Articles by Joseph McAulay

Kill the Beast: Director's Cut

Acclaimed comedy troupe Kill the Beast returns to the Fringe with a new show that is a bizarre mash up of Poltergeist and The Room.

DollyWould

Sh!t Theatre’s sell out show from last year returns for a limited run at Summerhall, in what is perhaps the most bizarre, strange and utterly hysterical hours of performance art …

Medea Electronica

Of all the Greek tragedies I think it is Medea that sticks with us the most as modern audiences.

9/11 Was a Conspiracy

Modern dating and a devastating terrorist attack do not, at first, seem like complimentary subject matters for a romantic comedy, and yet in 52Up Production’s new show 9/11 Was a…

The Girl Who Jumped Off the Hollywood Sign

Joanne Hartstone’s one-woman show is a brilliant send up to classic Golden Age Hollywood that keeps the glitz and glamour of the period whilst showing the grimy and exploitative …

...and Peggy

Attempting to create a spin-off to one of the most beloved musicals of recent memory is a brave choice, and unfortunately it is a gamble that didn't pay off in this case.

Sod's Law

From the humid and dark recesses of Greenside Infirmary Street, a particularly fabulous member of the aristocracy takes us through a rollicking and camp-filled history of homosexua…

Ulster American

Acclaimed writer David Ireland’s new play is a visceral, violent and incredibly explosive punch to the gut that passionately tears into the confused state of British identity, th…

Really Want to Hurt Me

Self identity, depression, sexual awakenings and The Smiths are all topics central to writer/director Ben SantaMaria’s incredibly touching and heartfelt play about growing up gay…

Prehistoric

In an empty and decaying room four performers armed only with limited props, a beat up collection of instruments, and a selection of microphones bring to life a tale of anger, rage…

My Left / Right Foot – The Musical

Birds of Paradise’s new musical is a hysterical and at times incredibly thoughtful production that takes a wry and insightful poke at the state of inclusion in modern theatre and…

Six

A pop song musical about the six wives of Henry the Eighth is not, at first glance, something you’d think would necessarily work.

War With the Newts

Knaive Theatre’s reworking of Czech author Karel Capek’s 1937 novel War with the Newts is a striking adaptation of an unfairly forgotten sci-fi masterpiece that will leave you …

The Canterville Ghost

Tall stories brings an incredibly charming and old school production of one of Oscar Wilde’s lesser known novellas, The Canterville Ghost, that perfectly embodies the spirit - p…

The Cambridge Impronauts: A Series of Improvable Events

The Cambridge impronauts return to the fringe festival with a new show that lovingly tributes Lemony Snicket's famous A Series of Unfortunate Events in a wonderfully absurd if …

Games by Henry Naylor

Multi-award winning playwright Henry Naylor returns to the fringe with a stunning two-hander set in Nazi Germany that is both incredibly poignant and unnervingly timely.

Dietrich: Natural Duty

Sex, sequins, and scintillating musical numbers are all brought to bear into writer/performer Peter Groom’s one man (Woman?) show about the life and times of the glamourous gay i…

No Kids

Should we have kids? It’s a difficult question, but one that becomes even more complex when you’re a gay couple, and have to grapple with a whole cavalcade of unique problems c…

Great British Mysteries: 1599?

After a sell out run last year the Great British Mysteries return to the Fringe with a new show set 400 years earlier, but still the containing the wit, charm, and ridiculous sense…

Fcuk'd

Eastlake Productions brings a new, fast-paced and gritty one-man show to the Fringe that takes a dark look at one teenager's attempt to delay the inevitable and find a better l…

Love Song to Lavender Menace

We in the L.

Scientology the Musical

Deciding to take on Scientology, the notoriously thin skinned and litigation happy “religion”, as the central subject matter of a comedy rock musical is certainly a brave choic…

Awakening

Kirsty Osmon captivates the audience from the first moment her drunken anti-heroin wakes.

Bottom

Willy Hudson’s heart-filled, charming and hysterical one man show storms the stage at Summerhall and sheds light on the hugely under-discussed areas of gay sexual politics with d…

The Improv Musical

Music Theatre Warwick returns to the festival with their long-form, entirely improvised musical that is a rollicking good time, even if there are a few kinks that need ironing out.

