In 1999 Dov Weinstein had an epiphany. In a blinding flash he realised that the tiny, plastic ninja figures and other dime-store toys that were available all over New York were woefully under used as leading players in the classical theatre. So was born the Tiny Ninja Theater, a company that believes that "there are no small parts, only small actors".
You might think this was some kind of fringe wheeze, and the phrase "only in Edinburgh" did flash through my mind as I was ushered into a small auditorium (seating 12) and handed a pair of binoculars to watch a man in black manipulate the tiny figurines on a black tabletop. It probably didn't help that Macbeth is played by a small plastic model of one of those Mr Smiley badges so beloved of a particular kind of student.
The giggles die out quickly, because Weinstein plays it dead straight and speaks the text rather better than some classically trained actors I have heard. As well as having lunacy on its side, this 45-minute show has atmosphere and energy. And as for Mr Smiley Face Macbeth, there is something rather chilling in the way that as the slaughter and savagery reach a climax, his smug little features keep on madly grinning.
· Until August 25. Box office: 0131-317 3939.
