Reviews
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.
The Woman in Black
★★★★☆ Still so spooky
The Woman in Black – touring to the King’s yet again this week – retains all of its mysterious power to entrance and terrify.
You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown
★★★☆☆ Surprisingly deep
There’s an unexpected and more than welcome depth to the hearty production of You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown staged by Happy Sad Productions at the Assembly Roxy Upstairs until Sunday.
Looking Good Dead
★★☆☆☆ Unfortunate
Subtle as a bulldozer and only sporadically gripping, Looking Good Dead, which is at the King’s all week, works on one level as undemanding entertainment, but is not exactly guaranteed to have the crowds flocking back to the theatres.
PPP: A New Life (A Mini Musical)
★★★☆☆ Emotional
A New Life (A Mini Musical) at the Traverse every lunchtime this week is certainly not ‘mini’ in its emotional scope or its ambition.
Groan Ups
★★★☆☆ Flat
While there is real energy and commitment in Mischief Theatre’s Groan Ups at the King’s, it is in the service of a script that probably doesn’t deserve such efforts.
PPP: Rose
★★★☆☆ Important
Rose, the latest in the new series of A Play, A Pie and A Pint, produced by Oran Mor in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts and the Traverse, is an involving biographical sporting tale.
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.
History
★★★★★ Outstanding
History by Roy Williams is not only the best so far of the offerings on the Lyceum and Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Sound Stage audio platform, it must also have a claim to be the most essential of all the audio dramas provided by theatres in the last 18 months.
PPP: Celestial Body
★★★★☆ Brooding
The return of A Play, A Pie and A Pint to the Traverse with Morna Pearson’s Celestial Body, which runs to Saturday, is certainly something to celebrate.
