John McLinden

Making History by Stephen Fry
★★★★☆ Lovingly assembled
There is a great deal of attention lavished on Making History by Stephen Fry from Edinburgh Theatre Arts at St Ninian’s Hall. The result is an absorbing one.

SCDA One Acts – Friday
Strong opening trio
The Edinburgh district round of the 2023 SCDA One Act Play Festival got of to a strong start up at the Church Hill Theatre on Friday night with a trio of plays that demonstrated the versatility of the competing amateur companies and the quality of their actors.

Nell Gwynn
★★★★☆ Cheerful
Nell Gwynn, presented by Edinburgh Theatre Arts at St Ninian’s, is a hugely enjoyable romp, presented by an enviably well-drilled cast.

The Front Page
★★★★☆ Extreme energy:
There is more nervous energy in Edinburg Theatre Arts’ The Front Page at St Ninian’s Hall than in five average Fringe productions, and the result is very pleasing.

Improbable Fiction
★★★★☆ Varieties of fun:
Edinburgh Theatre Arts are not the only group presenting Alan Ayckbourn this year. While other productions may be more high-profile, it is unlikely they will be much more fun than this production of Improbable Fiction at St Ninian’s.

Enron
★★★☆☆ Ambitious:
Hugely ambitious, Edinburgh Theatre Arts’ production of Lucy Prebble’s Enron at St Ninian’s is uneven but always intriguing, and gets a lot right.

Primrose pretensions
ETA double bill pricks cultural pretensions:
Edinburgh Theatre Arts are sending up Scottish cultural pretensions this week with a double bill of plays by contemporary playwrights from opposite ends of the spectrum.

Noises Off
✭✭✭✭✩ Not just technically funny:
Impressive on many levels, Edinburgh Theatre Arts’ production of Noises Off produces more than its fair share of laughs.

Tartuffe
★★★★☆ Timelessly funny:
Energetic, well drilled and mining a rich seam of comedy, Edinburgh Theatre Arts’ production of Tartuffe is cleverly staged and particularly enjoyable.

The Hypocrite arrives
Moliere makes a comeback this week at the St Ninian’s church hall, where Edinburgh Theatre Arts are staging Roger McGough’s adaptation of his great comedy Tartuffe.