Sweet Bobabola Hoipollot Theatre. I’leasaru‘e. until 27Aug. 5.50pm. Double-act creating a world where alien bakers attempt to destroy the planet with their irresistible cakes. Three stars in The .S‘eotsman.
Sweet Charity Lenesters/tire Youth Arts, .S't Ann '5‘ ( ‘ommunitv ( 'entre. until 2.5 Aug. noon. With hits like 'Big Spender' and ‘Rhythm Of I.ife'.
A Tale of No Cities Bright (‘huit-e I’rruliu‘tions. Bedlam Theatre. until 25 Aug. 2.50pm. Dickens' classic tale of friendships in the French Revolution.
The Tale that Wags the Dog - AandBC Theatre Assembly Room s. until 26 Aug. l()am. Framed by a Sarajevo setting. The Tale That Il'ags Tlte I)og encompasses a variety of love stories. including tales from The Arabian Nights. an old Jewish tale and stories from the Highlands.
Tales of the Fat Cat Edinburgh ('niversitv Theatre (’o.. Bedlam Theatre. until 25 Aug. 12.45pm. Stories.
Taming of the Shrew O The
( 'amliridge .llummers. Augustine 's. until 27 Aug. 5.10pm. 'I am at a university which encourages its to think we are elite. and I behave as such . . .' (‘ripes words from Jack Thorne. the adaptor and co-director of this ridiculous production. (‘ambridge Mummers claim to have created a satire of a satire. that has been influenced by the work of Artaud. Instead. what they have actttally created is an incoherent carnival of misogyny. merging bits of the play with irrelevant commentary from the actors. fatuous gags. silly dancing and excessive irony. Thorne describes the audience as ‘easy targets ofenlightenment' and to quote one such target sitting beside me. Taming ()f The Shrew-is ‘the stupidest play I‘ve ever seen.‘ (Viv lirannnann)
Teacher! 0... Karter- l" l’rmltu'tions. Augustine 's. until 27Aug. ll. 15pm. This is a gleeful. politically incorrect. all-singing. all- dancing new musical revealing impressive new talent. A self-serving Iinglish teacher and a fourth form stunner re-enact the familiar story of Romeo and Juliet at a latter day St Trinian's.
The young cast of school leavers and ()xbridge students bring a convincing enthusiasm to the production and James I)onnent and Abigail Aston are particularly good in the lead roles. The real star. though. is undergraduate composer-librettist-director
and pianist Kieron Quirke. whose score and script manage to be original. intelligent and witty while rediscovering the strength of simple emotion in Shakespeare's story. All in all. Teaelter is a cheerfully carnal cabaret recommended for both festival junkies and drunken late-night revellers. (Arkady Ilodge) Teechers The Rep Theatre (0.. (‘ too, until 26 Aug. 8.50pm. Predictable John (iodber comedy.
The Tempest Aandli. (‘ l’enue. ()ld ('ollege Quad. tutti] 26 Aug. times vary. Shakespeare‘s final fantasy. performed out of doors. We gave it a cool five stars last year for its energy and use of space.
Terry Pratchett’s Wyrd Sisters Wonderland I’roduetions. (' I'enue. until 26 Aug. 2.40pm. (‘omic antics with the Discworld witches. Three stars in The Seotsman.
Testing 1, 2, 4 . . . ()n ('ue l’rodtu‘tions. Hill Street Theatre. until 27 Aug. 11.40pm. With thousand of guests and no performers what will happen‘.’
Third Angel: Where From Here Theatre lIorks/io/i. until 25 Aug. 9.15pm. Sheffield‘s Third Angel present their acclaimed production. set on a completely featureless set inhabited by two performers. Poesia This is London! .S'i Mark 's in ( 'astle Terrace. .8'! Mark 's lfnitarian ( 'hurelt. until 27 Aug. [2.30pm. Semi-staged recital of 18th century poetry.
