New on The Noise of Art… Shop Local! #152 open.substack.com/pub/neilcoop... Hearts Gallery:  Studies in Photography: City Art Centre: Home; Leith Depot; Out of the Blue: Beat Generation; Umbrella Vinyl; Safari Lounge; Waverley Bar; Bannermans; Fruitmarket; Dundas Street Gallery; The Blackbird;

Now online, my look in The List at 2 photography exhibitions at Edinburgh Art Festival. list.co.uk/news/lee-mcc... Sandra George: Start From the Level, City Art Centre until Sep 27 Lee McCormack: A Magic Lantern, Craigmillar Now Aug 6-20 Images 1 & 4 by Sandra George; 2 & 3 by Lee McCormack.

New on the Noise of Art Tilda Swinton, Man to Man and a Prodigal’s Return open.substack.com/pub/neilcoop... As the internationally renowned actress revisits the stage role that helped define her early career almost 40 years ago, a look back to where it all began at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre.

My @heraldscotland.bsky.social Herald review of The Duchess of Malfi, Bard in the Botanics’ intimate staging of John Webster’s brutal revenge tragedy. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2... Botanic Gardens, Glasgow until August 1. www.bardinthebotanics.co.uk/productions/...

My @heraldscotland.bsky.social review of Emma, Bard in the Botanics’ outdoor staging of Jane Austen’s classic. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2... Botanic Gardens, Glasgow until August 1. www.bardinthebotanics.co.uk/productions/...

My @heraldscotland.bsky.social Herald review of I Can Die Too, starring Frances Ruffelle in a brand new chamber musical at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2... PFT until August 2. www.pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com/whats-on/i-c...

New on The Noise of Art… Shop Local! #151 open.substack.com/pub/neilcoop... Studies in Photography: City Art Centre: Banshee Labyrinth: Sanki: Out of the Blue: Home: Leith Depot: Fruitmarket: Wee Red Bar: Beat Generation: Sneaky Pete’s: Mash House: Heart Gallery: People’s Leisure Club: etc…

My look in @thelistuk.bsky.social at 2 Edinburgh exhibitions by 2 major photographers Sandra George: Start from the Level, City Art Centre until Sep 27 cultureedinburgh.com/events/sandr... Lee McCormack: A Magic Lantern, Craigmillar Now, Aug 6-20 www.craigmillarnow.com/new-page-1

My @heraldscotland.bsky.social review of Lear, starring a mercurial Maureen Beattie as Shakespeare’s ageing monarch. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2... @pitlochryft.bsky.social until Aug 1. www.pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com/whats-on/lear/ Image by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.

New on The Noise of Art… Shop Local! #150 open.substack.com/pub/neilcoop... Out of the Blue: Studies in Photography: Outhouse: Sneaky Pete’s: Beat Generation: Voodoo Rooms: Home: Pianodrome: Bandhee Labyrinth

My @heraldscotland.bsky.social Herald review of Twelfth Night, Bard in the Botanics’ latest look at Shakespeare’s stormy rom-com. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2... Botanic Gardens, Glasgow until July 11. www.bardinthebotanics.co.uk/productions/...

Thanks to all who put on gigs over the weekend On Fri Creeping Bent/FRETS took over Wee Red Bar with Bubbles & Quad90 On Sat Px4m moved into Settlement Projects with Gichard, Blaw & Ellen Er On Sun Afternoon Delight squeezed into Leith Depot with The New Routines, Shears, Frankie Morrow & SheBeat

From the archive open.substack.com/pub/neilcoop... All this talk of the North of late prompts another look at this one, which begins with a true story based on 1st hand experience of the North/South class divide before riffing on Billy Liar, the eternal allure of That London and other runaway boys

The cost of working in Scottish theatre today. My longish form @heraldscotland.bsky.social piece on the everyday economics of surviving on stage and off in Scottish theatre. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2623830...

