Archive for August 16th, 2026
Macbeth: Blood and Bluegrass
★★★★☆ Invigorating
Kiwi outfit The Barden Party return to the Fringe with their foot-stomping, heart-pounding musical rendition of Macbeth at Surgeons’ Hall in preparation for what is bound to be a triumphant tour of Scotland.
The Burnings
★★★☆☆ Dramatic
The Burnings presented by Edinburgh Little Theatre at Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge is an emotional and historical play, about the East Lothian witch trials held in North Berwick in the last decade of the 16th Centre.
Anatomy of the Piano (for beginners)
★★★★☆ Engaging
Will Pickvance’s Anatomy of the Piano (for beginners) at the Bruntsfield Pianodrome is an engaging, informative and family-friendly piece, exploring the inner workings of this complicated and versatile instrument.
The Joker and the Thief
★★★★☆ Modern nostalgia
Dylan and Will Theatre transports us back to Edinburgh in 1980 with The Joker and the Thief at theSpace, a time when the city was a cheap place to stay during August and stand-up comedy was coming to the fringe for the first time courtesy of Alexei Sayle.
Follow Me
★★★★☆ Weirdly plausible
The Dog Ate My Theatre and New Celts’ Follow Me at theSpace on the Mile is a breathless and often ludicrous romp whose sheer brass neck, and roots in contemporary unreality, win out in the end.
Living the Dream
★★★☆☆ Sympathetic
A subtle and affecting portrait of young men, Steel Antler and New Celts’ Living The Dream at theSpace on the Mile does not always succeed in forging its own identity but has much to recommend it.
It’s Always Sunny on Olympus
★★★☆☆ Fun
Combining sitcom and mythology is the kind of high-concept premise that can always find a willing audience at the Fringe. It’s Always Sunny on Olympus from Mind Yer Head and New Celts at theSpace on The Mile doesn’t completely succeed in living up to its promise, but is entertaining nevertheless.
Turn The Screw, Tickety-Boo
★★★★☆ Empathetic
Turn The Screw, Tickety-Boo! by David Scott, performed by Faceless Theatre and New Celts at theSpace on the Mile, is a compassionate piece of theatre that overcomes some peculiarities with assured direction and performances.
The Hypochondriac
★★★★★ Theatrical medicine
The Hypochondriac from Rebrand Theatre and New Celts at theSpace on the Mile is a comic triumph. Intelligently adapted and acted by a company bursting with comic potential, it is hugely entertaining, resolutely theatrical and recommended without hesitation.
Angelshark
★★★★☆ Considered
Blue Dot Theatre and New Celts’ Angelshark, by Annie White, at theSpace on the Mile is a clever and polished piece that does not shout about its values but has real heart.
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