CATHERINE STEEL relishes a compelling novel about Augustus’s right hand man, but misses the politics, the cultural shifts, and more detail about his restoration of Rome
The Stars Are Made of Concrete
Oldham Coliseum/Touring
5/5
THE STARS are Made of Concrete couldn’t be more topical. It opens with news footage of the junior hospital doctors’ dispute, with the main character Bev (Zoe Mathews) one of the thousands of NHS workers who have been made redundant without anyone noticing.
Like many, even though she has a son who’s unemployed, she doesn’t realise how difficult it is to get work and — even more importantly — claim the benefits for which she has paid into the system all her working life.
EWAN CAMERON trawls the Edinburgh fringe for new political drama
KEITH RICHMOND relishes a superbly conceived modern version of Aeschylus’ drama of murderous family succession
GEORGE FOGARTY is dazzled by a breathtakingly skillful puppet version of Shakespeare’s greatest love poem
GORDON PARSONS is blown away by a superb production of Rostand’s comedy of verbal panache and swordmanship



