Caught amidst the conflicts of the 1980s Cold War and his own personal relationships, dreamer Craig (Matt Robertson) has a vision: to build a monument of modern-day megaliths to rival Stonehenge on a patch of disused land near Dundee.

Used to his schemes and deals, long-suffering fiancee Kim (LaVerne Hawthorne) is at first sceptical. Then, as Craig’s plan looks set to turn from dreams into reality, she too is caught up in his excitement: until the things he has to do to convince the politicians, bureaucrats and landowners to endorse his plan begin to threaten their relationship.

Standing Stanes is the latest production from Leith-based theatre company Siege Perilous, and the first to be staged in their new home at Malmaison. Director Andy Corelli takes Robert Ballantine’s never-performed absurdist romp and has a great deal of fun with it, using a sparse set and an intimate venue to recreate all the booms and busts of the 80s, to a cleverly woven scene-specific soundtrack.

Thus we see Derek Banner’s deranged government boffin arranging the set to the sounds of Thomas Dolby’s She Blinded Me With Science; and Robertson, Banner and fourth cast member Mark Kydd dancing a perfectly-choreographed punchup to the strains of Cameo’s Word Up.

The cast appear to be having an equal amount of fun with the piece: Kydd and Banner in particular as they slip on a variety of metaphorical masks in a number of comic supporting roles. Robertson is a likable lead, and portrays Craig’s impossible-to-dampen enthusiasm with aplomb. Hawthorne is excellent in both of her main roles: as Kim, a surprisingly well-rounded character amidst the rest of Standing Stanes’ caricatures; and as the hippy femme fatale Penelope, who slinkily makes Craig a fateful offer he can’t refuse.

As the piece gathers an increasingly absurd momentum, revolving around the plot device of an anti-Communist sterilising ray, Corelli’s direction (aided by technical assistance from Kirstin Rodger, Dave Moffat and Caitlin McBride) comes into its own. Somehow, he manages to pull off scenes which flit from the dark corridors of Whitehall power to open-air rock concerts without causing confusion; and instead of lagging, the piece romps along at a satisfying pace throughout its 75-minute length.

Though it may not have the permanence of the monument of its title, Standing Stones is an effortlessly enjoyable and playful piece that consistently entertains. And, despite being set in unemployment-ridden Britain in the 80s, it has little in the way of political message or heavy-handed satire. Instead, its central themes are more the stuff of fairytales: how a hero’s determination will always succeed; and, of course, how love can conquer all.

Standing Stanes runs until 8 May at Malmaison, Leith at 8pm (with a 4pm performance on 5 May). Tickets are available online here, or can be purchased at the venue.

A stronger stomach than is usually called for at The Lyceum may be required if you go to see The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Martin McDonagh’s black – and blood-spattered – comedy, directed by The Lyceum’s Mark Thomson.

Mad Padraic (Peter Campion) tortures drug dealers in warehouses, dreams of setting up a more extreme splinter group from the INLA, and only loves one other living thing: his cat, being looked after back home in Galway by his drunken father, Donny (Christopher Fairbank).

When Wee Thomas is found in the road after having exhausted all nine of his lives, Donny and childish Davey (Rory Murphy) panic, fearing what form of retribution Padraic will visit on them when he returns home to find his beloved moggy buried in the potato patch.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore is typical McDonagh fare: colloquial dialogue that zips past your ear like airgun pellets; and set pieces which veer from the ridiculous to the violent. Some may find a few of the scenes a little extreme; others may find the subject matter – which mostly ridicules the Irish revolutionaries, but at times flirts with romanticising them – not to their taste. It levels any such criticisms itself however, thanks to its comedic power and sheer absurdity.

Lyceum regulars Liam Brennan, Mark Prendergast and Jamie Quinn play a trio of INLA hitmen, and although their accents flit back and forth across the Irish Sea, they relish their gun-toting roles as they attempt to bring the rogue Padraic to heel.

Rose O’Loughlin is Mairead, a tomboyish revolutionary wannabe with a deadly aim, and she plays the borderline psychosis with more convincing menace than Padraic’s larger-than-life caricature killer. That said, Campion has a great deal of fun with his part, all manic stares and quick-draw fury. Fairbank as the poitín-sodden Donny and Murphy as the bicycle-loving Davey put in the best performances, however; an entertaining double act who get most of the best lines and the biggest laughs.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore is a bold and often hilarious production, pulling no punches as it amuses and entertains throughout. High drama and explorations of the human condition are not to be found here; but a gory black comedy with several standout scenes is lurking in the wings. It’s to Thomson’s credit that he has brought a play as dark and guiltily entertaining as this to the Lyceum’s stage, showing the Edinburgh institution isn’t afraid of putting on something to cater for every taste.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore runs at The Lyceum until 12 May. Ticket information is available on The Lyceum website.

