An Update From Backstage

The blog can now be accessed via www.viewfromthestalls.co.uk as well as its original viewfromthestalls.blogspot.com address.

We've also added a new section to the sidebar links (over on the right) called "Stage Door". This will contain general theatre links and resources - the first of these is a link to the Scottish Theatre Forum which is a great forum for those involved in any aspect of theatre to exchange views and share information and even those like us whose only involvement is in the cheap seats are made very welcome. The Forum also has its own production coming this summer - the smash hit Queen musical - "We Will Rock You"

If you have any suggestions for sites that we should also include please drop us an e-mail at blog@viewfromthestalls.co.uk

Pay Less.... See More

As you can see from our Now Booking / Coming Soon we've got a lot of shows coming up in the first half of the year and the cost of tickets quickly adds up - no press freebies for us! So we take advantage of any offers we can to reduce ticket prices, and it seems only fair to share some of these tips with you...

The offer we make the best use of is definitely from the Citizens - every seat for performances on a Tuesday night is only £6 which is a great saving on prices in the main theatre, and makes the more "unknown quantities" in the Circle studio less of a risk.

The Citizens also does special previews for some of their bigger shows and the prices for these can be as low as £3, but these are only available in person on the day. September 2007 - as per the comment below the previews are now pre-bookable.

A lot of other shows/theatres also do discounted tickets for the first night of a run and this generally suits us as it's nice to get a review up here nice and early when anyone reading can still get tickets for the show. Our bookings for Futurology by the NTS at the SECC cost only £5 per ticket instead of £15, and for Aalst by the NTS at the Tramway is only £6 instead of £12.

The Traverse for example does an Apex ticket offer which offers discounts on selected performances for tickets booked a week in advance.

Another tip is to look at shows in studio theatres or unusual venues where seating is unreserved. For these you can often wait until reviews come out before booking and you won't miss out on the best seats by booking late - so long as you remember to turn up early on the night! But be careful you don't get caught out by waiting too long and find the show is a sell out - as happened to us with "Volpone".

Shows that are touring can often have quite different prices at different venues so it's always worth checking if there is an alternative local venue that may offer better value.

It's also worth considering youth, community and amateur productions as with no professional salaries to be paid tickets tend to be generally better priced.

Lastly, come Edinburgh Festival time most shows do 2 for 1 offers for the first weekend. It's a bit of a risk as you'll not have seen any reviews but if you can pick shows based on the past performances by companies it's a great way to see things a little cheaper and minimise any loss if you do end up catching some of the inevitable dross.

And remember - don't just save money - use it to see more shows!

Now Booking / Coming Soon - Early 2007

As we approach the New Year it becomes time to start booking for shows in 2007, so we started today by booking up for a number of shows at the Citizens' and we'll add a few others over the next week or so once we've identified shows to see. So here's what you can expect to see reviews of in the new year... (All shows at the Citizens unless noted)

February
The Crucible
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
My Bloody Valentine
Teechers
The Little World of Don Camillo

March
The Recovery Position (NTS Young Company at Platform, Easterhouse)
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice
Ice Cream Dreams
Aalst (NTS at the Tramway, Glasgow)
When A Star Falls (SYT at SYT Building)

April
Re:Union
Futurology: A Global Revue (NTS at the SECC, Glasgow)
Black Watch (NTS at the Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow & touring)

June
The Tempest
We Will Rock You (STF at Rothes Hall, Glenrothes)

July/August
His Dark Materials (Scottish Youth Theatre - venue tbc)


All good stuff but I'm particularly looking forward to a few of them -
"The Crucible" as I've never seen it, and love "Death of a Salesman"
"Re:Union" about unions between nations as I like a bit of political theatre
"Ice Cream Dreams" as I found out today it requires a stage extension covering the first 5 rows of the stalls and they can only use the front row of the Circle, so book now if it interests you as tickets will be very limited.

We missed out on seeing "Black Watch" at the Edinburgh Festival last year so we're delighted that we'll get a chance to catch it on tour this year, and although Musicals aren't really my thing I'm looking forward to "We Will Rock You" as it is being put together by the great folks over at the Scottish Theatre Forum.

We'll continue to update this post as we make plans to see shows, and where possible we've tried to book for the beginning of runs so that reviews will be available in time for you to still book for shows with longer runs. Please note that tickets are not yet on sale for some of these shows.

