Becky Minto

Ulster American
★★★★☆ Hard Hitting:
Trailing clouds of glory from 2018, David Ireland’s Ulster American has returned to the Traverse with a bang. If it is not quite as good as some have said, it is still impressive – and certainly is impressively nasty.

The Last Bordello
★★★★☆ Sharp:
There is nothing straightforward about David Leddy’s The Last Bordello for his Fire Exit company, which is at the Traverse to Saturday.

How to Disappear
★★★☆☆ Troubling comedy:
Morna Pearson’s new play How to Disappear, which is this year’s ‘alternative’ Traverse Christmas entertainment, definitely has its heart in the right place.

Leddy’s Bordello Edinburgh Bound
David Leddy’s “biggest ever” show to play Traverse in Feb
Fire Exit, the company run by innovative Glasgow theatre maker David Leddy, has announced dates for its biggest production to date, The Last Bordello, which will play the Traverse in February 2018.

Velvet Evening Seance
★★★★☆ Mesmerising:
High production values and a compelling narrative make Ross MacKay and Suzie Miller’s atmospheric Victorian mystery, Velvet Evening Séance, a suitably haunting experience.

Out of This World
★★★☆☆ Thrilling spectacle:
Visually stunning yet lacking in substance, Out of This World at the Festival Theatre is an exhilarating fusion of theatre and film that doesn’t quite deliver.

The Broons
★★★★☆ Cheery:
Loud, hugely enjoyable and instantly recognisable, The Broons, playing the King’s to Saturday, is every bit as much fun as you would hope.

International Waters
★★★☆☆ Choppy seas:
There are enough ideas in David Leddy’s International Waters for several plays. However, this particular one, while intelligent and energetic, does not always convince.

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
★★★★☆ Charming:
Magic, awe and charm are all offered in abundance at The Lyceum’s Christmas production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, showing until 3 January.