The plotting and scheming of 18th century Spanish aristocracy are willingly dragged through the ages and into the present-day boardrooms of the Scottish financial sector in this sparkling and witty adaptation of Beaumarchais’ original by DC Jackson, directed by the Lyceum’s Mark Thomson.

Figaro (Mark Prendergast) and his bride-to-be Suzanne (Nicola Roy) are poised to clinch two major deals: a merger with a major financial institution run by Stuart Bowman’s predatory Chief and Briony McRoberts world-weary Chair; and their impending marriage, to be conducted as a civil ceremony on the office’s 7th floor after the board meeting.

Needless to say, the course of true love (and back-stabbing business deals) doesn’t run smooth: with both Figaro and Suzanne being the subject of unwanted attentions that threaten to scupper their futures. As the farcical elements of the production play out, an agenda of misunderstandings, schemes and subterfuge is followed, before any other business has an opportunity to unfold.

The Marriage of Figaro is an enjoyable and bawdy romp, perfectly set amidst the power and sex struggles of the corporate machine, well-realised by Alex Lowde’s satirically soulless sets. Prendergast is an effective lynchpin as the orphan who has pulled himself up by his braces, displaying strong comic timing – and an impressive singing voice during the nods to the operatic version of the original which take place during the scene changes.

Stuart Bowman excels as the lascivious leader, creating a topical cartoon portrait of a bete noire banker – his pelvis-thrusting efforts to clinch his own deal with Suzanne are hilarious to watch, and his lines drip heaviest with Jackson’s satirical jibes. Molly Innes as sex-starved PA Margery is also hugely enjoyable, with her hemline rising in ratio to her increasing but unreflected desire for Figaro as she chases him around the boardroom table. Jamie Quinn’s ‘hormonal deposit’ Pavlo also raises laughter as the office boy unable to keep his desires in check.

An enjoyable brew of satire, farce and sex comedy, The Marriage of Figaro is a comic highlight of the Lyceum’s 11/12 season: gleefully picking up the respectable boulder of the corporate world and taking mischievous delight in exposing the wriggling, lust-driven creatures scuttling underneath.

The Marriage of Figaro runs until 14 April. Ticket information is available on the Lyceum website.

After its success at 2011′s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, controversial and critically-acclaimed play Dust embarks on a short spring tour, including a performance at the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange 
on 29th March.

As Margaret Thatcher lies dead, Arthur Scargill is haunted by his past and dark secrets in a play which – behind its headline-grabbing conceit – uses its themes of political conflict and social upheaval to provide commentary on ‘broken’ Britain which is relevant today as it was during the dark days of the miners’ strike.

The Dust will settle at the Scottish Mining Museum in Newtongrange at 7pm on Thursday 29th March. Ticket information is available here.

Goddess by Strange Theatre

To mark International Women’s Day this year, Edinburgh-based Strange Theatre have devised an intriguing-sounding new play and an accompanying series of arts events at the Scottish Storytelling Centre from 2-28 March.

At the heart of the festival is Goddess, a new devised production directed by Caitlin Skinner. Taking the ancient Celtic archetypes of maiden, mother and crone and juxtaposing them with modern-day equivalents, it promises to be an interesting and topical piece examining what it means to be a woman in today’s Scotland. The play runs from 8-10 March at 7pm.

As well as the play, a series of events are being held at the Scottish Storytelling Centre as part of the Goddess Festival, including the I Am Woman art exhibition, on show from 2-28 March; a Gifts of the Goddess arts & crafts market on the 8th and 9th; and an evening of performance poetry with Strange Theatre’s Rachel Amy on the 7th.

A great opportunity to see some new theatre and mark International Women’s Day, you can feel the power of the Goddess on the production’s blog; and see the full range of events on the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s website.

Even the gigantic figure of Lennie (Steve Jackson) is dwarfed by the huge wooden sets of John Dove’s production of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men. The ramshackle bunk beds and stable walls soar with the mood of post-depression America, where men eke out whatever living they can, protecting both their earnings and their hopes by remaining insular and alone.

Lennie and George (William Ash) are the exception. They travel together, with George taking on a parental role for his simple-minded companion. With dreams of owning their own farm where they can live off the ‘fat of the land’, their fates are set when they take on jobs as ranch hands. Here, Lennie’s love for ‘soft things’ leads the pair down a different road: one where dreams and relationships are under constant and inevitable threat.

The leads are strong: Jackson succeeds in depicting Lennie without caricature, evoking sympathy for the lumbering soul who wishes only for happiness but doesn’t know his own strength. Ash’s portrayal as the caring idealist George is a little less well-defined, although their scenes together as inseparable companions convince.

