COMEDY

Jimmy McGhie: Apologia (Live Nation & MZA)
Jimmy McGhie's defense is the trauma of his parents' divorce...over twenty years ago. However, he never actually makes it clear what he's sorry for. Despite announcing himself as "another white, middle class, male comedian", he lacks self-awareness and seems pretty proud of his boarding school upbringing and inability to speak to mechanics. His delivery and patter are polished (although he does look at his watch a lot, making the audience feel they have overstayed their welcome) but, rather than self-deprecating, McGhie reminds you of that guy who will never miss a chance to tell you that he doesn't even own a television. He looks and sounds like an established comic, but this material is forgettable.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Francesca Peschier]

Pete Firman: TriX (Phil McIntyre Entertainment with Corrie McGuire for ROAR Comedy)
A decade ago, Pete Firman was labelled as the poster-boy for British comedy-magic – combining jokes and tricks to create what was, at the time, a rare type of Fringe show. Nowadays, magicians are on every street corner, but Firman still stands out. Sure, some of his jokes are terrible, but they're paired with his immeasurable magical talents in such a way that we really don't mind. He repeatedly plays down his act with a bad joke, only to completely blow the audience away with some magic that defies belief. And of course, as with every great show of its kind, 'TriX' boasts an utterly mind-boggling finale. Ten years may have passed, but he's still well and truly the poster-boy.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Stephanie Gray]

DANCE & PHYSICAL THEATRE

The Rooster and Partial Memory (El-Funoun Palestinian Dance Troupe / SHAMS Association / Marhbtain Organization)
Energy, strength, elegance and rhythm characterize 'dabke', an ancient Arab folk dance, traditional in Palestine and Lebanon among other places, that inspires these dance pieces. Far from being a preserved series of moves, tradition and folklore bloom and evolve in these pieces to express the experiences of a generation. The dancers burst on stage full of vitality, playfulness and, in 'Partial Memory,' raw pain. There is a sense of urgency in the performances- the urgency of their message. But politics becomes poetry; the controversial issues become personal stories. It's not an easy piece, but art reveals that at the core of each problem there's a story pushing to be told, a story that we can all understand.
Dance Base, until 14 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Aida Rocci]

MUSIC

Bach's St Matthew Passion (Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists / Edinburgh International Festival)
This was three hours of a shared life experience, not just a festival concert. Picander's heartbreaking libretto was given wings by JS Bach when he wrote this Baroque masterpiece; the way these world class musicians humbly placed themselves at the service of his music kept me enthralled, moved and finally exhausted. The rise and fall of the words gave meaning to every single syllable – James Gilchrist was magnificent. The dramatic fury of the chorus and two orchestras, reserved for outbursts of raging at injustice, contrasted terrifyingly with the gentle beauty of the chorales. Reginald Mobley was a masterful alto and the period instruments were perfection itself. Completely overwhelming – how lucky I was to be there.
Usher Hall, 13 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Louise Rodgers]

Elgar's The Apostles (Edward Gardner conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Edinburgh International Festival)
'The Apostles' is the story of ordinary people who did extraordinary things; the same can be said of the hundreds of musicians who came together for this performance. It was hard to remember that, apart from the RSNO and professional soloists – Karen Cargill excelled as Mary Magdalene, as did John Relya as Judas - the musicians were children, students and amateur singers, albeit superbly trained. And of course, Sir Edward Elgar rose from local church organist to composer of this masterpiece. Elgar wrote imaginatively for the organ in this cataclysmic orchestration – not hymn tunes but a sinister, otherworldly rumbling that shook the stage for this story of betrayal, death and redemption. 'Alleluia' echoed between the children's and adults' choirs – a fitting finale.
Usher Hall, 14 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Louise Rodgers]

