Reviews
Animals
★★★★☆ Quirky:
Gentle as the velvet of a puppy’s ear, yet unafraid to take a deadpan gawp at a recently demised goldfish, Animals, Greg Sinclair’s examination of childhood tales of animals is a constant revelation of delight and surprise.
Takin’ Over the Asylum
★★★★☆ Serious comedy:
‘We are loonies and we are proud’ declare the cast of Takin’ Over The Asylum – a statement that many will find a combination of over-worthiness and bad taste.
Macbeth
★★☆☆☆ Darkly modest:
The Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Company take on Shakespeare’s Macbeth at Assembly Roxy this week, in a production which leans into all the horror and gore the tragedy reveals.
Sunshine on Leith
★★★★☆ Singing back to happiness:
Raw in delivery and driven by big emotions, Sunshine on Leith returns to Edinburgh in a tough new version produced by the West Yorkshire Playhouse which retains the heart of the original 2007 musical while bringing it right up to date.
Arandora Star
★★★★☆ Poignant tragedy:
In this reverent, haunting and heartfelt production of Arandora Star at the Scottish Storytelling Centre to Saturday, Theatre Objectiv both condemns and exonerates in their efforts to give a voice to an oft-forgotten past.
Ma, Pa and the Little Mouths
★★★★☆ Strange energy:
Reality is stretched to great effect in Ma, Pa and the Little Mouths at the Traverse. The Tron Theatre Company’s production in association with the National Theatre of Scotland is bleakly comic and thoroughly unpredictable.
Thoroughly Modern Millie
★★☆☆☆ Shiny-edged:
Exhilarating moments and a couple of great individual performances ensure a shiny edge to Encore’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Brunton to Saturday.
The Homecoming
★★★☆☆ Reverent:
Fidelity to the text characterises Leitheatre’s The Homecoming at the Festival Theatre Studio. The result is a well-crafted production that could probably do with showing a little less respect.
Thriller LIVE
★★★★☆ Dangerously thrilling:
The undeniable talent of the controversial Michael Jackson is fully on display in Thriller Live, an energetic and thoroughly exciting showcase of his greatest hits.
Wicked
★★★★★ What’s it all about, Elphie?
It’s been to Edinburgh a few times, but this latest touring version of Wicked drops in on the Playhouse with the power of a flying farmhouse.
