Author: Susan Lowes
Kevin McMahon – Quantum Magic
✭✭✭✩✩ Tricky:
Kevin McMahon entertains as a magician in his Quantum Magic at the Gilded Balloon, but ultimately there’s an sense of deception that doesn’t come from his tricks.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
✭✭✭✭✩ Swift & dynamic:
An energetic and effervescent force runs through Gin and Tonic Productions take on one of Shakespeare’s most imaginative and delightful comedies.
The Raven
✭✭✭✭✭ Perfect madness:
Searching for perfection, the Bawsoot Theatre Company gets pretty close in its cleverly crafted production of The Raven.
Death and the Maiden
✭✭✭✭✩ Painfully poignant:
Emotionally charged, Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group’s production of Death and a Maiden is poignant, gripping and full of pain.
The Witch of Edmonton
★★☆☆☆ Tragically complex:
Based on a Jacobean play written by William Rowley, Thomas Dekker and John Ford in 1621, the Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group’s production of The Witch of Edmonton is a curious and intense tragi-comedy that confuses as much as it entertains.
Heartlands
✭✭✭✭✩ Heartwarming:
In a multi-layered and engaging performance, Urban Fox Theatre Company deliver a wonderfully warm and intimate insight into modern life and modern relationships.
Dead Letter Office
✭✭✭✩✩ Philosophical potential:
Some Company Productions deliver a thoughtful performance with a lot of potential, but struggle to reconcile the show with its philosophical depth.
The Bookbinder
✭✭✭✭✭ Beautiful craftsmanship:
A book is a beautiful thing, a story is a work of art, a fairytale is a thing of dreams. The Bookbinder is all of these – it’s a beautiful, articulate and inventive show that is as engaging as it is mysterious.
Spring Awakening
★★★★★ Cult classic:
Based on Frank Wedekind’s 1891 German play about repressed sexuality and its manifestations, Spring Awakening gets a a surprisingly refreshing production from MGA that mixes 19th century Germany with rock music. And does so exceptionally well.
Carousel
✭✭✭✩✩ Visually stunning:
Opera North’s production of Rodger and Hammerstein’s Carousel is a curious combination of drama, dance and song that on occasion both hits and misses the mark.