Peter Kelly shows the best characterisation as the aged one-handed Candy; Liam Brennan’s Slim is the stoical, strong & measured cowboy-type, who also proves to be the most sympathetic. Melody Grove is the only female cast member: her role as Curley’s wife starts as one treated with contempt; by her character’s end, Grove succeeds in evoking pity for this caged bird with dashed dreams.

With its theme of hopes & dreams endangered by gripping onto them too tightly, Of Mice and Men is a classic examination of the human condition. Dove’s production under Colin Richmond’s towering set is a traditional and at times powerful version of the Steinbeck original, but its intimacy and subtlety is at times overshadowed by the expanse of the staging and direction.

Of Mice And Men runs until 17 March at The Royal Lyceum Theatre. More details are on the Lyceum website.

Something’s slightly askew in the Barony this evening. Instead of daily menus, the blackboards are chalked with quotations by Charles Bukowski; instead of the usual fare behind the bar, the drinks on offer tonight include Screw Lager and Man In A Boat beer. Appropriately, it’s like viewing the traditional bar through a drunken, reality-altering haze.

The space is dressed to provide the stage for Grid Iron‘s reprise of their 2009 Fringe hit, Barflies. Directed by Ben Harrison and based on the writings of Bukowski, it staggers a path through the semi-autobiographical tales of Henry (Keith Fleming) and the three loves of his life: women (played by Charlene Boyd), writing and drinking.

The drunken artist archetype is a little passé these days: the life of the tortured barfly more likely to evoke pity than the awe it perhaps used to command. Barflies is aware of this, neither romanticising nor glamourising things; not shying away from the messy chaos of the alcoholic’s life: broken glass, fumbling sexual encounters, unsightly stains and all.

Fleming and Boyd are compelling as Henry and the series of women he collides with. The heightened performances required to portray the drunk at first verge a little close to histrionics: but things soon find their own pace and flow, ending up believable. David Paul Jones (last seen as the murderous conservatoire headmaster of What Remains) plays barman Silent Dave, and also provides musical accompaniment, mixing hymns to drink from the likes of Cave and Burns into the piece.

Grid Iron choose to transport Henry and his muses from LA to Scotland, with some regional vernacular and a few local references in the script. As the alleyways of Scotland are just as soaked as the LA backstreets, this gives the piece a subtle taste of social commentary amongst the slaps and spills of the drunken drama which plays out in front of, behind and on top of the bar.

Barflies comes with no salvation and no solution. By the time Henry and his latest companion stumble from the Barony in another hopeless cycle of self-destruction, Grid Iron’s deliriously raw and excellently-staged production hasn’t left us with any great message or lesson: but neither – thankfully – has it preached.

Barflies runs at The Barony in Broughton Street until 9 Feb, then again from 27 Feb – 1 March. Details are on the Traverse website.

Creation & Play gives the chance for three leading Scottish puppeteers to be paired with a trio of theatre directors: and given free reign to create whatever form of visual theatre they wished. With the emphasis very much on the ‘play’ aspect, the pieces give an opportunity for their creators to experiment in a low-risk environment, allowing them to flex their creative muscles in a sandbox environment – quite literally in the case of one of the performances.

Pac A Mac by Shona Reppe and the Lyceum’s Mark Thomson is the most avant-garde of the slices of playfulness on offer, with a surreal mood-piece featuring Reppe as a bewildered balloon modeller haunted by a disembodied voice in a cardboard box. Like a lost scene from Eraserhead, Reppe danced amidst the balloon animals, trying in vain to ignore the sense of foreboding and claustrophobia which closes in around her.

A visually interesting piece with Reppe’s performance emphasising the sense of the absurd, the theme is a little too sleight to make it anything other than a diverting performance as fragile as one of the balloon figures she pops beneath her shoes.

Easter Island: It’s A Rapanui by Ailie Cohen and Communicado Artistic Director Gerry Mulgrew is at the other extreme of the spectrum, being a humourous spoof scientific presentation about the mysteries of the giant stone heads on the tiny island. Cohen and fellow Puppet State Theatre Company collaborator Rick Conte have fun mugging their way through proceedings, aided and abetted by some effective shadow and small-figure puppetry.

It’s a likeable and light-hearted sketch: though whether it develops into something larger and more long-lasting remains to be seen.

A showing of Anna Ginsburg’s stop-motion animation video to Bombay Bicycle Club’s How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep? follows: a delightful and appropriately dream-like film with echoes of Le Petit Prince, well suited to the band’s indie folk style.

Grit by Tortoise In A Nutshell and Citizen Theatre’s Dominic Hill is the most traditional of the performances this evening, as the puppeteers bring a small, vulnerable male figure to life on a sand-strewn table.

His short journey is a rite of passage from innocent wonder to the misplaced bravado and futility of conflict, and Tortoise’s puppeteers succeed in portraying the tale with pathos and emotion, particularly in the poignant opening and closing scenes which frame the piece.

