Distance Remaining
The Guardian 14 April 2021 Like the virus itself, online theatre has come in waves. For much of its 75-minute duration, Stewart Melton’s play seems to belong to the first…
Meet Jan Black
The Guardian, 2 April 2021 What will audiences want after the pandemic? Will it be daft comedies by Noël Coward? Or will they have an appetite for Pulitzer-winning cancer dramas…
Leith takes centre stage in new audio plays series
The Scotsman 31 March 2021 When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March 2020, many theatre companies could only shut up shop. Not so Citadel Arts Group. The Leith company, which…
Manipulate festival
The Guardian 31 January 20221 If there’s one festival equipped to adapt to the era of online viewing it’s Manipulate. The Edinburgh-based event is dedicated to visual theatre, a catch-all…
Panto king Andy Gray was one of Edinburgh’s most revered revellers
The Guardian 19 January 2021 It was 2010 and the world of Scottish theatre was reeling from the sudden death of Gerard Kelly, one of the great panto stars. I…
Book review – Razzle Dazzle and Singular Sensation
How to Write About Theatre 5 January 2021 Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway by Michael Riedel (Simon and Schuster) Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway by Michael Riedel (Simon…
How to Write About Theatre Online Workshops
Critical Stages 30 December 2020 It is October 2016, and I am sharing a stage at Trinity College Dublin with Peter Crawley of the Irish Times. We are talking about…
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…