Rob Mackean
Arkle and Out
End of an era as Arkle calls time
This Fringe sees the end of an era among Edinburgh’s amateur companies, when the unique Arkle Theatre Company drops the curtain on its final production, at the Royal Scots Club on Abercromby Place.
The Kelpie, the Loch and the Water of Life
★★★☆☆ Radio fun
Arkle’s The Kelpie, the Loch and the Water of Life is an ideal mid-afternoon diversion for the last week of the Fringe.
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.
The Curious Case of Osgood Mackenzie
★★★☆☆ Unusual staging
The Curious Case of Osgood Mackenzie, from Arkle at the Royal Scots Club, is a well researched slice of Scottish history, presented in a way that has genuine novelty.
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.
Silent Night
★★★★☆ Warming
Silent Night, from Arkle at the Royal Scots Club for one week only, is a cheering and beautifully assembled production.
The Taming of the Shrew
★★★☆☆ Uneven updating:
Arkle’s take on The Taming of the Shrew is a largely successful attempt to make relevant one of Shakespeare’s plays that is most troubling to modern audiences.
The Fair Intellectual Club
★★★★☆ Hysterical resonance:
Arkle’s take on The Fair Intellectual Club is a beautifully performed, extremely funny piece of theatre.
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