Mary Baillie

Few stories capture the wonder of childhood and the weight of war as gracefully as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. CS Lewis’s beloved tale of four siblings stumbling through a wardrobe into a magical world could risk feeling outdated—yet Sally Cookson brings us something altogether stranger and more powerful. Her Narnia is surreal, haunting, and rooted in themes of spiritual rebirth—less Sunday school, more sacred myth.

Katori Hall’s Olivier-winning play follows Martin Luther King Jr. on his final night on Earth in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel, Memphis. He orders coffee—but what arrives is Camae, a maid with a secret mission. What unfolds is a blend of realism and surrealism that humanizes a mythologized figure and challenges us to see that greatness lies not in perfection, but in perseverance.

Theatre company Say It Again, Sorry? brought their smash Fringe hit Earnest? to the King's last week, turning Oscar Wilde’s classic of mistaken identity on its head in a brilliantly chaotic, genre-bending take that joyfully challenges theatrical convention.

Students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland upload Anya Reiss’s unique adaptation of Spring Awakening to the Tron this week. Reiss propels Frank Wedekind’s controversial 19th-century tale into the digital age. Set under an umbrella of smartphones, pornographic sites, social media, and online subcultures, the play explores how today’s teens are bombarded with information yet still starved of emotional guidance from adults and society.

'Myra’s Story' is a one-woman play by Brian Foster, a much-acclaimed hit at the Edinburgh Fringe. Fionna Hewitt-Twamley steps effortlessly into the shoes of Myra, a middle-aged homeless alcoholic wandering the streets of Dublin.

Based on the iconic songs of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf, Bat Out of Hell zooms into Glasgow like a Harley Davidson motorbike on steroids. Did I fully follow the batty plot? No. Did I have a blast soaking up the explosive choreography and legendary music? Absolutely.

From Netflix series to teen chick flicks to zombie mashups, Jane Austen adaptations feel overdone in the entertainment world. But throw in a five-woman cast, constant fourth-wall breaks, multi-role madness, tacky karaoke, and red Solo cups? Somehow, Isobel McArthur delivers something fresh, witty, and immensely original. 

The Rum Shack’s queer comedy night is the best kind of silly — hosted by the fabulous Kate Hammer, it brings together a beautifully diverse lineup of queer comedians showcasing chaotic joy.

Hairspray returns with charm to the Kings Theatre in Glasgow this week. The classic musical follows Tracy Turnblad, an ambitious teen with big dreams of dancing on TV and tackling racial segregation in 1960s Baltimore.

Arin Arbus's bold reimagining of The Merchant of Venice trades Venetian canals for tech bro skyscrapers in a near-future America dominated by corporate giants. Presented by New York-based TFANA (Theatre For A New Audience), the production’s corrosive bigotry and blinding vengeance feel eerily familiar - in a world shaped by Silicon Valley billionaires, power and prejudice still reign supreme. 

The North East’s adult pantomime sashayed into Glasgow with its latest saucy spectacle: Snow White and the Seven Drag Queens. Overflowing with cheeky innuendos, this one isn’t for the prudish of heart.

Author Paul Tinto performed his original work 'Trouble in Spiritland' as a work-in-progress show at the Traverse this week. Adapted from the mythic epic poem of the same name, Tinto's theatrical spoken-word presentation delves into difficult themes including the wealth divide, capitalist corruption, the attainment gap and questions of morality.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's musical theatre students showed off their talent in 1930s musical She Loves Me last week. Set in a Budapest perfumery, the piece follows feuding coworkers Georg (Nathan Muwowo) and Amelia (Ailsa Graham) who are unknowingly anonymous penpals, falling in love through their letters. As their romantic correspondence and work conflicts intersect, secrets are revealed catalysing a heartfelt ending. It's giving a slightly adapted You Got Mail. 

The Royal Conservatoire’s ‘Performance in British Sign Language (BSL) and English' students presented a beautiful silent adaptation of Dickens classic 'A Christmas Carol' last week. Combining both BSL and English, this performance ensured accessibility and enjoyment for both hearing and hearing-impaired audiences.

David Greig's 1999 play 'The Cosmonaut's Last Message to the Woman he Once Loved in the Former Soviet Union' is inspired by the real-life story of Sergei Krikalev, a cosmonaut stranded on the Mir space station as the Soviet Union disintegrated. Sounds fascinating in principle. The actors and designers did an impressive job with what they were given - unfortunately, the writing was even more longwinded than its title.

Jack Thorne's adaptation of Hirokazu Kore-eda's award-winning 1998 film presents an interesting premise at the Royal Conservatoire this week. Set in a waystation between life and death, recently deceased souls face a challenging conundrum - which single memory will each select to relive for all eternity? The piece delves into the beauty and artificiality of recreating a memory, presenting a metaphysical exploration of how we view our own lives. It is a meditation of what it is to live - and die.

Southern belle Blanche DuBois (Kirsty Stuart) arrives at her sister Stella’s (Nalini Chetty) run-down apartment in New Orleans. Almost immediately Blanche starts butting heads with Stella’s abusive husband Stanley (Matthew Trevannion) catalysing a whirlwind of events toying between naturalism and magical realism. The play touches on themes of female ageism, misogyny, beauty standards, queerness and the darker side of the ‘American Dream’.

Watching the Blue Man Group is how I imagine a halluncinatory drug trip. From spitting out neon paint to hanging an audience member upside down to an intense rave, the blue men challenge the limits of theatre in an absurd combination of clowning, theatre and performance installations.