Creation & Play is an encapsulation of everything the manipulate Festival sets out to achieve: bold experimentation in an environment where freedom of expression can flourish. And whilst the pieces on show tonight are variable, they are united by those common goals, showing what creativity and playfulness can produce when given space to breathe.

Creation & Play – part of manipulate’s Snapshots – played at The Traverse Theatre on Feb 3 2012

England’s Invisible Thread give us a glimpse into a playful and at times disturbing world with Liz Walker’s Plucked…A True Fairy Tale, part of the manipulate Visual Theatre Festival at the Traverse.

Taking inspiration from myth and legend – most notably the maiden, mother, crone archetype – two almost life-size puppets interact in an abstract and expressive style, operated by three onstage puppeteers.

In the first section, male and female energies attract and intertwine, resulting in a trio of surreal births which emphasise themes of love and loss. With their spindly limbs and billowing white skirts, the puppets evoke a sense of otherworldiness and mystery: part childlike, part alien as they interact with the sparse set of wooden ladders and planks – and with each other.

Humour is present, mostly due to the surreal nature of the pair’s coupling and the subsequent offspring: from toy trains to television sets, each of which literally fly the parental nest. This gives rise to the thematic thread of the second half, where the lone female character is transformed into a terrible crow-like figure after undergoing a journey of self, seeing her reign from a mechanical tower from which she dispenses swift and terrifying vengeance on those who come to court.

Live ink painting projection and a music-box style soundtrack add to the dreamlike mood of the piece; and the sensory experience of Plucked as a whole overcomes the shortcomings in its often obtuse narrative.

Unique and challenging at times, Plucked is also perhaps a little over long – not helped by a necessary interval where the audience are asked to leave the auditorium to allow a scene change between acts.

As the images seep in and settle though, the haunting world of Plucked…A True Fairy Tale lingers in the mind like the echoes of a barely-remembered dream.

Plucked was performed as part of the manipulate Visual Theatre Festival at the Traverse Theatre on Jan 31.

Inspired by two real-life Victorian spiritualist performers, The Infamous Brothers Davenport opens a box filled with magic and memory in this world premiere at the Lyceum, co-produced with Glasgow’s Vox Motus.

Written by Candice Edmunds, Jamie Harrison and Peter Arnott, and directed by Harrison and Edmunds, The Infamous Brothers Davenport is a showy and technically-complex production, but one which hides layers of emotion in its plot’s many hidden compartments.

Before the lights dim, Lady Noyes-Woodhull (Anita Vetesse) greets the ‘invited guests’ at tonight’s demonstration, inviting some onstage to examine the spiritualist apparatus for signs of trickery or subterfuge before the main event.

Ira and Willie Davenport (Scott Fletcher and Ryan Fletcher) are two young American brothers who, with the assistance of manager Mr Fay (Gavin Mitchell), turn the experiences of their past into a stage phenomenon: claiming to present the grief-stricken and the curious with evidence of life beyond the grave.

The piece opens with a humourous flourish, with Mitchell relishing the role of showman as he introduces the mysterious brothers. Stagecraft and magic techniques are used – with the help of a few willing audience members – to provide the ‘evidence’, sought no more strongly than by Lady Noyes-Woodhull herself, whose husband has been missing in Africa for years.

Soon, the magic disperses and the brothers’ ‘spirit box’ transforms into a stage within a stage, where Ira and Willie’s background is played out. Vetesse and Mitchell take on the roles of Mama and Papa, and we learn that the brothers’ most precious secrets are not the ones they use to create the effects in their act.

The Infamous Brothers Davenport is visibly the sum of its parts, and at times not all of them connect. The stage show reenactment is technically well-done and played in pastiche style, though this at times this jars with the human tragedy played out behind the box’s doors. In the second half, things come together with a little more cohesion, as the piece’s themes of truth and deception reach a satisfying climax.

Performances are excellent throughout, particularly from Scott Fletcher, who plays Willie with an innocent and otherworldly demeanour. Mitchell has the most fun, alternating between the exuberant showmanship of Mr Fay and the Bill The Butcher-style domineering of Papa Davenport.

Mention must also go to Harrison’s design and David Graham’s technical management: this is a production which relies heavily on more-than-usual amounts of stage magic to suspend the audience’s disbelief, and does so with flair.

Touring after this premiere, The Infamous Brothers Davenport is an ambitious production which mostly hits the magical mark it sets itself. And with its tale of hidden doors and hidden secrets, it shows that voices from beyond the grave echo into our lives whether you believe in spiritualism or not.

The Infamous Brothers Davenport runs at the Lyceum until 11 Feb. More details are on the Lyceum website.

Hamletmachine

The first of Edinburgh’s arts & culture festivals of 2012, manipulate will see The Traverse Theatre filled with the best in cutting-edge puppetry, animation and visual theatre for 6 days from 30 January.

