Jen McGregor
Chatterbox
★★★★☆ Gentle humour
Lubna Kerr’s Chatterbox, at the Pleasance Courtyard all Fringe, builds on her difficult experiences of growing up as a child of Muslim heritage in 1970s Scotland.
EAS adds Daytime Actors’ Gym
Morning sessions for Edinburgh Acting School’s acting workout
Edinburgh Acting School’s Actors’ Gym is piloting a new monthly daytime class in addition to its regular Monday evening sessions. The first daytime session will take place on Monday 19 Feb 2024.
The Real William Shakespeare… As Told by Christopher Marlowe
★★★★☆ Full of imagination
There are many debates and conspiracy theories surrounding Shakespeare’s life and work. The Real William Shakespeare… as Told by Christopher Marlowe, from Matchmaker Theatre Productions, pitches into one of those thought-provoking theories with great humour, music and lively performances.
4Play
★★★☆☆ Comedy capers
Comedy is definitely a priority as the four members of Edinburgh playwright collective 4Play bring four pieces of new work to the Traverse stage, much to the delight of a capacity first night audience.
The Masks of Oscar Wilde
★★★★☆ Accomplished
The Masks of Oscar Wilde, from Matchmaker Productions at Greenside @ Riddles Court, is an informative account of Wilde’s life. The play may not be the best structured work imaginable, but this production makes the most of it under difficult circumstances.
Green Knight
★★★★☆ Sensual
Debbie Cannon gives an intimate and transgressive telling of the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in the upper rooms of the Scottish Storytelling Centre until Sunday 14 August.
Outside, Damned Spot
E.A.S. plans al fresco Macbeth at Marchmont St Giles:
Edinburgh Acting School is planning to stage an outdoor production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth at St Giles Churchyard, Marchmont, on Halloween weekend.
Cavalleria Rusticana
★★★★☆ effective:
Edinburgh Studio Opera has followed a path of noire inevitability into the dark heart of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, the tale of a returning soldier, a spurned lover and a vengeful secret told.
Madame George
★★★☆☆ Great chemistry:
Madame George, by award winning playwright Keir McAllister at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose on Chambers Street, is a dark comedy filled with easy laughs that are tinged with a great sadness.
A £97m opportunity
Measured support for £1.57 billion for arts:
The announcement of a £1.57 billion package of support for the art across the UK has been met with near universal acclaim. But is it a lifeline or an opportunity?