Rob Mackean
The Kelpie, the Loch and the Water of Life
★★★☆☆ Radio fun
Arkle’s The Kelpie, the Loch and the Water of Life is an ideal mid-afternoon diversion for the last week of the Fringe.
Cyrano de Bergerac
★★★★☆ Unexpectedly touching
There is an almost wilfully uneven quality to Arkle’s Cyrano de Bergerac at the Hill Street Theatre, but – eschewing much of the heroic bombast that is usually associated with the play – it manages to be convincing and affecting.
The Curious Case of Osgood Mackenzie
★★★☆☆ Unusual staging
The Curious Case of Osgood Mackenzie, from Arkle at the Royal Scots Club, is a well researched slice of Scottish history, presented in a way that has genuine novelty.
Pressure
★★★★☆ Energetic and intense
David Haig’s Pressure, focusing on two British obsessions: the weather and World War Two, had its world première at the Lyceum in 2014 and is now revived by Arkle at the Hill Street Theatre until Saturday.
Silent Night
★★★★☆ Warming
Silent Night, from Arkle at the Royal Scots Club for one week only, is a cheering and beautifully assembled production.
The Taming of the Shrew
★★★☆☆ Uneven updating:
Arkle’s take on The Taming of the Shrew is a largely successful attempt to make relevant one of Shakespeare’s plays that is most troubling to modern audiences.
The Fair Intellectual Club
★★★★☆ Hysterical resonance:
Arkle’s take on The Fair Intellectual Club is a beautifully performed, extremely funny piece of theatre.
