Nixos

06/09/25

Brougham Street, Edinburgh

6, Brougham Street has been a special place for us ever since we moved to Edinburgh. Back in 2015, when we first ate there, it was My Big Fat Greek Kitchen, a decent enough venue, though we observed at the time that the food was somewhat let down by its presentation. In 2017, it took a major step up when it became Taxidi, owned by chef Dimitri, and offering a remarkable selection of traditional Greek dishes at great value prices. In 2024, Dimitri went for a major transformation with Mitsos: Serial Griller, changing the format completely, but triumphing once again with a strikingly different approach to Greek cuisine, all freshly cooked to order on a giant grill.

Now the premises is under new ownership, has been rebranded as Nixos, and looks very different. The premises have been beautifully redecorated, making the place feel lighter and roomier than ever before. It keeps the Greek theme but puts the emphasis firmly on street food, centred mostly around the Gyros (pronounce eros): a combination of freshly-baked flatbread, filled with your choice of meat, cheese or vegetables, mixed with salad and tzatziki, then liberally augmented with fries. The idea is to pick up the entire thing and wolf it. Dainty eaters should be warned that the cutlery here is of the disposable wooden variety, so it’s best to conquer your inhibitions and chow down.

We order two different gyros. Susan goes for chicken and I opt for halloumi and, it turns out, the service is lightning-fast. Our meal arrives almost before we’ve had a chance to draw breath.

Okay, so this isn’t the place to come for a long, relaxing meal – we’re all done and dusted in half an hour – but the food is undeniably delicious, the halloumi wrap in particular generously stuffed with large chunks of perfectly grilled cheese. (Gyros are difficult to photograph. Our attempts really don’t do them justice.) We share a bowl of kalamata olives, which are spot on and we also sample a couple of Greek soft drinks in lemon and sour cherry flavours, but beers and wine are available for those who indulge. There’s currently no sweet menu (something which I’m told the owners are thinking about) and we cannot argue with the bill which comes in at less than £30 for the two of us.

We will doubtless eat this food again, but perhaps next time as a takeaway, a tastier (and healthier) alternative to pizza – unless of course, that sweet menu happens to make an appearance. If you haven’t yet sampled the handful of heaven that is a gyros, here’s your perfect opportunity.

4 stars

Philip Caveney

Caught Stealing

04/08/25

Cineworld, Edinburgh

If Caught Stealing seems an unusual choice of genre for director Darren Aronofsky, it quickly becomes clear that, although all the usual action-thriller components are in place, this is a good deal more cerebral than the average punch ’em up. Set in New York City in the late 1990s, it’s a story with more than its fair share of stressful situations, all of them heaped upon the shoulders of its central character, Hank (Austin Butler), and palpably passed on to anyone who happens to be watching. Baseball aficionados will know that the film’s title is a reference to the sport Hank is obsessed with and which he played in his youth.

Our antihero is now a booze-loving barkeep at a small, rowdy joint on the Lower East Side. His girlfriend, paramedic Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz), is clearly looking for more commitment from him but something in his past – a tragic incident that we keep catching unsettling glimpses of – is preventing him from offering it. And why does he make such a fuss about phoning his Mom in California every single day?

When his British punk neighbour, Russ (Matt Smith), has to head home to visit his sick dad, he asks Hank to look after his cat, Bud. Hank happily obliges but shortly thereafter a duo of aggressive Russian hoodlums arrive looking for Russ. When Hank is unable to tell them anything about his missing neighbour, they administer a brutal beating, which leaves Hank in hospital, minus a kidney. But his troubles have only just begun.