Presented by Puppet Animation Scotland, manipulate enters its fifth year in 2012, with performers from France, Austria, Russia, Germany and more taking part in the celebration of visual innovation and avant-garde theatre.

The festival opens with Compagnie Sans Soucis’ performance of Heiner Muller’s Hamletmachine, combining video and puppetry to condense Shakespeare’s tale into a nine-page script exploring political and social themes.

Sound, mime, improvisation and film are mashed up in Polaris, from Czech Republic’s Wariot Ideal, which tells the tale of two stranded Antarctic explorers. Snapshots present Creation & Play, which pairs Scottish puppeteers with theatre directors, resulting in three 10-minute pieces of visual theatre.

Akhe Engineering Theatre from St Petersburg live up to their name by using lasers, handmade contraptions and shadow theatre to conjure up a series of comic images in Gobo. Digital Glossary.

And the festival is brought to a close with the satirical puppetry of Pangolin’s Teatime, who present a topical and up-to-the-minute sketch show The Return of the Great Puppet Horn.

As well as the performances, two other threads run through manipulate in the form of an animated film programme curated by Susie Wilson; and a puppetry and movement masterclass from Germany’s Figurentheater Tübingen, which runs for the duration of the festival.

Proving that innovation in theatre is alive and well – and that puppets aren’t just for children – manipulate promises to be a visual treat at the Traverse.

Edinburgh Spotlight loves living in ‘Festival City’ and already has all these dates in its calendar – here’s the rundown of 2012′s festivals.

Mary King’s Ghost Fest TBC for 2012

Paranormal investigations, celebrity ghost hunts and other spooky goings on at The Real Mary King’s Close.

Ceilidh Culture 16 March – 25 April

Edinburgh’s traditional arts festival, featuring music, dance, storytelling and more.

International Science Festival 31 March- 13 April 2012
The International Science Festival features a host of fun and educational events, lectures and attractions celebrating all things scientific.

Beltane Fire Festival 30 April 2012
Beltane is an ancient Celtic festival and Edinburgh plays host to some colourful and exciting celebrations to mark the date.

Imaginate Festival 7 – 14 May 2012
The Imaginate Festival is Edinburgh’s children’s festival and has loads of plays, activities and fun things to do for youngsters of all ages.

Leith Festival 8 -17 June 2012
Come and celebrate all things Leith at this festival, featuring music, dance, art and other exciting events.

Edinburgh International Film Festival 20 June – 1 July
The Edinburgh Film Festival is an internationally-renowned event on the movie festival circuit and attracts premieres and stars from all over the world.

Edinburgh International Magic Festival 29 June – 6 July 2012

2012 will see Edinburgh host the third International Magic Festival with a range of performers show-casing their magical talents.

Edinburgh Art Festival August 2 – September 2
Edinburgh Art Festival celebrates the visual arts in all its diversity, from world-class exhibitions to strikingly original installations.

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival 28 July – 6 August 2012
Get your gladrags on and party to the sounds of the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, a popular event which attracts international talent.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 3 - 27 August 2012
Getting bigger, better and – some may say – weirder every year, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the highlight of many a festival-goer’s calendar.

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 3 – 25 August 2012
Selling out months in advance, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a spectacular event taking place on the Castle Esplanade.

The Edge Music Festival TBC 2012
Adding alternative music to the August festival mix, The Edge Music Festival attracts A-list bands as part of its programme.

Festival of Spirituality and Peace TBC 2012

The Festival of Spirituality and Peace features music, dance, talks and other events highlighting humanitarian issues and causes.

Edinburgh International Festival 10 August – 2 September 2012
The one that started it all, the Edinburgh International Festival is a feast of world-class music, dance and theatrical performances.

Edinburgh International Book Festival 11 - 27 August 2012
This literary event attracts major names in the writing, publishing and political fields to the serene Charlotte Square Gardens setting.

Edinburgh Mela Festival 31 August  - 2nd September 2012

Celebrating the cultural diversity of the city, the Mela Festival brings colour and exotic flair to Edinburgh in August.

Scottish Story Telling Festival 19-28 October
Celebrating the great Scottish oral tradition, the Story Telling Festival showcases the talents of national bards, poets and tale-spinners.

Edinburgh’s Christmas TBC – late November – End Dec 2011
Edinburgh sparkles at Christmas and features events, attractions and shows for all the family to enjoy during the festival season.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 30 December 2012 – 2 January 2013
End the year with the biggest street party in the world!

Stuart Paterson’s Christmas shows at the Lyceum make only the briefest of nods to pantomime, instead choosing to focus on capturing all the magic of fairytale on stage. Neil Murray’s direction of Beauty & The Beast is no exception, providing a captivating two hours of charming festive entertainment with its timeless tale of love’s ability to conquer all.