Woyzeck

George Buchner’s great working class tragedy Woyzeck has long cast a shadow over European theatre.

Hands-On Messiah

Hands-on Messiah, written and performed by F.

Safe Place

Clara Glynn’s play Safe Place hits the stage this fringe festival, bringing us a tale of unlikely friendship whilst making deep and insightful comments on the relationship between …

No Miracles Here

In a tiny stage at the back of Summerhall, The Letter Room, in association with Northern Stage in Edinburgh, brings a feet stomping, hand clapping, spirit raising show to the fring…

Commons

In an upmarket hotel room, two men – one a disgraced politician, the other an ex-rent boy – meet to rekindle old loves and re-open old wounds in this darkly comedic character s…

Beethoven in Stalingrad

Stalingrad stands as one of the most destructive and horrific battles of the 20th century.

Fourth Monkey's Women of Greece: Medusa

Energetic, disturbing and just a bit confusing, Fourth Monkey’s latest offering of physical theatre crashes onto the festival stage in this entertaining if messy and uneven reworki…

Glitter Punch

Some Riot theatre’s new play is a rollercoaster of love, loss and the passion and pain of being young that hooks you from the first word, makes you fall in love with it then breaks…

Alice in Wonderland

Not Cricket’s new production of Alice in Wonderland is a charming and whimsical piece that delights audiences both young and old with its blend of live music, puppetry and dance.

Velvet Evening Séance

As we enter the shadowy theatre of Assembly Hall we see an imposing set of gallows upon which a young man sits shackled as a lone pianist plays quiet discordant music.

Adventures of the Improvised Sherlock Holmes

The Stars of Racing Mind bring a fast paced, immensely funny and completely bonkers improvised Sherlock Holmes spectacular to the Fringe this year with this brilliant off the wall …

Lovecraft’s Monsters

David Crawford’s one man show about the great granddaddy of weird fiction, the one and only H.

Education, Education, Education

The Wardrobe Ensemble returns to the Fringe festival with a fast-paced and incredibly entertaining look at the education system in BritainThe play focuses on the last day of school…

Ballistic

In a darkened room surrounded by blinking lights a young angry man tells us his life story, from childhood through teen years to the miseries of universities we see what the strugg…

Cambridge Impronauts: Improv Actually

The Cambridge Impronauts return to the fringe with a long form improvised show that is a hot mess from shaky start to hilariously absurd finish.

A Heart at Sea

Half a String Theatre’s new show is a delightfully charming and immaculately produced tale of triumph, travel and terrific adventure told through innovative puppetry and wonderfull…

Sisters: White Noise

In their Fringe debut comedy hour Sisters hit the ground running with a fast paced, intensely dark and gut bustingly funny show of sketches, skits, and more jokes about live stream…

Eight

yt2 Plus’ staging of Ella Hickson’s Fringe First winning Eight hits some right notes, but fails to really engage with its difficult source material and comes off as both discon…

Antigone

Eleventh Hour Theatre’s fresh and admittedly interesting take on Sophocles’ Classic tragedy presents a new spin on the classic tale that, whilst successful enough, fails to rea…

The Berkovian Medea

Euripides’ classical tragedy, of one woman’s quest for revenge and the terrible lengths she is willing to go to inflict pain on her wayward husband, has been performed thousand…

Equus

I must admit I was sceptical walking into C +1 on Chambers street on this afternoon to see The Rep Theatre Company’s latest show.