Once home, he contacts Detective Elise Roman (Regina King), who tells him that he’s inadvertently been dropped into the middle of a very complicated situation, with different factions trying to get their mitts on a heap of stolen cash. She tells him that, if Hassidic hitmen Lipa and Schmolly Drucker (Liev Schrieber and Vincent D’Onofrio), should happen to turn up, Hank must get in touch with her immediately, if he wants to stay alive…

From this point the story accelerates like an out-of-control vehicle, hitting everything in its path with brute force and, much like Hank, we feel each impact along the way. The action is accompanied by Rob Simonsen’s raucous score (recorded by post-punk band, Idles). The New York locations are expertly utilised, the physical damage unflinchingly conveyed and Butler is utterly compelling in the lead role, making us care enough about his character to really share his anguish as every fresh person he meets seems intent upon his destruction. Charlie Huston’s edgy script is adept at getting me to make assumptions, only to dash them gleefully in my face.

When Russ finally bobs back into view, Smith manages to somehow make him both appealing and despicable. Bud the cat (played by Tonic) is really cute, a strong enough presence to ensure that he gets to star in the film’s kooky end credits. Unlike many films of this ilk, Caught Stealing manages to steer its way to a satisfying – and for once, fairly believable – conclusion.

Just make sure you stay in your seats until the very end.

4.4 stars

Philip Caveney

The Thursday Murder Club

01/09/25

Netflix

Oh dear. The first film of the month and it’s a stinker. I haven’t read Richard Osman’s best-selling novel (cosy crime isn’t really my thing) but I’m sure it deserves a better adaptation than this. His podcasts (which I do listen to) show him to be clever and erudite. This movie is neither.

All the right pieces are in play: popular source material, a stellar cast, the prettiest of English villages. There’s even cake – but sadly not enough to sweeten this twaddle.

The Thursday Murder Club comprises four wealthy pensioners: Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley), Ron (Pierce Brosnan) and Joyce (Celia Imrie). They live in a stately home called Coopers Chase, which has been converted into the the most luxurious retirement apartments imaginable, and pass their time investigating the cold case files their fellow resident, Penny (Susan Kirkby), a former detective, has somehow managed to hold onto.

But when money-grubbing landowner, Ian Ventham (David Tennant), reveals his plans to redevelop Coopers Chase, murder is no longer confined to the past. The privileged pensioners can barely conceal their glee at having something real to get their dentures into, much to the dismay of local police officers, Chris Hudson (Daniel Mays) and Donna de Freitas (Naomi Ackie).

Amidst the lightweight sleuthing, some serious issues are raised, including people-trafficking and dementia. But these are hopelessly out of place, treated so glibly that it feels very uncomfortable. There’s some real snobbery at play here too, presumably unconscious: the working-class-man-made-good with his loud voice and tacky McMansion; the upper-class oldies with their mellow tones and oh-so-tasteful decor.

I want to find nice things to say because it’s Helen Mirren, for God’s sake. But hers isn’t even the most wasted talent – at least she’s in a lot of scenes. The wonderful Ruth Sheen barely gets a look in as Aunt Maud. (What’s the purpose of this character? She adds nothing to the plot.)

To quote a catchphrase that’ll only mean something to Gen X, here’s my suggestion: Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go and Do Something Less Boring Instead.

2 stars

Susan Singfield

The Roses

30/08/25

Cineworld, Edinburgh

It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good, so perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise to Theo Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch) when the very storm that shatters his career as an architect also heralds a renaissance for his restaurateur wife, Ivy (Olivia Colman).

Theo and Ivy have relocated from London to Northern California, where Theo has been commissioned to design a naval history museum. Ivy’s professional aspirations have been on hold since their two kids, Roy (Ollie Robinson/Wells Rappaport) and Hattie (Delaney Quinn/Hala Finley) came along, but now they’re busy with school and friends and she’s starting to get itchy feet. How long can she carry on cooking elaborate tasting menus for a family of four? Theo is nothing if not supportive, encouraging her to set up a new eatery, opening a few evenings a week.

