Author: Ella Catherall

STEPH ARITONE: EXCELF-ESTEEM – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

27th August 2023

I literally have it in my Twitter bio that I like spreadsheets, so a comedy show about spreadsheets felt like compulsory viewing for me. Unfortunately/fortunately, this show isn’t entirely about spreadsheets, but Steph Aritone’s attempts to showcase aspects of her life through the medium of Excel-generated graph is nevertheless entertaining. The show has a great concept that … More STEPH ARITONE: EXCELF-ESTEEM – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

BOLTS OF MELODY – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

22nd August 2023

I wasn’t a massive fan of poetry in school. However, I always enjoy seeing interesting adaptations of classic literature or poetry, mostly to see how modern artists are choosing to interpret them for the stage. It’s safe to say that the creatives behind Bolts of Melody have interpreted the poems of Emily Dickinson in a … More BOLTS OF MELODY – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

EDEN SHER: I WAS ON A SITCOM – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

22nd August 2023

I may have come dangerously close to passing out, but this story of Eden Sher’s pregnancy and her reckoning with her time on ‘The Middle’, is incredibly compelling and excellently performed. You can see why it has all but sold out for the rest of its run. Evident from the beginning of the show is … More EDEN SHER: I WAS ON A SITCOM – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

GRIEF LIGHTNING: A SATIRE IN 78 SLIDES – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

22nd August 2023

When going through the Fringe programme looking for shows I was interested in, Grief Lightning was one that sold me purely on its description as it is possibly one of the weirdest ideas for a show I’ve ever heard – an academic is trying to convince an audience that the movie Grease is actually the … More GRIEF LIGHTNING: A SATIRE IN 78 SLIDES – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

ASEXUALITY! – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

21st August 2023

As a musical nerd who recently realised that she’s almost definitely asexual, Asexuality! The Solo Musical was one of my most eagerly anticipated shows of the Fringe, and it did not disappoint. The show charts the writer/performer, Rebecca McGlynn’s relationship with her aceness and her gender identity. As the only performer on stage, McGlynn delivers … More ASEXUALITY! – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

A SHARK ATE MY PENIS – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

21st August 2023

A show I was excited about purely because of its title, A Shark Ate My Penis is a one-man show by Laser Webber, that charts the mostly unpublicised history of trans men, as well as its relevance to Webber’s own gender experience. The show slots neatly between the genres of comedy, spoken word, and musical … More A SHARK ATE MY PENIS – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

POTTY THE PLANT – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

14th August 2023

Unconventionally, I’m going to start the review with an introduction to myself: In addition to being a theatre reviewer, I spend most of my time working towards a PhD in Plant Science. My favourite non-fiction book is the biography of Jim Henson, and I love musicals. As such, when I heard about a musical about … More POTTY THE PLANT – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

THE GRAND OLD OPERA HOUSE HOTEL – REVIEW – TRAVERSE THEATRE

7th August 2023

As a fairly recent convert to Isabel McArthur’s work (writer of Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of), I was excited to see that her newest play would be opening at the Traverse Theatre during the Fringe. However, unfortunately, I was a little disappointed by the show as a whole. The Grand Old Opera House Hotel is … More THE GRAND OLD OPERA HOUSE HOTEL – REVIEW – TRAVERSE THEATRE

SEAN AND DARO FLAKE IT ‘TIL THEY MAKE IT – REVIEW – TRAVERSE THEATRE

16th April 2023

Sean and Daro Flake It ‘Til They Make It is a new play by Laurie Motherwell currently showing at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh. The show chronicles the (mis-)adventures of Sean and Daro, childhood friends who have drifted apart since the former went off to university. The death of Sean’s mother has brought him back … More SEAN AND DARO FLAKE IT ‘TIL THEY MAKE IT – REVIEW – TRAVERSE THEATRE