Greg Holstead
The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee
★★★★☆ Satisfyingly goofy
In The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee, at the RSE Theatre for the final two weeks of the Fringe, Happy Sad Productions attempt to make sense of this quirky musical based on that particularly American Institution – the spelling bee.
Shrek the Musical
★★★★☆ Captivating
Captivate Theatre’s production of Shrek The Musical at The Rose Theatre is a case of young performers being better than their material.
Independence
★★★☆☆ Committed
Independence, from Edinburgh Little Theatre at Hill Street, is a politically-charged piece that takes a few wrong turns but has huge reserves of dedication.
Avenue Q
★★★★☆ Organised chaos
If you are not familiar with Avenue Q, being staged by Edinburgh Little Theatre at Hill Street – a Q virgin – be prepared to be surprised and very amused by Muppet-like hand puppets swearing, acting inappropriately and addressing adult issues head on.
Conflict in Court
★★★★☆ Guilty pleasure
Nicely timed against the backdrop of recent verdicts in the Depp vs Heard trial in the US and the Wagatha Christie trial in the UK, Edinburgh Little Theatre bring Liam Rudden’s well-observed Conflict in Court to Hill Street Theatre for August.
Celebration: Revue 2018
★★★☆☆ Magic in Musselburgh:
The Honest Toun’s am dram clan banishes the winter blues with a production filled with fun and talent in the 2018 version of their annual revue: Celebration.
Spamalot!
★★★★☆ Laugh-out-Loud:
Staged with great exuberance by the Musselburgh Amateur Musical Association, Spamalot! – at the Brunton to Saturday – is an infectiously joyful affair.
MAMA: Revue 2017
★★★★☆ Creature Features:
Musselburgh Amateur Musical Association brings a little bit of magic to the stage at the Brunton Theatre with its 2017 Revue.
