Reviews & features: Theatre
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5 star shows
Les Naufragés du Fol Espoir (Aurores)
(24 Aug 2012)
Théâtre du Soleil's debut production at the Edinburgh International Festival is a coup de théâtre- Bigmouth (20 Aug 2012)
Enthralling roller-coaster through history and its (in)humanity by Valentijn Dhaenens - Mies Julie (20 Aug 2012)
Essential adaptation of Strindberg’s classic - Monkey Bars (20 Aug 2012)
Kids say the profoundest things - Songs of Lear (17 Aug 2012)
A sublime version of the Bard’s tragedy, in its purest form - Mark Thomas: Bravo Figaro! (10 Aug 2012)
An operatic voyage around his father - The Trench (6 Aug 2012)
Pitch-perfect evocation of the theatre of war
Les Naufragés du Fol Espoir (Aurores)
4 star shows
- Grit
(24 Aug 2012)
Powerful and quietly moving depiction of children in conflict - Seeing Double: Figures (24 Aug 2012)
High concept two-pronged show is the perfect slice of Fringe fun - Macbeth on Inchcolm Island (23 Aug 2012)
Production transcends limitations through spectacular and unique location - The Rape of Lucrece (23 Aug 2012)
Bold interpretation of Shakespeare's poem from Edinburgh favourite Camille O'Sullivan - Daniel Kitson: As of 1.52 GMT on Friday April 27th 2012 , This Show Has No Title (22 Aug 2012)
Stand-up playwright returns with meta-play monologue - Return of the Close Up Magician (22 Aug 2012)
Phenomenal close-hand tricks from a consummate performer - Tam O’Shanter (22 Aug 2012)
Earthy, energetic riff on Burns’ masterpiece - Beats (20 Aug 2012)
Tremendous recreation of rave culture - Gulliver's Travels (19 Aug 2012)
Savage and funny adaptation of Swift’s satire - Waiting for Stanley (17 Aug 2012)
Keep calm and carry on clowning - The Shit / La Merda (17 Aug 2012)
Howl of human emotion makes for unforgettable theatre - Newland (17 Aug 2012)
Funny and intelligent jazz-inflected Western - Othello – The Remix (17 Aug 2012)
Energetic reimagining of the Moor of Venice - Perle (17 Aug 2012)
Gem of a show exploring grief and loss - Rubies in the Attic (17 Aug 2012)
Inspired and uplifting cabaret-style show - Oh, the Humanity and Other Good Intentions (17 Aug 2012)
Marvellous quintet of short plays with excellent performances - (remor) (17 Aug 2012)
Potent micro-theatre probes a couple’s break up - Rémy (16 Aug 2012)
Vivid Napoleonic re-imagining written and performed by talented Claire Gaydon - Hand Over Fist (15 Aug 2012)
Beautifully textured monologue about lost love and Alzheimer’s - And the Girls in Their Sunday Dresses (15 Aug 2012)
This post-Apartheid era Zakes Mda adaptation has universal resonance - Peter Straker’s Brel (15 Aug 2012)
Belgian chanteur Brel’s life explored in song, costumes and storytelling - 2008: Macbeth (14 Aug 2012)
Theatre of war re-imagined for the 21st century - Educating Ronnie (14 Aug 2012)
Compelling true-life fable engagingly told - Caesarian Section – Essays on Suicide (14 Aug 2012)
Polish company grapples with deeply human emotion elegantly and sensitively - Desperately Seeking the Exit (13 Aug 2012)
Witty and painfully honest one-man show - The List (13 Aug 2012)
Maureen Beattie delivers this bleakly poignant dramatic monologue from Stellar Quines - Waiting for Orestes: Electra (12 Aug 2012)
Visually and aurally striking adaptation of Euripides’ Electra from Tadashi Suzuki - Thread (11 Aug 2012)
Poignant site-specific evocation of life and loss - Boy in a Dress (10 Aug 2012)
Thought-provoking and fabulous drag-related cabaret - It’s So Nice (10 Aug 2012)
Irreverent and beguiling history play - Knee Deep (10 Aug 2012)
Redfining the meaning of headstand - And No More Shall We Part (10 Aug 2012)
Deeply affecting contemplation of voluntary euthanasia - The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean (10 Aug 2012)