But when Theo’s high-profile building collapses in a hurricane, he finds himself persona non grata in the architectural community, unable to find work. Meanwhile, seeking shelter from the same weather, an influential food critic is blown into Ivy’s restaurant, and her review catapults Ivy to stardom. It makes sense, then, for Theo to take over domestic duties, while Ivy capitalises on her success and expands her business.

But Theo finds it hard to cope with his sense of failure, and Ivy finds it hard not to resent his newfound closeness to their kids. Before long, their relationship begins to sour, their grievances mounting to monstrous proportions…

Directed by Jay Roach, The Roses is laugh-out-loud funny, as the couple’s responses to their problems escalate cartoonishly, their excesses both shocking and exhilarating to watch. At the same time, with such skilful actors in the lead roles, it’s also desperately sad: we’re bearing witness to the disintegration of a once-happy marriage, observing as two people find themselves travelling a path towards mutual ruin, unable to stop as the momentum builds.

Despite its destructive premise, The Roses turns out to be a feelgood kind of film. Based on the novel by Warren Adler and famously filmed as The War of the Roses in 1989, Tony McNamara’s script is bitingly funny, with lots of arch lines and bitchy humour to lighten the tension. The supporting cast provide some excellent comic relief – particularly Ncuti Gatwa as Jeffrey, Ivy’s loyal waiter, and Kate McKinnon as Amy, the couple’s sex-starved friend.

As for the ending? I don’t think it’s giving anything away to say that it’s best described as “audacious”.

4.3 stars

Susan Singfield

Together

29/08/25

Cineworld, Edinburgh

Horror is enjoying a bit of a resurgence at the moment. Together has the misfortune of being released around the same time as Zach Creggar’s superb Weapons, which means it has inevitably been somewhat overlooked, but it’s well-worth seeking out on the big screen. At its heart, it’s a great big metaphor about the potential perils of co-dependence, but it also draws parallels with other subjects.

Tim and Millie (real life couple, Dave Franco and Alison Brie) are at a tricky point in their relationship, beginning to wonder if they’ve made the right decision by moving away from the city to a new home in the country. Of course, we viewers know that in the world of cinema, the countryside is a terrible place, full of satanic cult worshippers and the like, but clearly Tim and Millie haven’t watched a lot of films.

After a farewell party where Millie’s proposal of marriage to Tim is awkwardly received, off they go, with fingers crossed. Tim is annoyed that he is sacrificing his dreams of a career in rock music, but schoolteacher Millie finally has the job she wants and is happy to continue doing what she’s always done – fulfilling the role of main breadwinner in the relationship.

Things get off to a sticky start when the couple decide to go for a hike in the woods. They get caught in torrential rain and fall down a hole in the ground, where they’re forced to spend the night in the remains of a very creepy subterranean church, a place we’ve already been alerted to in the film’s opening scenes and… well, maybe it wasn’t such a great idea to replenish the water bottles from that pool?

Some people stick together through thick and thin but, after their overnight stay, Tim and Millie find themselves getting stuck on each other – quite literally. At first, it’s just awkward – and in one particular scene, set in a school toilet cubicle, utterly toe-curling – but as time moves on, and the effects steadily worsen, things get very gnarly indeed.

Since the success of The Substance, film makers have increasingly ventured into the realms of body horror. While in Together, the effects are initially played for laughs, as the story progresses, the scenes are increasingly visceral. Writer/director Michael Shanks handles everything with enough momentum to stop viewers from asking awkward questions about those opening scenes and, I have to say, I have a great time watching as things turn nastier, trying to stop myself from exclaiming out loud at each successive twist.

The final scene delivers a delicious sucker punch that I really don’t see coming. If you’ve ever asked yourself if you’re too into your partner, this film may provide some answers.

4.2 stars

Philip Caveney

The Life of Chuck

28/08/25

Cineworld, Edinburgh

Stephen King is probably the most screen-adapted of contemporary authors, but his novella, The Life of Chuck – first published in 2020 in the If it Bleeds collection – is certainly not the kind of story that most readers would expect from him. Rather than a spine-chilling tale of the supernatural, this is a moving and genre-defying project, that manages to tread the fine line between emotion and schmaltz with great skill. All kudos to director Mike Flanagan, who saw a way to make the story work on screen and went for it.

