tristan Und Isolde with top soloists at the end of the year).
The Florians presented a gritty performance of A Streetcar Named Desire, capturing all the menace and pathos of Tennessee Williams' play.
Morna Young's story set to Runrig's music for the musical The Stamping Ground was the big news at Eden Court in July.
My review for the Inverness Courier went: "This important spirited production will spark many conversations and needs to be seen by Highlanders, Scots, visitors, people of all ages. It's about here and now, our past, future – and the universal question, how best to live a life."
The good news for anyone who missed it, it's back at Eden Court this year.
Tamzene the singer songwriter from Cromarty found herself one of the supporting acts for Adele in London, where the young musician is now based – her piano just being moved into her "tiny" flat as she chatted about this new stage in her career.
The Household DJ collective were expanding the chance to enjoy club dance music, from their new base in Inverness at Upstairs, as well as nights at the Innes. And the band King Kobalt called it a day by reuniting for one last gig.
Belladrum's return was just legendary – fitting in nicely with their theme of myths and legends. Dip into the review here: https://www.whatson-north.co.uk/whats-on/news/belladrum-review-music-legends-inspire-vintage-return-283109/
Blas was also back live with the commission this year from Chloe Bryce inspired by The Summer Walkers, with Essie Stewart, one of the travelling people of East Sutherland and East Ross-shire, present at the premiere at the Clashmore Hall in Sutherland, celebrating her 80th.
Elephant Sessions released their new album For The Night, fiddler Euan Smillie talking about the recording – the album going on to win album of the year at the Scots Trads last month. And it will be at the heart of the band's huge night as one of the last at the Ironworks in February.
As the year drew in, so many arts and entertainment milestones were popping up – but the weekend of music from Andrea Bocelli, then Duran Duran the following night at Inverness Caledonian Stadium attracted rain and criticism for travel and entry arrangements.
The new NC50 programme of local music to hear for free in pubs seemed a great way to get people back enjoying live music, though being up against Monsterfest seemed slightly bad timing, perhaps.
Nairn's young hardworking rock band Bad Actress took their latest single Hot Stuff into HMV for a live set which was part of a series of events planned in the run-up to Monsterfest.
Hopefully getting live music into the shopping centre will continue – and certainly a free gig by Lewis's sensations Peat & Diesel drew a huge crowd to Falcon Square for the gig, followed by a meet and greet with the band and the chance to buy some of their festive merchandise, the trio waiting till every last fan had got their chance to meet them.
Inverness band The Joshua Hotel made their hometown debut in Mad Hatters, a gig that showcased a set of strong indie-electronica songs that were matched by the switched-on drama of the performance from frontman Joshua Mackenzie, guitarist Louis Slorach and drummer Josh Gilbert.
Del Amitri were among an eclectic group of musicians who appeared at the one-off Dandelion festival at Inverness Northern Meeting Park, another one had already been held in Glasgow.
Smaller associated events were held across the North including The Unexpected Garden in Alness where Peter Noble played live for the first time – with some audience participation, tracks from his three albums Walking North, The Lee Of The Wind and Following The Water's Flow.
Marti Pellow, Twin Atlantic and Public Service Broadcasting (above) offered top performances at the Ironworks, the Inverness venue awaiting its fate as fingers were crossed that the hotel plan – that will now replace it – would not happen …
By August 19, the news from the council was the worst for music-lovers: "The loss of the Ironworks is devastating – but maybe it’s time now to plan what comes next", I suggested on our entertainment website whatson-north.co.uk – and many commented. Later, Mad Hatters – the small vibrant venue for indie music in Hootanannys – closed.
DJ collective Household tried out a band, The Dazed Digital Age, playing in successful dance space Upstairs.
It seems the city’s regular loss and gain of venues is underway again, though the loss of the Ironworks is different. Can it survive in a different location?
And the debate about venues continues on social media and forums. It matters to a lot of people. And should.
