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Joyce McMillan

@joycemcm.bsky.social

Theatre critic, social and political columnist, campaigner for democracy and human rights, based in beautiful Edinburgh, Scotland.

1,062 Followers  |  87 Following  |  124 Posts  |  Joined: 14.11.2024  |  1.8588

Latest posts by joycemcm.bsky.social on Bluesky


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Are Scotland’s ferries the worst or the best in the world? Four years ago, on BBC Scotland, I heard an island spokesperson suggest that CalMac ferries was the worst service in the world and that they should visit other countries to learn from them. Getting…

talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/01/30/a...

30.01.2026 20:34 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Out in the Hills, Pitlochry review: 'a whirlwind celebration of LGBTQ life' The first Out in the Hills festival was a stunning success, writes Joyce McMillan

Roundup at Scotsman Arts of Alan Cummingβ€˜s first Out In The Hills festival at Pitlochry Festival Theatre - and what a breathless and brilliant weekend it was!
www.scotsman.com/arts-and-cul...

19.01.2026 23:19 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Extracts of two of my recent play-translations into English are included in this @frenchinstituteuk.bsky.social book:
LUNE by Pamela Ghislain & LEVIATHAN by Guillaume Poix (2024 Festival d’Avignon production conceived & directed by Lorraine de Sagazan)

www.institut-francais.org.uk/app/uploads/...

07.01.2026 17:39 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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Eight Epstein survivors are calling for Donald Trump’s impeachment Eight Epstein survivors are calling for Donald Trump’s impeachment

Eight Epstein survivors are calling for Donald Trump’s impeachment

02.01.2026 16:18 β€” πŸ‘ 134    πŸ” 49    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 6

Beautiful! Thank you, Yaroslava… I xxx

26.11.2025 15:57 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Congratulations, Jack! Great news! j xxx πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘

19.11.2025 12:08 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

On the other hand, I want to make the UK the most beautiful, safe & fair place on the planet where people live together in harmony supporting & nurturing each other and where poverty, war & prejudice become stories of the past.

I have a dream and that’s one thing regressive politics can’t take.

19.11.2025 09:18 β€” πŸ‘ 69    πŸ” 25    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 1
Book Review

Book Review

'Angus Peter Campbell's character demolishes the whole colonialist and exploitative world-view.'
A review by @joycemcm.bsky.social
of 'Donald and His Seven Cows' by Angus Peter Campbell
@aonghasphadraig.bsky.social
Worth a neb/look.
@thescotsman.bsky.social
#books
#thiwurd

18.11.2025 11:22 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Go for it! I mean why not? It’s what nearly everyone in Scotland wants! j xx

19.11.2025 09:53 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The real asylum scandal Governments really should remember that asylum seekers are humans like the rest of us , who have often been through very traumatic events

Governments really should remember that asylum seekers are humans like the rest of us , who have often been through very traumatic eventsΒ |Β Peter Sagar

16.11.2025 09:25 β€” πŸ‘ 23    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Ultimately, what this is about is taking the issue of migration out of the hands of the courts, of the law, and putting it back in the hands of politicians, like before 1948. Is there ANYONE other than the irredeemably ignorant, or actively racist, who thinks this is a sound idea?

16.11.2025 09:44 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Yes,
I went to my workout.
It helps me release the anger and negative energy after nights of attacks.
Now I’m having a warcoffee.

Just glad to be alive.

14.11.2025 11:32 β€” πŸ‘ 595    πŸ” 50    πŸ’¬ 33    πŸ“Œ 1

The song of the generators! 🎡

09.11.2025 00:12 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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How far-right lie that asylum seekers are criminals and sex predators is taking hold in Britain The current moral panic about immigration is tinged with an element of sexual hysteria often associated with racially oppressive societies of the past

And second, we need to shift the window of debate back to a place where we waste much less time on 'talking points' that are based on myths and lies, and are therefore incapable of producing solutions to any real-world problems. 2/2 www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...?

08.11.2025 18:13 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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How far-right lie that asylum seekers are criminals and sex predators is taking hold in Britain The current moral panic about immigration is tinged with an element of sexual hysteria often associated with racially oppressive societies of the past

Yesterday's The Scotsman column, with two main takeaways. First, those who oppose the hysteria about migrants and asylum seekers that now pervades UK political debate need to become much sharper, smarter and more resolute about resisting it. 1/2
www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

08.11.2025 18:09 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Dear GOD if you want to save money in the asylum system

1. LET ASYLUM SEEKERS WORK

2. FAST TRACK STATUS FOR EVERYONE FROM CLEARLY UNDAFE COUNTRIES like Sudan, Syria, etc

3. Run an asylum accommodation system that is NOT FOR PROFIT #r4today

07.11.2025 07:35 β€” πŸ‘ 4327    πŸ” 1170    πŸ’¬ 122    πŸ“Œ 47
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Theatre reviews: To Kill a Mockingbird | Righ Iasgair: The Fisher King Aaron Sorkin’s much-debated stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird takes Harper Lee’s narrative and crams it full of the language of US politics in the age of Trump and MAGA, writes Joyce McMillan

Reviews at Scotsman Arts of the thrilling and much-debated Aaron Sorkin version of To Kill A Mockingbird - at the King's Theatre, Glasgow from tomorrow - and Kenny Boyle's Righ Iasgair: The Fisher King, at A Play, A Pie and A Pint and the Traverse Theatre. www.scotsman.com/arts-and-cul...

