The Macbeths, the Citizens’ concentrated revision of Macbeth, supplies a charge that is so often missing in versions of the play.
‘Clever & evocative’: ADVENTURES WITH THE PAINTED PEOPLE – Pitlochry Festival Theatre ★★★★★
David Greig’s Adventures with the Painted People is a clever and evocative piece of theatre which is only enhanced both by being the first full theatre production in Scotland since lockdown and by its performance in Pitlochry’s new Covid-secure amphitheatre.
‘Wildly original piece’: HINDU TIMES – Edinburgh Lyceum / Pitlochry Festival Theatre (Online review)
Hindu Times – the latest audio offering from the Lyceum and Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Sound Stage – is a wildly original piece. Although cumbersome at times, it has a raucous energy that is frequently arresting.
‘Flawed but very funny piece’: TENNIS ELBOW – Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh & Pitlochry Festival Theatre (Online review) ★★★★
There is little doubt that a tightened-up version of Tennis Elbow would be better, but the sheer pleasure in language displayed here already goes a very long way.
‘Both extremely topical & utterly timeless’: A SPACE TO BLESS – Queen Jesus Productions (Online review) ★★★★
A Space to Bless, a series of meditations from Queen Jesus Productions filmed in St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, provides much-needed balm for the soul.
‘Economical & punchy’: SMILE – Dundee Rep (Online review)
Smile, Dundee Rep’s football-themed online offering, transfers to the screen to provide a satisfactory record of 2020’s successful play about the legendary Jim McLean.
‘Edifying, surprising & deeply human’: DOPPLER: THE STORY SO FAR – Grid Iron (Online review) ★★★★
Doppler: The Story So Far, a portrait of Grid Iron’s 2020 production of Doppler that never was, is an edifying, surprising and deeply human film.
‘A touching & utterly personal piece of drama’: ANGELA – Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh & Pitlochry Festival Theatre (Online review) ★★★★
A touching and utterly personal piece of drama, Angela by Mark Ravenhill is a fitting first offering in the Lyceum and Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Sound Stage project in association with Naked Productions Ltd.
‘Has all the good cheer you could want in a panto’: RAPUNZEL: THE PANTOMIME – Musselburgh (Online review) ★★★★★
While a live audience is oxygen to panto performers, recorded Rapunzel at the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh is a triumph, and placing the trials of 2020 the heart of this retelling of this well-loved tale makes perfect sense.
‘Suffused with goodwill, invention, care & Christmas cheer’: Lyceum Christmas Tales Live – Edinburgh (Online review) ★★★★
Lyceum Christmas Tales may have been born out of necessity, but the whole enterprise has taken on a beauty and importance of its own.
‘Offers humour, emotion & political impact’: FIBRES – Stellar Quines & Citizens Theatre (Online theatre) ★★★★
Fibres, the online filmed version of the 2019 Citizens and Stellar Quines co-production, offers humour, emotion and political impact.
‘A timeliness & emotional truth’: SHRAPNEL – Production Lines (Online review)
There is a timeliness and emotional truth to Shrapnel, Production Lines’online play by CMFWood, that is enhanced by being presented live.
‘Much to enjoy & explore’: In Someone Else’s Shoes: Edinburgh’s Unexpected Summer (Online review) ★★★★
Someone Else’s Shoes, the Traverse’s immersive online presentation conceived and directed by Hannah Price, is a thought-provoking and wistful evocation of Edinburgh without its festivals.
Visual & audio treats from the Traverse Festival
There is some very promising writing talent on show in the Traverse Festival, and it is done justice both by the standard of performance and production from the venue.
‘A story that needs to be told’: FRAGMENTS OF HOME – Shedinburgh ★★★★
Fragments of Home works both as a theatrical performance and as a film, with Annie George’s performance striking a delicate balance.
‘A poignant reminder of what we are all missing’: GHOST LIGHT ★★★★ (Online review)
With one of the My Light Shines On series of films, Ghost Light provides a poignant reminder of what we are all missing in this fallow year of live performance in Edinburgh during August.
‘There is a real humanity there’: MIRACULOUS – Edinburgh (Online review) ★★★★
In Miraculous, Borderline Theatre Company and the Gaiety Ayr have created a bouncy online version of David F Ross’ comedy caper novel about an Ayrshire band that once had an unexpected number one hit.
‘Actively enhances the intimacy of the original’: THE COOLIDGE EFFECT – Wonder Fools (Online review) ★★★★
Wonder Fools have revived their intriguing two-hander The Coolidge Effect about the insidious effect of pornography, for an audio, lockdown production that actively enhances the intimacy of the original.
NEWS: Edinburgh Fringe receives £1.25 million ‘life raft’ from Scottish Government
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, the charity which oversees the Edinburgh Fringe, has been awarded £249,000 grants and a £1million interest-free loan to help support it through Covid-19 recovery.
‘It has all of the hallmarks of classic Ayckbourn’: ANNO DOMINO – Stephen Joseph Theatre ★★★★ (Online review)
Perfectly pitched: Anno Domino has all of the hallmarks of classic Ayckbourn – razor-sharp observation, subtle skewering of preconceptions, and exploration of murky hidden depths.