Beauty (Ruth Milne) lives a Cinderella-like existence with her impoverished father (Lewis Howden) and her wicked sisters Hazel and Hannah (Karen Traynor and Nicola Roy) with only her new friend Martin (Andrew Rothney) to confide in. When her father ends up at the mercy of the terrifying Beast, selfless Beauty takes his place as the monster’s prisoner. Meanwhile, evil witch Crackjaw (Angela Clerkin) watches as her evil plans fall into place…

Milne puts in an appealing performance as Beauty, quickly becoming everyone in the audience’s favourite big sister. Rothney is similarly likeable as the brave Martin; and the relationship between the two leads is strong enough to carry the tale. Howden brings world-weary gravitas to his role, and the scenes between father and his favourite daughter are touching rather than saccharine.

As is often the case, the baddies have all the best roles…Clerkin plays child-hating Crackjaw with relish, appearing to have stepped straight off the set of a Tim Burton movie with her wild hair and billowing black dress. Traynor and Roy probably have the most fun however, and their chavtastic performances as the vain and scheming sisters provide Beauty & The Beast‘s best comedy moments.

Mark McDonnell as kind-hearted goblin Dunt is also there for comic relief, though he seems to have been studying Andy Gray’s camp panto performance style a little too closely at times. And Billy the Dog will appeal to younger audience members, providing plenty of faithful companion and ‘aww’ moments. Murray’s illustrative set design gives the production a suitably storybook feel, and costumes range from the flamboyant fun of the sisters’ ‘big city’ outfits to the potentially child-scaring towering black bull-headed beast.

There are other places you can go in Edinburgh to watch men dressed as women, hear jokes about the trams and catch innuendos flying over the heads of children in the audience. With Beauty & The Beast however, you can go and be treated to a big-hearted and spellbinding piece of charming theatre which will appeal to the child within, no matter how old you are.

Beauty & The Beast runs until 31 December. Dates / times vary – details are on the Lyceum website.

In Jo Clifford’s poignant yet playful imagining, Adam Smith (Neil McKinven) and David Hume (Gerry Mulgrew) are blessed with an enlightening opportunity to see how their philosophies have borne fruit, as they wake up resurrected in the 21st century.

Guided by modern-day Eve (Joanna Tope), their eyes are opened to the result of free thought and free markets: and how not everything in this utopian Garden of Eden is as rosy as they first think.

Clifford’s script is lyrical and wordy, managing to put convincing words in the mouths of these fathers of the Enlightenment: even when Smith uses his second chance at life as an excuse to indulge in his previously-suppressed hedonistic excesses.

Hume remains more philosophical, his eyes slowly opening to the reality of progress. Throughout, they are aware of their situation: and of the ‘sleek’ and ‘clean’ audience watching their metaphysical adventures in the afterlife.

Ben Harrison’s direction keeps things tight on a minimal set by Ali Maclaurin, allowing Clifford’s wordplay and premise to take centre stage. Devotees of Smith and Hume will find much to enjoy in her script; those less familiar with their work will still be led forward by Eve’s guiding hand.

The trio on stage give enjoyable and convincing performances, McKinven’s joy at being able to let off a lifetime of steam being particularly amusing to watch. Tope copes well with revealing truths to her companions and the audience alike, her expository role never feeling forced.

An unashamedly intellectual alternative to the more traditional seasonal fare currently on offer on Edinburgh’s stages, the play’s premise – that knowledge burns as brightly as any star – is just as uplifting.

The Tree of Knowledge runs until 24 December. More details are on the Traverse website.

In Simon Jackson’s enjoyably fast-paced “noir thriller” directed by Andy Corelli, tabloid photographer Ian Thompson finds himself the focus of undesired attention after witnessing an Egyptian diplomat being thrown from a fifth-floor window. As he recounts the series of events to a pair of police interrogators, we learn that whilst the camera never lies, the photographer may be being more creative with the truth.

The first performance in the new space at Ocean Terminal, Turning to the Camera is a technically ambitious production, featuring video projection sequences helping to put the action in context. On the whole, this works well – and is cleverly-deployed in places, such as when two characters stoop down, Gulliver-like, to peer into the windows of a projected bungalow. The sequences where the streets of Edinburgh are used to indicate the characters are car-bound are perhaps less effective, bringing to mind the effects of early Hollywood movies: but in general the filmed sequences add to the piece rather than detract from it.

Ian Sexon is superb as the paparazzo, exuding just the right amount of sleaze and questionable morals without verging on caricature. Sexon brings a manic physicality to the role – which is perhaps just as well, as his character spends around half the play’s 65 minute length clad only in his boxer shorts.

The other three actors play multiple roles, as characters in Thompson’s tale enter and exit. Adam Tomkins has a similar commanding presence to Liam Brennan and shows his versatility with roles as diverse as a threatening gunman and an eccentric professor. A slightly-underused Adrienne Zitt has less to do, but she brings an effortless touch of female strength to her walk-on parts, helping to counter Thompson’s male bravado.

