Raw Acts was at Eden Court Theatre on Friday night with a riot of performance, poetry, and raw emotion and genuinely, it was the best fun I’ve had with my clothes on.
Curated by artist Betsy King and supported by Enable Works, Raw Acts is a live platform designed to nurture emerging talent and showcase original work that might not otherwise find a stage, and on this crisp October evening in Inverness, that stage was lit up by a wildly eclectic and completely captivating line-up.
First up was local comedian Robert MacGregor, whose clean, quick-witted set opened the night with laughter and warmth, setting the tone perfectly for what followed, an unpredictable ride through story, song, and spoken word, all threaded with the kind of creative electricity you only get when artists are taking real risks.
Lara Jen and Donald Kennedy were next, and their haunting harmonies stopped the room cold, the kind of performance that didn’t need to shout to be heard, just a voice like silk and a feeling that you were witnessing something quietly extraordinary.
Then came Anne Marie Haines, stepping onto stage for the first time ever to share her poetry with the public, and you’d never have known it, her piece on the perimenopause was funny, sharp, and warmly received, a reminder that vulnerability onstage is often the bravest kind of artistry.
Sixteen-year-old Arron Hewat followed with a mix of original songs and covers that showed rare talent and emotional depth, including the unforgettable line: “If hatred is just jealousy, what the hell did I do wrong?” the sort of lyric that sticks in your chest and stays there.
In a complete gear-shift came Conor O’Hara with the debut of Muff Kuntz and the Pickup Band, a surreal, genre-defying performance that mashed up punk, Pink Floyd, and pure performance art into something totally unhinged and absolutely unforgettable, imagine Andy Warhol gatecrashing a garage gig and you’re getting close.
Even the five-minute break felt like part of the show, the audience buzzing as much from surprise as from appreciation, before Cameron Ward took to the stage with sharp, satirical short stories drawn from daily commutes on the Glasgow–Edinburgh line, which anyone who’s ever taken ScotRail could relate to all too well.
Caroline Burrows brought us something quieter but no less powerful, performing an epic poetic ballad about two star-crossed lovers, Venus and the Moon, with grace, presence, and a lyrical touch that brought the whole room along for the journey.
Then, chaos of the best kind, Zuper Rookie (published Writer), a self-described “pomp poet” whose blend of synthy beats, surreal comedy and over-the-top performance made for one of the most wonderfully bizarre acts of the night, modest and mad in equal measure, and entirely original.
Closing the show was German-Scottish performance artist Alina Ben Larbi with a moving piece of verbatim theatre based on a real woman’s experience of illness, isolation, and identity, a haunting and honest monologue that left the room holding its breath.
After the show, performers and audience mingled in a relaxed networking session, swapping stories, contacts, and laughs, the kind of grassroots gathering that makes real creative communities not just visible, but vibrant.
With support from Eden Court, photographer Alexander Williamson, DI Matthew Pearce, and many more behind the scenes, Raw Acts proves what can happen when emerging artists are given a platform, a microphone, and an audience willing to go with them anywhere.
This isn’t just a show, it’s a movement, and the next one can’t come soon enough.
If you don’t know about Raw Acts and what they do, you need to, the creative genius behind raw acts is Betsy King, to get in touch with Besty and find out more about raw acts, email her at rawactsnewmatwerial@gmail.com, you can also find them on Facebook
Watch out for the next Raw Acts night, you won’t want to miss it.