Despite the hiatus of Covid, it seemed the time and space allowed musicians, in particular, to get creative, new albums still being delivered that had their initial spark during that time – welcome to new band Algorithm (born during lockdown), and albums enabled by the lockdown – from Paul John MacIver’s Connections out this week with live launch; cellist Su-a Lee in Grantown’s solo debut album Dialogues; Caithness band Neon Waltz’s as yet unnamed one coming later this year, and many more.
The festivals returned – more appreciated than ever since their absences, the music ones, from The Gathering to Monsterfest, last of the season.
Belladrum and one-off Dandelion, and Monsterfest (moved from the Ironworks to Eden Court).
And the bookfests, such as Cromarty Crime And Thriller Weekend, the return of Nairn Book And Arts, the second year of St Duthac Book And Arts, the return too of multi-venue free Inverness festival NessBookFest and some sad news from Ullapool Book Festival that 2023 would be its last-ever year.
Inverness Film Festival had a triumphant return for its 20th year with its special mix of world cinema, new premiering big-hitters and quirky one-off events, this year including live music from musician Stephen Horne accompanying a silent movie and also a Local Hero event featuring a guest appearance of Sutherland actor Jimmy Yuill with writer Jonathan Melville – who had just published Local Hero: Making A Scottish Classic.
And yes, maybe the biggest entertainment news of the year on a positive note was witnessing an actual star being born in Inverness singer-songwriter Katie Gregson-MacLeod with her viral TikTok hit complex (demo) striking a chord with millions of people. And, yes, 2023 should be just as exciting in its own way for the young Inverness musician!
With Love To Ukraine, an event held at Eden Court with artists and those involved giving their time, was a fundraiser which did an incredible job of also celebrating the music and poetry of both Ukraine and Scotland, and was organised by Inverness actor, artistic director of Dogstar Theatre and activist for Ukrainians, Matthew Zajac.
The event raised well over £15,000 for the organisations it was supporting, including UK-MED and Highlands For Ukraine and was filmed and could be streamed with a link to leave donations.
The Mahler Players rounded off their year with a stunning performance of Wagner's Tristan Und Isolde at Inverness Cathedral and Strathpeffer Pavilion, playing a special arrangement of excerpts of the opera and featuring top soloists.
Fast forwarding to the almost-close of the year, both Eden Court panto Peter Pan – and gifted amateurs The Florians presenting a fresh take on their Snow White, under the direction for the first time of Morag Russell, reminded how important panto is at this time of year.
But there is already so much to look forward to next year – even the poignant last gigs at the Ironworks with Twin Atlantic and Elephant Sessions.
All these talented people who make our lives brighter – these are hard times – support them in any way you can ...
And now, always tough to work this out, but here goes ...
My best 10 shows of the year (theatre, dance, musicals, drama) – in no particular order ...
With Love To Ukraine, Eden Court Nov 21
James IV, Eden Court, Nov 4
https://www.whatson-north.co.uk/whats-on/news/review-five-star-performance-of-james-iv-292537/
The Stamping Ground, Eden Court Jun 22
https://www.whatson-north.co.uk/whats-on/news/review-the-stamping-ground-282246/
A Streetcar Named Desire, The Florians, Theatre, Jun 17
NDT2, Eden Court, Mar 14
The Rocky Horror Show, Eden Court, Mar 3
Scottish Ballet Coppelia, Eden Court, Oct 6
https://www.whatson-north.co.uk/whats-on/news/bruno-plays-dollmaker-as-tech-giant-valley-ceo-289725/
Legally Blonde, Inverness Musical Theatre, Eden Court, Apr 1
The Riot In Resolis, Victoria Hall, Cromarty, May 12
Jack Docherty in Nothing But, Eden Court, Apr 18
COMING SOON: Top 10 gigs of 2022 PLUS reprising the books and albums that sound – and brain! – tracked our lives in 2022...
