Reviews & features: Amy Taylor
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Planet Lem
21 Aug 2012
Sci-fi spectacle is impressive to watch but lacking in story
Based on the science fiction stories of the Polish writer Stanislaw Lem, Teatr Biuro Podrozy’s new outdoor extravaganza, Planet Lem, presents the tale of a nightmarish dystopia, where machines rule people and people are completely reliant on machines…
The Shit / La Merda
17 Aug 2012
Howl of human emotion makes for unforgettable theatre
Raw, touching, intelligent and mesmerising, Cristian Ceresoli’s The Shit is an unforgettable piece of theatre that reveals our universal inner thoughts, fears, desires and memory with almost frightening accuracy. Comprised of a powerful and…
Rubies in the Attic
17 Aug 2012
Inspired and uplifting cabaret-style show
Ancestry, lineage and belonging form the basis of The Ruby Dolls’ Rubies in the Attic, an invigorating and fun piece of theatre. Comprised of music, close harmony singing, puppetry and physical theatre, this show uses each Doll’s family history to chart…
MacBeth in Scots
16 Aug 2012
Dark and unsettling new take on a classic
While referred to as ‘The Scottish Play’ in theatrical circles, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a tale of ruthless ambition and the rise and fall of a tyrant has never been adapted for, or performed in, Scots. Robin Lorimer’s new version, which gives the Bard’s…
Desperately Seeking the Exit
13 Aug 2012
Witty and painfully honest one-man show
The birth, death and resurrection of a jukebox musical form the basis of self-confessed ‘Angloholic’ Peter Michael Marino’s new one-man show, Desperately Seeking the Exit, directed by John Clancy. Chronicling the creation, destruction and resurrection…
Warehouse 364
3 Sep 2009
Clichéd and flat
A case of mistaken identity leads a part time prostitute to the doors of Warehouse 364, a place where ‘good things happen to bad people.’ Clichéd and flat from the very beginning, this piece is let down by its underdeveloped and repetitive plot. This…
Bedtime Stories
3 Sep 2009
A fun tribute to an essential piece of furniture
One double bed and nine darkly comic vignettes form the basis for this show, which has returned to Edinburgh with a brand new cast. A talented team deliver stories as diverse as a stressed bed salesman, to an unbelievably embarrassing one night stand…
Ward No. 6
3 Sep 2009
Entertaining and tragic adaptation of Chekov's work
Chekhov’s classic tale of insanity and ruthless ambition is brought to the stage in this slick and energetic interpretation by DogOrange. Highly physical and original, this adaptation is both entertaining and tragic as the concepts of alienation and the…
The Bone House
27 Aug 2009
No sleep tonight
The cult celebrity of serial killers and the average person’s ability to become one is the subject of this new horror play by Marty Chan that questions our fascination with the macabre. Beginning as an informal lecture by self professed ‘Mind Hunter…
I'll Be Bert
27 Aug 2009
Funny and touching one man show
Hero worship and unwavering loyalty are faithfully remembered in this funny and touching one man show by Bill Cronshaw. Charting his lifelong devotion to Manchester City FC, this piece recalls life in 50s Manchester by focusing on Cronshaw’s childhood…
Cabaret Whore
27 Aug 2009
Sex, revenge and Katie Price
The themes of sex, revenge and Katie Price are just some of the topics tackled in Sarah-Louise Young’s all female cabaret show. Performed with passion from the very beginning, Young’s interchanging characters - Southern belle, socially inept librarian…
Crave
27 Aug 2009
Raw and powerful from the very beginning
Royal Holloway Theatre’s restaging of Sarah Kane’s penultimate play explores four characters disillusioned with life due to excess, abuse and loneliness. Raw and powerful from the very beginning, Kane’s fluid, poetic script dominates a piece that makes…
The One and the Many
26 Aug 2009
Cliched and repetitive philosophical rom-com
An ill-advised trip to a massage parlour leads to the discovery of the mysterious ‘virgin whore of Prague’ in this philosophical rom-com. The concept of a successful virgin prostitute is just one of several twists in a show that attempts to question…
King of the Gypsies
23 Aug 2009
The history of a persecuted people
The headlines and stereotypes surrounding the travelling community are questioned in this piece that squeezes a millennia worth of Romani history into just over one hour. Beginning with the community’s uncertain origins, centuries of persecution…
The Critic
23 Aug 2009
R.B. Sheridan's final farce fails to translate
The absurdity of passing fashions and the constraints of bourgeois society form the basis of R.B Sheridan’s final farce, written in 1779. While parody is still popular, this production, although performed by a young and able cast, is let down by its age…
Bane
23 Aug 2009
Inspired film noir parody
This one man film noir parody follows the eponymous hired hand Bruce Bane, and features live music and realistic sound effects as a classic tale of bloody revenge is played out with impeccable comic timing and unforgettable attention to detail.
52 Man Pickup
23 Aug 2009
Party games and sexual history from Desiree Burch
Party games are combined with a refreshing honesty and unbelievable energy, as acclaimed American comedienne, Desiree Burch, chronicles her complete sexual history in this one woman show. Fast-paced and funny, Burch leaves nothing to the imagination as…
Cry From Underground (Tell Me Your Name)
23 Aug 2009
Dostoyevsky-inspired play plunges the depths of desperation
Themes of alienation and exploitation form the basis of this play, based on Dostoyevsky’s Notes From Underground. Here a disillusioned man and a trafficked prostitute find each other in their search for a better life. Overly long and difficult viewing…
George in the Dragon’s Den
21 Aug 2009
Bringing the Saint into the 21st century
The tale of St George is brought into the 21st century as the eponymous hero becomes an illegal Polish worker and the dragon a greedy banker. Performed entirely in verse, the spoken word dominates and confuses, while attempts at creating a…
Private Peaceful
14 Aug 2009
All’s not fair in love and war
This one-man show, performed by Finn Hanlon and adapted by director Simon Reade from Michael Morpurgo’s novel, questions why over 300 British soldiers were executed for perceived cowardliness or desertion during World War I, through the character of an…
Birthing the Crone: The Crone Chronicles
12 Aug 2009
One-woman show proclaiming the menopause as more than the beginning of old age
Lisa Wilson’s battle with the menopause and a number of unforeseen obstacles come together in this one-woman show that takes a refreshing look at ‘the change’. Intelligently written, and performed with honesty and humility, Wilson takes you on a highly…
Opening Night of the Living Dead
12 Aug 2009
Zombies - not huge fans of amateur dramatics
Shakespeare and Romero form an unholy alliance in this horror/comedy that depicts a zombie attack on an am-dram production of Romeo and Juliet. Fun, but ultimately predictable, with often repetitive chase sequences, this piece goes for giggles instead…
Lotte's Gift
10 Aug 2009
A one-woman show over three generations, with music the main storyteller
Three generations of women and their battles with adversity and heartache through music form the basis of this one woman show starring acclaimed classical guitarist Karin Schaupp. Written by David Williamson the piece combines emotive storytelling with…
Edinburgh Festival Fringe theatre highlights for a fiver
20 Jul 2009
Short of cash but trying to squeeze in as much festival action as physically possible? Fear not! Our inflation-busting guide presents fifty preview shows for a mere five of your Scottish bank notes
