Articles by Catriona Scott

Shakespeare Catalysts

Before I begin this review, I would like to clarify, as James Beagon (co-director and actor) did at the start of the show, that Aulos Productions’ Shakespeare Catalysts is a work…

Holy Sh*t

Hearing a couple of priests swearing will always be amusing.

1984

It is frightening how Orwell’s nightmarish dystopia continues to ring true, year after year.

Legacy: The Story of Martin Luther

In the beginning was the Word, but I honestly don’t know which word to begin with when trying to describe this production.

Grace

Nigel (Jonny Davidson) and his wife Sarah (Ella Dorman-Gajic) are sitting down to a dinner of soup and parsnip wine when they are interrupted by a knock on the door.

Greyhounds

Set in the small village of Shuttlefield, Greyhounds sees the local amateur dramatic society attempt to raise money for a Spitfire fighter aircraft by putting on a production of Sh…

I, Sniper

I Sniper, appropriately enough, starts with a bang.

Romeo and/or Juliet

Ryan North’s hilarious choose-your-own-adventure-style version of Hamlet, To Be Or Not To Be, first published in 2013, proved so successful that in 2016 Romeo and/or Juliet follo…

Marie

With the aid of a tea towel, a glass, and a stool, Sarah MacGillivray skilfully portrays a wide variety of characters in a modern re-telling of the story of Mary, Queen of Scots �…

Cariad & Paul: A Two Player Adventure

Through their use of improvisation and mime, backed with a fantastic live band (The Glue Ensemble), Cariad and Paul bring to life a series of hilarious stories, based solely on one…

The Amazing Sketch Show

The description of The Amazing Sketch Show states that their sketches are ‘some of the funniest, silliest and zaniest sketches’ to be found at this year’s Fringe.

The Humble Quest for Universal Genius

Trying to find a new Renaissance Man (or Woman) in an hour is no easy task, but it is one that The Humble Quest for Universal Genius attempts with great enthusiasm.

Edinburgh Renaissance Band at St Mark's

It isn’t just through watching the plays of the Bard that you can get a taste of culture here at the Fringe; the Edinburgh Renaissance Band are bards of a different sort.

Heads

When two precocious, self-important students uncover a student-teacher relationship scandal at their private school, they plan to exploit it for their own gain and, in so doing, ho…

The Bristol Suspensions in: A Suspension of Disbelief

A group of seventeen students from Bristol University that formed in September last year, The Bristol Suspensions are fairly new to the a cappella scene, but that does nothing to d…

The Jeremy Kyle Show Does Shakespeare

A young girl swears she will kill herself if her parents won’t let her date her boyfriend.

BOBBY WINNER

Richard III

I have seen several performances of Richard III; Laurence Olivier and Ian McKellen on film, and Kevin Spacey at the Old Vic, but Emily Carding’s portrayal of the king who murders…

The Exeter Revue: Sketchup

Four students, a full house and a series of clever sketches make for a very enjoyable hour in The Exeter Revue: Sketchup.

Hell Hath No Fury

Offering “a modern, alternative view to the story of Lady Macbeth”, Hell Hath No Fury certainly has an intriguing premise.

Laughing Horse Free Pick of the Fringe

A compilation of comedic talent from across the Fringe, two shows a day, and all for free – the Laughing Horse Free Pick of the Fringe showcases some of the best comedic talent t…

The Quentin Dentin Show

The Quentin Dentin Show is an extraordinary and eccentric dark comedy rock musical, which sees main characters Nat and Keith’s relationship on the rocks and their lives in a rut.

Method in Madness

New writing and Shakespeare, dance and physical theatre, all accompanied by the evocative music of Laura Marling; Method in Madness is a truly mesmerising show.

Death by Shakespeare

“My conscience hath a thousand several tongues, and every tongue brings in a several tale”.

Shakespeare's Avengers Assembleth: Age of Oberon

When William Shakespeare is kidnapped by Oberon, the fairy king, it is up to his team of Avengers to rescue him and keep Oberon from re-writing his plays (and the sonnets.

Chaos Theory

Three performers and twenty five sketches, presented in a random order each night.

48 Minutes / Free Festival

I am not entirely sure why comedians Ben Shannon and Mike Reed decided their set should be forty-eight minutes long, rather than a full hour, but it actually doesn’t really matte…

Wojtek the Bear

Wojtek was an extraordinary bear, and this play that tells his story is an equally extraordinary piece of theatre.

Tiff Stevenson: Mad Man

Speaking to those of us in her audience who have never seen her perform before, Tiff Stevenson says ‘You’re so lucky… I remember seeing me for the first time.

Rik Carranza: Charming

Rik Carranza tells us he has been doing stand up comedy for five or six years and one word that has been continually used to describe him in reviews is ‘charming’.

Hamlet

It wouldn’t be the Edinburgh Fringe without multiple adaptations of Hamlet all vying to make their mark, but this production by the English Repertory Theatre, directed and adapte…

25 Stories

The premise of 25 Stories is simple enough; Alex Watts is bored at work and so comes up with short stories to keep himself entertained.

The Cambridge Footlights International Tour Show 2015: Love Handles

I’m not entirely sure where the title of the show came from, as love handles are never mentioned or a part of any of the sketches that The Cambridge Footlights perform but, frank…

Ben Russell: The Tokyo Hotel

This show begins with the sound of drums and then a dreadful storm and so gives its audience certain expectations of what is to come but, as Russell himself exclaims, “prepare yo…

Vladimir McTavish: Scotland, 45 Events That Shaped a Nation

Vladimir McTavish’s cynical look back at Scotland’s past spans from the fourteenth century to the present day, examining the successes and failures of kings and governments,…

Tubular Bells for Two

With over twenty different instruments played by only two men, this performance of Mike Oldfield’s masterpiece Tubular Bells is an astounding, explosive, truly incredible feat.

Christian Talbot is Shite at Being Irish

At the Fringe last year, some members of Christian Talbot’s audience got up to leave part-way through his show, explaining that they thought he would ‘be more Irish’.

Pierre Novellie is Anxious Peter

The title of Pierre Novellie’s show is somewhat misleading.

Shit-Faced Shakespeare

In Macbeth, Act II, Scene 3, the Porter states “Drink [.

Jon Cozart – Laughter Ever After

With over two million subscribers to his YouTube channel and fifty two million views and counting for his first Disney parody video After Ever After, Jon Cozart is something of a s…