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…
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…