Divided into acts, told in reverse chronological order – I warned you it was unconventional! – the film begins in the present day with Act Three: Thanks, Chuck. The world is being assailed by biblical disasters: floods, earthquakes and – perhaps most disturbing of all – unreliable wifi! Middle school teacher, Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) reconnects with his former partner, Felicia Gordon (Karen Gillan), as they try to make sense of what appears to be the end of all things. And what’s with the sudden prevalence of billboard posters, thanking somebody called Chuck Krantz for ’39 Great Years!’?

In Act Two: Buskers Forever, we actually meet Chuck (Tom Hiddleston), a sober-suited and mild-mannered accountant going about his routine business – until he is transfixed by the drumming of street performer Taylor (Taylor Gordon) and launches into an extended dance routine that would put Gene Kelly to shame. During the performance he picks out of the crowd a complete stranger, Janice (Annalise Basso), to be his partner. Turns out she can dance too!

In Act Three: I Contain Multitudes, we meet the young Chuck – played by Cody Flanagan, Benjamin Pajak and Jacob Tremblay, as he grows up with his grandparents, Albie (Mark Hamill) and Sarah (Mia Sara). I rarely give a shout-out to casting directors but both Pajak and Tremblay look so alike, I find myself wondering if they’re actually related in real life. (They’re not.)

It’s in this section alone that there is a discreet touch of the supernatural, but hardly at the histrionic level we’ve come to expect from Mr King…

I’ve no doubt that some viewers will have their expectations dashed by this film, but Flanagan has handled the story with consummate skill, steering it to a moving and thought-provoking denouement, whilst anchoring his premise around the Walt Whitman poem, Song of Myself. It’s a profound meditation on the subject of life and death, one that arrives at the conclusion that all life is sacred and that the death of any human is a tragedy of epic proportion.

Through all its unexpected twists and turns, The Life of Chuck keeps me utterly compelled. Pajak in particular, making his film debut at the tender age of 12, is clearly destined for stardom. It’s also fun to spot a whole host of big league actors in cameo roles as the story unfolds. This is fearless filmmaking in an era where playing it safe seems to increasingly be the preferred route.

4.4 stars

Philip Caveney

This is Spinal Tap (41st Anniversary Edition)

25/08/25

Cineworld, Edinburgh

What better way to mark the end of another Edinburgh Fringe than to watch one of the greatest films of all time? This is Spinal Tap is back in the cinemas for its – ahem – forty-first anniversary. (Yes, even their commemorations go up to 11.) Those who follow upcoming film releases will know that a long-rumoured sequel, Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues, is on the cinematic horizon. How good can that possibly be? Well, the trailer looks promising…

If you’ve somehow never heard of Spinal Tap, here’s your chance to acquaint yourselves with one of the loudest – and most punctual – heavy rock bands in history.

I first saw this film at a press show in 1984 at the infamous Aaben cinema in Hulme, Greater Manchester. I was working as a film reviewer for Piccadily Radio at the time and, as somebody who’d spent a great many years as a member of an ill-fated rock band of my own, to say that the movie struck a chord with me would be something of an understatement. It was like watching my youth being replayed in front of my eyes – only for bigger laughs than Hieronymus Bosch ever mustered. (What can I tell you? We met in art school.)

Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner, making his directorial debut) introduces his (if you will) rockumentary, as he accompanies veteran rockers, Spinal Tap, on their latest tour of America. The band comprises David St Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer). They also have a keyboard player and a drummer in tow, but are the first to admit that they don’t have great history with percussionists – one of them actually exploded.

