Welcome! I am a freelance journalist and theatre critic for The Times in Scotland. I also write short fiction, which has been broadcast several times on BBC Radio 4 and published in anthologies such as Out There, Elsewhere, ImagiNation, Gutter, Markings, New Writing Scotland and The Best Gay Stories.
First published in The Times, Tuesday December 3 2019
Four Stars
When the New Year rolls around the actor Barrie Hunter will surely be grateful for a well-earned rest. Having strutted the boards in high heels and higher wigs as Perth Theatre’s resident dame these past few years, Hunter not only stars in, but also writes and directs this year’s panto. Little wonder the good-natured mammy he plays in the show is called Jackie Alltrades (geddit?).
First published in The Times, Tuesday May 28 2019
Three Stars
This dynamic new play from Wonder Fools is part drama, part history lesson. Jack Nurse and Robbie Gordon’s script was inspired by the true story of four young miners from Prestonpans in East Lothian who fought in the Spanish Civil War. The company’s UK tour includes an interactive exhibition featuring stories of the Scottish volunteers who served as part of the International Brigades.
Continue reading “Review: 549 – Scots of the Spanish Civil War, Prestonpans Town Hall”
First published in The Times, Thursday April 27 2017
Three Stars
The tale of how Mary Shelley came up with the idea for Frankenstein in a waking dream while staying at Lake Geneva in the summer of 1816 is almost as familiar as the plot of the novel itself. Less well known is the author’s connection with the city of Dundee, where the 14-year-old Shelley (née Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin) spent several months recuperating from illness in 1812.
Allan Radcliffe 