New on The Noise of Art… Shop Local! #149 open.substack.com/pub/neilcoop... Embassy: Studies in Photography: Leith Depot: Wee Red Bar: Pianodrome: Settlement Projects: Out of the Blue: Banshee Labyrinth: The Green Room: Outhouse

My @heraldscotland.bsky.social Herald review of Mean Girls, Tina Fey’s stage musical take on her classic noughties teen movie. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2... King’s Theatre, Glasgow until July 11, then touring the UK - meangirlsmusical.com

My @heraldscotland.bsky.social Herald review of Othello, Bard in the Botanics’ of the moment look at Shakespeare’s tragedy for the company’s 25th anniversary season. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2... Botanic Gardens, Glasgow until July 11th. www.bardinthebotanics.co.uk/productions/...

Very pleased to receive the catalogue for the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts 2026 exhibition in Dublin featuring my obituary of Aberdeen’s former Director of Arts & RHA member Ian McKenzie Smith (1935-2025). The exhibition runs until Aug 9 rhagallery.viewingrooms.com/viewing-room...

From the archive… As a major exhibition of photographer Sandra George’s work opens in Edinburgh, a piece from 2022 on how her work was rediscovered. open.substack.com/pub/neilcoop... Sandra George: Start from the Level, City Art Centre until Sep 27. cultureedinburgh.com/events/sandr...

Final weekend of Castles Made of Sand, Raydale Dower’s red alert of a show for Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art. 46 Carlton Place Glasgow. Thu-Sun 12 noon-6pm. Behind the Sheriff Court. Text by Graham Domke. raydaledower.com/castlesMadeO...

New on The Noise of Art… Shop Local! #148 open.substack.com/pub/neilcoop... Sanki: Dovecot: Scottish Gallery: Embassy: Leith School of Art: Blackbird: Pianodrome: West Nic Records: Jazz Bar: Beat Generation: Brass Monkey Shore: Urban Jungle: Wee Red Bar: Sketchy Beats: BMC Club: Fruitmarket:

My @heraldscotland.bsky.social review of Derren Brown: Only Human, in which the master mentalist mashes up Nostradamus’ prophecies & sleight of hand showmanship to mesmerise en masse www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2... Edinburgh Playhouse until June 27 www.atgtickets.com/shows/derren...

My @heraldscotland.bsky.social Herald review of Allegra, Peter Quilter’s comic fantasia starring Maureen Lipman. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2... Theatre Royal, Glasgow until June 27. www.atgtickets.com/shows/allegr...

@brianjaffa.bsky.social in the @heraldscotland.bsky.social on the winners of this year’s Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland, announced today at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2621322...

My @heraldscotland.bsky.social review of Lyceum at Home on Stage, 4 new monologues by Stephen Greenhorn, Isla Cowan, Apphia Campbell & Alexander McCall Smith, originally performed in local residents’ living rooms. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2... Seen @lyceumedinburgh.bsky.social

I couldn’t go to the B-52s show in Glasgow the other night, but from a few years ago, this is why I love them. open.substack.com/pub/neilcoop...

My @heraldscotland.bsky.social review of Inexperience, Douglas Maxwell’s new play about a man and a woman who learn the power of intimate exchanges. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2... Pitlochry Festival Theatre until July 4. www.pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com/whats-on/ine...

New on The Noise of Art… Shop Local! #147 open.substack.com/pub/neilcoop... Upright Gallery: Leith: Studies in Photography: House of Smalls: An Ordinary Place: Sanki; Dovecot: Scottish Gallery: Leith Makers: Embassy: Scot-ART: French Institute: Banshee Labyrinth: Pianodrome: La Belle Angele: etc

My @heraldscotland.bsky.social review of Cry/Laugh, Nay Dhanak’s new lunchtime comedy, which sees a town crier and a jester transported to the future. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2... Òran Mór, Glasgow until June 20. playpiepint.com/whats-on/eve...