Ross Kirkland
PPP: Armour: A Herstory of the Scottish Bard
★★★☆☆ Tuneful
Armour: A Herstory of the Scottish Bard, this week’s lunchtime theatre offering at the Traverse before continuing on tour, provides a melodic new slant on the familiar story of Robert Burns.
PPP: The Last Cabaret on Earth
★★★★☆ Impressive
The Last Cabaret on Earth, by Brian James O’Sullivan at the Traverse, is the first in the new series of Play, Pie and a Pint from Òran Mór (with Ayr Gaiety) – and has an impact out of all proportion to its small scale.
PPP: Starving
★★★★☆ Nutritious
Starving by Imogen Stirling, the latest Play, Pie and a Pint at the Traverse from Òran Mór in collaboration with Raw Materials, is a potent and fascinating piece.
PPP: The Sheriff of Kalamaki
★★★★☆ Impressive
This week’s A Play, a Pie and a Pint from Òran Mór at the Traverse, The Sheriff of Kalamaki by Douglas Maxwell is another tale of mismatched siblings, this time played by the real-life McCole brothers.
PPP: The Spark
★★★★☆ Fiery
The Spark by Kathy McKean, the final offering in the current Traverse run of Oran Mor’s Play, Pie and a Pint, is a clever and compelling piece of theatre.
PPP: Variant
★★★★☆ Unsettling
There is a pleasing intransigence to Variant by Peter Arnott, the latest Play, Pie and a Pint from Oran Mor at the Traverse and Arnott’s fiftieth professionally produced play.
PPP: Jinnistan
★★★★☆ Frightening
Jinnistan by Taqi Nazeer is the last in the current season at the Traverse of Oran Mor’s Play, Pie and a Pint. In many ways, they have saved the best till last.
PPP: Alföld
★★★☆☆ Intriguing
There is a commendable seriousness and ambition to Alföld, the latest Play, Pie and A Pint from Oran Mor at the Traverse, that makes it a worthwhile production, even if it is not entirely convincing.
PPP: Break My Windows
★★★☆☆ Vigorous
Having your heart in the right place does not always lead to compelling drama. The political messages in Break My Windows, the latest Play, Pie and a Pint from Oran Mor at the Traverse, may be muddled, but there is a lively comic capability on display.
PPP: Oscar
★★★★☆ Perfectly formed
A funny, touching and tremendously acted musical, Oscar by Brian James O’Sullivan heralds the welcome return of Oran Mor’s A Play, A Pie and A Pint to the Traverse.