Pawn

Created, written, and performed by students from Oxford University, Queenside Productions new musical Pawn is an impressive, if imperfect, piece of new student writing that, whilst…

Fire Burn: The Tragedy of Macbeth

ImmerCity’s stripped back and stylised telling of the ever popular Scottish play is an at times disorienting, nightmarish and incredibly compelling piece of theatre that will giv…

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change

UCLU Musical Theatre Society’s Fringe production of the Joe Dipietro’s fast paced musical comedy is an incredibly entertaining and fast paced journey into the world of dating, …

Blood Will Have Blood

Immer City’s intriguing audio-immersive take on an oft-forgotten part of the tale of Macbeth is a wonderfully atmospheric and unique experience, if one that still feels rough aro…

Macbeth

Review
★★
Joseph McAulay
Edinburgh Fringe
Zoo
11th Aug, 2016

Fortitude Dance company’s attempt to stage a ‘physical theatre’ version of Shakespeare’s bloody Scottish tragedy in the club scene of 1980’s Manchester is certainly a nov…

The Lion in Winter

One World Actors Centre’s fringe production of James Goldman’s historical black comedy The Lion in Winter is a valiant attempt to bring the acclaimed play to the festival stage…

The Great Gatsby

Tackling an adaptation of The Great Gatsby, one of the most famous and beloved novels ever written, is not a task taken on lightly but it is one the Nottingham New theatre rises to…

Mark Thomas: The Red Shed

Mark Thomas’ new one-man-play blends spoken word and storytelling to create a compelling, intimate and rousing performance that lifts the spirit in this pitch perfect personal an…

Behind the Random Denominator

Opening to a darkened stage with crackling lightning and booming thunder, Mart Sander’s solo show Behind the Random Denominator provides a wonderfully chilling hour of late night…

Auditions

Performed with enthusiasm and a seemingly constant supply of energy, Auditions proves to be a surprisingly enjoyable hour of comedy in spite of its very rough edges.

Hamlet

Performing as part of the International Collegiate Theatre Festival, this fast past cut down version of Shakespeare’s classic tale of madness, death, and existential crisis shine…

RENT! The Musical

Like many musical theatre fans, I have a love-hate relationship with Rent.

After the Flood

Science fiction is a rare thing to find at the Fringe; even rarer is finding it done well, but the Sundial Theatre company has little to fear with their latest offering, After the …

Made Up

Using poetry, physical theatre, music and a limited amount of props, The Fast Food Collective’s new show is a thrilling romp through a night on the town.

The Wedding Reception

From the creators of the Faulty Towers Dining Experience, The Wedding Reception is an interactive show which includes a three course meal.

Nosferatu's Shadow

The image of a twisted spindly shadow with long crooked fingers, along with pointy ears and even pointier fangs ascending the stairs, is one that is burned into the imaginations an…

The Gorgon Girl

Lip Theatre Company’s offering at the Fringe this year presents an interesting take on the classic Greek myth of Medusa: one that is unfortunately plagued with tonal shifts and a…

Macbeth

Twist Theatre Company’s R’n’B infused musical adaptation of the infamous Scottish history play, billed as Shakespeare meets Empire, is a messy but still engaging and enjoyabl…

Trainspotting

In your Face Theatre in conjunction with the King’s Head Theatre return to the Fringe with their highly acclaimed and incredibly visceral adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s cult novel …

A Common Man: The Bridge That Tom Built

Striding onto the stage accompanied by thunderous fanfare, taking his place on a podium and decrying the evil of tyrants and the chains of authority, Dominic Allen’s blistering a…

Dracula

Performed with high energy and boundless amounts of enthusiasm, Let them Call it Mischief’s irreverent and fast paced take on Bram Stoker’s Gothic horror story is decent fun, if …

Angel by Henry Naylor

A bare stage.

Hang

Hang, the latest show from Yellow Jacket Productions, set in the near future where the death penalty has returned with an added feature, the victim is able to choose the method of …

No Horizon

Anyone wandering around central Edinburgh this festival will likely have noticed the large billboards and posters advertising No Horizon, a new musical of Broadway styled proportio…

Cut

As you enter the white clinical looking surroundings of a backroom in the medical quad of the Underbelly you are greeted by a Stepford smiling woman who calmly leads you to your se…

The D-List

Shrapnel theatre’s new Fringe show The D-List attempts to address the issues of celebrity and fame in the modern day world of Twitter, reality TV and a culture that idolises thos…

A Young Man Dressed as a Gorilla Dressed as an Old Man Sits Rocking in a Rocking Chair for 56 Minutes and Then Leaves... 7

This show is reviewer proof.

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