Rapunzel: A Hairy Tale Adventure
The Guardian 22 December 2020 Did Brian Friel ever write a Christmas show? If he did, it might have looked like this one from the National Theatre of Scotland. Responding…
Oh Yes We Are!
The Guardian 14 December 2020 At this time of year, we should spare a thought for the panto characters. Once free to roam our stages each Christmas, they have been…
The Magic of Christmas
The Guardian, 10 December 2020 Elizabeth Newman is the director who wouldn’t give up. Prevented by the pandemic from staging a Christmas show indoors, she opted instead for a promenade…
Lyceum Christmas Tales
The Guardian, 9 Dec 2020 How many ways are there to tell a story? The Lyceum comes close to an answer in this Advent masterclass in narrative technique. In the…
High Man Pen Meander
The Guardian, 8 December 2020 It’s been a long time since we saw the black doors of Glasgow’s Tron theatre swing open. A long time, too, since we caught sight…
Lament for Sheku Bayoh
The Guardian 20 November 2020 ‘It’s not Black Lives Matter,” says one of the characters in Hannah Lavery’s damning new play. “This is Scotland. It’s not the same.” The police…
The Journey
The Guardian 17 Nov 2020 The joy of a magic trick is in the moment. The magician defies the rules of physics and we are astonished. Usually that’s it. Unless…
Deliverance, Brite Theater
The Guardian 16 November 2020 One of the things they teach playwrights is character development. If your hero is the same person at the end of the play as they…
Shades of Tay, Pitlochry Festival Theatre
The Guardian 31 August 2020 YOU can’t fault Pitlochry Festival theatre for industriousness. Under artistic director Elizabeth Newman, the company has channelled its energy into a prodigious online programme during…
Traverse festival, Edinburgh
The Guardian 25 Aug 2020 This the time of year commentators like to weigh in about the big themes on the Edinburgh fringe. The festival is a cultural barometer and,…