EdFringe 18
The Drowsy Chaperone
★★★★☆ Shout out:
Edinburgh University Savoy Group bring out the comedy in a rousing take on parody musical-within-a-musical The Drowsy Chaperone at Paradise in Augustines.
Antigone na h’Éireann
★★★☆☆ Intriguing modernisation:
Antigone na h’Éireann, by Aulos Productions at Paradise in the Vault, is a reworking of Greek tragedy that has some odd transitions in mood, but hangs together impressively.
Casanova Dreaming
★★☆☆☆ Overly complex:
Arbery Production’s Casanova Dreaming at TheSpace on Niddry Street is a breathless dash through the 18th century that tries to cram enough material for several hours into 50 minutes.
Don Quixote Unbound
★★★★☆ Lucid dreaming:
Michael Daviot’s Don Quixote Unbound at Sweet Grassmarket is a wonderfully involving, enchanting and thought-provoking example of the arts of storytelling and theatre making.
Mouse Music & Anthems
★★★☆☆ Singalong fun:
From Disney to Broadway, Edinburgh Music Theatre pack hit after hit into a pair of fun and entertaining shows at St Andrew’s & St George’s West.
A Fistful of Mondays
★★★★☆ Yee-ha!
Low-key but satisfying, Saughtonhall Drama Group’s A Fistful of Mondays which has a limited run to Saturday is attractively humorous.
Antigone
★★★☆☆ Ancient grudge:
Antigone presented by Amplify Time and New Celts at TheSpace on the Mile, attempts to bring the concerns of Ancient Greece to the contemporary arena. If unresolved tensions in the script mean it is not always successful, this production has considerable vitality and nerve.
Mairi Campbell: Auld Lang Syne
★★★★☆ Resonantly musical:
Tuneful and beautifully open-hearted, Mairi Campbell: Auld Lang Syne deserves the widest possible audience. This is a follow-up to singer and violist Campbell’s first solo theatre show, the acclaimed Pulse.
Skirt
★★★★☆ Challenging stereotypes:
Can women really have it all? is the question on everyone’s minds in Skirt, Claire Wood’s thought-provoking play for the Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Company at the Royal Scots Club.
Nitro
★★★☆☆ Farcically tense:
Nitro by Glass Knuckles and New Celts at theSpace on the Mile may never live up to the explosive promise of its title, but has an energy and vigour that covers its faults effectively.