Rediscovering the beauty of scrapbooks - After the Rainfall (8 Aug 2012)
Ambitious multi-layered show that bears repeat viewing - Oliver Reed: Wild Thing (8 Aug 2012)
Rob Crouch paints a blazing theatrical portrait of the renowned boozer - Bottleneck (7 Aug 2012)
Haunting, horrifying tale, brought to life by vivid writing - The Letter of Last Resort / Good With People (7 Aug 2012)
Double bill of short dramas that push the nuclear button - Rock (7 Aug 2012)
Rabid account of US punk movement from one man and a cellist - The Barwell Prophecy (7 Aug 2012)
Insidiously effective late-night horror with talented young cast - All That is Wrong (7 Aug 2012)
Restrained, compelling piece from provocative Belgian company - The Beast (7 Aug 2012)
With uke and loop pedal Bowden commands a spellbound crowd - Mr Carmen (7 Aug 2012)
Carmen pursuit becomes game of theatrical graffiti in stunning adaptation - The Blind (7 Aug 2012)
Stunningly powerful outdoors multimedia spectacle - 1984 (6 Aug 2012)
EmpathEyes Theatre's slick, sexy and terrifying adaptation of Orwell’s dystopian tale - Bullet Catch (6 Aug 2012)
Nerve-shredding re-enactment of the riskiest stunt of all - Just A Gigolo (6 Aug 2012)
A literate, bawdy, touching production about Lady Chatterlerly's real lover - Shit-Faced Shakespeare (6 Aug 2012)
A gut-busting hour of rowdy theatre with the odd moment of discomfort - Chapel Street (6 Aug 2012)
Snappy double monologue delivered with panache - Would Be Nice Though... (6 Aug 2012)
Interactive show that skewers the job interviews process - The Boat Factory (4 Aug 2012)
Poignant, moving evocation of a lost way of life
3 star shows
- The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs
(28 Aug 2012)
Powerful but rather static monologue - The Idiot at the Wall (28 Aug 2012)
Promising debut from English/Gaelic company - Unmythable (28 Aug 2012)
Infectiously energetic trio enthralls kids and adults alike in hour-long sprint through classical my - Comedian Dies in the Middle of Joke (22 Aug 2012)
Unusual Fringe play in which the comedian keeps on dying - Miriam Margolyes - Dickens' Women (22 Aug 2012)
Appealing biographical show in the company of a true pro - Planet Lem (21 Aug 2012)
Sci-fi spectacle is impressive to watch but lacking in story - Love Letters to the Public Transport System (21 Aug 2012)
Life-affirming monologue celebrates society’s unsung heroes - Wuthering Heights (20 Aug 2012)
Emily Brontë adaptation by young Cardiff players is a praiseworthy production - And They Played Shang-a-Lang (20 Aug 2012)
Bay City Rollers jukebox musical is boisterous good fun - An Appointment with the Wicker Man (19 Aug 2012)
A populist comedy success from Greg Hemphill, Donald McLeary and Vicky Featherstone - Angels (19 Aug 2012)
Powerful monologue with a stunning central performance - How to Start a Riot (19 Aug 2012)
Nifty political piece that fizzes with questions and ideas - The Golden Cowpat (17 Aug 2012)
Lo-fi Jackanory with ukulele-to-blues soundscape - Dracula: Sex, Sucking and Stardom (17 Aug 2012)
A thoroughly camp vamp - Clinton The Musical (17 Aug 2012)
Ex-president inspires high-energy, catchy musical from talented ensemble - The Council of the Ordinary (17 Aug 2012)
B-Boying takes a turn towards the dark side - As Ye Sow (17 Aug 2012)
Strong performances and mounting tension in well-conceived ghost story - Circus in Hand (17 Aug 2012)
Hand made circus puppetry with a human touch - Good Grief (17 Aug 2012)
Meandering musical hour of delightful schadenfreude - Confessions of a Grindr Addict (16 Aug 2012)
Conspiratorial reminiscences and anecdotes make up this compelling take on dating in the modern age - The Fantasist (16 Aug 2012)
Imaginative treatment of mental health - Strong Arm (16 Aug 2012)
