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There are great theatre shows on offer all year round at the King's Theatre and Festival Theatre, Edinburgh.

Risk

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Tron, Glasgow, Thu 8-Sat 10 Feb, then touring

NEW WORK

If you believe what you see and hear in the media, there are gangs of hoodies lurking around every street corner in Britain these days. In truth, of course, teenagers have always been demonised for the kind of mischief that they get up to. Whatever your age, you were subjected to the same suspicious scrutiny at this time in your life without, perhaps, the threat of an ASBO.

Actually, if teenagers are discontented, it often turns out to be for the same reasons as the rest of us. In the case of John Retallack’s Risk, a piece devised in collaboration with contemporary teenagers, using their words, it’s the kind of health and safety fetishism that plagues us all these days. Be you a smoker, a home pyrotechnician or (and this is not a euphemism) a late night dog walker, you’re liable to be bullied by some Safety Nazi or another - these days we actually employ them to make a nuisance of themselves. No wonder, then, that teenagers, who like to take the odd risk as part of their assertion of identity, should come into conflict with these self righteous professional wowsers.

Retallack, former artistic director of such notable companies as ATC and Oxford Stage Company has, with his latest firm, Company of Angels, shown some real insight into the dilemmas of youth, most notably with the very moving Hannah and Hannah. This piece, which incorporates strong physical theatre elements, should be worth braving the frightening streets for.

More: John Retallack, New Work, Risk, Previews (Theatre)

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