Written by Fraser Boyle Directed By Tom Cooper Review by Dominic Corr The Gaeity ★★★★ A warm, hyper-local panto with charm to spare — and a few bumps in the magic carpet, Ayr’s Gaiety has carved out a reputation for homegrown pantos with a distinctly Ayrshire flavour, and Aladdie, written by Fraser Boyle and directed by … Continue reading Review: Aladdie – The Gaiety Theatre, Ayr
Written by Harry Michaels and Allan Stewart With Additional Material by Matt Slack, Grant Stott, and Jordan Young Directed by Ed Curtis Review by Dominic Corr The Festival Theatre ★★★★ Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre has become the temporary kingdom of festive excess while the King’s finishes its extended nap, and Jack and the Beanstalk arrives with all the … Continue reading Review: Jack and the Beanstalk – The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
Presented by Strawmoddie Theatre Directed by Alex Card Review by Hunter King ★★★ Thursday evening, I was warmly welcomed into a packed auditorium at Pleasance Theatre to see Strawmoddie Theatre’s production of The Fifth Elephant, an adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s 25th novel in the Discworld series. Upon finding my seat, it was clear that this … Continue reading Review: The Fifth Elephant – The Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh
Traditional Pantomime by Alan P Frayn Review by Hunter King Portobello Town Hall ★★★ The Edinburgh People’s Theatre has sailed into the Church Hill Theatre on a sea of childhood wonder with Sinbad the Sailor. Sinbad (Carol Bryce) must embark on one final adventure to retrieve a magical pearl that has been stolen by the … Continue reading Review: Sinbad the Sailor – Church Hill Theatre, Edinburgh
Presented by Stage Door Entertainment Written and Directed by Mark Kydd Review by Hunter King Portobello Town Hall ★★★★ Hiya pals! As we get closer and closer to Christmas, panto season is in full swing, and Stage Door Entertainment has a hit with Beauty and the Beast: The Pantomime. The show takes the fairy tale … Continue reading Review: Beauty and the Beast – Portobello Town Hall, Edinburgh
CHIPS by Ruaraidh Murray. Directed by Michael Nardone HUNT by Andrea McKenzie. Directed by Gwen Dolan Sunday Palms by Sean Langtree. Directed by Grace Ava Baker BRACE by Geraldine Lang. Directed by Matthew Attwood Review by Hunter King The Traverse Theatre In a season of pantos and Christmas joy, the Traverse Theatre brought back 4PLAY, a showcase of new writing … Continue reading Review: 4PLAY – The Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
written by Callum Latham, David Hewitson and Steven Brackenridge Review by Libbi Hutton Theatre 118 ★★★★ Jack and the Privately Owned Beanstalk by Theatre 118 is everything a panto should be: wildly entertaining, fast-paced, ridiculous, outrageous, and most crucially ‘theatre for the people’. Advertised as ‘a pantomime for the rest of us’, this rendition of … Continue reading Review: Jack and the Privately Owned Beanstalk- Theatre 118, Glasgow
Created by Sally Cookson, Adam Peck, and the Original Company Directed by Jemima Levick Review by Dominic Corr The Lyceum ★★★★★ Cinderella is the fairytale that refuses to fade: morality and wonderment stitched alongside rags-to-riches promise, and a heart tuned to the season. Done right, it carries an engrossing sense of humour and a growling hint … Continue reading Review: Cinderella: A Fairytale – The Lyceum, Edinburgh
Choreographed by Christopher Hampson CBE Music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Review by Eloise Robertson Festival Theatre ★★★★ A crystalline, emotionally generous production: visually ravishing, theatrically assured, carried by a cast and creative team who know how to make Andersen’s frostbite glow with warmth, Scottish Ballet’s The Snow Queen returns to Edinburgh. At the centre of the … Continue reading Review: Scottish Ballet: The Snow Queen – The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
Directed by Lynne Morris Review by Hunter King Churchill Theatre ★★★ As the Christmas season quickly approaches, Leitheatre welcomed the festive tidings this weekend with the classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. The show tells the story of George Bailey (Kevin Rowe) and his life from childhood until a situation that could become his death, his … Continue reading Review: It’s A Wonderful Life – The Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh
