Scottish singer/songwriter Paul McKenna plays Ropery Hall

After a fallow year (for very good reasons) Paul returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with a brand new show. Join him for this work in progress on the road to Edinburgh. 

Award-winning comedian, writer and broadcaster and that quizzy bloke in the white suit off The Chase, Paul recently added author to his many credits, with his memoir, One Sinha Lifetime. 
As seen on Taskmaster, Would I Lie To You?, QI and Countdown, one of the circuit’s busiest comedians is back at Ropery Hall. Catch him while you can.

‘This is what a good stand-up should be. Hilariously funny, passionate and articulate.’ Chortle

‘An exceptionally skilled stand-up…. truly wonderful’ The Scotsman 

‘Full of insight and delight’ The Times

In an almost Zelig-like career, the Belfast-born troubadour has jammed with the Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant at ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris’s birthday party (the veteran DJ Harris regards Houston as ‘one of Britain’s great songwriters’) and Houston opened for the likes of Van Morrison and Elvis Costello. But in 2009 Brian Houston topped the lot, when he had breakfast with none other than US President Barack Obama – well, kind of…

“It was thirty seconds in when I realized what a really special piece of music this was. One of Britain’s great song writers!” Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2

“The audience went mad after he did a live session on my show!” Janice Long BBC Radio 2

“If Ron Sexsmith and Elvis had a baby; gave it to Bob Dylan to raise but hired Van Morrison as a nanny they’d call it Brian Houston…”  The Drew Marshall Show

A writer of considerable warmth and wit. Uncut

“Bristling with hope joy love and fabulous songs” Mojo

Since first getting together in 2001, St Agnes Fountain have brought musical invention and laughter to the star-dust atmosphere of the Christmas season.

Founder member David Hughes left the band in 2020, and very sadly died recently. However remaining members Chris Leslie, Chris While, and Julie Matthews carry on in the same spirit as before, keeping the Christmas Aggie spirit alive and touring as a trio with some new material, some old classics, and a doff of the fedora to David.

Although the albums accompany the putting up of a thousand Christmas trees throughout Britain and around the globe as their reputation reaches further afield, it is, without question, St Agnes Fountain’s magical live performances that have endeared them to an ever-growing audience.

Christmas, as they say, starts with St Agnes Fountain. Carols with a curve.

This duo show is a celebration of Yuletide Past guaranteed to warm the cockles of the most Scrooge-like heart. Featuring Christmas carols, winter folk songs, toe-tapping tunes and a plethora of weird and wonderful instruments, the show is brought to life with GreenMatthews’ trademark wit and humour.

After a 60-year career so far, including fronting Fairport Convention, Iain Matthews has just released a new solo album, How Much Is Enough?, his 53rd or 54th release. Released by Sunset Blvd. Records in October 2024 How Much Is Enough?  It finds Iain Matthews embracing his many interests in musical genres, but also more recent influences including Elliott Smith and Hiss Golden Messenger. It fuses acoustic and electric instrumentation. Matthews will be also be doing a short tour of the Ireland in May  2026.

In the mid 1960s, where he was recruited as an original member of Fairport Convention, singing on their first three albums. Soon after leaving Fairport, his band Matthews Southern Comfort had a UK number one with Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock,” which was also a hit in the US and Canada. After an album with semi-Folk outfit Plainsong and a move to L.A., Matthews scored another North American hit with Terence Boylan’s “Shake It”: 

Burning Rope are a band born from the ashes of multi award winning blues rock band Catfish following the sad loss of their frontman and guitarist Matt Long to cancer in October.  The other members of the band wanted to continue to play and write together, so have come together as Burning Rope along with superb Gloucestershire based guitarist Alex Voysey and regular dep for Catfish on drums, the excellent Mitch Weaving.