Reviews
Showcase 2018
★★★☆☆ Fun and Eclectic:
The biggest songs in rock, pop and musical theatre are celebrated in Showcase 2018 on at the Church Hill Theatre until Saturday
Islander
★★★★☆ Etherial:
Mystical in content and audacious in its presentation, Islander is a musical for just two performers which is thought-provoking and intriguing in equal measure.
Benidorm Live
★★★★☆ Bawdy:
Boldly brash – and brazen with it – the live musical version of ITV hit Benidorm combines plenty of recognition for the show’s fans with the kind of comedy that would make a panto dame blush.
Twelfth Night
★★★★☆ Kaleidoscopic:
Shifting emotions are filtered through autumnal sunlight in the Lyceum’s Twelfth Night, with as much defiant sadness on view as happy resolution.
Ludus: Playful Love
★★★☆☆ Diverting:
Ludus: Playful Love, Theatre Broad’s production of two contrasting plays by early 20th century poet and playwright Clifford Bax provides an evening that is high on period charm but never really stakes its claim to contemporary relevance.
Nests
★★★☆☆ Solid social commentary:
After a Fringe full of blockbuster productions, the Traverse’s autumn season kicks of with Nests, a two-hander that looks at social inequality and considers what we can learn from crows.
All Shook Up
★★★☆☆ Energetic:
There is a spirited tunefulness to LYAMC’s All Shook Up that makes it cheerfully compelling despite occasional raggedness.
Shows preceding the end of the fest
Hugh’s final BookFest Round-up for 2018
Autumn always seems to time its arrival to coincide with that of the Book Festival, with the rain limiting opportunities for the simple pleasures of sitting in Charlotte Square Gardens with a book and some refreshment. However, there were plenty of opportunities for those interested in theatre to sit inside instead.
@JohnLewis: Never Knowingly Undertweeted
★★☆☆☆ Indistinct chatter:
@JohnLewis: Never Knowingly Undertweeted, from Simon Jay presented by James Seabright downstairs at the Newsroom, is a likeable but lightweight piece.
PQA productions
Persephone, The School Film, Blackout:
The establishment of a venue by the Pauline Quirke Academy means that – among the many other shows staged there – there is a showcase for the local youngsters attending the PQA.
