NTS
Lear
★★★★★ Magnificent
Lear by Ramesh Meyyappan at the Traverse is a stunning piece of work – raw and delicate, disciplined and chaotic, frightening and beautiful.
Through the Shortbread Tin
★★★★☆ Charismatic and witty
Through the Shortbread Tin, written and performed by Martin O’Connor, is a captivating exploration of Scottish identity, history, myth and the truth.
The Fifth Step (EIF)
★★★☆☆ Diffuse
The National Theatre of Scotland’s The Fifth Step at the Lyceum as part of the International Festival is a keenly observed and notably well acted piece that nevertheless lacks sustained impact.
Book Festival 2024 round-up 1
Paul Bright re-excavated, Perambulations of a Justified Sinner, Lone Tree
The Edinburgh International Book Festival has moved home again for 2024, to its new (permanent) home at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, part of the Quartermile development at the old Infirmary.
Dear Billy
★★★★☆ Devotional
Gary McNair presents a remount of the National Theatre of Scotland’s Dear Billy, A Love Letter to the Big Yin at the Assembly Rooms on George Street for a ten date run at the fringe.
Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning
★★★★☆ Angry
You can’t keep a good vampire down for long, and the story of Dracula keeps coming back to the stage, with its depictions of transgressive behaviour making it a constant candidate for reinvention.
Dear Billy
★★★★★ Joyous
Everyone has a Billy Connolly story. Ask around on any Scottish High Street, and folk will have a story about the Big Yin. Which is both the premiss and the promise of Dear Billy, at the Traverse for three nights only.
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – Live at Leith Theatre
★★★☆☆ Mixed bag
There is much to recommend in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – Live at Leith Theatre, which is due to be live-streamed into cinemas on Sunday 27 with as-live screenings on March 6.
NTS go hybrid in Leith
Hybrid Jekyll and Hyde for Leith Theatre
A hybrid production of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is to be staged by the National Theatre of Scotland in Leith Theatre in February 2022, with live-streaming to cinemas and an edited version on Sky Arts in 2023.
Rapunzel – A Hairy Tale Adventure
★★★☆☆Festive fun:
The National Theatre of Scotland’s Rapunzel is full of enjoyment and impressive performances. Although it never quite stakes its claim as a compelling work in its own right, there is plenty to satisfy those missing their annual helping of seasonal entertainment.