As you can see it's quite an intense start to the year and we hope to continue to bring our thoughts and reviews of all the best Scottish Theatre has to offer.

"The Canterville Ghost" - December 2006

Despite the cold, and it was very very cold inside Rosslyn Chapel, this was a heartwarming production based on the Oscar Wilde story. The cast of five and the production crew have put together a wonderful seasonal tale as an alternative to Panto. We'd seen Nonsenseroom's excellent version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the chapel as part of the Edinburgh Festival and enjoyed it so much we immediately decided we had to make the trip back through for their Christmas show, and it was well worth the journey.

The production makes good use of the chapel's theatre-in-the-round format and the cast ensure they play to all sections of the audience. Sound effects are well put together to create any additional atmosphere required, although the chapel provides plenty of its own.

The story has been well adapted and includes some up to date references for an additional touch of humour - the Haka is inspired! The cast do a great job and Vic and her father held their accents well throughout and the cast didn't seem affected by the cold despite not having the benefit of the blankets and thick fleeces that the audience all came equipped with - these guys are prepared to suffer for their art.

Not sure how many people were surprised by the final sting in the tail/tale as it had been fairly well signposted, but once you clicked to it you realised how well the scenes had been put together and performed.

Already looking forward to see what they are going to come up with for 2007.

Review of 2006

Okay, so there's still a couple of weeks left of 2006, and we've still to see "The Canterville Ghost" next weekend, but as we've already had the BBC Sports Personality of the Year last weekend I think now is probably a good time to do a round-up of the highlights of 2006 - and I promise I'll remember to include "The Canterville Ghost" in next year's Review...


No fixed categories to work through - just making it up as I go along and remember some of the things I've enjoyed the past 12 months - and there have been so so many.

Favourite Newly Created/Devised Performance
It would have been easy have go for the NTS/Grid Iron production of "Roam" with its thought provoking themes and incredible staging at Edinburgh Airport, and I do count myself as genuinely fortunate to have caught this experience, but it has already had plenty of recognition this year with numerous awards and I think there was another show this year that was equally worthy. TheatreFusion's "Whitechapel Murders" focused on the victims of "Jack the Ripper" and the policeman who tried to catch him. Its stated aim to make the audience aware of their backgrounds and their stories was completely achieved and it managed to maintain a lighter tone at times while remaining totally appropriate given the subject matter. Great writing, great performances and a brilliant setting at Glasgow's Brittania Panoptican.


Favourite Performance of an Existing Work/Adaptation
Nonsenseroom's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was outstanding but on looking back at the year I think Cumbernauld Senior Youth Theatre's "The Princess Bride" edges it - brilliantly adapted from a much loved original work that would have been so easy to do badly. Very clever portrayal of the story's big set pieces, creative use of dialogue/narration and great central performances.


Favourite Edinburgh Festival Show
We didn't see a bad show but the best was "A Midsummer Night's Dream" but "The Receipt" ran it close with its hugely entertaining interaction between the performers.

Favourite Male Performance
Interestingly both of the performances that come to mind are from separate shows by Rapture Theatre, Jimmy Chisholm as the broken Lawson in "The Collection" and John Kazek as Ralph in "Frozen". Hats off also to the guys from Theatre Modo's "Don Quixote" who must have really done themselves some damage the way they threw themselves around the stage.

Favourite Female Performance
Natalie Bennett as Helena in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" made a great show an incredible one, differentiating clearly between her two roles and displaying brilliant comic timing and facial expressions.
Other notable performances were Melissa Deans playing Inigo in "The Princess Bride" and Siobhan Redmond whose stage presence as Elizabeth in "Mary Stuart" was immense.

Favourite Youth Theatre Show
Already mentioned, Cumbernauld Senior Youth Theatre's "The Princess Bride" runs away with this one, but the SYT's "Arabian Nights" and Citizens Youth Theatre's "Geeks, Greeks and Party Myths" were also hugely enjoyable.

If 2007 can be half as good as 2006 has been I can't wait...

“Frozen” - December 2006

This emotional tale of a mother whose child has been abducted and her child’s abductor was never going to be an enjoyable experience and it was every bit as uncomfortable and painful as expected - but in a good way.

