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COMEDY/THEATRE PREVIEW Star Wars Trilogy In 30 Minutes/Story Shakespeare: Pericles In 30 Minutes
Mini masterpieces given weird hybrid treatment
Abridgements. The Festival loves ’em, so, entering into the spirit of things, we at The List wondered what the result would be if two of these condensed epics, Pericles and the Star Wars Trilogy, were entwined.
Bear with us . . . Having discovered that the woman he loves is sleeping with her father, Pericles must flee for his life. Luckily, he meets Luke Skywalker, who is about to fly to a galaxy far, far away to save the universe. Figuring he‘ll be safe on another planet, Pericles throws his lot in with Skywalker, but the evil incestuous king, Antioch, and leader of the dark side, Darth Vader, also join forces, and throw numerous obstacles in their path.
Hands, wives, daughters and companions are lost in the ensuing adventure through space and time, and things look grim. But wait: at the last minute, the good guys win and everyone is saved. Hurrah!
(Kirsty Knaggs)
I Story Shakespeare: Pericles In 30 Minutes (Fringe) Year Out Drama Company, C Too (Venue 4) 225 5105, 14-19 Aug, 71.15am, £5.50 (£3.50/£4.50),'
Star Wars Trilogy In 30 Minutes (Fringe) Festival Theatre USC - USA, Drummond Community Centre (Venue 25) 558 9695, 5—26 Aug (not Mon) midnight, £5; 5, i2, 79, 26 Aug, noon, £5 (£2).
KIDS PREVIEW A. A. Milne's Ee 9re Has A Birthday/A. A. ilne's
Tiggers Don't Climb Trees
Enthra/Iing puppet double bill of junior classics
So that nice Mr Medrington ended up in the attic telling a sleepoverful of children stories about Pooh.
‘About me?‘ said Pooh, wide-eyed.
‘About you,’ said Mr Medrington.
’Ooooh,‘ said Pooh, feeling ever so important. ’Which stories did you tell?‘
‘The one about Eeyore’s party and the one where Tigger‘s terribly bouncy.‘
’Did they like them?‘
‘They loved them, although they felt ever so sorry for poor Eeyore when his birthday balloon burst.’
'Hmmm,’ pondered Pooh. ’That story is very, em, mal-a-pro-pic.’ Pooh had just had lunch at Owl’s and was trying to increase his vocabulary.
’You mean it’s very melancholic. Silly old Pooh, you’re ever so sweet,’ said Mr Medrington, terribly fondly.
‘Sweet?’ pondered Pooh, smacking his lips and reaching for the honey jar. ‘Yes, maybe it is time for a little something.’ (Gabe Stewart)
I A. A. Milne‘s Winnie The Pooh in ’Eeyore Has A 8irthday‘/A. A. Milne‘s Winnie The Pooh in ‘Tiggers Don’t Climb Trees’ (Fringe) Richard Medrington’s Puppes, Scottish International At Dynamic Earth (Venue i8) 530 3557, each show on alternate days until 28 Aug (not 14) 10am, £5 (£4).
THEATRE PREVIEW The Idiot Danish TV celeb does Dostoevsky As origins for theatre shows go, The Idiot’s genesis isn‘t exactly conventional, as the Danish star of the show, Claus Damgaard, explains. ‘We originally did it for some doctors at a medical conference, because they wanted some theatrical entertainment,’ he says. Based on the book by Dostoevsky, the piece complemented the subject of the conference, epilepsy. Despite being only twenty minutes long, the show went down a storm and the Wellcome Trust then moved in with funding to fulfil its potential. The result is a full- blown play at the Pleasance this year Although virtually unknown in this country, Damgaard is famous in Denmark for hosting the Danish
The idiot: Something to scream about
WInnlo The Pooh: Tales to transflx adults and klds allko
Date. ’You earn your money doing television, and you learn your craft doing theatre,’ he says, then adds with a sigh, ‘so yes, I used to be the Danish Cilla Black.’
(Doug lohnstone)
I The Idiot (Fringe) West Yorkshire Playhouse, Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550, 4-28 Aug (not 8, 75) 72.25pm, £ 6/£ 6. 50 (£5/£5.50). Preview 3 Aug, £3.
DANCE PREVIEW
Classical Indian Hindu Temple Dances/The Woman In The Dunes
The Frigge’s most raved and ravage dance performer
Some critics live to hate Shakti; others defend her to the death. Here's what they said about last year‘s show:
’Her agonised brand of exotic dance is only for the daring or demented.’ (Scotland on Sunday)
‘Raw passionate dance . . . while eroticism is foregrounded, the piece is also romantic and surprisingly moving.‘ (Three Weeks)
‘She‘s much more than a spiritual sex kitten toying with notions of the sacred and profane.’ (The List)
’A low-key showgirl’s routine performed on speed . . .
Clad in minimilist, pubic hair~revealing underwear, she flails about relentlessly, waggles her buttocks, and has about 39 orgasms.’ (The Stage)
‘Superb technique: classical Indian dance training governed by an underlying self-discipline that channels and focuses the spirit of elemental abandon . . . Her final wild serenade is every undulating inch of the Shakti her many fans know and love.’ (The Herald)
’There is a merciless moment near the end where uplighting wreaks havoc with Shakti‘s silver-sequin, G- string clad body, leaving the most unflattering thoughts to linger in the mind long after the flacid all too predictable steps conclude.’ (The Scomman)
Luckily Shakti ‘doesn‘t allow herself to be depressed by adverse reviews.’ (The Herald)
Best make up your own mind . . . (Gabe Stewart)
I Classical Indian Hindu Temple Dances (Fringe) Shakti, The Garage (Venue 87) 221 9009, 6—28 Aug, noon, £7 (£6);
The Woman In The Dunes (Fringe) Shakti, The Garage (Venue 81) 227 9009, 6—28 Aug, 70.30pm, £8 (£7).