Theatre, Laura Ennor
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Miriam Margolyes - Dickens' Women
22 Aug 2012
Appealing biographical show in the company of a true pro
Yelling with that unmistakeable voice and accompanied by the oh-so-refined tinkly piano of Benjamin Lee, Miriam Margolyes staggers onto the stage in the person of sozzled layer-out of the dead Mrs Gamp, from Martin Chuzzlewit. It’s a charming, gentle…
Meine faire Dame - ein Sprachlabor
16 Aug 2012
Radical reimagining of Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady gives much food for thought
Sitting down in the audience for Swiss director Christoph Marthaler's Meine faire Dame is something akin to entering a conversation class in a language you have no knowledge of. At first, it's completely baffling and you doubt you'll ever make sense of…
Death Boogie
10 Aug 2012
Political hip hop poetry musical is all sound and fury
Death Boogie is a political hip hop musical, performed by a dancing poet-rapper rhyming over his own beatbox loops, a double bass player and violinist, all against a backdrop of comic-strip visuals peppered with WHOAs, BIFFs and BOOYAKASHs. Sound like a…
Belt Up Theatre’s A Little Princess
9 Aug 2012
Unengaging adaptation of a timeworn classic
Young York company Belt Up Theatre have been the toast of the Fringe in recent years for their immersive, intensive renditions of stories new and old, but it feels like things have gone off the boil slightly with this staging of Frances Hodgson…
Petya and the Wolf
7 Aug 2012
Childlike in chaotic naiivety but enough depth to entertain all
Two Russian actors present this idiosyncratic physical retelling of the familiar tale of how Peter outsmarts the hungry wolf, soundtracked by a recording of the Prokofiev score with English narration. Although the story is simple enough for all ages to…
Eat $hit: How Our Waste Can Save the World
7 Aug 2012
A(n extremely odd) musical with an infectious message
The Poop Project are here to talk to you about your poo – loudly, clearly, and with songs and jazz hands. And if you’re the squeamish sort, it’s even more imperative that you listen. Let’s be straight: the five performers in this show aren’t the…
Would Be Nice Though...
6 Aug 2012
Interactive show that skewers the job interviews process
Ever been to a job interview, looked around, and thought, ‘If this is the competition, God help me if I’m not in with a chance?’ Such thoughts may pass through your mind as you enter a real George Street office and are ushered through various stages of…
Chapel Street
6 Aug 2012
Snappy double monologue delivered with panache
This exuberant new piece by Luke Barnes plays as two monologues: a boy and a girl stand side-by-side, the narrative snapping breathlessly back and forth between them as their worlds draw closer and closer and ultimately collide in the messy climax to a…
Jessie Cave gets family involved in Edinburgh Fringe debut Bookworm
25 Jul 2012
Lavendar Brown from Harry Potter in 'prop-heavy, slightly strange' debut
Summing up the life stories of put-upon younger siblings everywhere, Jessie Cave says of her upcoming Fringe debut: ‘it’s definitely a one-woman show, but my little sister’s in it...’ Luckily, 14-year-old Bebe is a willing participant and an emerging…
Wojtek the Bear bound for success at Fringe 2012
24 Jul 2012
How the Polish/Syrian/Persian bear became an international phenomenon
Laura Ennor discovers how the real-life tale of a Persian bear who fought in World War II and lived out his days in Edinburgh Zoo has become an international phenomenon For all that the theatre is a showcase for the power of the imagination, sometimes…
Classic Cuts Summer Season at A Play, a Pie and a Pint
23 May 2012
Bite-sized classics being served up for lunch at Oran Mor
In what is traditionally a quiet time for theatre, Glaswegians in search of a dramatic fix are strikingly well-served, and for those who don’t fancy giving up their precious long summer evenings there’s an especially tasty array of bite-sized classics…
The Lieutenant of Inishmore
25 Apr 2012
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…
The Marriage of Figaro
28 Mar 2012
DC Jackson breathes new life into Beaumarchais’ 18th-century original
