A New Life (A Mini Musical) at the Traverse every lunchtime this week is certainly not ‘mini’ in its emotional scope or its ambition.
‘Spine tingling’: CHICAGO – Edinburgh Playhouse (UK Tour) ★★★★
Chicago’s tale of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery whispers back into the Edinburgh Playhouse with a thrum of double bass, a twitching off-beat on the drums and a haunting moan of muted trumpet.
‘Crisp, intelligent & thoroughly rewarding’: FEAR OF ROSES – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★
Fear of Roses, by Black Bat Productions at Assembly Roxy, is a crisp, intelligent and thoroughly rewarding three-hander.
‘Wonderfully tuneful affair’: A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING – Edinburgh International Festival
A Grand Night For Singing as part of the Edinburgh International Festival is done with such grace and skill that it is difficult to feel much but warmth towards it.
‘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.
‘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.
‘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.
‘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.
‘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.
‘A devastating moment for our industry’: Edinburgh’s Lyceum Theatre in hibernation
Edinburgh’s Lyceum Theatre has entered a period of “hibernation” as a building-based producing theatre, postponing all 2020 shows and entering into negotiations with all staff over redundancies.
‘Does exactly what it says on the tin’: CIRQUE BERSERK – Touring ★★★
Newbury-based circus company Cirque Berserk! appears at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre as part of its 2020 tour. The company brands itself as ‘Real Circus made for Theatre’ and it does exactly what it says on the tin.
‘Funny, heart-warming & joyous show’: EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE – Touring ★★★★
A real joy to watch from start to finish. the story behind Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is one of courage against adversity, but one that is full of humour and love too.
‘Surprising & endlessly entertaining affair’: PRIDE & PREJUDICE* (*SORT OF) – Touring ★★★★
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) has a superbly wide frame of reference, and which is thought-provoking as well as being sheer good fun.