Theatre, Issue 696

Anne Boleyn

Howard Brenton's iconoclastic historical drama is a hands-down crowd-pleaser

You can see why the original Globe theatre production of Anne Boleyn sold out, and why Howard Brenton’s iconoclastic re-imagining of Henry VIII’s second wife was subsequently sent on a tour of the UK: the show is a hands down, no-arguments…

Roman Bridge

An unflinchingly claustrophobic production with bold performances and muscular dialogue

There’s a knowing nod to Samuel Beckett in Martin Travers’ Roman Bridge, the first full production in the National Theatre of Scotland’s Reveal 2012 season. The main protagonists are a pair of ragged-trousered hobos, who cling to each other, eat, sleep…

Enquirer

Whether by luck or incredible foresight, the National Theatre of Scotland’s exploration of the demise of the newspaper industry couldn’t be playing at a more auspicious time. Entering the top floor of the Hub at Pacific Quay, the first thing that draws…

Further Than the Furthest Thing

Haunting, beautifully-designed production of Zinnie Harris' play

From ripping out the seating for a powerful in-the-round production of Peter Shaffer’s Equus to the Mad Men-style two-storey 1950s maisonette of A Doll’s House, Dundee Rep has often impressed with its bold, imaginative use of design. The company’s…

King Lear

David Hayman heads an impressive ensemble cast in a gripping production of Shakespeare's play

Incredibly, it’s 33 years since David Hayman appeared in a Shakespeare play at the Citz, and his casting here, as the Bard’s aged monarch, raging against the dying of the light, provides a link to that spell in the 1970s-1990s when the Glasgow…

The Magical World of Mackintosh makes the famed designer accessible to kids

The architect is the subject of a Festival of Museums activity day

It went from a place of learning, to a place to learn about learning – but whatever its use, the brilliance of its architect shines through. Designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1904, Scotland Street School Museum has many of its creator’s signature…

Interview: Eva Verity, creator of Haircuts by Children

Project providing creative space for children and adults to interact in

‘There was one guy who once got a nick on his ear,’ says Eva Verity, ‘but other than that, we’ve had no major injuries.’ I’m thankful there’s no trace of annoyance in Verity’s voice, in spite of my slightly anxious line of questioning. She’s talking…

The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Comedy about republicanism, terrorists and dead cats follows predictable arc

A comedy about republicanism, terrorists, and dead cats that’s more fun than it sounds, The Lieutenant of Inishmore displays Martin McDonagh’s talent for harnessing the comic potential in those peculiarly Irish turns of phrase. Many of the play’s best…

Interview: Tony Reekie - director of Imaginate children's festival

Children's theatre festival has a strong international flavour

He may spend most of his life scouring the world for quality children’s theatre, but even Tony Reekie finds time for a bit of Killing. The Killing, that is, not cold-blooded murder. A big fan of the Danish television crime series, Reekie was less…

Anne Boleyn from playwright Howard Brenton examines Tudor dynasty

Play promises unexpected take on history

TS Eliot may have been weirder than an ultraviolet raccoon, but he had some good lines. One of them was that civil wars never really end. It might explain our enduring fascination with the Tudors: Henry VIII’s decision to divorce his first wife and…

Could You Please Look into the Camera

Clunky, unengaging and under-rehearsed piece on Syria

Great theatre will, at some point, emerge from the Arab Spring. This is not it. As rough and raw as a piece about Syria would have to be in the face of unfolding events, Mohammed Al Attar’s patchwork of real people’s experiences of detention is also…