The subject matter isn’t the kind of thing I would usually go for, but having seen Rapture Theatre’s previous productions of “Damages” and “The Collection” in recent years we knew the quality would be pretty much guaranteed. “Frozen” centres around three characters - the fraught mother, the abductor and a psychiatrist studying the criminal mind. The characters of Nancy (the mother) and Ralph (the abductor) are given real depth by the actors and the moment when they finally come face to face is spine-tingling. The first half of the play is almost entirely a series of monologues and at times it can be heavy going but it’s due to the intensity of the subject and the performances rather than a problem with the dialogue, but I really could have done with the interval being 20 minutes earlier than it was. It may be okay in a main theatre setting but in the Citizens Circle Studio my back was telling me it was time for the break long before it was. Indeed the play as a whole was possibly slightly overlong and for me the subplot of the psychiatrist’s backstory could have been jettisoned without damaging the focus of the play. My only other real criticism was that the writing of the paedophile was pretty simplistic, “by the numbers” and comformed to type, and with a lesser performance this could be a major problem.

The set does an excellent job of creating the required atmosphere but was really a bit on the bright side - and combined with the intensity of the show I’m sure I wasn’t the only person who left with a bit of a headache coming on.

One last thing - it's not like me to want to include a content warning (although Rapture themselves say it's for "audiences over 14 years old and for those not easily offended") but the language here is at times thoroughly unpleasant - not just the content but the offensive manner in which it is delivered. Not a bad thing in my book as it's completely in context, but some may find it more than they are happy to take (and not just those who are "easily" offended).

Overall this was a great show which was clearly well received by the sell-out audience, and you can be sure we’ll be back to see Rapture’s staging of “The Glass House” next year - which also sees them move to the main theatre in the Citizens for the first time.

"Geeks, Greeks & Party Myths" - October 2006

This show by the Citizens Young Company is described on the Citizens website as "An original piece of theatre drawing on classical Greek myth and teenage panic - what would you do if Medusa had just crashed your party?" The description was certainly enough to get our interest but we really had no idea what we were walking into. Even after seeing the show I'm still not sure... but I do know I enjoyed it.

The cast generated a quite electric atmosphere with their energy and with a large cast in the small Circle Studio their obvious fun was seriously contagious. Anyone who remembers the house parties of their teenage and student years will quickly recognise that this production has absolutely nailed what it's like to be part of it. And I guarantee every audience member left recalling their own tales of parties and 'Yellow Pages' moments.

The characters do at times tend towards caricature but that's all part of the fun and not at all out of place. The numerous "mini-tales" are well held together and all are entertaining in their own way with some of them very funny indeed. Performances are all good, but this is very much an ensemble so there aren't any I'd single out.

There are problems though. Although it does add a couple of nice touches, the "Greek" thing is a bit of a red herring that could do with either being expanded or dropped. Some of the dialogue struggles to be heard above the (admittedly excellent) soundtrack but I guess that just adds to the authentic party experience. At under an hour, although it doesn't feel incomplete I do think there was definitely room for expansion into a 90 minute plus format here.

But enough quibbling... this is a great piece of entertainiment and really conveys a mood and feeling across to the audience. Hell, even when I was that age I hated going clubbing, but by the end of the show I'd almost have been up for a night on the town myself. Great fun.

"Yellow Moon" - October 2006

As a novel and entertaining way of telling a story, this performance by TAG really hits a sweet spot, but the story of teenage runaways doesn’t bring us anything new or any surprises along the way. And while it claims to raise serious issues such as self-harming and celebrity obsession we aren’t given any real feel for the impact or resulting consequences. They seem to be dropped in as “issues” without the play really having anything to say about them.

But none of this detracts from an entertaining 80 minutes or so where the format of dual narrators really drives the pace along. This works marvellously well when used in a “Crime Reconstruction” style commentry, although not quite so well when used to convey the internal thoughts of our runaways Lee & Leila. All 4 cast members perform well and succeed in bringing about a good level of tension as the play reaches a critical “will he / won’t he” moment. They also do remarkably well to perform in the Citizens Circle Studio with full lights up making it even more intense than usual.

Kudos to the writer for avoiding the temptation of an obvious potential plot twist which I won’t spoil here, but which is tired and overused. But I can’t help but feel that the writing lets the side down a little here - but it’s not a problem with the dialogue, it's back to the “issues” again I’m afraid - they just don’t add anything and I’m sure the play would be better dropping one or two of them and doing the remaining ones in more depth. Great performances and direction make this work but its despite rather than because of the writing.

Oh, and it was nice to see a number of the cast of “Mary Stuart” which is playing on the main stage in to see the performance.

