EDFRINGE REVIEW: An Island of Bad Ideas: The Tempest (Edinburgh Youth Theatre)

An Island of Bad Ideas: The Tempest - ★★★★☆ - Sprightly

theSpace @ Niddry St (Venue 9): Fri 7 – Tue 11 August 2026
Review by Rebecca Mahar

Review commissioned by, and originally published on All Edinburgh Theatre, 10 August 2026. Edited by Thom Dibdin.

Edinburgh Youth Theatre return to the Fringe with another condensed Shakespeare, An Island of Bad Ideas: The Tempest, which brings Shakespeare’s tale of shipwreck, vengeance, sorcery and love in under an hour.

Directed by Chloe Kay and Steph Wynne, Island of Bad Ideas works hard to abridge the original script, blending Shakespeare’s dialogue with some slightly more modern inventions, and adding a few dance breaks (choreographed by Kay) for good measure. The result is something approachable and accessible, leaning heavily into the comedy inherent in the piece, even if all the threads of the story get a little tangled at times.

The cast of An Island of Bad Ideas: The Tempest. Pic: EYT.

Visit All Edinburgh Theatre to read the full review!

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