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Scotsman
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe theatre reviews: Facility 111: A Government Experiment Edward (in memoriam) How Not to Fund a Honeymoon Cardstock Fill your pockets with Sunshine Tim Kenneth Kicks th
Inge-Vera Lipsius's immersive play about a sinister government experiment is simultaneously serene and disconcerting, and among the best theatre shows you'll see on the Fringe Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... THEATRE Facility 111: A Government Experiment ★★★★ Assembly Rooms (Venue 20) until 17 August Set in complete darkness and delivered by a disembodied woman's voice, speaking with the kind of automated tone that is simultaneously reassuring and unsettling, this immersive journey from an empty room across an emptying city, slowly reveals itself, leaving space for the audience to fill in the gaps in a way that creates an intense and unsettlingly alternative reality from its minimalistic imagery. Facility 111: A Government Experiment | Contributed In the expansive depths of the dark, where the imagination is amplified, what initially seems like a simple description of a broadly rendered built environment becomes a tense first-person journey through the unknown, where we are given the opportunity to experience, through a dream-like state, what it is to flee, to understand only in simple terms that there's a need to go. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Writer/performer Inge-Vera Lipsius's script deliberately removes almost all sense of human connection to create the experience of being alone, transported away from the theatre and into an unfamiliar territory, where something is happening far bigger than any individual caught up in it can hope to control. There's a broken duality to the piece – an invitation to experience the disconnect but within a play that's also quietly and powerfully asking why, outside of a constructed performance, we should have to. On a practical level, it's an opportunity to step away from the noise of the festival, to relax as the ethereal voice tells us at the start. It's also an approach that enable us to experience something horrific, wrong, uncomfortable in a way that's entirely comfortable, simultaneously serenely calm and disconcerting. Through an illusion of automated technology, it emphasises the way that we, here in the West, can become detached from what's going on elsewhere in the world, before bringing us back together as a group of people seeing a show, to appreciate what we have that, in the play, is briefly taken away – the ability to freely live our lives and shape our environment, which we can now go back to. SALLY STOTT THEATRE Edward (in memoriam) ★★ Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236) until 16 August Bristol University Drama Society's reimagining of Marlowe's Edward II at the start of the 21st century is a strong idea with bags of potential – not least questions of homosexuality in the military, one of Edward (in memoriam)'s underlying themes. But the cut-glass restraint of the four-strong cast makes it difficult to believe in the passions and jealousies that would bring writer Noah Robinson's sometimes elusive text to life, and a crisper, swifter pace from the show's three credited directors might build up more of a sense of tension and jeopardy. As it stands, a promising concept, but a missed opportunity. DAVID KETTLE THEATRE How Not to Fund a Honeymoon ★★★ theSpace Triplex (Venue 38) until 16 August Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's a light three-hander which comes in substantially under its running time, but what this comedy play by Stephanie Greenwood lacks in duration it makes up for in bite. Gwen and her fiancée Charlotte are seeking to fund their honeymoon in the Maldives by any means necessary – and the means they've chosen is breaking and entering, staging a robbery at posh Aunt Robyn's house while she's on holiday in Corfu, because they know she's hiding a secret trove of valuables. Needless to say, things go drastically wrong and these two spoiled rich brats are undone by the even more ghastly – and, we discover, violent and homicidal – Aunt Robyn, who's played by Greenwood herself. The whole thing is a silly, madcap comedy of manners-come-crime caper, with some funny lines which poke away at the eccentricities and traditions of middle-class Middle England and an amusingly unrealistic police questioning of Robyn which feels straight out of Monty Python. It's standard, middle of the road fare for the Fringe in August, in other words, but Greenwood's dialogue is crisp and punchy. The three performances at the heart of the play are filled with energy and comic timing, an effective calling card for all involved. DAVID POLLOCK THEATRE Cardstock ★★★ Greenside @ Riddles Court (Venue 16) until 16 August There's a quiet simplicity to the design and structure of this effective psychological drama by Qianyue Ang that examines the internet subculture of online erotic fan fiction. Ching Chen (Jin) plays Mae, a web author about to publish her first 'proper' paper book, a gay romance between two young men. However, fear of censorship compels the publisher to demand that she gender-flip one of the protagonists to make the relationship heterosexual. This proves profoundly upsetting to Mae's most constant online reader, Lily, a young woman played by Xinyue Zhao who has an almost obsessive parasocial relation to Mae and her work. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Although structured much like a thriller, this doesn't necessarily go where you might expect. Ang — who is from China and currently studying at Edinburgh University — uses her characters to examine the reasons why so many young women are attracted to erotic fiction that omits their bodies. There's a nice distinction in the performances between the older, confident Mae and the girlish, diffident Lily - both isolated in their own online space but coming together, both disguised by masks, as the characters from Mae's fiction. Much like the elegant production design — which is ingeniously fashioned entirely from card — there's a simple clarity to Ang's storytelling that resonates nicely. RORY FORD THEATRE Fill your pockets with Sunshine ★★ Olive Studio at Greenside @ George Street (236) until 16 August Kezia Norton's one-woman show feels less like theatre and more like an extended therapy session. In a series of confessional meanders she charts her passage from a troubled childhood, a mother who suffers from a breakdown and emotionally distant father, to competitive figure skating, suffering from an disordered eating and, eventually, a flight to New York to train as an actor. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The problem is not a lack of material, but rather a surfeit: so many crises jostle for attention that no single thread is allowed to breathe. Beneath it all lies a commendable message about hope wrested from darkness, but it does not appear as an organic revelation. There is talent here, and a story worth telling, but the piece needs rigorous pruning before it can become a living, breathing work of theatre. ALEXANDER COHEN THEATRE Same ★★ Olive Studio at Greenside @ George Street (236) until 16 August This timely show tells the story of Lewis and James, two young men struggling with their mental health. Brandon Kimaryo and Jason Avlonitis play their respective roles with great conviction and skill - but because Same compresses two stories into such a tight runtime, we struggle to become emotionally involved in either. Similarly, the presence of so many competing themes (parental death, alcoholism and parentification, to name a few) only serve to detract from what is already a compelling topic on its own. The issue of male suicide is such a prescient one, and Same is well-positioned to tackle it - with a more focused script. ARIANE BRANIGAN THEATRE Tim Kenneth Kicks the Bucket ★★ theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall (Venue 53) until 16 August A polished cast can't save this oddly misshapen American tragicomedy from Brandon Kiziloz. New York Philosophy professor Tim Kenneth (Brian Olsen) suffers an apparent mental breakdown after a stupid prank by Scooter (Mackay Mumford). Worried about his mental health Scooter enlists the considerably brighter Pencil (Connor Bullock) in an increasingly convoluted bid to rescue their teacher. Kiziloz's writing is strong on some early individual scenes and Mumford and Bullock (both excellent) are a treat to watch but the plot spirals as it becomes ever more unlikely and the whole thing eventually grinds to an unsatisfying conclusion. RORY FORD THEATRE Garbanzo ★★ Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236) until 16 August Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Theatre is so easy, Scottish writer/performer Emily Briggs observes several times across the course of her 45-minute solo show - with, admittedly, a hefty dose of irony. If only it were - then this rather baffling, unconvincing mix of stand-up, song, movement and wry observation might make more of a mark. Briggs is a warm, engaging performer with an enjoyable way of interacting with her audience. But amid its vegan rethink of Tess of the d'Urbervilles and on-stage oat milk preparation, its oblique connections and bathetic ending, Garbanzo struggles to achieve much that's memorable. DAVID KETTLE THEATRE RACKS ★★ theSpace @ Niddry Street (Venue 9) until 16 August Although competently performed, if there are any laughs in this flat backstage-set 'dark comedy' they have yet to be found by writer-director Oli Keene. Three principal actors of a school production of Guys and Dolls find themselves locked in the costume cupboard among the clothing racks. Amusing themselves with a spot of dress-up, the characters all seem eminently agreeable and admirably supportive of each other's ambitions which is all very nice but there's no conflict, drama, tension or noticeable humour. The 'dark' part is saved for the end which seems to come from another show entirely. Puzzling. RORY FORD
STV News
03-06-2025
- General
- STV News
Bannockburn battlefield plans refused as ministers overturn council decision
