The “national treasure” that is theatre critic, Mary Brennan, was literally spilling blood for her art this afternoon.
At the impressive ceremony that is the Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland – held at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh – Brennan, who reviews for The Herald, was about to say a few words about one of the categories.
But her left arm held out like Michelangelo's Hand of God was this time not just a theatrical entrance. Blood was streaming from a finger she had jammed in her seat just as she was about to make her way to the lecturn.
“Oh dear, one tissue isn't enough,” she sighed, as she proceeded, undaunted, to provide her trademark entertaining description of the nominees.
“A national treasure”, declared one of the winners, on stage, afterwards.