3 Dark Tales Theatre 0, Assembly Rooms. until 27 Aug. 6pm. Return run for the Total Theatre winner 2()()(). a collection of three mini-dramas about lives gone wrong. Performed with perfect precision. Three Fat Ladies: A Murder Mystery 0.. The Stand ( 'omedy' ('lul), until 26 Aug. times vary. Put four seasoned comedians on stage with a wafer- thin plot and suddenly the genre shifts from comedy to theatre. But only just. This is a fun vvhodunnit. set at the wake of Bunty the star and heiress. l-‘our potential murderers are gathered the vicar. the life-long best friend. the showbiz agent and the maid. We the audience have to watch carefully for clues as we all get the chance to cast our vote at the end. While Three Fat Ladies isn't going to win any playwrightng awards. what is does have is four excellent performers. Miles Jupp is almost too convincing as the leering. randy vicar. and Joon Broon will transfix you as the over-the-
reworkingCassandra 0... Gateway Theatre. until 27 Aug. 2.30an In an epic full of raw deals. the Iliad's Cassandra. daughter of Priam of Troy. had one of the rawest. Able to see the future. but not to convince others of the truth of her vision. she was forced to endure suffering many times over. In New York theatre company Browne Barnes' reworkingC'assandra. she is taken through it all again. being not so much reworked as rebom. twisted and slung violently into the 21st century.
This powerful play opens with her crucified against the theatre lights. recounting her history while being heckled by an actor from the audience. She has survived war and married a man who tums out to have killed members of her close family in the conflict. The twist is classical. but renwritingCassandra‘s theatrical strategies are decidedly tnodem. The two-man cast flit from genre to genre and scene to scene with a speed that confuses as it transfixes. Scenes of domestic angst are mixed liberally with surreal episodes. recollections of war and a brilliant country and westem duct. The acting is impressive. the simple set effective and the play as a whole packs a vicious. unpredictable punch. (James Smart)
top diva Ms (’lee Vage. Similarly. Jane Mackay and Bruce I)evlin are both utterly convincing and have a natural rapport with the audience. The high swearing content put off some of the audience (who left) but if you can cope with that you‘ll enjoy this madcap farce. (Louisa Pearson) The Threepenny Opera l,eit‘estershire Youth Arts. St Ann 's ('ommunitv (’entre. until 25 Aug. 8pm. The Brecht/Weill standard. Tiny Dynamite O... 'I‘mi-m-se Theatre. until 25 Aug. times rarv. Ahi Morgan's script is a sliver of an idea. not so much developed as padded out in an elegant. sometimes dazzling hall of mirrors. NR 2 the Animls 000 White Rttltltll ('oii'lnrvs. until 26 Aug. 7pm. Darren Wiggins is a telecommunications salesman with a stupid suit and a bad hangover. who needs to make his sales and attend a time management power brunch to stay ahead of the game. As satires go. this critique of the information age is a broad but liestgiesty piece. Tom Boys and Sex Objects Bristol lit‘perimental Theatre. The (iarage. until 27 Aug. ll/nn. Women turn on each other in this tale of sex. violence and humiliation. Tom Thumb loinloolerv l’rmluetions. Augustine's. until 27Aug. /2.25/nn. ()ff-the- wall contemporary restaging of the fairytale. Travis’ Prophecy COO li’rute (ti/titre. Hill Street Theatre. until 27 Aug. 7.55pm. Travis is psychic. ()r at least. he is convinced he is. A social misfit with a fire- breathing dragon of a mother. he uses his link to the other world as a form of escapism. Saskia also has severe family troubles. and the two strike up a tentative friendship in childhood. finding solace in each other. The bond between them becomes ever stronger. until the manipulations of Saskia's friend tear them apart in their teens. A few years later. Travis is still feeling betray ed. and calls upon his now legendary psychic ability to exact revenge on Saskia. with terrible and unforeseen results. A powerful and moving story of childhood abuse and its