Ethical eating and a damp squib of a show

Today on Mark Fisher's Scottish Theatre Links I'm out and about at Edinburgh's Iglu restaurant eating an organic meal. And there's a review in The Guardian of Benchtours' Crowhurst which left me feeling all washed up.

Theatre review of Poorboy's Falling

There's a strange rash of shows on the theme of heaven and hell around in Scotland at the moment. You can choose between the Royal Lyceum's Faust, the Arches' Inferno and - new on my site today - Poorboy's Falling.

Four new Scottish theatre reviews

It's been a busy couple of weeks in Scottish theatre, with many of the key companies launching new shows. With the help of a couple of matinees, I clocked up eight in six days last week. New today on Mark Fisher's Scottish Theatre Links are four reviews: Phedre at Perth Theatre; Crowhurst by Benchtours; Molly Whuppie by Licketyspit; and Prince Unleashed by Visible Fictions.

Review of Dante's Inferno

Hell is big this month on Scotland's stages. New today on Mark Fisher's Scottish Theatre Links a review of Inferno at the Arches, Glasgow.

More Home, more Faust

New on Mark Fisher's Scottish Theatre Links today, a couple of articles recently published by Variety: a round up of the National Theatre of Scotland's Home shows and a review of the Royal Lyceum's Faust.

The Talented Mr Ripley

Not the film but the play. A theatre review of The Talented Mr Ripley at Dundee Rep on my site today.

Lynn Ferguson and Una McLean

Published today is an interview I did with Una Mclean and Lynn Ferguson - follow the link on Mark Fisher's Scottish Theatre Links. Both of them are starring in the new Douglas Maxwell play, Melody, which opens at the Traverse Theatre on Tuesday. Also on the site today is a theatre review of EH6 by Edinburgh's Puppet Lab - a beguiling puppet show for adults.

I've got a site map and I'm going to use it

Hang out the bunting! Crack open the champagne! Mark Fisher's Scottish Theatre Links now has its very own site map.

Soul-selling with Faust

Yesterday I mentioned it was tough to give a one-star review (though not nearly as tough as receiving one, I'm sure). Writing about something you like can be difficult in a different way. Today's review of Faust seemed to take me all weekend to write. It felt like the ambition of the production, the fact that it was in two instalments and my enjoyment of it were all conspiring to make it impossible to say anything sensible. In the end, I had to sell my soul to the devil just to get it written.

The cruelty of a one-star review

Should I have been kinder in my one-star review of 7:84's Free-Fall today in The Guardian? In normal circumstances, it'd be just another show, but the company is under threat of closure because of funding cuts from the Scottish Arts Council and it's cruel to kick a man when he is down. I wondered about giving it two stars, but the only reason I could think of for a second star was I felt sorry for the company. That didn't seem to be a very good reason. Still, the show has received three-star reviews elsewhere (even a four-star in one case), so it's only my opinion.

Website updates

New today on Mark Fisher's Scottish Theatre Links: a review of 7:84's Free-Fall and news of the appointment of Jonathan Mills at the Edinburgh International Festival. On the homepage there's an update of Scottish theatre productions in April and links to articles about Jerry Springer the Opera and Visible Fictions' Prince Unleashed.

SAC shake-up

The Scottish Arts Council has changed its way of funding theatre companies and other arts organisations. It is putting its money into two pots: one for long-term "foundation" funding; the other for one-off "flexible" grants. The changes will be good news for those granted more stability and, theoretically, for a generation of younger artists. Bad news, though, for Borderline, 7:84 and others, whose regular funding has been withdrawn.
On Mark Fisher's Scottish Theatre Links today: more articles about the National Theatre of Scotland