Hill Street Theatre
Cyrano de Bergerac
★★★★☆ Unexpectedly touching
There is an almost wilfully uneven quality to Arkle’s Cyrano de Bergerac at the Hill Street Theatre, but – eschewing much of the heroic bombast that is usually associated with the play – it manages to be convincing and affecting.
Wallace
★★★☆☆ Raw
Edinburgh Little Theatre’s Wallace is a conscious attempt to stir the blood by celebrating a figure from Scottish history.
The Grandfathers
★★★★☆ Intense
Exploring the rather heavy theme of enforced national conscription, Reconnect Regal Theatre’s production of Rory Mullarkey’s 2013 play The Grandfathers is surprisingly entertaining.
Ordinary Days
★★★☆☆ Big music
Edinburgh Little Theatre’s Ordinary Days at Hill Street is a well performed and tuneful production.
Alfie and George
★★★☆☆ Last curtain
If the ghost of Samuel Beckett was invited to return from the grave to write an episode of Inside No.9 he might have come up with a similar idea to the one used for Alfie and George at Hill Street Theatre.
The Court
★★★☆☆ Interactive
In another of those open-ended court cases where the verdict is up for grabs, Edinburgh Little Theatre’s The Court provides a thought-provoking, carefully constructed hour.
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.
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.