Scottish ministers have refused planning permission for a development on the historic Bannockburn battlefield site. Turning down plans to build a trotting track for harness racing, the Scottish Government ruled the proposals would 'introduce new development and urbanisation in one of the few remaining undeveloped parts of the battlefield'. As such it ruled the development 'would have a significant adverse effect on the character of the battlefield, its setting and sense of place'. The site is where in June 1314 Robert the Bruce and his Scottish army famously defeated English troops led by King Edward II. Stirling Council approved plans for the development in July last year, with conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland saying was 'shocked and disappointed' at the decision. The Scottish Government formally 'called in' the decision in August 2024, with ministers now overturning the council's original determination. While ministers were 'sympathetic' to points made in support of the application, their ruling stated they 'do not consider that the benefits of the proposed development would outweigh the adverse impacts on a nationally significant battlefield and its associated listed buildings'. PA Media Development on Bannockburn battlefield site refused planning permission Ministers added the part of the battlefield where the development was to be sited is 'especially sensitive and remains undeveloped' – adding this 'greatly assists an appreciation of its role in the battle'. Diarmid Hearns, acting director of conservation and policy at the National Trust for Scotland, said: 'This is very welcome news for the trust and all who care about Scotland's heritage and history.' He said the ministers' conclusions 'closely accord with our stated views that this development was simply in the wrong place and would have badly impacted upon the setting of the battlefield'. He added: 'We hope that this decision brings this matter to an end and that the developer withdraws to a new site elsewhere that will not impinge on places of historical importance.' The Scottish Government also refused a separate application for a golf driving range to be built in the area, saying: 'The proposed development does not effectively protect the cultural significance or the key landscape characteristics of the battlefield.' Ministers said these plans 'would have a significant adverse impact on the landscape features, character and setting of the battlefield and that the overall integrity and character of the battlefield area would be compromised by the proposed development'. A Scottish Government spokesperson confirmed: 'Scottish ministers have refused planning permission for a golf driving range and trotting track within the Bannockburn battlefield.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Glasgow Times
03-06-2025
- General
- Glasgow Times
Development on Bannockburn battlefield site refused planning permission
Turning down plans to build a trotting track for harness racing, the Scottish Government ruled the proposals would 'introduce new development and urbanisation in one of the few remaining undeveloped parts of the battlefield'. As such it ruled the development 'would have a significant adverse effect on the character of the battlefield, its setting and sense of place'. The site is where in June 1314 Robert the Bruce and his Scottish army famously defeated English troops led by King Edward II. Bannockburn is famous as the location of Scotland's victory over the English in 1314 (Andrew Milligan/PA) Stirling Council approved plans for the development in July last year, with conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland saying was 'shocked and disappointed' at the decision. The Scottish Government formally 'called in' the decision in August 2024, with ministers now overturning the council's original determination. While ministers were 'sympathetic' to points made in support of the application, their ruling stated they 'do not consider that the benefits of the proposed development would outweigh the adverse impacts on a nationally significant battlefield and its associated listed buildings'. Ministers added the part of the battlefield where the development was to be sited is 'especially sensitive and remains undeveloped' – adding this 'greatly assists an appreciation of its role in the battle'. Diarmid Hearns, acting director of conservation and policy at the National Trust for Scotland, said: 'This is very welcome news for the trust and all who care about Scotland's heritage and history.' He said the ministers' conclusions 'closely accord with our stated views that this development was simply in the wrong place and would have badly impacted upon the setting of the battlefield'. He added: 'We hope that this decision brings this matter to an end and that the developer withdraws to a new site elsewhere that will not impinge on places of historical importance.' The Scottish Government also refused a separate application for a golf driving range to be built in the area, saying: 'The proposed development does not effectively protect the cultural significance or the key landscape characteristics of the battlefield.' Ministers said these plans 'would have a significant adverse impact on the landscape features, character and setting of the battlefield and that the overall integrity and character of the battlefield area would be compromised by the proposed development'. A Scottish Government spokesperson confirmed: 'Scottish ministers have refused planning permission for a golf driving range and trotting track within the Bannockburn battlefield.'