03.11.2025 18:43 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

A woman is killed by a man every 3 days in the UK...

78% are murdered by a partner/ex

Yet not once have I heard Reform talk about this

Not once have I heard them back measures to protect women’s safety

In fact, they voted against them...

31.10.2025 10:22 β€” πŸ‘ 5429    πŸ” 1893    πŸ’¬ 184    πŸ“Œ 54
Post image 27.10.2025 04:31 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
anti-fascist - anti-racist. Scottish Greens.

2 Green flags one lighter and one darker.

anti-fascist - anti-racist. Scottish Greens. 2 Green flags one lighter and one darker.

anti-fascist
today.
tomorrow.
always.

26.10.2025 20:23 β€” πŸ‘ 300    πŸ” 79    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 5
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I brought you light from Kyiv –
a city russians want
to drown in darkness.
No way.

26.10.2025 21:08 β€” πŸ‘ 682    πŸ” 91    πŸ’¬ 27    πŸ“Œ 5
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Theatre reviews: The Seagull | Flick & Pie Go Fishing ​With powerful acting and a nuanced script for today, this Seagull is a gem, writes Joyce McMillan

Review at Scotsman Arts of new artistic director James Brining's opening production at the Lyceum Edinburgh, a & strong, lyrical & absorbing version of Chekhov's The Seagull; last week's engaging A Play, A Pie and A Pint drama Flick & Pie Go Fishing, by Laila Noble. www.scotsman.com/arts-and-cul...

25.10.2025 12:39 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Theatre reviews: The Last Supper | Selkie | Handle With Care The Last Supper is just one tasty bite from this year’s Take Me Somewhere festival, writes Joyce McMillan

As this year's Take Me Somewhere festival in Glasgow roars into its final weekend, here's my Monday review of its first few days, including a fabulous Last Supper from Brazil.... www.scotsman.com/arts-and-cul...

25.10.2025 12:10 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

A great many of the (wonderful) stories about Ireland's (wonderful) UBI plan for artists tend to bury if not duck completely the hard cold fact that it was funded largely by Google's billion-euro settlement of tax-evasion charges.

TAX BILLIONAIRES
RUN THEM DOWN
LOOT THEM
IT WORKS

23.10.2025 02:10 β€” πŸ‘ 809    πŸ” 372    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 8
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Joyce McMillan: Cumbernauld Theatre shouldn't be forced to close because of an admin fail The crisis at Cumbernauld Theatre raises some important questions, writes Joyce McMillan. In particular: should an otherwise successful arts organisation ever be put at risk simply because of a failur...

62 years after it was founded as a New Town community initiative, Cumbernauld Theatre faces closure, after Creative Scotland rejected its multi-year funding application. But why is such a successful and much-loved theatre having to fight for its life? www.scotsman.com/arts-and-cul...?

23.10.2025 15:39 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ€—πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ’•πŸŒΏ

22.10.2025 23:51 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Times Higher Education. Labour commits to automatic tuition fee rises. Fees to rise with inflation for next two academic years with automatic annual increases then set to be introduced.

Times Higher Education. Labour commits to automatic tuition fee rises. Fees to rise with inflation for next two academic years with automatic annual increases then set to be introduced.

Another day under a Labour government.

Higher education must remain open to everyone, not just those who can afford it.

Tuition fees saddle young people with decades of debt that many will never pay off.

Scottish Greens will always oppose their introduction in Scotland.

22.10.2025 16:32 β€” πŸ‘ 106    πŸ” 43    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 2

πŸ€—πŸ’•πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸŒΏ

21.10.2025 23:18 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Sending a hug πŸ€—β€¦.

14.10.2025 19:42 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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'Farage could never be trusted to run Britain after getting Brexit so wrong' No Brexit champion, particularly Nigel Farage, is worthy of high office after proving so conclusively wrong on such a seismic issue, says Mirror Associate Editor Kevin Maguire

"Farage is as guilty as fellow Leaver Boris Johnson for the latest travel red tape and all the other costs, burdens and inconveniences of quitting the European Union that have been put upon us, without meaningful gains."

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

13.10.2025 06:41 β€” πŸ‘ 45    πŸ” 23    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1

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