Richard Spiers
The Bear
★★★★☆ Fast and furious
Chekov called his own short play, The Bear, a ‘stupid vaudeville’, but it takes smarts and sass to really bring it to life after nearly 140 years, and this production delivers hilariously.
Sweet
★★★★☆ Spirited and original
Sweet from EGTG for week one of the Fringe only, explores a spirited and original tale of Edinburgh’s complicity in benefiting from the slave trade, and some of the women who stood up to campaign against it.
The Ladykillers
★★★☆☆ Old school
The Ladykillers, by Edinburgh People’s Theatre (EPT) at the Church Hill Theatre until Saturday, is endearing and capably executed.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
★★★★☆ Stunningly crafted
EGTG’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, at the Assembly Roxy to Friday, is a beautifully directed exploration of the autistic experience, based on Mark Haddon’s novel of the same name.
The Children
★★★★☆ Contemplative
Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group’s late show at the Royal Scots Club, Lucy Kirkwood’s The Children, is a bleak and thoughtful look at everyday life in the wake of a disaster, and the choices its survivors must make.
Hatches, Matches and Dispatches
★★★★☆ Hilarious
In their 77th Fringe production – Hatches, Matches and Dispatches at Newington Trinity for the first two weeks – Edinburgh People’s Theatre remain the beating heart of the festival.
The Virtuous Burglar
★★★☆☆ Uproarious
A nod to British 1970s classics is a smart touch adding comic familiarity to Italian farce The Virtuous Burglar, which appears at the Royal Scots Club until 9 August.
The Watsons
★★★★☆ Intriguing
The Watsons, from Edinburgh People’s Theatre at the Church Hill, is an attractive production of a clever (if distinctly odd) literary adaptation.
Quartermaine’s Terms
★★★★☆ Considered
Quartermaine’s Terms, from Edinburgh People’s Theatre at the Church Hill, is a thoughtful, almost stately tragicomedy that is here staged with considerable attention to detail.
Dancing at Lughnasa
★★★☆☆ Affecting
Even as other companies gear up for Christmas, Leitheatre look back to September with Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa at the Church Hill. This entirely unseasonal downbeat piece is discharged with great care and some impressive acting.
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