consequences. the play is sadly let down by unconvincing performances from the majority of the cast. (Kirsty Knaggs) The Trial of Peter Grimes Silver Arrow, (' ( rule/ground. until 26 Aug. 2.30pm. Broken characters hide on the beach in this haunting tale. Trouble O... I’leasani'e. until 27Aug. 1pm. When someone dies. they say there is trouble on the ward. llelen (ioodway knows becattse she's been there. There is very little drama in this production. and that is its power. (ioodway simply tells Us about her own experience on Ward 3. when she had the horrible symptoms of a horrible disease. She is not an actress and her story is true. Trouble is a remarkably still and beautifully understated show; there are no silly faces or huge laughs. just an honest account of what happened and some self-penned poetry. This may not be to everyone‘s taste. but (ioodway's frankness. warmth. serenity and charisma make is an unusual and elegant piece of work. (Viv Fran/mann) Nelfth Night Tremor ('ordis. (' too. until 26 Aug. noon. Youthful sexual misadventures and the desire to finish tip with the right person in life lies at the heart of the adventures of twins in Illyria. TWEthl‘I Night ()vet' tlte lz'tlgt’. Augustine's. until 27Aug. 7. l5/nn. Acclaimed five-actor African version of Shakespeare's comedy. funny and ingenious. The List gave it four stars last year. 20th Century Legends: The Lives, Loves & Music of Frank Sinatra 8. Judy Garland Aa/nu'us. .llen:ies lie/lord Hotel. until 27Aug. times rarv. I‘rank and Judy's lives explored with songs performed by Jack Jaffe and ('athy Mc.\lanamon. 20th Century Legends: The Lives, Loves & Music of Rodgers 8. Hart . Aaluu‘us. .lli'ttSies Hello/d Hotel. until 27Aug. times vary: Disappointing delivery and lack of atmosphere hampers this take of the music and lives of Rodgers and Ilart. 20th Century Legends: The Lives, Loves & Music of the Brothers
Gershwin Aalnu'us. .llen:ies Bel/old Hotel. until 27Aug. times vary. (ieorge and Ira (iershwin come under the spotlight. TWO Roeket ((1 South Bridge. until 25 Aug. 2.15pm. Popular Jim (‘artwright comedy of working-class cameos.
TWO Daft Lasses in a Boat/A Cat in the Road Middli'shrough Little Theatre Junior ('ompanv. Augustine’s, until 27 Aug. 3.25pm. (’omedy double bill.
Unclaimed Assets .0. l'estiva/ Tlteatre (CS-(ll 'SA. l)rummond (‘ommunitv Theatre. until 25 Aug. 1.30pm. Playwright Jenny Webb was hit by a crow bar and left for dead. and was never expected to talk or walk again. let alone write. Her new drama of monologues for eight American women. is full of perceptive writing and small truths. However it feels like sortie ideas fora play. and needs shape and structure. Beautifully performed in a strongly naturalistic manner. Katherine Brunk. is especially good as a woman realising how meaningless sex is. only when 'her boyfriends dick is in her mouth.‘ so too is Sari Wagner. looking after a friend with AIDS.
.»\ccompanied by two of Tennessee Williams' early shorts. 27 ll'ugons Full 0/ ('otton has a staggering sexual performance frotn whip-wielding. tattooed. Ilector Atreyu Rui/ in a wild bit of front porch sado- masochism. livery playwright could learn from Williams' twenty-minute masterpiece. This Property Is ('ondemned with twelve- year-old Kira Moore walking along a railway track with only a battered doll as company. If the direction dug deeper. it could be revelatory theatre. (John Binnie) Unlimited Theatre - Static l’leasani‘e. until 26 Aug. 12.30pm. Telling the story of a woman visiting the site of an atrocity where her litisband‘s been executed. the production is a critique of the dehumanisation of tragic events by Western television-orientated society.
Up ‘n’ Under Blinding Image. Augustine 's. until 26 Aug. 6.25pm. John (iodber rugby comedy.
Bill's Theatre Company request: the pleasure of YOUR company
Hm
Venue #5 Old St Paul's Church & Hall Jeflrev Street
Ticker: Mo (£5.00) Box (lch (0131) 556 0476
Auyufl 2.045 ' 70‘5PM
’23 Aug (5 Sop 2001 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 47
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