Thought-provoking look at transformation and self-betterment - MacBeth in Scots (16 Aug 2012)
Dark and unsettling new take on a classic - Meine faire Dame - ein Sprachlabor (16 Aug 2012)
Radical reimagining of Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady gives much food for thought - Call Me! (15 Aug 2012)
Accurate and amusing portrait of dating in the modern world - My Elevator Days (15 Aug 2012)
Gentle play about old age and identity never loses sight of harsh reality - Panning for Gold (14 Aug 2012)
Well-conceived, simply staged play dealing with emotional trauma has fittingly dramatic climax - Educating Rita (13 Aug 2012)
Polished but too safe version of the popular classic - Flâneurs (13 Aug 2012)
A walk on Edinburgh’s wild side - Inheritance Blues (13 Aug 2012)
Devised comedy based around blues cover band almost hits the mark - Thin Ice (13 Aug 2012)
Theatrical brain feast that holds the attention span - Through the Looking Screen (13 Aug 2012)
A black tale of loneliness and log-ins - Mess (12 Aug 2012)
Catherine Horton's play about anorexia is a modest, self-conscious three-hander - Watt (12 Aug 2012)
Gate Theatre's Beckett adaptation largely fails to illuminate - Lapin Wants Ice Cream (11 Aug 2012)
Puppets on the beach à la Française - Best in the World (10 Aug 2012)
Uplifting darts drama hits the target - Morning (10 Aug 2012)
Play for teenagers exerts a certain painful fascination - Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales (10 Aug 2012)
Julia Donaldson over-kill - Treasure Island (10 Aug 2012)
Comedy on the seven seas - Wojtek the Bear (10 Aug 2012)
Fascinating real-life bear drama is worth a look - Africa Calling (10 Aug 2012)
Song, dance and drumming from Grassroots of Zimbabwe - Machines for Living (10 Aug 2012)
Perky, admirable Fringe debut from promising young company - My Robot Heart (10 Aug 2012)
Stylish, likeable one-woman show with live band - The Static (10 Aug 2012)
Compelling school drama with a strong cast - Turn of the Screw (10 Aug 2012)
Hand-carved puppets in assured adaptation of Henry James thriller - Hearts on Fire (9 Aug 2012)
Immersive recreation of 2009 sweat lodge deaths - Night of the Big Wind (9 Aug 2012)
Touching show set in an Irish fishing village, ambitiously told - Teach Me (9 Aug 2012)
Touching comedy from Edinburgh-based young company - Midnight at the Boar’s Head (9 Aug 2012)
Shakespeare's characters meet and clash in a folksy pub setting - Irreconcilable Differences (8 Aug 2012)
Car crash drama is punchy and heartfelt if ultimately rather hackneyed - NOLA (8 Aug 2012)
Underwhelming take on the 2010 BP oil spill - The Prize (8 Aug 2012)
Steve Gilroy and Richard Stockwell's latest not quite living the Olympic dream - Maurice's Jubilee (8 Aug 2012)
Softly charming piece that doesn’t quite set the heart alight - The Price of Everything (8 Aug 2012)
Entertaining vision of a society built on kindness, by Daniel Bye - You Obviously Know What I’m Talking About (8 Aug 2012)
Intelligent comic theatre about obsessive-compulsive nerd is surprisingly good - Rime (8 Aug 2012)
Square Peg astonish with daring and precision in riveting Coleridge circus - Petya and the Wolf (7 Aug 2012)
Childlike in chaotic naiivety but enough depth to entertain all - Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act (7 Aug 2012)
Eloquent but dispassionate production of poetic apartheid drama - Still Life: An Audience With Henrietta Moraes (7 Aug 2012)
Immersive monologue-cum-life-drawing-class - Watch it! (7 Aug 2012)
Small-screen addiction writ large with dance, theatre and visual trickery - Mephisto Waltz (7 Aug 2012)
Derevo's surreal show of devil pact is success but lacks emotional tie-in - Blink (7 Aug 2012)
Web romance drama tingles magnificently before swerving into cliché - Eat $hit: How Our Waste Can Save the World (7 Aug 2012)
