Wallace the Musical King's Theatre Edinburgh 30th September 2026 Review
Wallace The Musical is at the King's Theatre Edinburgh for a short run from Wednesday 30 September to Saturday 03 October, and it is definitely a show to try and get a ticket for. This show is an expanded version in cast and performance time than the one that some of you might have seen at the Traverse Theatre last year, but this format works with three touring dates this year and more in 2027.
If you are expecting a musical version of the massively popular 1995 film Braveheart, starring Mel Gibson, then this may not be the show for you as the historical fantasy in this film is swiftly de-bunked on stage. Instead, Wallace the Musical asks many questions about William Wallace, King Edward 1 of England and the wider politics of the time. Who exactly was William Wallace and what historical evidence from his time do we have left to separate now man from myth? This is the main question that this production asks through a series of rap music battles. Is there such a thing as Scottish rap music? That is another question asked here too.
If the thought of telling an historical story through rap music sounds off-putting to you, then do not let that happen as properly used rap music has the ability to tell oral stories and make bold statements. This is oral history, something that Scotland has a long tradition of telling, and here, Dave Hook (music and lyrics) knows exactly how to use this format for a contemporary audience. The book for Wallace is by Rob Drummond with direction by Orla O'Loughlin.
On stage, Wallace is also MC and, visually, Dave Hook is an unexpected presentation of Wallace, but within the format of this musical, everything works here. Likewise, Ross Mann (Scotsman), Manasa Tagica (Sassenach and Edward 1), Kimberley Mandindo, Madeline Grieve and Patricia Panther (all wummin') give present on stage a new look and sound to an old story, and instead of the expected patriotic shouts, give the audience a more balanced approach to a story that many of us will think that we know well already. Strong performances by everyone here give this production a real edge.
With Wallace, writer Dave Hook is not only questioning the ever growing myth of William Wallace, but also skilfully relating the historical corruption of wealth and power of the elite of over 700 years ago to the world that we live in now. Has anything changed?
With Wallace the Musical, Raw Material Productions have a chance at taking this production to a far wider audience in the future, and this show deserves that chance for its bold approach to its subject matter.
Review by Tom King
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
If you are expecting a musical version of the massively popular 1995 film Braveheart, starring Mel Gibson, then this may not be the show for you as the historical fantasy in this film is swiftly de-bunked on stage. Instead, Wallace the Musical asks many questions about William Wallace, King Edward 1 of England and the wider politics of the time. Who exactly was William Wallace and what historical evidence from his time do we have left to separate now man from myth? This is the main question that this production asks through a series of rap music battles. Is there such a thing as Scottish rap music? That is another question asked here too.
If the thought of telling an historical story through rap music sounds off-putting to you, then do not let that happen as properly used rap music has the ability to tell oral stories and make bold statements. This is oral history, something that Scotland has a long tradition of telling, and here, Dave Hook (music and lyrics) knows exactly how to use this format for a contemporary audience. The book for Wallace is by Rob Drummond with direction by Orla O'Loughlin.
On stage, Wallace is also MC and, visually, Dave Hook is an unexpected presentation of Wallace, but within the format of this musical, everything works here. Likewise, Ross Mann (Scotsman), Manasa Tagica (Sassenach and Edward 1), Kimberley Mandindo, Madeline Grieve and Patricia Panther (all wummin') give present on stage a new look and sound to an old story, and instead of the expected patriotic shouts, give the audience a more balanced approach to a story that many of us will think that we know well already. Strong performances by everyone here give this production a real edge.
With Wallace, writer Dave Hook is not only questioning the ever growing myth of William Wallace, but also skilfully relating the historical corruption of wealth and power of the elite of over 700 years ago to the world that we live in now. Has anything changed?
With Wallace the Musical, Raw Material Productions have a chance at taking this production to a far wider audience in the future, and this show deserves that chance for its bold approach to its subject matter.
Review by Tom King
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com