The Independent Recommends: Theatre

YOU COULD read Once, a fairytale from Russian clown troupe Derevo, as an allegory about the triumph of harsh reality over fantasy in the land of the tumbling rouble. Better to admire the extraordinary attention to detail in their silent performances and make a childish wish that they stay this good forever.

Pleasance, Edinburgh (0131-556 6550) 11.15pm

The Abbey Theatre's production of Tarry Flynn (right) adapted from Patrick Kavanagh's novel, is an affectionate, boisterous affair. The cast impersonate animals, the farmyard set has a mind of its own and in the middle of all the Oirish conviviality is James Kennedy's young Tarry, burning to be free.

Lyttelton RNT, London SE1 (0171-452 3000) 2.15pm, 7.30pm