Phil Barnes
Mary is first act of Union
New company Union Theatre announces first production
Union Theatre, a new Edinburgh-based independent theatre company, operating in the amateur sphere was on Friday 13 March 2026, and announced that its first production will be the Scottish premiere of Mary, by Rona Munro.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
★★★★☆ Dreamy
Arkle’s presentation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Royal Scots Club for the Fringe’s second week is an extremely impressive, thoroughly enjoyable affair.
Around the World in 80 Days
★★★☆☆ Enjoyable
Arkle’s Around the World in 80 Days, at the Royal Scots Club in Fringe Week Two, is a straightforward piece of family-friendly theatre. Inventive and committed, it has its drawbacks, but is always fun.
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.
Arkle nose what’s up
Arkle sniffs out Maxwell adaptation of Cyrano for Spring show
Edinburgh’s Arkle Theatre bring Edmond Rostand’s swashbuckling 1897 tale of panache, poetry, romance and a prominent proboscis Cyrano de Bergerac, to the Hill Street theatre next week.
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.
The Venetian Twins
★★★★☆ Finest farce
Two years after they were meant to be bringing The Venetian Twins to Hill Street Theatre, Arkle Theatre Company’s production of Tony Cowie’s adaptation of the play finally made it to the theatre on Wednesday night. It was well worth the wait.
A Double on Hill Street
Arkle to bring Venetian Twins to Hill Street
Audiences at the Hill Street Theatre will be seeing double at the end of the month when local amateur company Arkle Theatre stages Tony Cownie’s adaptation of Goldoni’s The Venetian Twins.
My Dog’s Got No Nose
★★★☆☆ Old-fashioned
My Dog’s Got No Nose, presented by Phil Barnes for Arkle at the Royal Scots Club, is a well acted piece that manages to sustain considerable interest.
Anorak of Fire
✭✭✭✩✩ Charmingly geeky
There’s a wry humanity in Anorak of Fire, as well as some jokes that are starting to show their age.
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