Online
frisson (online)
★★★☆☆ Cunning exploration
frisson (online) by Production Lines is “a coming out story in two parts”, with the first told online over Zoom this week, and the second due to be performed live in the Leith Arches next week.
A Brief History of the Fragile Male Ego
★★★☆☆ History reduced
Multi award-winning feminist theatre company Jordan & Skinner has reimagined its 2019 Edinburgh Fringe hit, A Brief History of the Fragile Male Ego, turning it into a zoom style lecture that is available for home streaming through various platforms throughout February.
prism
★★★☆☆ Intriguing
prism, Production Lines’ latest venture into live, interactive online theatre, is very much a curate’s egg. Much of it is interesting and well played, but other parts are less well realised.
Jamie and the Unicorn online
★★★★☆ Streaming good fun
The brand new pantomime Jamie and the Unicorn at the Gaiety Theatre in Ayr, hits all the big pantomime tropes – and hits them bang on – with a live performance that makes a smooth transfer to online viewing.
Sophia
★★★☆☆ Revealing reminder
The conflicting demands of professional ambition and personal happiness are brought into stark focus in Sophia by Frances Poet.
Room 29 Auditions
Casting Call for Songs for a New World
Edinburgh amateur musicals company Room 29 Theatre has put out an urgent casting call for its August 2021 filmed production of Songs for a New World.
Smile
★★★☆☆ Sympathetic
Smile, Dundee Rep’s football-themed online offering, transfers to the screen to provide a satisfactory record of 2020’s successful play about the legendary Jim McLean.
Distance Remaining
★★★☆☆ Assured
There are some wonderful, and wonderfully human, performances in Distance Remaining. The three separate sections of the production ultimately fail to gel, but there is more than enough to sustain the interest.
Doppler: The Story So Far
★★★★☆ Illuminating:
Doppler: The Story So Far, a portrait of Grid Iron’s 2020 production of Doppler that never was, is an edifying, surprising and deeply human film.
Rapunzel – A Hairy Tale Adventure
★★★☆☆Festive fun:
The National Theatre of Scotland’s Rapunzel is full of enjoyment and impressive performances. Although it never quite stakes its claim as a compelling work in its own right, there is plenty to satisfy those missing their annual helping of seasonal entertainment.
