"You – Lanark - you’re very interesting"

After previews in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Lanark: A Life in Three Acts received its world premiere performances at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh on Sunday 23 August as part of the 2015 Edinburgh International Festival.  

Sandy Grierson and Helen McKay. Credit Eoin Carey

Audiences and critics have been blown away by this epic, ambitious and imaginative adaptation of Alasdair Gray's classic novel written by David Greig and directed by Graham Eatough.

"The linchpin of the production is Sandy Grierson’s astonishing performance as Lanark himself...supported every step of the way, though, by so many other strands of Eatough’s astonishing production."  
★★★★★ The Scotsman 

"Between them, David Greig and Graham Eatough have brought together what is a complex and challenging read that looks at society, sex, death, socialist ideals, love, problematic relationships with women, fathers and sons to create a funny and astounding piece of theatre produced on an operatic and highly physical scale." 
★★★★★ The Edinburgh Guide

"The great achievement of the adaptation is that performers and staging sail through the fantasy, from sci-fi to simple nightmare, with fleeting echoes of Beckett, Kafka, Pinter and Joyce, in a superbly drilled and exhilaratingly confident piece of ensemble theatre...David Greig’s writing and Graham Eatough’s direction leave one intrigued, puzzled and even tempted to go back for more." 
★★★★ The Financial Times (£)

Sandy Grierson. Credit Eoin Carey

"When Sandy Grierson as Alasdair Gray's eponymous alter-ego in David Greig's sprawling adaptation of Gray's magical realist 1981 novel declares that he wishes to pen a modern day Divine Comedy with illustrations inspired by William Blake, it knowingly sums up the artistic ambitions of both Gray and Graham Eatough's equally epic production." 
★★★★ The Herald

"Eatough's production, which is splendidly designed, for the most part, by Laura Hopkins, and blessed with amazing video work by Simon Wainwright, is undeniably modernist and quintessentially Scottish."

★★★★ The Telegraph

"David Greig and Graham Eatough’s insanely ambitious adaptation of the Alasdair Gray novel is like a heady, unsettling, unpredictable dream" 
★★★★ The Guardian

"as a big festival event it is timely and memorable for all the right reasons"

★★★★ The Stage

"a bold, bonkers and brilliant production that should please even the most die-hard of Gray fans...loud, large and visually stunning." 
★★★★ The List

"A world of hugely entertaining possibilities is on display in Lanark. The co-production between the Citizens Theatre and the International Festival has all of the excitement and weight of a capital-letter Theatre Event"

★★★★ All Edinburgh Theatre

There are very few things that will keep my attention for four hours. One of them is #Lanark Very clever, confusing and captivating show

— Jennifer Adam (@RubiedMoon) August 25, 2015

An emotional, physical and downright impressive marathon of theatre. #Lanark @edintfest

— EMMA ANDERSON (@emmaandersonart) August 25, 2015

An emotional, physical and downright impressive marathon of theatre. #Lanark @edintfest

— EMMA ANDERSON (@emmaandersonart) August 25, 2015

4 hours is a lot to ask of any audience but #Lanark at @citizenstheatre was compelling throughout: energetic, surreal, inventive. Great show

— Graham Grant (@GrahamGGrant) August 16, 2015

Lanark: A Life in Three Acts plays at the Edinburgh International Festival until Monday 31 August, and plays at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow 3 - 19 September.

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