Theatre Reviews & More

Scottish elections prove one thing more than anything else – what Scotland thinks of itself. We aren’t just voting for what we would like to see, but what we think best reflects the character of the country, deep down. The same question arises for Scottish performances that go to the Fringe. So many want to differentiate themselves from the international, but mainly the English, performances that dominate the major venues. Ironically, many end up trying too hard and creating

This Play, More Than Any Other, Will Make You Question Your Carbon. Some people will baulk at the concept of The Trials, but they shouldn’t. Dawn King’s new play, directed by Joanna Bowman, imagines a future in which the climate crisis has wreaked havoc. There are floods, fires, limited resources – and now those with the biggest carbon footprints must answer for their crimes. The jury is composed of teenagers, who must decide the fate of the grown-ups. So, yes, not everyone w

Breaks no ground but pleases the crowd: Air travel has experienced a comedic resurgence of late. 90's sitcom The High Life is returning as a musical next year, airport manager and reality star Jane Boulton has been enjoying her (second) fifteen minutes of fame, and a soundbite from a certain airline has dominated social media this summer. Fresh !nk Theatre’s two-hander comedy Cabin Fever sees performers Aurelia Harris-Johnstone and Beth Miles switch between several different

Someone old, someone new in Australian queer drama: When I say I want queer romance, I don’t just mean I want a romance that happens to be queer. When I say I want queer romance, I don’t mean that I want a formulaic narrative with a couple of traumatic backstories and obstacles thrown in. When I say I want queer romance, I don’t mean that ending on a simple “love is love” message is enough for me, not in 2025. What I mean is that I want queer romance that is as messy as the e

A ruinous reimaging of Orwell’s world: For all the merits of George Orwell’s seminal dystopian novel 1984, it has one major flaw: Julia. Lover and partner-in-crime to protagonist Winston, she is defined as much by her lust as she is by her rebellion. Her entire sexual liberation is a protest against the establishment, rather than for her own gratification. Julia. 1984, a newly written piece from British-Slavic company Within Theatre, has the opportunity to change that – to gi

Escape room drama with untapped potential: If you have ever participated in an escape room, then you know that they aren't typically playful. They can be stressful, divisive, and even euphoric, but rarely playful, and that is especially true for the two siblings in Erin Boulter’s Play On. Ash (Boulter) and Lea (Rebekka Pewterbaw) have barely left their mother’s funeral when they are told that to find their mother’s will, they must complete an escape room, one which is full of

Bright imaginations in a bleak world A common question about family theatre is what differentiates it from children’s theatre. It is a...

Sorrowful solo performance stays in the shallows If this were just a show about learning to swim at the age of thirty, that would be...

Mud-splattered mayhem and misogyny Edinburgh locals like to complain about the Fringe and the chaos it brings to the city, but of all...

A love of wrestling and a wrestle with love: The lights go down, the iconic “Undertaker” theme begins to chime, and around thirty...