"Mary Stuart" - October 2006

When I first heard of the creation of National Theatre of Scotland last year I had fears of it being a stuffy organisation of luvvies putting on all too serious traditional theatre that no-one would choose to go and see. Fortunately our experience of "Roam" quickly opened our eyes to the full range of shows the NTS had planned for their first season - and stuffy or traditional didn't form any part of it. Reviews I'd seen of some of their other shows only confirmed this. But for the first 10 minutes of "Mary Stuart" I was concerned that all my initial fears weren't entirely without grounds.

The show opens with some fairly slow and heavy sets of one to one dialogues delivered in an earnest fashion, and I quickly found myself focusing on the marvellous set. Fortunately once we get into three way dialogues things quickly improve and as soon as Siobhan Redmond appears on stage as Elizabeth things are raised to a different level entirely. I've always liked her television work but she really has stage presence here, so much so that it's difficult to reconcile the way some of the other characters compare Elizabeth unfavourably with the younger Mary. It's a strong supporting cast with excellent performances from several - especially Phil McKee as Leicester and Robin Laing as Mortimer, but Redmond remains a clear head and shoulders above anyone else here - Helen Mirren or Judi Dench wouldn't get a look in. Catherine Cusak gives a good performance as Mary but she doesn't have the same material to work with as Redmond is given.

There are a couple of scenes which will evoke memories of "Yes Minister" style farce and wordplay but for me they don't sit quite right with the tone of the rest of the play. They are however very well done, and do provide some much needed lighter moments.

The only real quibble I have is with the way the death scene is portrayed - the dialogue just seemed forced and it would have had more of an impact for Mary just to have been lead into darkness.

Despite a running time of around 3 hours the show passes quickly and never drags - but you might want to think twice before going on a schoolnight. Contrary to my initial concerns at the start of the evening, I think this was an excellent addition to the NTS list of productions as it isn't something that would likely make an appearance otherwise and it had just enough nice touches, including the costumes of the male characters, to remove any hint of luvvies and that kind of theatre...

If tickets aren't already running low for the show's run at the Citizens followed by the Royal Lyceum, they will be when the reviews get out - Book NOW while you can.

"Self Contained" - September 2006

More than 24 hours after the event and I’m still not certain on my thoughts about this devised production by the NTS Young Company. The concept of a small group isolated after a national disaster isn’t anything new but the staging certainly takes the concept beyond the ordinary.

At a running time of around an hour things move along quickly as we are introduced to our five characters who remain nameless throughout but who I mentally tagged as “Kelvinside Lady”, “Little Girl”, “Astronomy Guy”, “The Boss” and "Mother". We learn a little of their backgrounds and the events that brought them together but much remains untold.

The performances had me really concerned for the first five minutes as they seemed overcooked, and I’m still not sure if they got better or if I just grew into the show and found the portrayals appropriate to the characters state of mind, but given the later inclusion of a song and dance number I think that the tone of the performances was actually a pretty good fit for the piece.

The reveal comes quickly and can be a surprise to few, and many like me probably anticipated it even before the start of the show. I just didn’t buy into the idea that the events of the show would bring about the final confession.

The company made the most of the claustrophobic nature of The Arches venue and there are nice elements of audience participation. It’s fairly rare for this kind of show to have any long lasting impact on me, but this one did, as it has introduced a new phrase to our household which will no doubt be in use for many years to come - “...and there was no F****** milk!”

I think my uncertainty about the success of the show is due to the fact that although it was definitely enjoyable, I’m just left feeling that it could have been so much more. It was just too traditional - for a young company being given support from the senior NTS and obviously with a lot of talent and directing experience I’d have liked to see some more thinking “outside the box”. There were hints of it - the leaflets handed out to the audience giving emergency instructions, the initial taped dialogue, the musical number but just not enough to really lift the show to a higher level. I’ll be interested to see if they can make their next production a little more different, because we will be back.

"My Dark Sky" - September 2006

The story of the White Rose group who provided resistance to Hitler's policies within Germany is one that has an attraction for Waldorf, but for me theatre is for entertaining and I was struggling to see that I would get much "enjoyment" from this tale which couldn't end well.

