Tuesday, July 8

Tag: Steve Small

The Stars and After – Traverse Theatre
Scotland

The Stars and After – Traverse Theatre

Ten actors stand silently with bowed heads as the audience enters the auditorium. In the dim blue lighting we can make out pieces of corrugated iron and large machine cogs. This is a gloomy dystopian land. In this world of the future, there are two classes of people: the citizens who live above ground and live a comfortable life; and the workers who live below ground, leading a miserable existence. The citizens’ light, power and their whole lifestyle depend on the efforts of the workers. It’s a hundred years since the city of Goliath was founded. Citizens live a good if unexciting life. They are largely unaware of how they are manipulated into docility by their Leader. Above ground there is no darkness and no natural light, but citizens have the benefit of powerful lights. However...
Storm Lantern – Traverse Theatre
Scotland

Storm Lantern – Traverse Theatre

They say partnerships are never equal, and such was the case here tonight in this generally well-executed three-hander from Edinburgh youth theatre outfit, Strange Town. This short play follows the true story of Sophia Scholl, the anti-nazi political activist, whose life was terminated prematurely, by guillotine, at the age of just 21, in 1943. Scholl was arrested with her brother Hans after scattering war protest leaflets from the top floor of the atrium of Munich University. Writer Duncan Kidd focuses primarily on the friendship between Sophia and Gisela Schertling, her good friend of several years, who is also romantically involved with her brother Hans. The third character in the piece is Nazi Interrogator, Robert Mohr. Let’s talk about the best bits first. Rebecca Forsyth is ...