South Wales Guardian
03-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Development on Bannockburn battlefield site refused planning permission
Turning down plans to build a trotting track for harness racing, the Scottish Government ruled the proposals would 'introduce new development and urbanisation in one of the few remaining undeveloped parts of the battlefield'. As such it ruled the development 'would have a significant adverse effect on the character of the battlefield, its setting and sense of place'. The site is where in June 1314 Robert the Bruce and his Scottish army famously defeated English troops led by King Edward II. Stirling Council approved plans for the development in July last year, with conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland saying was 'shocked and disappointed' at the decision. The Scottish Government formally 'called in' the decision in August 2024, with ministers now overturning the council's original determination. While ministers were 'sympathetic' to points made in support of the application, their ruling stated they 'do not consider that the benefits of the proposed development would outweigh the adverse impacts on a nationally significant battlefield and its associated listed buildings'. Ministers added the part of the battlefield where the development was to be sited is 'especially sensitive and remains undeveloped' – adding this 'greatly assists an appreciation of its role in the battle'. Diarmid Hearns, acting director of conservation and policy at the National Trust for Scotland, said: 'This is very welcome news for the trust and all who care about Scotland's heritage and history.' He said the ministers' conclusions 'closely accord with our stated views that this development was simply in the wrong place and would have badly impacted upon the setting of the battlefield'. He added: 'We hope that this decision brings this matter to an end and that the developer withdraws to a new site elsewhere that will not impinge on places of historical importance.' The Scottish Government also refused a separate application for a golf driving range to be built in the area, saying: 'The proposed development does not effectively protect the cultural significance or the key landscape characteristics of the battlefield.' Ministers said these plans 'would have a significant adverse impact on the landscape features, character and setting of the battlefield and that the overall integrity and character of the battlefield area would be compromised by the proposed development'. A Scottish Government spokesperson confirmed: 'Scottish ministers have refused planning permission for a golf driving range and trotting track within the Bannockburn battlefield.'
Scotsman
03-06-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Battle is over at Bannockburn as trotting track plan thrown out
Scottish ministers have refused plans for a controversial trotting track at historic Bannockburn battlefield. Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Heritage chiefs have welcomed a decision by Scottish ministers to overturn planning permission for a development of a trotting track on the historic site of the Battle of Bannockburn. Plans for the track for harness racing have been thrown out after it was ruled the development would 'introduce new development and urbanisation in one of the few remaining undeveloped parts of the battlefield" where Robert the Bruce led the Scots to victory over Edward II's army in June 1314. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The track was planned on land close to where Robert the Bruce's army faced off against the vanguard of Edward II's men on the first day of the battle. Stirling Council originally approved the plans last July but the decision was criticised by National Trust for Scotland, which spoke of its 'shock and disappointment' that the development was being allowed. That decision has now been overturned at government level after it was found the development 'would have a significant adverse effect on the character of the battlefield, its setting and sense of place'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Diarmid Hearns, acting director of conservation and policy at the National Trust for Scotland, said: 'This is very welcome news for the trust and all who care about Scotland's heritage and history.' He said the ministers' conclusions 'closely accord with our stated views that this development was simply in the wrong place and would have badly impacted upon the setting of the battlefield'. He added: 'We hope that this decision brings this matter to an end and that the developer withdraws to a new site elsewhere that will not impinge on places of historical importance.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Parking was also sought for 200 cars at the track, which would have been the first of its kind in the country. The Scottish Government formally 'called in' the decision in August 2024 with significant support drummed up by NTS in opposition to the proposals. Dr Tony Pollard, an eminent battlefield archaeologist at Glasgow University, said the proposed site could include the scene of one of the most important early encounters in the June 1314 battle, when the English knight Henry de Bohun spotted Robert the Bruce and charged at him with his lance. Bruce, on a much smaller horse, manoeuvred to the side and smashed the knight's helmet and head in two with his battle-axe. The Scots king, who took an enormous risk taking on the fight, is said to have expressed regret only that he had broken the shaft of his favourite axe. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad READ MORE: Sunset Song church deep in rural community which inspired novel to be sold While ministers were 'sympathetic' to points made in support of the application, their ruling stated they 'do not consider that the benefits of the proposed development would outweigh the adverse impacts on a nationally significant battlefield and its associated listed buildings'. Ministers added the part of the battlefield where the development was to be sited is 'especially sensitive and remains undeveloped' – adding this 'greatly assists an appreciation of its role in the battle'. The Scottish Government also refused a separate application for a golf driving range to be built in the area, saying: 'The proposed development does not effectively protect the cultural significance or the key landscape characteristics of the battlefield.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ministers said these plans 'would have a significant adverse impact on the landscape features, character and setting of the battlefield and that the overall integrity and character of the battlefield area would be compromised by the proposed development'.