Lewis Hart breathes life into the piece’s most intriguing character: a Welsh Muslim extremist. Again steering clear of caricature, Hart injects Bilaal with an intelligence and vulnerability which transforms him into one of the play’s most sympathetic – and morally true – characters.

The ink on Jackson’s script is still wet (there are references to the late Ken Russell; and to the November 30 strikes); it is also tightly-plotted with just the right number of twists and turns to stop it being confusing. Some political points are skirted over a little too briefly, and there is a slightly jarring mini-lecture on the history of defenestration, but on the whole the piece gels together well. And as Jackson also shot the film sequences and composed the noirish jazz-based soundtrack, it is certainly an impressive showcase for his talents.

Turning to the Camera proves to be sharply-focused and well-developed thriller with enough comic asides and interesting characters to stop it being heavy-handed. And as a snapshot of what Siege Perilous are capable of, it comes highly recommended.

Turning to the Camera runs until 3 Dec at Ocean Terminal. More details are available on the play’s Facebook page.

Turning to the Camera

Andrew Corelli Jones, co-director of Leith-based Siege Perilous, has found a novel way around this problem however: the company’s latest production – Turning To The Camera – will be staged in an empty retail unit in the Ocean Terminal shopping centre.

“So many venues lie unused in Edinburgh outside August,” says Corelli Jones. “I’ve always wanted to put a performance on in an empty space; and it’s interesting to find spaces away from the conventional – and nearer to audiences.”

The space at Ocean Terminal has never been used since the centre opened, and the 6,000 square feet venue will seat about 200 people, as well as playing host to writer, film-maker and musician Simon Jackson’s innovative and technically-complex production.

“Turning To The Camera merges stage and screen,” he explains. “It was originally a radio play, but we’ve adapted it for the screen. Simon’s produced film clips which feature throughout the piece; as well as composing the soundtrack.”

The play concerns a tabloid photographer witnesses someone being thrown from a window. Under interrogation from the police, the audience hear his version of events – never sure if what they’re witnessing is the truth or fantasy.

“The story gets bigger and bigger as the play progresses,” says Corelli Jones. “It’s a noirish thriller with a circular narrative. The four actors in the piece play multiple parts: with the actors playing the police officers becoming the other characters in the photographer’s story.”

So can we expect to see Ocean Terminal added to the list of theatrical performance spaces in the city?

“We’ll be back there in January with a site-specific piece” says Corelli Jones. “Beyond that, who knows?”

Turning To The Camera runs from 28 Nov to 3 Dec at 8pm Ocean Terminal. Tickets are priced at £9 (£7 concession) and can be booked on We Got Tickets; or by phoning 0131 554 3005. Two matinee performances will be staged on 1 and 3 Dec at 4pm (£5)

This isn’t a whodunnit? – more of a why do we do it?

In Paddy Cunneen’s original and gripping Watching The Detective, we are all present at a crime scene presided over by the Detective (a faultless Stuart Bowman). By the end of this hypnotic piece of deconstructed theatre, we’re less silent witnesses than active voyeurs; and our preconceptions of why we enjoy a good crime story have been crept up upon and assaulted.

Bowman prowls round the minimal stage, part Rebus, part CSI Edinburgh. Between cordoning off the Traverse 2 in crime scene tape, he pauses his internal monologue and phone calls to turn his investigative lights upon the audience.

“Who do you think I am?” he asks. It’s a good question.

Is he an actor playing a part; the personification of our fascination with ‘abjection’; or something else entirely? It’s a fascinating premise, well handled by Cunneen who also directs. And although those expecting a cut-and-dried case may be disappointed, Watching The Detective‘s line of questioning stays with you long afterwards.

The last in this year’s season of Plays, Pies and Pints at The Traverse, don’t be misled by Watching The Detective‘s premise – there’s plenty to see here.

Watching The Detective runs at The Traverse until 12 Nov. More details on the Traverse website.

1-5 November 19:30 (21:15), 2 & 5 Nov. matinees 13:30 (15:15) @ King’s Theatre. More details on the King’s website

Review by Danielle Farrow

Simon Callow has a strong association with Charles Dickens having long played the author, who – himself – gave public readings, bringing his characters to performed life. In Dr Marigold and Mr Chops, Callow presents two different stories directly, through one-man plays in which a manager talks about his employee and friend Mr Chops and one Doctor Marigold speaks about his own life.

Mr Chops is a telling tale, centred upon a performer in a freak show, focusing on dreams, celebrity and exploitation. It is full of rich observation and human feeling, some of which is described directly and some conveyed more subtly through the nuances of Dickens’ writing and Callow’s performance. It is the shorter piece, something of a cameo, with a few sweeping brushstrokes giving background to sharper detail.

