Hotdog (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

 Joni (Chloe-Anne Tylor) is off to a party. Not just any party, but The One. And in not just any outfit, but a hotdog in a bun costume, complete with mustard. She's no money, but no matter, something will turn up to join her budget bottle of Lidl lemonade. And she'll be the centre of attention, looking as she does.

It's all for fun, all to get herself back out there. But is there more to it? Are there darker reasons involved? This location has a special significance for Joni, and strong memories. Traumatic memories. She wanted to be confronting her demons. But what if they prove stronger than her?

Hotdog is a powerful tale of dealing with past horrors, and facing the future. And of accepting support and help and love wherever it comes from. Tylor gives a mesmerising performance, by turns manic, pragmatic and consumed with grief. While this is a one woman show for much of the time, there is, lurking in the background, a stage hand (Ross Allan), who provides props, moves chairs, delivers sound effects. And turns into a friendly chippie owner for the closing scene, for the only dialogue of the play. A voice of sense, laced with humour, as contrast to Joni's emotional highs and lows.

Another excellent PPP.

Anna Massie, Traverse

 Massie has something of a cult following already, from her appearances with a variety of bands, her work as a guitar tutor, the lockdown vlog hit The Black isle Correspondent, and her Radio Scotland work. Branching out into solo gigging, on the back of an excellent album, Two Down, will only enhance her reputation.

String virtuoso and natural comic raconteur, she is an all round entertainer. A very varied set mixed song with tunes, and those stories. The first time I heard Anna singing, as part of her duo with Mairearad Green, I wasn't convinced. She can carry a tune no bother of course, but the voice was thin and of limited range. I don't know if she's taken lessons, or simply got stuck in to the practice, but this was a huge improvement. It'll never be a great singing voice, but she fully understands her limitations, and her vocals have charm to spare. Song choice is clever, and those with comic lyrics combine well with the twinkling grim that's never far away.

On the night she played guitar, tenor guitar, and a bit of mandolin (no fiddle or banjo this time, though she's equally accomplished on both). Constantly inventive, the tunes are one variation after another, be it slow or fast tempo. And there's a bit of audience participation too, with choruses to join in with, and 'mouth trumpet' to emulate.

Great music, great entertainment, and an excellent way to spend an evening.

Spring Equinox - Jennifer Austin, St Giles

 A solo piano performance in the vast cathedral space, featuring tracks from Austin's debut solo album, Night Painting, which is on general release soon. She has a subtle touch on the keyboard and in her timing, and writes deceptively simple melodies which build and swirl around the arrangement. Although steeped in the Orcadian folk tradition, Austin has moved into a genre that's hard to classify, drawing on a multitude of influences. In feel it's often classical, almost baroque, but then come traces of the folk background, or hints of jazz. It all fitted well with the atmosphere of the venue, her pauses leaving chords hanging in the cathedral heights. It was all very relaxing, and if there's a quibble it's that the tempo didn't vary enough. An injection of something livelier half way through the set would have introduced a bit more variety. But that's a minor point, and the overall feeling was one of calm, of vast landscapes and peace. Beautiful.

Pushin' Thirty (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

 Eilidh (Taylor Dyson) and Scott (Sam James Smith) were best friends at school. She's the singer, he's the guitarist, and that was the band. They were going to make it big. In London. Except that when their schooldays end Eilidh's mother is ill, she won't leave, so Scott goes south by himself, determined not to return until he has the fame and fortune he is certain awaits him.

Twelve years later and Scott is back in Dundee, dreams in tatters, while Eilidh works in a baker's shop.  A pie brings them together once again.  Can the old duo be rekindled, or has time destroyed their dreams?  And if one of them needs rescuing from their situation, which one is it?

The format seems a bit odd at first, each actor intertwining their narration of past and present with one another.  It's almost as if the writers (Dyson, with Calum Kelly) aren't sure how to portray the story in dialogue.  But it ends up working, as some action unfolds, and each get a chance to play other characters (Dyson is clearly having a great time portaying their ex-schoolmate Billy), the whole stage is wel used and the pace never flags.  There are original songs throughout.  (Neither has that great a singing voice, but they do sound really good singing together.) 

Perhaps the points being made are a bit heavy handed and sometimes predictable.  There's nothing subtle about Pushin' Thirty.  But it's all very easily forgiven for providing such great entertainment.  The performances are energetci and excellent, and the sense of fun carries it all along nicely.  Time rarely passes without yet another really funny line.

A lot of the PP series are thought provoking and relevant.  But there's definitely a place for pure entertainments like this.  Maybe the audience doesn't leave thinking about much, but the grins on their faces and laughter in their voices are achievement enough.  

The Zone of Interest

An idyllic setting. A large family laughing and having fun in the sun, a picnic and swimming in the lake, then home in the cars to their big comfortable house. Where they have a perfect garden, and servants aplenty. Daddy reads bedtime stories to the kids, and makes his wife laugh. He plays with the dog. In the morning he's given his birthday present, a canoe, and sets off to work. He's good at his job, respected by his staff, admired by his peers, valued and trusted by his superiors, a byword for efficiency and organisation, an innovator who brings new ideas and improvements to the business. A model tale of middle class success.

Like living near to a railway, or under a flight path, where you soon learn to ignore, even forget, the noises of trains and planes, the noises from Daddy's workplace, next door to home, are background only, and no disturbance to the perfection. The barbed wire atop the tall wall at the foot of the garden, the sounds of shouting and screaming and shooting, the sight of the smoke and flames from the incinerators, are all part of the accustomed landscape. Just like Daddy's SS uniform, and his job.

Daddy is Rudolf Hoss, the commandant of the Auschwitz death camp. His job is to maximise throughput of Jewish 'untermenschen' into those incinerators, to be turned into smoke ands ash. Like any successful businessman, he takes pride in his work, and attention to detail. He knows he is a valued member of  his community.

The historian Hannah Arendt is famed for the phrase "the banality of evil", which she used it during the trial of Eichmann, who merits a mention in the film as Hoss' boss. This movie is the perfect depiction of that. It doesn't always work, for there are some strange moments that jar, but overall the slow, quiet pace, the sheer ordinariness of the characters, is as great a horror as seeing inside the camp (which we never do, except a modern day sequence in what is now the Auschwitz museum).  Because it is possible to see how this could be anyone. Any one of us. And that is terrifying.

Great performances from Christian Friedel as Hoss and Sandra Huller as his wife Hedwig. One the confident manager, the other a happy beneficiary of her husband's success story. She's fully aware, and approving, of what he does, and has no desire to give up the fruits of his labours. Should be compulsory viewing, because this will remain within you for a long time after.