Edinburgh Festival Day 18: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

Alan Sillitoe's classic short story of wasted youth and social disaffection makes a surprisingly easy transition to the stage under the capable hands of Glasgow-based Golden Age Theatre. Neil Packham's Colin is a fuming, angry young man, turning his violent passion on the audience. Stevie Hannan is a perfect foil to this intensity, providing some welcome comic relief. Other aspects of this production are less successful, not least the intrusive soundtrack of constant panting. Despite the story's roots in the malcontented Fifties of its conception, Colin's defiance still strikes a chord. Neil Smith

Theatre Workshop, 34 Hamilton Place (venue 20), 031-226 5425. 7pm. To 5 Sept.