A(n extremely odd) musical with an infectious message - Slice (7 Aug 2012)
Mel Giedroyc's debut is a bittersweet lunchtime treat - Life is Too Good to Be True (6 Aug 2012)
Not quite the whole truth from show examining Stephen Glass, Barbara Ehrenreich and Lady Gaga - Golden Gloves (6 Aug 2012)
Messy if hugely entertaining boxing show - Jigsy (6 Aug 2012)
Nostalgic yet brave tale of a comedian past his prime, starring Les Dennis - Ma Biche et Mon Lapin (6 Aug 2012)
A quirky French comedy from Collectif Aie Aie Aie - Serve Cold (5 Aug 2012)
A nasty dramatic thriller with a patchy script - A Clockwork Orange (4 Aug 2012)
Stylish, shocking, all-male adaptation of Anthony Burgess' classic novel - Breathing Corpses (4 Aug 2012)
Promising exploration of death from Exeter University Theatre Company - Kin (4 Aug 2012)
Heartfelt exploration of motherhood starring Donna Rutherford - Miss Havisham’s Expectations (4 Aug 2012)
Linda Marlowe deconstructs Dickens’ jilted bride - Monstrous Acts (4 Aug 2012)
Bluebeard inspires 15th century prison romance - Nothing is Really Difficult (4 Aug 2012)
None-more-Fringe physical theatre performance - Superjohn (4 Aug 2012)
Plucky superhero fights for survival in sensitively-portrayed kids' theatre show - Kemble’s Riot (2 Aug 2012)
Political intrigue with superbly engaging performance from Richard Hansell
2 star shows
- Wonderland
(30 Aug 2012)
Vanishing Point investigation into dark erotic fantasies and internet porn is a huge disappointment - A Midsummer Night’s Dream (21 Aug 2012)
Shakespeare adaptation barely scratches the surface of the play’s comic potential - Uninvited (20 Aug 2012)
Ambitious production fails to spring to life - Rainbow (17 Aug 2012)
Overwrought, overwritten trio of monologues - Simple Matters (16 Aug 2012)
Clowning around becomes a comedy of errors despite clear talent - I Shall be Remembered – The Story of Madame de Pompadour (14 Aug 2012)
All that glitters is not gold in one-dimensional take on a fascinating figure - Executive Stress/Corporate Retreat (13 Aug 2012)
Interactive corporate satire is an embarrassing affair - Death Boogie (10 Aug 2012)
Political hip hop poetry musical is all sound and fury - Blake’s Doors (10 Aug 2012)
Existential grappling that overreaches its capabilities - Captain Ko and the Planet of Rice (9 Aug 2012)
Sci-fi triptych scuttled by a slow pace and repetition - Lingua Frank (9 Aug 2012)
Grindingly obvious comedy with lame jokes fails talented cast - People Like Us (9 Aug 2012)
An A-grade for effort, but sadly Savage Theatre fails to hit the spot - Belt Up Theatre’s A Little Princess (9 Aug 2012)
Unengaging adaptation of a timeworn classic - Bound (8 Aug 2012)
Anarchic trip to California derails early on - Nggrfg (8 Aug 2012)
Stereotypically confessional coming-of-age tale - Half A Person: My Life as Told by the Smiths (7 Aug 2012)
A fair performance let down by clichéd, unimaginative writing - I, Tommy (7 Aug 2012)
Sex, socialism and sub-standard comedy in this play about the (in)famous Sheridan - Peter Panic (7 Aug 2012)
Dystopian Peter Pan fails to inspire an emotional response - We Are Chechens! (7 Aug 2012)
Impassioned but incoherent drama about Chechnyan disaster - Dubrovski (6 Aug 2012)
Ambitious adaptation that’s let down by the fundamentals - The Girl With No Heart (6 Aug 2012)
Children's storybook on loss of innocence fails to come to life - The Half (6 Aug 2012)
Backstage one-man Hamlet is a cliché-ridden indulgence - Re-Animator: The Musical (6 Aug 2012)
Sloppy horror with dismembered plot - Shopping Centre by Matthew Osborn (5 Aug 2012)
Harrowing dissection of everything that’s wrong with society - Wrong Place, Right Time (4 Aug 2012)
Generation X drama that’s heavy on the clichés