With this energetic adaptation of Beaumarchais’ 18th-century original, DC Jackson has breathed fresh life into a classic. It’s a good-humoured, good-time show, with just enough emotional power up its sleeve (plus a few other surprises) to make you feel…
Of Mice and Men
27 Feb 2012
Quietly shocking aftertaste of Lyceum Steinbeck adaptation
Director John Dove breaks his run of eminently solid productions of Arthur Miller plays at the Lyceum with this solid adaptation of John Steinbeck. And in a similar style to shows like 2010’s The Price, the sets here are towering, intricate and…
An Appointment with the Wicker Man
1 Feb 2012
Robin Hardy’s 1973 classic to become the play-within-the-play for new NTS production
‘There are many films that people would love to see adapted cleanly onto the stage,’ says Greg Hemphill, and if current trends are anything to go by, he looks to be right, ‘but when we discussed it with Vicky [Featherstone, National Theatre of Scotland…
The Hot 100 2011: 100-50
16 Dec 2011
The definitive list of Scottish creative talent
100: Gordon Ferris. Kilmarnock crime author makes good. The already packed Scottish crime writing field has finally found a bit of elbow room for another burgeoning talent. Joining the likes of Rankin, Brookmyre, McDermid and co is this Ayrshire-born…
Hot 100 2011 - No. 49 to 1
16 Dec 2011
The definitive list of Scottish creative talent
The Hot 100 is the definitive list of Scottish creative talent. From fashion designers to performance artists, everyone who has made a sizeable splash in 2011 has a place in this countdown. It’s for people who’ve created a buzz, but it’s also about…
Director Stewart Laing on The Salon Project
21 Sep 2011
Immersive theatre project hopes to recreate the intellectual gatherings of late 19th century Paris
Show us the man or woman who isn’t even a little excited by the thought of dressing up and becoming someone else for the night, and we’ll show you a liar. Now best known as a director, but originally a designer, Untitled Projects’ director Stewart Laing…
Medea
23 Aug 2011
Modern-edged take let down by cast
Critical Mass theatre’s modern-edged take on Euripides’ story of the woman who killed her children never quite delivers the emotional clout promised by its heart-wrenching storyline. Stella Duffy’s script is gutsy and raw, but delivered unimaginatively…
Devotion
23 Aug 2011
Incredible performances hindered by weak story
Insofar as it attempts to convey the depth of feeling engendered by the traditions and solemn ceremony of the bullfight, Devotion just about succeeds, powered by two stunningly intense performances from its male leads. However its story is too slight…
Crunch
17 Aug 2011
Cunning manipulation of attitudes to money
A theatrical performance acutely parodying motivational lectures, or an actual motivational lecture? Gary McNair is playing with his audience, and they’re probably not the type who thought they were susceptible to such things. They probably think…
The Tour Guide
16 Aug 2011
A tour guide going off the rails on real Edinburgh tour bus
A real Edinburgh tour bus, a real leaflet with a route map and all the sights, a real MacTours uniform, and an actor playing a tour guide who’s going off the rails. But the ripe potential of having an audience who are literally captive – not to mention…
The Star Child
16 Aug 2011
Sweet piece of storytelling theatre
Fairytale fun and a cautionary but light tale about the dangers of vanity from nimble young ensemble Tell Tale Theatre, who have created a sweet piece of storytelling theatre, marred only by the odd bit of stilted delivery. In a small space they…
Oedipus by Steven Berkoff (after Sophocles)
11 Aug 2011
Archly stylised production from a contrary master
Steven Berkoff has written, directed and taken a key role in this quasi-modern retelling of one of Greek mythology’s most notorious plots, and it’s got his contrary stamp all over it. An odd and stylised production set around a huge, long, Last…
I Hope My Heart Goes First
8 Aug 2011
Remarkable young company delves into matters of the heart
If you want to know what it feels like to watch this show, you could do worse than to listen to the song from whose lyrics it takes its title – Cardiff indie-poppers Los Campesinos’ ‘We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed’ – a four-minute scrunched-up ball of…
