Scotland Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 2

Review: 101 DALMATIANS, King's Theatre
by Natalie O'Donoghue - November 13, 2024

When fashionista Cruella de Vil plots to swipe all the Dalmatian puppies in town to create her fabulous new fur coat, there’s trouble ahead for Pongo and Perdi and their litter of adorable, tail-wagging young pups....

Review: DEMENTIA THE MUSICAL! Paisley Arts Centre
by Natalie O'Donoghue - November 10, 2024

Dementia the Musical! is a new musical theatre production by Ron Coleman, Scottish poet and writer living with dementia, in collaboration with renowned director Magdalena Schamberger and one of Britain’s top Jazz musicians Sophie Bancroft as composer and musical director plus additional music by est...

Review: THE COSMONAUT'S LAST MESSAGE... , Chandler Studio Theatre
by Mary Baillie - November 11, 2024

David Greig's 1999 play 'The Cosmonaut's Last Message to the Woman he Once Loved in the Former Soviet Union' is inspired by the real-life story of Sergei Krikalev, a cosmonaut stranded on the Mir space station as the Soviet Union disintegrated. Sounds fascinating in principle. The actors and designe...

Review: DISNEY'S ALADDIN, Theatre Royal
by Natalie O'Donoghue - November 08, 2024

From the producers that brought you The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Frozen, comes the spectacular Disney Broadway and West End musical ALADDIN....

Review: AFTER LIFE, New Athenaeum Theatre
by Mary Baillie - November 11, 2024

Jack Thorne's adaptation of Hirokazu Kore-eda's award-winning 1998 film presents an interesting premise at the Royal Conservatoire this week. Set in a waystation between life and death, recently deceased souls face a challenging conundrum - which single memory will each select to relive for all eter...

Review: BLAST OFF, STARBURST, Oran Mor
by Natalie O'Donoghue - November 05, 2024

A time-bending drama about reuniting with all the magic we leave behind when we grow up. With strong performances from the whole cast, Blast Off, Starburst! is a tender and nuanced portrayal of loss....

Review: A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, Royal Lyceum Theatre
by Mary Baillie - November 04, 2024

Southern belle Blanche DuBois (Kirsty Stuart) arrives at her sister Stella’s (Nalini Chetty) run-down apartment in New Orleans. Almost immediately Blanche starts butting heads with Stella’s abusive husband Stanley (Matthew Trevannion) catalysing a whirlwind of events toying between naturalism and ma...

Review: GHOST OFF!, Oran Mor
by Natalie O'Donoghue - November 02, 2024

A spooky and hilarious farce set in the reading room of Hillhead’s premier psychic with a million-pound prize at stake....

Review: THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, Pavilion Theatre
by Natalie O'Donoghue - October 30, 2024

The Rocky Horror Show is the story of two squeaky clean college kids – Brad and his fiancée Janet. When by a twist of fate, their car breaks down outside a creepy mansion whilst on their way to visit their former college professor, they meet the charismatic Dr Frank’n’Furter....

Review: ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES THE MUSICAL, Theatre Royal
by Natalie O'Donoghue - October 29, 2024

Based on John Sullivan’s legendary television show, this critically acclaimed home-grown musical spectacular features cherished material from Britain’s best-loved TV series...

Book Review: DEVELOPING YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH, Nick Hern Books
by Louise Penn - October 24, 2024

This is a toolkit to help creatives in a business which is often hard to navigate, and I feel it is an excellent addition to the material currently available on the subject. It is written in a chatty and approachable style, and the bitesize structure is perfect for reading on the go....

Review: CASSIE AND THE SPACE COWBOY, Oran Mor
by Natalie O'Donoghue - October 21, 2024

A hilarious satirical comedy set during an alien invasion, exploring the extremities of a post-truth world...

Review: TREASURE ISLAND, Platform
by Natalie O'Donoghue - October 20, 2024

A new version of a classic story told like never before, bursting with sea shanties, treasures, and a sumptuous amount of adventure....

