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THEATRE
The Erpingham Camp )Hr‘k
Orton mayhem meets Vegas restraint
Outside the Assembly Rooms, a newspaper sandwich board proclaims: 'Erpingham Camp hit by rioting'. While this version of one of Joe Orton's lesser known and rarely performed plays hits several spots and gives us a few explosions, it’s not quite the epitome of psychological and physical chaos which drives most of the playwright's work. Still, as a satire on power, its corrupting effects and the way the United Kingdom was forced to face up to the end of empire and the death of its colonial identity, it
makes its mark more pronounced.
In a Hi De Hi-style holiday camp, the proudly pompous Erpingham runs his operation with a firm hand and a stiff upper lip. Dissension within his own ranks (redcoats as civil servants) and from outwith (campers as revolutionary upstarts) cannot be tolerated. Negotiation with the enemy is not on. After Chief Redcoat Riley (Johnny Vegas) blows his chance for glory while hosting the evening's entertainment - he slaps the heavily pregnant Eileen - all hell breaks loose as the campers revolt. Riley is bloodied and bruised by the loinclothed and enraged husband, the squeezebox player is sexually abused and the camp’s criminal cleric finds himself in a very sticky situation. Anarchy in the UK, indeed. The
theatre comedy dance music books
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It's ‘Good Morning campers' from Johnny Vegas and Co.
option for Erpingham is to submit to his captors' demands and lose his power or fight to the bitter end and risk more than a loss of face.
While Johnny Vegas will undoubtedly be the focus of most press and public attention, his role is very much part of a whole, having ditched the potter's wheel to
become a mere cog in an ensemble. Indeed, while Johnny is fine as the murderous, notorious liar Riley, he is upstaged by Andrew Collins as Erpingham (coming on like The League Of Gentlemen’s psycho shopkeeper Edward crossed with a dash of Cromwell), the hysterically with-child Eileen (Michelle Hardwick) and Nick Bagnall's revolutionary brute Kenny (imagine Phil Daniels as Wolfie Smith).
For Joe Orton fans, there will be few disappointments
with the standard smatterings of innuendo (’I have
(Brian Donaldson)
THEATRE PREVIEW Amazonia, or Guard No.8
Drama from the other side of the planet
You may not have heard of Kamchatka. It’s a peninsula on the far east coast of Russia, known as ’the edge of the earth’, where volcanoes, hot springs and serious snowstorms are commonplace. It’s also home to an innovative theatre company, Kamchatka Drama and Comedy Theatre. They’re making the long trek to Scotland to perform Amazonia, or Guard No. 8, for three performances only. ‘The Edinburgh Fringe is very famous in Russia,’ says playwright Dmitri Semakin (alias D. Glass). ’Having participated in the Festival for the last two years, I suggested to Victor Ryzhakov, Artistic Director of Kamchatka Theatre, to implement an absolutely crazy idea; to bring Amazonia to Edinburgh.’
Putting a new twist on an old myth,
nothing to do with pregnancy’ exclaims Erpingham while under attack). For followers of Johnny Vegas, there may be a sense of letdown at the sublimation of his creation into the theatrical ranks. But then, it could be argued that it is Michael Pennington and not Johnny Vegas who is up there being beaten about the face, singing an Irish lullaby and finding himself as the subject of an unforgiving bully at work. For those desperate to sample the master of mayhem at his unreconstructed best, you still have his gameshow to look forward to.
I The Erpingham Camp (Fringe) Assembly Rooms (Venue 3) 226 2428, until 28 Aug (not Wed) 4. 75pm, {TO/£77 (£9/£70).
the play tells of seven women on a small island at the edge of the earth. A satire on the Soviet Army, this is also a modern fairy tale of love, treachery and escape. Showing extreme dedication to their craft, the cast of Amazonia spent a month being trained by the Russian Army, to prepare for their roles: ’The special training was extremely useful for rehearsals and during the show; the Kamchatka audience had never seen such energy and tenderness before,’ says Semakin. He also stresses that Amazon/a delivers a powerful message: ’Love is prohibited, love is almost like a state crime in the country of Amazonia, but love is forever deathless. Nothing and nobody will kill love: neither the cruelty of the army, nor betrayal and turpitude of people.’ (Louisa Pearson)
I Amazonia, or Guard No. 8 (Fringe) Kamchatka Theatre, The Meadows Theatre Big Top (Venue 789) 667 0202, 71—72 Aug, 4pm (72 Aug 1pm and 4pm), £72 (£70). ‘
Shows worth skiving off work for
The Bogus Woman
Norma Dumezeni demands your attention for her portrayal of an asylum seeker in Kay Adshead's latest play. See review. The Bogus Woman (Fringe) Traverse (Venue 75) 228 7404, until 73 Aug, various times, £9 (£6).
The Bicycle Bridge
Stories of sieges littered with oddball characters, told through energetic drama and song. See review. The Bicycle Bridge (Fringe) Reject’s Revenge Theatre, Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550, until 28 Aug (not Tue) 4.30pm, £8 (£6).
Soft Boy
West Lothian Youth Theatre lives up to its reputation in John Binnie’s examination of adolescent adventures. See review. Soft Boy (Fringe) West Lothian Youth Theatre, The Stand Comedy Club (Venue 5) 558 7272, until 76 Aug, 3pm, £5 (£4).
The King Of Scotland
Brian Pettifer takes centre stage for Theatre Babel, in lain Heggie’s new adaptation of Gogol's Diary Of A Madman. The King of Scotland (Fringe) Theatre Babel, Assembly Rooms (Venue 3) 226 2428, until 28 Aug, 5. 75pm. £9/£70 (£8/£9).
Moon Unit Zappa
At present she’s most often introduced as the daughter of rock legend Frank Zappa, but if her debut novel America The Beautiful takes off, Moon Unit will be able to assert her independence. See feature, page 18. Moon Unit Zappa (Book) The Spiegeltent, 624 5050, 72 Aug, 5pm, £7.50 (£5.50).
Blue Grassy Knoll & Buster Kea on On The Big Screen
Buster Keaton’s silent classics get all-new soundtracks care of the gypsy bluegrass troupe who earned a five star review from The List last year. Buster Keaton On The Big Screen (Fringe) Blue Grassy Knoll, Club Pleasance©Potterow (Venue 23) 556 6550, until 28 Aug (not 22) 5pm. £8/£9 (£7/£8).
10—1 7 Aug 2000 THE lIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 39