iffiftiVII OPM'IOPM theatre comedy dance music books
Noon and Toop are pioneering fathers of musolit
sooxs Jeff Noon And David Toop
Futuristic duo find their groove
The interface between music and literature is a largely unmapped area, but Jeff Noon and David Toop are as close to pioneering fathers as you'll get. Both men are well established in their fields, Noon as one of the most progressive names in futuristic fiction, with acclaimed novels such as Vurt and Pol/en to his credit, while Toop has built a career as author, musician and, by his own admission, ‘unwilling journalist'. He still dabbles in magazine work but enjoys the fact that he no longer has to make a living from it. They form a complementary pair, Noon as animated as Toop is reposed.
Noon’s latest book, Needle In The Groove, was given a soundtrack by Toop, highly appropriate for its focus on the cornerstones of dance music culture: remixing, scratching, sampling, segueing and dub. What Toop does with sound, Noon attempts with words.
'Jeff's publishers wanted a promotional device; a track with him reading and me providing the soundtrack,’ recalls Toop, ‘and I thought, why restrict it to just one track. I'd done this before with my own books and it works. So we extended the idea to a full album. It adds a whole other dimension to the book.’
The two have made various appearances together, but the leafy environs of Charlotte Square may be a little sedate for them. 'I usually do readings in all kinds of odd venues like European techno clubs. This will be a little more restrained but still enjoyable.’ (Mark Robertson)
5;: _/eff Noon And David Toop (Book) Charlotte Square Gardens, 624 5050, 14 Aug, 8pm, [750 (£5.50).
Jerry Sadowitz gives magic a good name
62 THE lIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 10—1 7 Aug 2000
COMEDY/MAGIC
Jerry Sadowitz htan Glasgow’s cardsharp amazes
He may be remembered for his spectacularly abusive, nihilistic stand- up, but Jerry Sadowitz is also one of the finest slight-of-hand magicians on the planet. While David Copperfield continues to give magic a bad name with his disappearing tigers, Sadowitz is a solitary beacon for the true art, something he is quite clearly a master of.
Self-effacing and deceptively brilliant, Sadowitz turns out trick after trick with cards and coins aided by an eye- popping dexterity. This is interspersed with his trademark foul-mouthed banter, which is now the least compelling and unpredictable part of his act. He proves it’s possible to try something different and succeed. (Mark Robertson)
l Jerry Sadowitz (Fringe) Assembly Rooms (Venue 3) 226 2428, until 28 Aug, 8pm, {TO/£77 (£9/in).
DANCE
Shakti ****
Atmospheric and visceral dance performance
In a dark, intimate space, two oriental dancers lie at the edges of a bed of sand. Illuminated in its centre lies Shakti, coiled and poised for movement.
To an atmospheric and progressively urban soundscape created by Steven Severin, Shakti eases gently into her evocative blend of Indian and Japanese dance. Sheathed in gauze, she intertwines her body with the figures of the two dancers, building the performance using the overhanging net and the underlying sand to heighten the dramatic effect.
Finally, stripped to her scanty string costume, she becomes lost in the wild throes of ecstasy and leaves the audience positively stunned. (Catherine Bromley)
I The Woman In The Dunes (Fringe) Shakti, The Garage (Venue 87) 227 9009, until 28 Aug, 8.30pm, £8 (f 7).
COMEDY
Lee Mack's New Bits Mt Hit and miss oddball sketch show When it comes to offbeat laughs, there's no doubting that Lee Mack can spar with the best of them. In last
Shakti rolls over and flies
year's Bits, Mack introduced an irreverent and unpretentious selection of oddball sketches that, apart from being hysterically funny, were also among the most refreshing contributions to the Fringe.
This year, it's tempting to draw the conclusion that Mack and mates (Dan Antopolski and Catherine Tate) have been more lax with the quality control. New Bits occasionally veers too far towards the ’off’ side of offbeat, making for a mixture of belly laughs and confused chuckles that, while still great fun, doesn't recapture the non- stop hilarity of the 99 vintage.
(Olly Lassman)
Lee Mack ’s New Bits (Fringe) Lee Mack, P/easance (Venue 33) 556 6550, until 28 Aug (not 22) 8.30pm, £8.50-f9.50 (USO—£8.50).
COMEDY
Rhymes And Misdemeanours *ivt Multi-act stand-up and poetry This informal exhibition of linguistic dexterity and verbal acrobatics sees verse interspersed with snippets of anecdotal stand-up. First up is the frank, likeable, observational poet Donna Krachan. Unobtainable men, depression and drinking are her main targets. Eric Davidson’s turn is more political, focussing on the likes of Gary Glitter and Mr Blair's brood. The earnest Brendan Moohan explores middle-aged relationships.
In contrast to his fellow wordsmiths, Sheridan Strawberry is deadpan and spouts grumpy, sardonic verse on his loves and hates with an intonation and delivery not unlike that of a certain Mr Hegley. While it's hardly blindingly original, the amusement and shock levels are pleasingly high. (Dawn Kofie) g Rhymes And Misdemeanours (Fringe) The Stand (Venue 5) 558 7272, until 73 Aug, 8.30pm, £6 (£5).
THEATRE
Suicide Watch *1:
Unsa tisfying literary thriller Ageing novelist Patrick McKnight composes a fictionalised memoir reliving his marriage to an unstable female poet. Writer/actor Terry Kingsley-Smith plays the protagonist as a tortured artist, driven into other men's arms by an unhappy home life. Meanwhile, the Plath-esque Karen Winslow is demonised, heard cackling