Amy Taylor

Warehouse 364

Clichéd and flat

3 Sep 2009

A case of mistaken identity leads a part time prostitute to the doors of Warehouse 364, a place where ‘good things happen to bad people.’ Clichéd and flat from the very beginning, this piece is let down by its underdeveloped and repetitive plot.  This…

Bedtime Stories

A fun tribute to an essential piece of furniture

3 Sep 2009

One double bed and nine darkly comic vignettes form the basis for this show, which has returned to Edinburgh with a brand new cast. A talented team deliver stories as diverse as a stressed bed salesman, to an unbelievably embarrassing one night stand…

Ward No. 6

Entertaining and tragic adaptation of Chekov's work

3 Sep 2009

Chekhov’s classic tale of insanity and ruthless ambition is brought to the stage in this slick and energetic interpretation by DogOrange. Highly physical and original, this adaptation is both entertaining and tragic as the concepts of alienation and the…

The Bone House

No sleep tonight

27 Aug 2009

The cult celebrity of serial killers and the average person’s ability to become one is the subject of this new horror play by Marty Chan that questions our fascination with the macabre. Beginning as an informal lecture by self professed ‘Mind Hunter…

I'll Be Bert

Funny and touching one man show

27 Aug 2009

Hero worship and unwavering loyalty are faithfully remembered in this funny and touching one man show by Bill Cronshaw. Charting his lifelong devotion to Manchester City FC, this piece recalls life in 50s Manchester by focusing on Cronshaw’s childhood…

Cabaret Whore

Sex, revenge and Katie Price

27 Aug 2009

The themes of sex, revenge and Katie Price are just some of the topics tackled in Sarah-Louise Young’s all female cabaret show. Performed with passion from the very beginning, Young’s interchanging characters - Southern belle, socially inept librarian…

Crave

Raw and powerful from the very beginning

27 Aug 2009

Royal Holloway Theatre’s restaging of Sarah Kane’s penultimate play explores four characters disillusioned with life due to excess, abuse and loneliness. Raw and powerful from the very beginning, Kane’s fluid, poetic script dominates a piece that makes…

The One and the Many

Cliched and repetitive philosophical rom-com

26 Aug 2009

An ill-advised trip to a massage parlour leads to the discovery of the mysterious ‘virgin whore of Prague’ in this philosophical rom-com. The concept of a successful virgin prostitute is just one of several twists in a show that attempts to question…

King of the Gypsies

The history of a persecuted people

23 Aug 2009

The headlines and stereotypes surrounding the travelling community are questioned in this piece that squeezes a millennia worth of Romani history into just over one hour. Beginning with the community’s uncertain origins, centuries of persecution…

The Critic

R.B. Sheridan's final farce fails to translate

23 Aug 2009

The absurdity of passing fashions and the constraints of bourgeois society form the basis of R.B Sheridan’s final farce, written in 1779. While parody is still popular, this production, although performed by a young and able cast, is let down by its age…

Bane

Inspired film noir parody

23 Aug 2009

This one man film noir parody follows the eponymous hired hand Bruce Bane, and features live music and realistic sound effects as a classic tale of bloody revenge is played out with impeccable comic timing and unforgettable attention to detail.

52 Man Pickup

Party games and sexual history from Desiree Burch

23 Aug 2009

Party games are combined with a refreshing honesty and unbelievable energy, as acclaimed American comedienne, Desiree Burch, chronicles her complete sexual history in this one woman show. Fast-paced and funny, Burch leaves nothing to the imagination as…

Cry From Underground (Tell Me Your Name)

Dostoyevsky-inspired play plunges the depths of desperation

23 Aug 2009

Themes of alienation and exploitation form the basis of this play, based on Dostoyevsky’s Notes From Underground. Here a disillusioned man and a trafficked prostitute find each other in their search for a better life. Overly long and difficult viewing…

George in the Dragon’s Den

Bringing the Saint into the 21st century

21 Aug 2009

The tale of St George is brought into the 21st century as the eponymous hero becomes an illegal Polish worker and the dragon a greedy banker. Performed entirely in verse, the spoken word dominates and confuses, while attempts at creating a…

Private Peaceful

All’s not fair in love and war

14 Aug 2009

This one-man show, performed by Finn Hanlon and adapted by director Simon Reade from Michael Morpurgo’s novel, questions why over 300 British soldiers were executed for perceived cowardliness or desertion during World War I, through the character of an…

Birthing the Crone: The Crone Chronicles

One-woman show proclaiming the menopause as more than the beginning of old age

12 Aug 2009

Lisa Wilson’s battle with the menopause and a number of unforeseen obstacles come together in this one-woman show that takes a refreshing look at ‘the change’. Intelligently written, and performed with honesty and humility, Wilson takes you on a highly…

Opening Night of the Living Dead

Zombies - not huge fans of amateur dramatics

12 Aug 2009

Shakespeare and Romero form an unholy alliance in this horror/comedy that depicts a zombie attack on an am-dram production of Romeo and Juliet. Fun, but ultimately predictable, with often repetitive chase sequences, this piece goes for giggles instead…

Lotte's Gift

A one-woman show over three generations, with music the main storyteller

10 Aug 2009

Three generations of women and their battles with adversity and heartache through music form the basis of this one woman show starring acclaimed classical guitarist Karin Schaupp. Written by David Williamson the piece combines emotive storytelling with…

Edinburgh Festival Fringe theatre highlights for a fiver

20 Jul 2009

Short of cash but trying to squeeze in as much festival action as physically possible? Fear not! Our inflation-busting guide presents fifty preview shows for a mere five of your Scottish bank notes

T in the Park: Info

9 Jul 2009

Amy Taylor provides you with all manner of sensible information to take the hassle out of the weekend

Doctor Who - The making of a time lord

19 Mar 2009

TIMELINE Nov 1963 Doctor Who is devised as an educational science fiction show to appeal to viewers of all ages and is given an evening time slot. The screening of the first episode is overshadowed by a power cut in parts of the country and the…