Craig Robertson
Around the World in 80 Days
★★★☆☆ Enjoyable
Arkle’s Around the World in 80 Days, at the Royal Scots Club in Fringe Week Two, is a straightforward piece of family-friendly theatre. Inventive and committed, it has its drawbacks, but is always fun.
How I Learned to Drive
★★★★☆ Difficult
How I Learned to Drive, from Arkle at the Royal Scots Club for the Fringe’s second week, is a challenging piece staged with due care and skill.
Lilies on the Land
★★★★☆ Beautiful drama
Following on from the success of their production of David Haig’s Pressure in April, Arkle Theatre have returned to World War 2 for Lilies on the Land as the early evening Fringe offering.
The Importance of Being Earnest
★★★☆☆ Spirited
Arkle’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest at the Royal Scots Club has a headlong momentum that impresses, even if it is not always ideally suited to the play.
Pressure
★★★★☆ Energetic and intense
David Haig’s Pressure, focusing on two British obsessions: the weather and World War Two, had its world première at the Lyceum in 2014 and is now revived by Arkle at the Hill Street Theatre until Saturday.
Tay Bridge
★★★★☆ Compelling
There is a confidence to the staging and performing of Tay Bridge, from Arkle at the Royal Scots Club for one week, that is thoroughly involving.
Silent Night
★★★★☆ Warming
Silent Night, from Arkle at the Royal Scots Club for one week only, is a cheering and beautifully assembled production.
Catch 22
★★★★☆ Catchy:
As with so many great books, Catch-22 seems to have defied dramatic representation over the years. And while EGTG’s version at the Biscuit Factory does not necessarily kill off such an idea, is still an extremely impressive production.
Sister Act
★★★★★ Nun better:
Tuneful, wonderfully acted and with the comic momentum of a juggernaut, Forth Children’s Theatre’s Sister Act at the Edinburgh Tabernacle is almost unimaginably entertaining.
Jesus Christ Superstar
★★★★★ Divine
Tuneful, committed and utterly enthralling, Forth Children’s Theatre’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar features enough talent on and off stage to make any other Fringe productions green with envy.
