Review: Wallace a musical, King's Theatre, Edinburgh | Raw Material's Scottish hip-hop musical goes large
Raw Material's Scottish hip-hop musical Wallace is back for 2026 in a bigger, redeveloped production. Read my review from Edinburgh's King's Theatre below.
Wallace - a musical ★★★☆☆
Review: 3 October 2026 | The King's Theatre, Edinburgh
Making the leap from A Play, A Pie and A Pint to main-stage theatres in Scotland, Raw Material's Scottish hip-hop musical Wallace has been redeveloped as a 2-hour (with interval) full-scale musical theatre production.
In Wallace, playwright Rob Drummond and director Orla O'Loughlin deftly present several versions of the William Wallace legend, leaving the audience to decide which parts of Mel Gibson film Braveheart are true (if any) and asking what we really know about the lauded Scottish national hero.
Key historical figures including Edward Longshanks and Robert the Bruce present differing perspectives of various battles and myths via rap battles, as they debate whether Wallace was a saviour, a rebel or a fantasy.
Dave Hook pens the hip-hop-led music and lyrics, and returns as the on-stage MC and Wallace himself, who takes a backseat in the debate. He's joined by original cast members Manasa Tagica (Sassenach and King Edward I "Longshanks") and Patricia Panther (wummin'), who are both superb in their various roles.
The Sassenach's story of growing up an English outsider in a Scottish school at the time that Braveheart was released, is one of the most vivid and powerful takeaways from the entire show. While Tagica's swaggering, red-fur-coated Longshanks is the iconic image from the production, his "villain song" a sublime piece of contemporary musical theatre.
Panther leads a welcome, profound section in Act II, alongside new cast members Kimberly Mandindo and Madeline Grieve, that asks where the women are in all these stories of Scottish history. The "wummin'" dance, rap, and challenge the narrative in an energetic, electrifying protest against feminist erasure from the spotlight. With powerhouse vocals, stylised choreography and even a few hilarious one-liners, this scene is another highlight of the show.
The final member of the new cast is Ross Mann, who plays "Scotsman" - a passionate William Wallace fan and staunch believer in the romanticised hero legend. Mann commands the stage with magnetic charisma and razor-sharp comic timing as our narrator of sorts. He's a fabulous new addition to Wallace with massive yet charming stage presence; he easily wins over the audience as he guides us through the defence of his idol.
Wallace is delivered in passionate, fast-paced Scots, sometimes spoken, often rapped. Dave Hook's hip-hop score is full of thumping beats and driving rhythms that do, on occasion, run ahead of the lyrics as the performers race to keep up with the pace. The actors do a brilliant job with Kloe Dean's energetic choreography, but Hook's score is crying out for an ensemble of hip-hop dancers to flank the large stage. Dedicated dancers who can fully commit to dance routines with flips and tricks would really add to the visual wow factor in this redeveloped, ambitious version of the production.
Neil Haynes' new imposing set provides the six-strong cast with ramps and steps to navigate, while a stag ominously dangles over the proceedings. Derek Anderson lights the stage with colourful, bright, expertly timed and impactful rows of epic stadium-esque lighting. But despite the clear upscaling and huge aspirations for Wallace, unfortunately the performance at the King's Theatre in Edinburgh fell a little flat in a half-full auditorium. I trust it fared better in medium-sized venues like the Beacon Arts Centre and the Pavilion in Glasgow, where it played earlier in the tour. The King's is perhaps a bit too cavernous for it in its current form.
There is a smart, funny and educational concept at the heart of Wallace, supported by fun, modern storytelling techniques, and a great cast and creative team; however, it needs to find the sweet spot between its intimate, studio roots and its lofty ambitions. Wallace the musical is set to return to Scotland's stages in 2027, playing smaller venues such as Ayr Gaiety, Dundee Rep and Glasgow Tron, where, with a few tweaks, it should hopefully soar again. ★★★☆☆
MORE: Read the full cast announcement for the 2026 autumn tour of Wallace here. Wallace the musical cast news
MORE: See more photos from Wallace and other Scottish and UK theatre productions on my Instagram here
Comments