Dr Marigold is a travelling salesman, who has a performance aspect to his work which is beautifully physicalised by Callow, and one who has known harsh times as well as better ones. Marigold the man grows along with his tale, creating a rewarding journey for an audience living through his travels with all their pain, fear, shaming mistakes and generous triumphs, and appreciating human relationships and spirit along the way.

Christopher Woods’ set serves both pieces well, creating a somewhat dusky setting. Dark red velvet curtains drape along the back and the material covers a free-standing wall and the floor of an angled raised dais, which is an abandoned stage for Mr Chops and then Dr Marigold’s footboard, where he sells from his cart. A few slatted wood tabs create a couple of ‘walls’, with pictures, frames, posters and general neglected niknaks strewn about. Nick Richings’ lighting uses various states, especially subdued, to fine empathic effect and sound (by Dominic Bilkey) can be suitably harsh for a circus barrel organ while yet supporting and punctuating Callow’s performance.

Simon Callow himself is obviously not just an experienced actor. That experience is clear and welcome in his command of material and delivery, but there is still more to his performance – so much so, that occasional stumbles and the odd plummy vowel inconsistent with his characters’ accents does not detract. The descriptive detail of Dickens is mirrored in the detail of voice, body and manner with which Callow creates his characters, those of his speakers and the others met along the way. Also, the care for humanity that characterises Dickens’ writing is integral to Callow’s performance, bringing rich feeling, warming humour and a sense of understanding and empathy which envelops the audience as well.

Callow is a true performer, able to fill the theatre with his presence and hold complete attention with his delivery, and he moves his audience, attaining a level of truth that makes strong connection possible. The combination of Dickens and Callow is indeed a brilliant one, layered and poignant, drawing tears and laughter, and full of life.

God Bless Liz Lochhead is an actor’s play. Set against the challenge of cultural cuts and with a ‘can’t beat ‘em‘ approach to the competition from TV, three middle-aged actors reunite after 25 years to stage a three-handed version of Lochhead’s Tartuffe.

Andy Gray, Juliet Cadzow and Kate Donnelly all play exaggerated versions of themselves, to great comedic effect. Bemoaning their ‘eclectic’ CVs and strings of bit-parts in Taggart, they squabble and bicker as they rehearse Danny’s (Gray) unique version of Locchead’s work, all the while being filmed by a reality television crew.

Martin McCardie’s script is full of satirical slings and arrows targeting the Scottish theatre scene; with an obvious but affectionate nod to the power and influence of the Makar herself. Co-directed by McCardie and Gray, God Bless Liz Lochhead will appeal to anyone with a passion for Scottish theatre: although some of the references are less likely to hit home with a more casual audience.

That said, the combination of farcical scenes and comedic monologues tears along at a great pace, with Gray’s desperate thespian preening and Donnelly’s ineffective anger management techniques providing most of the laughs. Redheaded Cadzow is also enjoyable, particularly with her comic swipes at Scotland’s other ‘flame-haired’ actress, Siobhan Redmond.

With its self-mocking tone and light-hearted chips on its shoulder, God Bless Liz Lochhead is uniquely Scottish, in tone and in subject matter. Witty and mischievous and with three perfectly-pitched comic performances, only its slight lack of accessibility to an audience not overly familiar with the homegrown theatre scene stops it being a classic.

God Bless Liz Lochhead runs until 5 Nov at the Traverse Theatre. Ticket information is on their website.

In Leo Butler’s Juicy Fruits, old friends Nina and Lorna are catching up over coffee and cake after not having seen each other for six years. Lorna (Clare Waugh) has a 8-month old baby; Nina (Denise Hoey) is back from animal aid work in Borneo.

But as the two women share pleasantries over pastries, it soon comes to light that Nina has been forever changed by an experience in the jungle, and views Lorna’s comfortable life with a manic jealousy which threatens to make their newly-rekindled friendship burst into flames.

Butler shows a good ear for dialogue in Juicy Fruits, with Nina’s sharp retorts and blunt statements of fact giving an edgy Hoey a great deal to work with, and she steps into her character’s unpredictable role with a gripping performance. Lorna’s character is more of a foil to Nina’s, but Waugh does well nonetheless, shedding her yummy mummy demeanour as the piece progresses.

Once things play out in the cafe, the action moves back to Borneo; where Nina has returned to pick up her work with her boyfriend (Ben Winger). Here, things lose their way: what started off as a sharply-observed character piece turns into a dark thriller; and sadly the juxtaposition jars, with not enough sympathy having been generated for the audience to care too much about Nina’s plight.

Despite its faults however, Juicy Fruits contains enough zest in its acerbic script; and a peach of a performance from Hoey, that it still provides a lunchtime treat: but isn’t quite as ripe as it could have been.

Juicy Fruits runs at the Traverse until 29 October.