So, I'm pretty surprised to be able to say that I found it a very enjoyable performance, as despite the dark themes and fates of the characters the legacy of their actions was made clear and tone of the ending a positive one. While the acting was of a good standard generally, it was Nicola Jo Cully excellent performance as Sophie Scholl who kept a more positive element throughout the narrative. Stewart Ennis as the older Wilhelm also brought a different dynamic to the group and his measured performance contributed greatly to the success of the show. A very welcome decision was for the cast to avoid going down the line of performing in German accents - a mistake that is far too often made and just proves distracting to the audience.

The story is well told and we have depth to the characters and are given insights into their motivations, their differing views and how they deal with the risks they take - these are clearly defined individuals, not just a generic group of people with a common cause. The only aspect of the writing I'd query was the romantic element which was really just a distraction - I would have been far more interested in the internal recriminations within the group about the decisions that lead to their arrests.

The show makes excellent use of their "stage" and the implementation of their graffiti handiwork is very impressively done, as are the audio visual elements. The set piece finale to the show is perfectly worked and ensures the audience leave on a high (and very grateful they don't have to stay and clean up!)

I've seen some reviews that while not harsh, haven't given this show the credit I think it deserves - there seems to be a snobbish prejudice against the show due to the fact that it is designed to be toured through schools as part of the curriculum. Don't let that take anything away from what is a powerful show with some powerful performances and some memorable images. It's a story that deserves to be told well, and Reeling & Writhing have done it proud. We saw this at the end of the run at the Tramway but there are several performances at venues around Scotland in October and November - if there is one near you give it a go, even if "serious" drama isn't normally your kind of thing.

Now Booking / Coming Soon

Quick update on what we're planning on seeing and reviewing soon...

"Self Contained" @ The Arches by NTS Young Company
"My Dark Sky" @ Tramway and touring by Reeling & Writhing
"Mary Stuart" @ The Citizens (followed by The Royal Lyceum) by NTS
"Yellow Moon" @ The Citizens Circle Studio
"Geeks, Greeks and Party Myths" @ The Citizens Circle Studio
"Frozen" Touring followed by The Citizens by Rapture Theatre
"The Canterville Ghost" @ Rosslyn Chapel by Nonsenseroom

I'm sure we'll end up at a few other things over the coming months too but I think that'll do for now... oh and just for the record - WE DON'T DO PANTOS!

"The Whitechapel Murders" - September 2006

It's always a bit of a lottery when you go to see a show, especially when it's a newly written and produced play. Sometimes it's a hit, othertimes it's a disappointment. I'm happy to say this one was the former. This was a world premiere run from TheatreFusion.

We'd visited the Britannia Panopticon on Doors Open Day and it's well worth a visit if you get the chance. Entry is via an alleyway, then up some stairs but you emerge into an auditorium that takes you back in time and is filled with ghosts. It was quite apt that this was the venue staging a play about the victims on Jack the Ripper.

Despite its dark subject matter the play is a pleasant mix of the grim and humerous. Well written, with good use of both live musical accompaniment (piano and cello) and projected images (remember and turn off the antivirus scheduled scan if using a laptop), you got a real feel for the 5 victims we hear about. There were good performances from the cast with some nice well directed set pieces.

Sometimes keeping things simple is the best policy and with a limited set, no gruesome makeup effects or stage blood this won't turn your stomach, but will stimulate your brain.

The one limitation of the venue is that there is no tiering to the seating or stage, so you and the performers are all on a level. Try and avoid sitting behind any giants.

Unfortunately this was only a short run, but the company are hoping to stage it again and possibly tour with it - we'll let you know if we hear anything more.
------------------
UPDATE - (from the TheatreFusion website)

"THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS", BRITANNIA PANOPTICON MUSIC HALL, Trongate, Glasgow. Located above Mitchell's Amusements. Enter via New Wynd, to the right of the amusement arcade.

Thursday 20th September - Saturday 22nd September 2007. Evening Performances at 7.30pm each night, with a Saturday 22nd September afternoon Matinee at 2pm.

TICKETS FOR THE BRITANNIA PANOPTICON SHOWS CAN BE RESERVED FROM 1ST AUGUST 2007. Email: theatrefusion@hotmail.com

Edinburgh Festival 2006

This year was only our second visit to the Festival. Despite working in Edinburgh for many years I had avoided it as being too unpredicable to be confident of seeing anything other than dross. A visit prompted by Christian Slater's role in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in 2004 was a turning point, and although we didn't make it across in 2005, this year saw us make two visits and we managed to fit in 6 shows...