Their cricket bat-wielding manager, Ian Faith (Tony Hendra), is along for the ride and, in the latter half of the film, so is David’s zodiac-obsessed girlfriend, Jeanine (June Chadwick), her presence causing pressure-cooker tension between David and Nigel. Eagle-eyed viewers will enjoy spotting the likes of Angelica Huston and Billy Crystal in walk-on roles and there’s a delightful cameo from the late, great Patrick Macnee as Sir Denis Eton-Hogg, president of Polymer Records.

The ensuing film is a riotous collection of rock songs with outrageous lyrics, a whole raft of ultra-quotable quips, a selection of toe-curling and farcical situations – all perfectly judged as the action cuts back and forth from location to location, the band heading ever deeper into the brown stuff. It’s laugh-out-loud funny and one of those very rare cases of American actors nailing British accents with absolute authenticity.

I’m always hesitant when asked to pick an all-time favourite movie but this just might be the one. I must have seen it more than a dozen times, but a chance to see a brand spanking new 4K restoration?

And this one’s in Dubly. Yes, thank you!

5 stars

Philip Caveney

Edfest Bouquets 2025

It’s that time of year when we award virtual bouquets to our favourite shows from this year’s Fringe.

Once again, we’ve seen some absolutely magnificent productions, so – without further ado – here’s our pick.

Shake Rag Hollow – Assembly Rooms (Front Room)

“A powerful play that gradually builds to a shattering crescendo…”

Alright Sunshine – Pleasance Dome (Jack Dome)

 “Cowan’s taut, almost poetic script is brought powerfully to life by Geddes’ mesmerising performance: a tour de force with real emotional heft…”

She’s Behind You! – Traverse Theatre

“McKnight has the audience in the palm of his spangly-gloved hands, eliciting gales of laughter as well as contemplative silences…”

Bury the Hatchet – Pleasance Dome (Queen Dome)

“An inspired piece of theatre, wonderfully propulsive, perfectly judged and by turns shocking, intriguing and acerbically funny…”

The Other Mozart – Assembly George Square Studios

“An object lesson in reclaiming women’s history, The Other Mozart is exquisitely conceived and realised, a magnum opus in its own right.”

Lost Lear – Traverse Theatre

‘Feels worthy of its progenitor: a clever, multi-faceted drama; a treatise on the nature of life and death…”

Vagabond Skies: The Van Gogh Musical – Gilded Balloon at the Museum

“It’s when all the voices come together that the piece really dazzles, the harmonies soaring…”

Lachlan Werner: Wondertwunk – Pleasance Dome (10 Dome)

“There are elements of horror in the story, which put me in mind of the theatre of Grand Guignol…”

Macbeth – Zoo Southside

“Lively and engaging, switching from up-tempo toe-tappers to plaintive ballads at the drop of a stetson…”

1984 – Pleasance Courtyard (Above)

“It’s chilling to acknowledge that, in today’s turbulent world, Orwell’s warnings about totalitarianism seem more relevant than ever…”

Mariupol – Pleasance Courtyard (Beneath)

“Mariupol is an expertly-crafted piece of theatre, starkly illustrating the brutality of war without ever sensationalising it.”

The Insider – Pleasance Dome (King Dome)

“Every single utterance – every bump, squeak and scratch – is weirdly amplified in the crucible of my head. The result is totally immersive and weirdly compelling.”

Susan Singfield & Philip Caveney

Motorhome Marilyn

24/08/25

Gilded Balloon Patter House (Doonstairs)

Our last Fringe show of 2025 is Motorhome Marilyn, a choice inspired by my mum, who listened to Michelle Collins talking about the play on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, and was taken with its backstory. Back in the late 90s, Collins was in LA, trying to build on her UK fame. While she was there, she noticed an old lady emerging from a dilapidated motor home, dressed as Marilyn Monroe. The image stayed with her for years until, in 2018, she mooted the idea for a play to her writer friend, Stewart Purmutt, and they started work on it. When Purmutt died in 2024, Ben Weatherill took over, and now Motorhome Marilyn – more than quarter of a century in the making – has finally parked up at this year’s Festival.

