theatre | The Broad Online

Timothée Chalamet vs the ballet and opera community: Is classical theatre dead?

Illustrations by Grace McKenna Timothée Chalamet has come under intense fire recently for his less-than-positive comments about the ballet and opera community. “I don't want to be working in ballet or opera or, you know, things where it's like: "Hey, keep this thing alive," even though no one cares about this anymore,” Chalamet told Mathew McConaughey for Variety’s Actors on Actors. Understandably, ballet dancers and opera singers are not too happy. Chalamet’s comment embodi

Lilia Harris

Apr 222 min read

Review: EUTC's The Importance of Being Earnest

Edinburgh University Theatre Company, The Importance of Being Earnest Rating: ★ ★ ★.5 After encountering Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest one is met with the realisation that more cannot be asked from a comedy: it has pace, it has drama, it has eccentric characters engaging in clever wordplay, it has twists and turns that satisfyingly culminate in a truly absurd conclusion. Yet with so much comedic brilliance embedded into the text, Wilde’s play is incredibly de

Aneliya Stanislavova

Mar 194 min read

Theatre Etiquette: Writing the Unwritten Rules

Illustrations by Grace McKenna What on earth has happened to theatre etiquette? I have come away from almost every single theatre show I have been to in the past few years with a funny, shocking, or downright incredulous story regarding my fellow theatregoers’ behaviour. During a performance of Cabaret, I witnessed two men over-enthusiastically singing along, only to be violently thumped by an enraged old woman and her handbag. While watching The Hunger Games: On Stage, a lou

Lilia Harris

Mar 123 min read

The intertwined world of literature and theatre

Illustrations by Grace McKenna Writing a literature and theatre column, it was inevitable that I would eventually write an article where these worlds collided. In fact, it’s almost impossible to discuss one without discussing the other. Literature and theatre have been interacting and inspiring each other for hundreds of years, exchanging stories, characters, and motifs. Their entanglement stretches all the way back to the 16 th century, with perhaps the most famous playwrig

Lilia Harris

Feb 263 min read

Review: EUTC's The Seagull

EUTC, The Seagull Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★.5 In the knowledge that this production of The Seagull has nabbed the title for highest grossing Bedlam play of the season, it’s fair to say that expectations going into this were high; and that they did not disappoint. It is no small endeavour to take on a Chekhov play. The first of his four major plays, The Seagull is ambitious in theme; set within rural Russia at the turn of the twentieth century, a sprawl of interconnecting characters d

Bella Henry

Feb 262 min read

Review: EUSC's Romeo and Juliet

EUSC, Romeo and Juliet Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ Putting on a play as iconic as Romeo and Juliet is no mean feat, and I entered Pleasance Theatre wondering how Salvador Kent – directing his debut Shakespeare play – and assistant director Florrie Prichard Jones would handle the four-hundred year-old material. Fortunately, the EUSC’s production was bold and blood-soaked, showcasing imagination while remaining (mostly) reverent towards the text. Strong actors made up a complimentary cas

Gabrielle Collins

Feb 213 min read

Review: EU Footlights' Kiss Me, Kate

Edinburgh University Footlights, Kiss Me, Kate Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★.5 On Thursday night, we were treated to ‘another op’nin’ of another show’ of the Edinburgh University Footlights’ production of Kiss Me, Kate at Church Hill Theatre, and what a show it was! Cole Porter’s 1948 musical based on The Taming of the Shrew was brought alive by an incredibly talented cast, band and crew, with almost too many standout moments to name. Every aspect of the production delivered, and director

Srishti Ramakrishnan

Feb 163 min read

EUSC's Romeo and Juliet: In Conversation

EUSC, Romeo and Juliet In anticipation of the Edinburgh University Shakespeare Company's upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet , our Creative Editor Daniel sat down with the Director (Salvador Kent), Producer (Kai Smolin), and Juliet (Anya McChristie) to talk in depth about the creative process behind their production and the timelessness of its themes and messages. Daniel: So the first question I had was, with a play like Romeo and Juliet, that is so famous and iconic...

Daniel Harden

Feb 424 min read

Review: EUSOG's Into The Woods

EUSOG, Into The Woods Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★.5 Across four midnights (and a matinee) Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group (EUSOG) transported audiences Into the Woods . A tapestry of dynamic storylines, complex characters, and intricate musical numbers, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s monumental collaboration poses a challenge for any production. A challenge that this young, student-led team tackles with drive, professionalism, and creativity. As a result, co-directors Tai Rem

Aneliya Stanislavova

Jan 264 min read

“Is this coming to Scotland?”: Why is theatre so London-centric?

Illustrations by Grace McKenna Over Christmas I was lucky enough to see The Hunger Games: On Stage in London. Before attending the show, I saw an advertisement for it on social media where an unknowing person had commented: “Is this coming to Scotland?” This would be a reasonable question if you hadn’t, like me, been following every step of this show’s creation, including the construction of a one-of-a-kind theatre in Canary Wharf. But, nevertheless, I kept this question in

Lilia Harris

Jan 202 min read

The best seat in the house is… where?

Illustrations by Grace McKenna Choosing a seat when buying theatre tickets can become a deliberation that lasts many hours. Do I splash out for the front row of the dress circle and guarantee a good view? Do I save money and sit in the gods, knowing I’ll at least be able to hear the show wherever I am? Or do I want to be at the front row of the stalls, almost on the performers’ laps? I have spent hours scrolling through aviewfrommyseat.com trying to make up my mind while squ

Lilia Harris

Nov 12, 20253 min read