Suzanne O’Brien
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.
Heaven
★★★★☆ Compelling performances
Heaven, by Eugene O’Brien at the Traverse until Saturday, is a fascinating exploration of human desires which strikes a delicate balance between humour and heartache.
Capture the Flag!
★★★☆☆ Good fun
Capture the Flag! follows a group of fast-food workers on a mandatory company retreat where tensions build and relationships are tested. The Napier Drama Society’s Winter Show at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, is a light-hearted satire filled with workplace drama and absurdity.
Hairspray
★★★★☆ Sparkling
With all the vibrant colours of the rainbow, Hairspray at the Edinburgh Playhouse delivers hit after hit, taking the audience in with its high energy and dazzling performances.
Blood Brothers
★★★★☆ Captivating
Written by Willy Russell, Blood Brothers at the Edinburgh Playhouse all week and returning to the Glasgow King’s in October, is a compelling tale filled with moving performances.
In the Round
★★★★☆ Enthralling
In the Round by Yucca Dance at Greenside on George Street for the last week of the Fringe is a captivating exploration of the circles and cycles that shape our lives.
PALS
★★★★☆ Unstoppable
Filled with banter and the odd Gaelic phrase, PALS at the Gilded Balloon Patter House is a brilliant adventure-comedy that will have you laughing one minute and holding back tears the next.
The Grandmothers Grimm
★★★★☆ Hallowe’en treat
Some Kind of Theatre’s bold feminist drama The Grandmothers Grimm explores the role of women in the creation of the Brothers Grimm’s famous anthology and acknowledges the unknown voices behind the tales.
Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet
★★★★☆ Radical and inventive
Matthew Bourne’s radical reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet for his New Adventures company, creates a ballet about the powerless and the powerful which highlights the madness of young love and the crazy things it forces us to do.
Mark Twain’s The Stolen White Elephant
★★★☆☆ Absurd
Performed by Andy Dickinson, this version of Mark Twain’s absurd short story The Stolen White Elephant changes the original setting of New Jersey to Manchester. It’s amusing, satirical and totally bizarre.