The set, by Joshua Beaumont and Matthew Emeny, is pretty lavish by Fringe standards. We’re inside a camper van, stuffed to the pop-top with Monroe memorabilia. There are posters, tea towels, mugs and cushion covers: if there’s an available surface, Marilyn’s face adorns it. And there’s Denise (Collins), a Marilyn lookey-likey, whose own identity has been subsumed over the years, so that she’s no longer sure who she really is.

There’s also Bobby, Denise’s confidante, who just happens to be a snake…

Directed by Alexandra Spencer-Jones, the story works quite well: there’s a Miss Havisham-like quality to Denise, who is tragically stuck in a role she’s aged out of. Her hopes for stardom have come to nought, but she’s nothing else to cling to, no option but to don that platinum-blonde wig and paint on a scarlet smile. Collins imbues the character with pathos, although there are moments when I’d like to to see her emotions heightened – with some Eastenders-style excessiveness, perhaps.

Occasionally, too much is spelled out for the audience: we are not left to infer anything, but spoon fed each detail. This detracts from the authenticity of the dialogue, which is a shame. Nonetheless, Motorhome Marilyn is a sometimes funny and always engaging piece of work, an ode to failure and broken dreams.

3.4 stars

Susan Singfield

Revolver

23/08/25

Pleasance Courtyard (Beneath), Edinburgh

In 1966, when Revolver was released, my mum was 18 years old, and had already been a fan of The Beatles for quite some time. As a Liverpudlian teenager, she’d spent many a lunchtime in the legendary Cavern Club, and was lucky enough to attend the Fab Four’s notorious 1964 homecoming gig at the Empire. She was, naturally, a member of their fan club – and still has her Christmas Flexi Discs to prove it. So, when she was scheduling her visit to this year’s Fringe, it was obvious that there was one production she wouldn’t want to miss…

Writer-performer Emily Woof’s play doesn’t disappoint. It’s about three women, the first of whom is Jane Fraser, a former teacher turned TV-researcher, delighted to be working on a documentary about female fandom through the ages. The second is Helen, Jane’s mum, who spent her adolescence dreaming about John Lennon. And the third is Valerie Solanas: writer, activist – and pistol-wielding would-be killer.

Directed by Hamish McColl, Revolver is an intricate piece of theatre, dealing with the very questions Jane thinks the ‘Fangirls’ documentary should address. But, while the protagonist is thwarted in her endeavours by James, the ratings-driven film-maker who hired her, Woof makes her points cogently, drawing salient connections between fame and feminism, reverence and rage.

James’s sensationalist approach to the documentary – he favours the tagline ‘Young, Dumb and Fun’ – undermines the girls who screamed for their pop idols, ignoring the sociopolitical circumstances that gave rise to them. Woof uses Helen and Valerie to illuminate the disconnect between history and herstory, to validate the heightened emotions of teenage fans – and to shed light on the boiling rage that drove Solanas to shoot Andy Warhol.

Tracks from The Beatles album are played throughout, sometimes to mark transitions and sometimes as the soundscape. This works best when there is a clear association between the songs and what is happening onstage, e.g. Tomorrow Never Knows provides the perfect background to an acid trip. Occasionally, the song choices seem a little random, taking me out of the moment while I try to understand the link (Tax Man plays us out, for instance, and I don’t know why), but overall the soundtrack serves the piece well.

I like how knotty this is: Woof doesn’t shy away from the complexity of the issues at hand, and her performance is both bold and nuanced. I’m not entirely convinced by the sexual fantasy sequence (the language seems too sophisticated for an inexperienced young girl), but that’s my only quibble with the writing.

A thoughtful, exacting play, Revolver demands serious consideration from its audience. “Nobody can deny that there’s something there.”

4.4 stars

Susan Singfield