r )fP’“V.l OGM-IPM theatre comedy dance music books
Dito van Reigersberg as Federico Garcia Lorca
THEATRE Poet in New York ***
Expressions of the enigmatic
The unknown Spanish poet Federico Lorca arrives in New York in 1929 in a state of flux. But the Big Apple provides sufficient inspirational fibre to clear his poetic constipation and he goes on to become one of Spain’s greatest poet/playwrights of that century.
Given its award-winning history in dance-clown-theatre, Pig Iron's surreal portrayal of Lorca's visit is dominated by physicality. With his striking looks (Jimmy Smits meets Andy Kaufman), Dito van Reigersberg turns in a stunning one-man performance. He plays a variety of roles (including a mean Harlem Blues singer and an inventively lusty poet) as if each character's essence had been poured into his marrow. Salvador Dali's depiction of the penis as battering ram easily outdoes Meg Ryan's fake
orgasm in When Harry Met Sally.
These beads of narrative are strung together by a wire of emotive images, verging on modern dance. It seems ironic that, apart from a beautifully tender rendition of Lorca's own 'Song of the Barren Orange Tree’, this play should find more strengths in the physical than the verbal. The script drags on occasion, and movement between characters is
surprisingly clumsy.
A challenging but ultimately fulfilling hour of drama. (Gabe Stewart) .31. Poet in New York (Fringe) Pig Iron Theatre Company, C (Venue 34) 225 5 705, unti/27 Aug (not 77—20) 72.35pm, £6.50 (£5.50).
THEATRE Royal Shakespeare Company Fringe Presents Soho — A Tale Of Table Dancers ****
Lone/y lovelies surmount seediness
Passing through the doors into the partiCUIarly apt cabaret bar of the Pleasance, you are transported into
SIEGE PERILOUS PROJECT presents
A MILLENNIUM MEASURE OF measureformeasure
Hill Street Theatre 4-28 August 9.40 - 11.10 pm
Box office
the seedy realms of a London strip joint as five lovelies in lingerie take to the stage.
Hardly titillating, this voyeuristic drama based on the real life experiences of its author Rebecca Lenkiewicz, forces the audience to empathise with the degraded, painful lives of the girls who dance at Club Venus and the men who watch. The sleazy club manager, played to perfection by Peter Pacey, brings home a sense of loneliness and despair, while the girls of this compelling piece instead learn to surmount the trials and tribulations of table dancing. (Catherine Bromley) a»; Soho — A Tale Of Tab/e Dancers (Fringe) Royal Shakespeare Company Fringe, P/easance (Venue 23) 556 6550, 70—7 7, 73—74 Aug, noon, £5 (£4).
THEATRE
Clean it‘k
Killer cleaners get a dusting down Sisters Ann and Mag are distinctly odd domestics. Through their chatter we glean that this pair of gimpy cleaners are not at all fond of their mistress, a shadowy figure who is always referred to as 'she'. Later on in the play it becomes apparent just quite how
much they loathe her.
Inspired by the true story of the Papin sisters who brutally murdered their employers in 19305 France, Clean attempts to imagine the fantasy world inhabited by the squabbling siblings. Although it does this with wit and style (their trolley complete with wing mirrors and the Citroen logo is a nice touch) it divulges little about their motives. (Dawn Kofie) g3 Clean (Fringe) Unlimited Theatre, P/easance (Venue 33) 556 6550, until 28 Aug (not27) 72.55pm, £4/£5 (£4.50/£5.50).
THEATRE
The Devil's Thoughts *** Exp/oration into the mind ofa serial killer
Would you willingly enter into the mind of a serial killer? Steve, a young, ambitious pyschiatrist does just that, determined to discover the motivation behind Ed’s crimes. What follows is a dark journey through Ed’s past, which ultimately leads Steve to confront his own demons.
Doron Vidavski excels as Steve’s satanic guide through Ed's mental landscape, and brings a darkly erotic undertone to the play, an atmosphere which is heightened by an industrial soundtrack and devilish imagery. Given that the writer/director, James Hammond (who also plays Ed) is only nineteen years old, this is a work of remarkable imagination and maturity. (Kirsty Knaggs)
m The Devil’s Thoughts (Fringe) Hole In The Ground, Roman Eagle Lodge (Venue 27) 226 7207, until 73 Aug, 77. 75am, £5 (£3).
THEATRE Bye Bye, Bunty *** Thought-provoking family drama Based around the gradual decline in communication skills of an elderly lady after she suffers a stroke, Bye Bye, Bunty is a compact and thought-provoking piece of theatre without being startlingly original. The minimalist production examines the frustration of Bunty’s situation without being sentimental, and her indifferent relationship with her daughter is put under the spotlight in her twilight years. There are some reasonable performances from the three-strong female cast, especially Alma Forsyth who plays the ailing Bunty. Forsyth also wrote the play, which accurately portrays the linguistic befuddlement of the old lady's condition, and her stubborn attitude to life. (Doug Johnstone) fl Bye Bye, Bunty (Fringe) Eager Beaver Productions, The Quaker Meeting House (Venue 40) 220 6709, until 79 Aug (not 73) 72. 75pm, £4.50 (£2.50).
DANCE
Latino Arabesque *** Bellies outshine salsa
Latino Arabesque attempts to couple the raunchiness of salsa with the sensuality of belly dancing. It sees Edinburgh-based dancers Lorna Gow, Fiona Blair and Sam Ganon performing
six pieces consisting of straight salsa, straight belly-dancing and a fu5ion of both.
All three are accomplished at their art, but with her winning smile and expert shimmying, and sashaying, Gow (the belly dancer) is the star of the show. This means that the Middle Eastern dance outshines its Latin American counterpart, but that does not stop this being 45 captivating minutes of osCIllating hips, deft footwork and sexy dancefloor acrobatics. (Dawn Kofie)
I Latino Arabesque (Fringe) Latino Arabesque, 0 Bar (Venue 769) 226 5738, unti/27 Aug (not 73) 72.30pm, £6 (£5).
KIDS FILM PREVIEW
Families Section
Families join in the film fun
Say hello to the new kid on the block. Especially designed for children and parents, the Film Festival's ‘Families' section aims to attract younger audiences to the wonders of cinema, and in particular foreign language films. Movies hailing from Belgium, Denmark and Sweden will show young Brits that childhood and adolescence is just as tough/fun in other parts of the world. But those worried that 90 minutes of subtitles might prove a bit tough for their wee ones needn't fear; actors will be on hand to read out the dialogue to those struggling with the on-screen text. The Festival is hoping the new strand will quash some of the negativity surrounding subtitled films and open up the genre to a new generation of cinema-goers.
But if that doesn't appeal, two of the highlights from the section come from Canada (Mr Rice’s Secret starring David Bowie) and Scotland (The Little Vampire starring Richard E. Grant) both in our native tongue. (Kelly Apter)
I Families Film Section (Film) various venues, 229 2550, 73—27 Aug, various times and prices. For family film reviews of Cirke/ine and Mr Rice '5 Secret see Film section.
Sisters use some elbow grease in (lean
28 THE lIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 10—17 Aug 2000