Playhouse
Beauty and the Beast
★★★★★ Bountiful
The roses are back at the Edinburgh Playhouse and they smell sweeter than ever – be they named Belle or Beast – in Disney’s newly reimagined version of Beauty and the Beast, playing to the end of November.
Blood Brothers
★★★★☆ Compelling tragedy
All may not be right in the world but some things just don’t change. Judging from the opening night audience at the start of its week long stay at the Playhouse, Blood Brothers is still the musical guaranteed to end with a standing ovation.
Chicago
★★★★☆ Tight and technical
Chicago’s tale of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery whispers back into the Playhouse with a thrum of double bass, a twitching off-beat on the drums and a haunting moan of muted trumpet.
9 to 5 The Musical
★★★★☆ Fit for work
After 545 days of darkness, the Playhouse stage lit up last night with a crisp and swinging production of Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 The Musical, which is playing through to Saturday.
The Lion King
★★★★☆ Visual Feast:
Visually arresting, the touring production of The Lion King which is booked into the Playhouse until March 2020, wants for nothing in terms of spectacle or budget.
9 to 5 The Musical
★★★★☆ Packs ambition:
There’s enough ambition delivered with sustained ability to get the blood pumpin’ in the touring production of Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 the Musical, which is at the Playhouse through to Saturday.
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert – The Musical
★★★☆☆ Shimmering:
There is enough flash and dazzling costume changes in Priscilla Queen Of The Desert to convince all but the most curmudgeonly.
The Rocky Horror Show
★★★★☆ Blue moves:
Big, camp and packing a glitter-ball attitude to rock’n’roll, the latest touring production of The Rocky Horror Show piles in to the Playhouse for the final week of its extended UK tour.
The King and I
★★★★★ Fit for a King:
Shall we dance? You’ll certainly be singing the praises of this Broadway production of The King and I as it lights up the Playhouse stage.
Annie
★★★☆☆ Optimistic:
The sun, as always, is coming out tomorrow in Annie, but in this touring production at the Playhouse to Saturday, the orphan’s optimism is more dearly bought than it might be.