Berlioz's Roméo Et Juliette (Robin Ticciati conducts the Scottish Chamber Orchestra / Edinburgh International Festival)
They say French is the language of love, although they never mentioned helpful English supertitles. Berlioz's imaginative score was reminiscent of ballet music with two harps, woodwind including four bassoons, and lots of percussion. The SCO rose to the occasion and sparkled along, particularly harps, flutes and triangle. Soprano Magdalena Kozená as Juliette sang touchingly and The Tenebrae Consort was excellent. The Edinburgh Festival Chorus showed great personality as the warring Montagues and Capulets; their collective reaction to sorrowing Père Laurence's denouement that he had married the tragic couple ("Mariés!") was outrage personified. John Relyea, bass, commanded the stage as Père Laurence, demanding an end to the feud, and his sermon was rightly rewarded with joyful reconciliation.
The Usher Hall, 18 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Louise Rodgers]

THEATRE

Dolly Wants To Die (Lung)
In a dystopian nursery, Dolly and her pal Mr. Bear are depressed. Their original, now adult, owner's life has gone to crap, seeing her return to her childhood home, and the toys' new playmate is an idiot eight-year-old obsessed with zumba. In a world of zero hour contracts, drugs and recession, only Justin Bieber is worth living for, and even his latest album is growing stale. Helen Monks is manic as the suicidal Dolly, trying to enlist the audience, armed with water pistols and brute force, to assist her in hastening her untimely demise. Monks achieves a very watchable frenzy in her energetic performance but the darkness here feels forced and Dolly's depression, treated as playtime, edges towards grotesque rather than funny.
Underbelly Cowgate, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Francesca Peschier]

I Keep A Woman In My Flat Chained To A Radiator (Theatre, Apparently)
The best thing about Theatre, Apparently's new show is the intriguing title. Unfortunately, the show does not develop beyond the initial humour of the premise (Stephen keeps a woman in his flat chained to a radiator), and the same joke is belaboured for forty-five minutes. The characters lack depth and give little scope to the actors. We never find out why Stephen kidnapped the woman, or why she now feels so kindly towards him as to organise a date for him. The humour is problematic, particularly the rape joke. Getting one character to say "that's racist/sexist/homophobic" does not negate the other character's racism/sexism/homophobia. Although, admittedly, some of the audience found the jokes funny, I was not laughing.
Zoo, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Hannah Greenstreet]

Shaedates: Or How I Learned To Love Myself (Shaelee Rooke)
'Shaedates' has a nice message: we should all love ourselves a little more. Sadly, that's the best thing I can say about this underwhelming production. A solo show can struggle if the character isn't likeable, and it's hard to feel anything positive towards Shae, as she meanders through life with no interests or passions and a boyfriend who clearly isn't interested in her. Her increasingly unrealistic story (including a marine-themed wedding and a psychic rock star) becomes grating, and the humour falls flat. Unfortunately, writer/performer Shaelee Rooke's message of non-ironic, wholehearted self-love just doesn't appeal to my cynical, sarcastic heart. What, I assume, is supposed to feel empowering just comes across as trite, despite the character's repeated mocking of self-help cliches.
Zoo, until 20 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Gemma Scott]

Villain (Bruised Sky Productions)
'Villain' pulls no punches. A searingly honest appraisal of our tendency to judge people – strangers – harshly, in the press and on social media, it may make you regret things you have said, done, and even thought in the past. And that's where its power lies. The non-linear structure is cleverly deployed, allowing us to empathise with Rachel as she leaves uni and starts work, while simultaneously seeing the devastation wrought by her brush with infamy, as she's hounded by the paparazzi and receives online death threats. Our empathy with Rachel is absolute, as is our shame, knowing how we might judge her if we didn't know her. Timely, relevant and deftly crafted, it will leave you reeling.
Underbelly Med Quad, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Andy Leask]

Equations For A Moving Body (Hannah Nicklin)
Hannah Nicklin decided that, during her thirtieth year, she would complete an Ironman triathlon event. There can't be many people who are interested in completing a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run all in one go. But 'Equations for a Moving Body' is a look at the people who do, the people who train them, the people who support and inspire them. This solo show sees Nicklin use projected live internet pages like a PowerPoint presentation. She's an engaging performer, speaking passionately about something which she clearly cares a lot about. This makes 'Equations for a Moving Body' a delightful show, and not just for those interested in triathlons.
Northern Stage at Summerhall, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Bethan Highgate-Betts]