Review: DRIVE LOUNGE: BEYOND OZ, Òran Mór
by Natalie O'Donoghue - October 18, 2024

Prior to the release of the highly anticipated movie musical of the decade – WICKED: Part 1, DRIVE OFFICIAL and Òran Mór proudly present BEYOND OZ: The Concert. A celebration of the music from hit musicals Wicked, The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz and a selection of classics from the Stephen Schwartz songbo...

Review: TO SAVE THE SEA, The Gaiety
by Natalie O'Donoghue - October 17, 2024

When oil giants Shell announce plans to dump the defunct Brent Spar oil store in the ocean, a small group of activists have other ideas. Under the cover of night, they sail out to the North Sea and occupy the structure. As their campaign gains momentum, pressure mounts on those in power and politica...

Review: LOST GIRLS/AT BUS STOPS, Oran Mor
by Natalie O'Donoghue - October 13, 2024

It’s the Edinburgh Fringe and the city is suddenly bursting at the seams. Every cul-de-sac and kebab shop is alive with the effervescent fizzing of potential – it is the moment where dreams are made, and hearts are broken. See what our critic had t...

Review: SMALL TOWN BOYS, Polo Lounge
by Natalie O'Donoghue - October 11, 2024

A young man leaves his small hometown to find refuge in the bright lights and warm embrace of the big city; he discovers solace and joy in the city's LGBTQ+ scene, but soon finds himself navigating a terrifying unfolding health crisis, almost completely ignored by the government.

Review: BLUE MAN GROUP - BLUEVOLUTION WORLD TOUR, Festival Theatre
by Mary Baillie - October 14, 2024

Watching the Blue Man Group is how I imagine a halluncinatory drug trip. From spitting out neon paint to hanging an audience member upside down to an intense rave, the blue men challenge the limits of theatre in an absurd combination of clowning, theatre and performance installations....

Review: MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, Kings Theatre
by Mary Baillie - October 11, 2024

A train passenger is murdered - Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot (Michael Maloney) must find the culprit. Suspects are portrayed as amusing caricatures, ranging from a shrieky missionary to a mansplaining gangster and a bold American actress. The exposition drags a little as we are slowly introduced to...

Review: AFTER PARTY, Tron Theatre
by Mary Baillie - October 08, 2024

After Party promises a satirical bash but feels more like an awkward hangover. Though advertised as a personal autobiography exploring the New Labour era, it comes across as a blend of political diatribes, lengthy news segments, and sporadic audience interaction....

Review: ANNA/ANASTASIA, Oran Mor
by Natalie O'Donoghue - October 06, 2024

From acclaimed comedian and writer Jonny Donahoe, Anna/Anastasia is a hilarious comedy inspired by the true story of Anna Anderson, the greatest imposter of the 20th century....

Review: COME FROM AWAY, King's Theatre
by BWW UK Critics - September 25, 2024

Winner of four Olivier Awards including Best New Musical in London and the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical on Broadway, this smash hit show shares the incredible real-life story of the 7,000 air passengers from all over the world who were grounded in Canada during the wake of 9/11, and th...

Review: REBUS: A GAME CALLED MALICE, Pavilion Theatre
by Natalie O'Donoghue - September 24, 2024

A splendid dinner party in an Edinburgh mansion concludes with a murder mystery game created by the hostess. A murder needs to be solved. But the guests have secrets of their own, threatened by the very game they are playing....

Review: EDINBURGH 2024: FLIGHT, Pleasance Dome
by Kat Mokrynski - October 07, 2024

If you’re afraid of flying, this may not be the right show for you. Flight, one of two Darkfield shows playing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2024, originally ran in 2018 and had been performed at the Fringe in 2022....

Review: EDINBURGH 2024: MURDER, SHE DIDN'T WRITE, Assembly George Square - Gordon Aikman Theatre
by Kat Mokrynski - October 04, 2024

Murder, She Didn’t Write is an improvised murder mystery show that has been welcoming audiences for the past ten years at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. As someone who has a love for both improvisational comedy and murder mysteries who had yet to see the show, I was very interested in seeing it at t...