Theatre Royal, DumfriesThe well-crafted jokes are a cover for reflections on sectarianism, asylum seekers, Scottish independence, inequality, Covid conspiracy theories and pandemic isolation…
Playwright and radio dramatist whose imaginative productions explored grief and lossOliver Emanuel, who has died aged 43 from brain cancer, was a playwright, teacher and radio dramatist who …
Traverse, EdinburghRobbie Gordon and Jack Nurse's tale follows a team of Scots women's footballers, but its most powerful scenes move well beyond the game There is plenty of talent on the fi…
Stephen Joseph theatre, ScarboroughNick Lane's witty and rounded adaptation stars a no-nonsense Rosabelle, and manages to convey fear and fun with pop hits If ever you find yourself in a sca…
Northern Stage, NewcastleThis production rows back on panto excess, but boisterous audience interaction and bright songs keep it lively Directors Katy Weir and Jake Smith think it is time to…
Live theatre, NewcastleThese one-act plays covering passion, acceptance and obsession are connected by a seasonally warming theme about community In their trilogy of one-act plays, Laura Lin…
Byrne, who has died aged 83, used his life as a constant source of inspiration for exuberant plays and paintings If John Byrne had been known only for The Slab Boys, he would be considered o…
Hull TruckEliza Blair plays the puppet-child on an adventure of self-discovery in this slightly muddled yet well-performed version When Ivor MacAskill and Rosana Cade staged The Making of Pi…
Royal Lyceum, EdinburghYoung Gerda is sent on an epic quest across mythical Scotland by steam train, cross-country skis, fishing boat and unicorn in Morna Young's version When the curtain go…
Theatre by the Lake, KeswickRiches-to-rags tale is set against the backdrop of Indian independence, amplifying the injustice and adding extra texture to this rewarding show 'I didn't promise…
Royal Court, Liverpool Traditional tale is recast as a daft quest across Europe, built on a giddy score powering through hits from Bon Jovi to Kraftwerk The dick jokes are, of course, inevit…
She cast an armchair as Mr Bennet in a Pride and Prejudice reboot. Now Isobel McArthur's been let loose on lusty romp The Fair Maid of the West. So is she worried about outraging mothbally a…
New version of the Anglo-Saxon epic features a massive cast of singers, actors and members of the community Ian McMillan is contemplating the greats who have gone before him. He is one of fi…
As he stages Gary McNair's twist on the tale of Pip, the director reflects on 16 years of spotting and developing raw talent while running the Tron Andy Arnold is a director with staying pow…
Queen's Hall arts centre, HexhamAn 83-year-old resident rails against the lack of liberty, settling herself on a bench outside and refusing to return despite legal threats and offers of hot-…
Royal Court, LiverpoolJames Graham's funny and violent TV adaptation belies a sensitive study of male mental health, as right-wing economics hits a group of road layers' lives The emotional …
Nottingham PlayhouseWith excellent performances, Tom Wright's play about the man who became a Victorian freakshow attraction is an at times uneasy mix of circus and polemic Entrances don't g…
Curve, LeicesterThis staging of Kafka's story is physically exciting, even tireless, but it hits an early peak of terror then has nowhere to go for two hours It is linguistically playful, po…
Octagon theatre, BoltonIn Holly Race Roughan's thrilling and dynamic production, Arthur Miller's classic about a Brooklyn longshoreman and his family roils with primal passions If Arthur Mil…
Stephen Joseph theatre, ScarboroughAlan Ayckbourn has fun imagining the hazards of malfunctioning android lovers and misbehaving auto-maids " but there's a deeper message too about human des…
His Majesty's Theatre, AberdeenAll-female production tells Bram Stoker's story from the perspective of women trying to escape patriarchy " it's often urgent, but sometimes sucked of energy L…
Shakespeare North Playhouse, PrescotHorror-movie witches haunt the unhappy couple throughout this touring co-production. It's one of many interesting ideas that are dropped too soon There is…
Pitlochry festival theatreIsla Cowan's quietly intelligent new drama goes inside a three-way relationship and each person's different attachments to their rural cottage retreat On the face o…
Pitlochry festival theatreAt a dinner party attended by a child ghost and a goading TV pundit warning of apocalypse, a middle-class literati find themselves on the brink of social upheaval P…
On Edinburgh fringe stages, pop is eating itself with a series of pastiches and tributes that riff on TV hits and surreal celebrity reimaginings This review goes out in honour of Gerard Slev…