Blythe Duff
Wild Rose
★★★★★ Triumphant
New musical Wild Rose is the last show of David Greig’s eight years as Artistic Director of the Lyceum and it is an absolute triumph.
Escaped Alone
★★★★☆ Environmental dystopia
Following its Scottish premiere at The Tron earlier this month Escaped Alone, Caryl Churchill’s dystopian play that had its UK premiere at the Royal Court in 2016, comes to the Traverse for five performances only.
James IV – Queen of The Fight
★★★★☆ Resonant
James IV – Queen of The Fight at the Festival Theatre until Saturday and then on tour, is epic in scope and highly satisfying.
Grain In The Blood
★★★☆☆ Well performed:
Strong performances and notably high production values distinguish Grain In The Blood at the Traverse, but an initially chilling ambience is not sustained.
The James Plays
The James Plays Trilogy: ★★★★☆
Eighteen months after their first outing, the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of the James Plays trilogy remains a theatrical event worth anybody’s time and money.
The James Plays – An Overview
★★★★☆ Event theatre
The confidence, skill and sheer brass neck demonstrated in The James Plays mean that any drawbacks in individual parts are submerged in the feeling that this is an Event with a capital E. Not just in theatrical terms – although goodness knows they qualify on that score – but possibly culturally and historically too.
James III: The True Mirror
★★★★☆ Humorously anachronistic
Cheerfully modern – and far more upbeat than its ostensibly tragic material would have suggested – James III: The True Mirror provides an energetic, occasionally puzzling conclusion to The James Plays.
James II: Day of the Innocents
★★★☆☆ Chilling
There’s a chilling tone to much of James II: Day of The Innocents. Quieter and more brooding than the plays which bookend it, it provides a necessary contrast, but is the least impressive of the three on its own terms.
James I: The Key Will Keep the Lock
★★★★☆ Historic
The high energy and dramatic power of James I: The Key Will Keep the Lock brings history into sharp focus and provides a fitting start to Rona Munro’s trilogy: the James Plays.
Review – Ciara
A towering performance by Blythe Duff marks out the Traverse’s revival of their Edinburgh fringe hit Ciara, which plays until the 21st.
