On Newsnight Review:
Celestina
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They continually try to defeat the venue.
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One of the opening shows of this year's international festival was one of the publishing world's first best-sellers. Celestina by Fernando de Rojas first appeared in 1499 and was speedily translated and re-printed all over Europe.
On paper, it's a vast, sprawling work, not intended for public performance, but John Clifford has given the text a big shake, and handed it to the Catalan director Calixto Bieito, who had a hit at last year's festival with a production of Hamlet set in the VIP area of a night club at Elsinore.
This year the bar theme is back in a production that provides a plum role for the ever-versatile Kathryn Hunter as the procuress Celestina herself.
Celestina continues at the King's Theatre until 24 August.
Stage Beauty
Richard Eyre has followed the Oscar-winning Iris with Stage Beauty, a film that suggests that, seven years after stepping down from his decade as artistic director of the National Theatre, his heart is still backstage. In fact he had to put his own fee on the line on the eve of shooting when crucial funding fell through.
Stage Beauty was written first as a play and then a screenplay by Jeffrey Hatcher. It's set in London at the Restoration when women were still banned from acting and stars Billy Crudup as Ned Kynaston, the capital's most celebrated leading lady.
Stage Beauty was showing at the weekend as part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival and goes on general release on 3 September.
The Bridge
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Against every instinct I have, I liked this.
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Given the weather this so-called summer, it's a courageous theatre company that schedules a dozen late night fringe performances in the open air.
Edinburgh-based Boilerhouse definitely deserve a medal for bravery as, not only is their show The Bridge is open to the elements, it incorporates pyrotechnics, live video and two actors performing aerial choreography while suspended 40 feet off the ground supported by two giant towers.
The Bridge tells the story of two girls, childhood friends who struggle to maintain their relationship when war tears their home town apart. They find themselves not only on opposing sides in the fighting but trapped on opposite sides of the bridge, their only meeting point.
The Bridge continues in Old College Quad until 29 August.
On the panel were:
Newsnight Review, BBC Two's weekly cultural round-up, follows Newsnight on Friday evenings at 22:00 GMT 23:00 UK
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