The Receipt @ The Assembly Rooms, Fuel Theatre
“The Receipt” is very nearly the perfect Fringe show - excellent physical performances, well written, very funny, and just that little bit different. I wouldn’t dream of trying to outline the plot or format of the show - but our “hero” is along the lines of “Willy Loman” from “Death of a Salesman” crossed with Dustin Hoffman’s character from “Rain Man” who suddenly finds that trivialities are all he has left. His story is retold through performances and techniques that on paper just shouldn’t work, but on the stage definitely deliver. I said “nearly” the perfect fringe show as it does run out of steam a little towards the end, and if they can find a way of ending the show more in keeping with the rest of the performance it would be absolutely perfect. A great way to get your day off to a start.


Fahrenheit 451 @ Gilded Ballon, Godlight Theatre Company
This is a well delivered staging of Bradbury’s classic work. The absence of backdrops and props have obviously focused the group’s minds on how to portray the main set pieces and they are aided greatly by the use of sound and lighting effects, although it did take me a while to work out the “Walls”. The cast slip easily and believably from character to character with each getting a chance to shine. I was a little disappointed that the show didn’t quite resonate for today’s society as I had hoped it might, but it is certainly a very enjoyable way to spend an hour or so.

The Regina Monologues @ “C”, Tidemark Theatre
This deserves to stand or fall on the basis of its central conceit of six present day wives of one man with parallels to the wives of Henry VIII, and on that basis it should stand proud. It’s very easy to believe the tales of these modern women while we are left to reflect on their historical counterparts and the acting is of a high quality although it is only the final wife who managed to really engage my interest. It is both funny and sad in moments, but I am left with the feeling that it isn’t quite as clever as it likes to think it is. The show was also hindered by its staging in a venue with a loud air-con or fan unit in danger of drowning out some of the quieter deliveries, and due to the way the seats are tiered, some characters are at times delivering lines out of view of a large portion of the audience. Worth seeing for its ambitious concept - but make sure you get in the front half of the seating.

Lord of the Flies @ Augustines, Feltonfleet School
An excellent performance of “Lord of the Flies” by a remarkable young cast. We had wondered how adults would portray the children of the story and it was only the night before that we discovered the cast were all schoolchildren of an age with the characters. Those playing the main characters perform well beyond their years, and the supporting cast ensure they are each memorable in their individual roles. Great use of a minimal set/props but “line of sight” was a problem for some of the audience from time to time. If you missed the show you definitely missed out - remember the group for next year!

“Rebus McTaggart” @ Smirnoff Underbelly, Richard Thomson
This was my first show this year that I had chosen after the reviews started to appear, so expectations were high. Fortunately the show lived up to them. At times it did threaten to disappoint as the secondary characters don’t deliver in the same way as Rebus McTaggart does, and to be honest if they weren’t there they wouldn’t be missed (with the exception of the sniffer dog!) McTaggart is where it is at for this show and he’s well crafted and excellent at interacting with the audience. The Crime Reconstruction was truly funny and original - Crimewatch will never be the same again. See this show - I suspect well be seeing a lot more of Richard Thomson in years to come.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” @ Rosslyn Chapel, Nonsenseroom Productions
Wonderful setting for a wonderful performance, an absolute joy from start to finish. Very good performances from the cast all round, and I never like singling out an individual, but the actress playing Helena delivered the best individual performance I’ve seen at this years Fringe, and I’ve been lucky enough to see some great shows. She brought a great presence to the roles and made a clear distinction between her characters in looks and mannerisms. I was lucky enough to attend a Saturday night performance with buffet and chapel tour - well worth paying the extra for as it made the whole thing even more of an experience. Really can’t recommend this show highly enough and we're really looking forward to their Christmas production of "The Canterville Ghost".

"Tales from the Arabian Nights" (Catchup - August 2006)

This was the second Scottish Youth Theatre show we saw this year. We'd been disappointed by Man of the Crowd, but had higher hopes for this one. Again this was in the intimate surroundings of the Citizens' Circle Studio. You're right in the middle of the action, especially when it's a production with a relatively large chorus.

The cast were obviously enjoying themselves, and it showed in their performances. Most of the main characters were playing multiple roles but pulled them off. So much so that Statler had to ask who had played one character and didn't believe me when I told him who it was - such was the difference in the portrayal of the two different characters.

It tripped along at a fair pace, with a nice use of props and a limited set. It's amazing the different uses Ikea boxes can be put to!