Curated by Jennifer Adam and Mhairi Quinn
A beautiful cocktail of talented individuals demonstrating their abilities across poetry, music, plays, and readings all united by the theme of growth, time, and transformation. Tandem at Ten is a fantastic display of diverse artistic talent, featuring eight works from a range of artists who executed their parts perfectly. Across two hours (with a 15-minute intermission), the show moved at an exhilarating pace, making for an excellent evening.
The Traverse Theatre proved to be an ideal venue: a beautiful, professionally maintained open space with a calm bar area. The theatre was well-spaced and immaculately kept. The audience was full and energetic, with everyone fully engaged. This enthusiasm speaks volumes for the calibre of the artists performing their talent was so compelling that the entire room felt collectively locked in, absorbing every moment.
The performers demonstrated remarkable commitment, fully engrossed in their work and delivering stellar performances with complete energy and dedication. What impressed me most was learning that they had only one hour of rehearsal. One might expect this to be a limitation, but it was not. While each reader and actor held a script in their hands, their delivery was so expressive and accomplished that the physical scripts added, rather than detracted from the experience.
Three performances stood out in particular:
Mhairi Quinn’s Poetry was a highlight of the night. Delivered eloquently with occasional beautiful Scots words, her poem painted a vivid and atmospheric world around a seemingly small, irrelevant detail: birds coming out for lunch with schoolchildren in a playground. The language was so descriptive and clear that the audience felt transported, as if witnessing the scene firsthand, leaving a lasting impact in our minds.
Rebecca Smith’s reading from her upcoming book was equally captivating. She offered a non-fiction glimpse into her childhood and her relationship with forests beautifully descriptive and deeply engaging. Her talent for documenting personal experience made the audience feel the weight of her connection to climate and nature. It was a true testament to both her writing and her ability to convey emotion through careful, descriptive language.
Grayling, a Glasgow-based singer, delivered an incredible closing performance. This was her first show since undergoing surgery a year ago, yet you would never know it. She performed with such stellar presence and technical precision that it was a genuinely amazing way to end the evening, an unassuming but utterly fantastic treat.
By evening’s end, I realised all performances were written and performed by women (with one play co-written by a man). Yet the festival never felt designed exclusively for women; it was open to everyone. Rather than centring a “women’s experience,” it simply gave space for women artists to display their incredible talent. The programming felt irrelevant to gender in the best way possible; the focus remained entirely on capability and artistry.
It was an exceptionally well-performed night by remarkably skilled artists. As this marks Tandem’s 10th anniversary, it is clear they truly understood the assignment. The night felt like genuine value for time, and I hope they continue putting on shows like this giving audiences a taste of the incredible talent they work with. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to experience strong Scottish talent with a mix of others at its absolute finest.
https://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/tandem-at-ten-a-festival-of-words#datesandtimes
Reviewer: David Nicaudie
Date Reviewed: 26th September 2026
Theatre Muse UK Rating: *****
