PRI‘VIH'.’
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN Historical same-sex marriage
If you like cross- dressrng. then go see the British prernrere of Emma Donoghue's Ladies and Gentlemen performed by the Cambridge-l)ased Six Eggs Productions. This young. SOllll' professional company struck up a friendship with lesbian noyelrst Donoghue when she '.'./as a PhD student at the unryersrty there. and asked her to suggest which play was most suitable to their talents. Ladies And Gent/omen is based on a true story. of the marriage betxzreen a male rrnpersonator and her lover in $886 Amer ca. Performer Nicky Saunders promises 'a production that is funny. tender and topical — especially now 100 years later ‘.'./tl(}lt same-sex partnerships are still unheard of". John Brnnrei I Ladies and Ger;f«’err:er:. Rocket ’<I:A,')ex Hofe/s. 220 (399$). unfii' l0At/g.
3.304.907. :1) 153/.
it ll-Al nt‘ THE LARAMIE PROJECT
Superb murder drama OOOOO
From Connecticut comes this "einarkabre er‘semble of teenagers '.'./".() present Moises Kaufman's l‘eart— breaking deed-drama about the inhabitants of the ton-1n o‘ Laramie and the murder of 2‘— year~o|d gay student Matthe'x.’ Shepherd. Completely connected to their materal. this is youth theatre at its
best.
Passionate. versatile. full of nuance and tenderness. these teenagers conjure up a world. and draw you in. Using only key props and Video camera. they make you catch breath. empathrse. laugh and finally shed tears of sorrow. Simultaneously they grapple with what hate. compassion and tolerance means. This production rs what the Fringe should be all about. but rarely rs. Utterly superb. rJohn Brnnrei I C. 0870 70/ 5/05. untr/ l0Aug. noon. 5‘:3.:30/.l‘-1.:3()i
'rirtArnt‘ ONE FAT LADY: DIVA TO
DOSSER coo Star in the gutter
Bruce Deylrn rs a genuine comedy performer. anarchic and humane srmultarieously. He plays a teenage homo from Dundee who flies South to become a rent boy before finding fame as a BAFTA award winning. cross dresSrng actress. Vocally impersonating a yarrety of 'cunts' this words. he meets on hrs way to homelessness. Deylrn's dexterity and virtuosity rs staggering. A true ‘.'.'ordsmrth. like northern Jean Brodie. hrs language is genteel. yet filthy. and uproarrously funny. The problem rs an over reliance on taped yorces and countless pointless exrts and entrances ‘or the drya. With tighter direction. streamlining some of the more hr/arre stony lines and cutting the interval. this could be a smash rJohr‘. Binnie.
I The Stt’tnd. 5:38 7272. unti/ 20 Aug. -!..’)’0_nm. 5‘0 «5‘5».
The Laramie
7. “V 7
Project
WILD ABOUT WILDE
Oscar winners
Nearly 100 years after his death, Oscar Wilde continues to exert his legacy. Indeed he is more of an icon than Garland and Beckham. This Fringe, there are no fewer than three works by him, and three about him. The Importance of Being Earnest has two productions, allowing for compare and contrast. Sedburgh School in Cumbria presents a cross-dressing production by 17-year-old students, while Southampton University drama group sets its production in the big shoulder pads, 80$ world of corporate business. It is one of Wilde’s genius works that warns you never to trust words, then proceeds to dismantle society as we know it. If we don’t believe in vocabulary, then the other lies - such as church, marriage, relationships, even our name - can no longer be trusted. ‘Wilde’s appeal lies in the parallels of our own society with his,’ says Sedburgh director Maz Campbell. ‘Currently there is such uncertainty about identity. Our own society is fantastically empty
— like Wilde’s. People are searching all the time.’
Both directors emphasise the resourcefulness of the women characters compared to the feebleness of the men. Wilde himself would surely approve. He was in both camps, a happily married family man with East End rent-boys as lovers.
In the least gay Film Festival in living memory, one of the few possible gay releases is Oliver Parker’s The Importance of Being Earnest You would think he would be wary of tackling Wilde again after the lacklustre reviews he received for An Ideal Husband.
Will the gay subtext come out with the casting of Rupert Everett and Colin Firth as mature Algie and Earnest? Here’s hoping it can compare with Anthony Asquith’s great 1952 film with a role call of definitive performances by Edith Evans, Margaret Rutherford, Michael Redgrave and Joan Greenwood. (John Binnie) I The /n:por.‘ar‘::e of Being Earnest. [)enfarce-Rocker CAIJOX I-/::.‘e/s. .220 0090.
i: .)..>(/. Gref. 'Iiars Kirk Hesse. 22C (or .:. i-z—2.> fit/i]. 2..
:c .‘w.\?./i.
lHt Amt WE DON’T TALK ANYMORE
Cliff fan confesses 0..
One woman. Cliff Richard and a lifelong obsession Ali Adolph plays the part of Debbie who lives her lonely and anxrous lrfe through Cliff songs. From a child through her teenage years. marriage and a lesbian relationship. she lives '.'./ltIl the emt)arrassment of being a fan and her secret of being obsessed. Keyrrngs. mug trees. posters. badges. calendars: she has them all and she loves them. Despite the obyrous humour and cheesy rnusrc. Alice l’lo‘xxard's drama throws in irray too many ssues — later» life lesbianism. berng an only child and compulsive over spending ~ never managing to deal with
tnern in depth. A pity because Adolph's performance is '.'.’!llllll‘.t). rJane Hamiltoni
I C02. 0870 70/ :3 70:3. unfit 2:3 Aug. -.1_ fire/n. 50:30 '5‘:3.:'S0i.
ll rmfitt SWIMMING IN THE SHALLOWS
How deep is same sex love? 000.
Adam Block's American comedy drama is a delight: a ‘.'.'e|l presented. engaging and funny look at life and relationships performed with /est on a stage the sr/e of a paddling poor.
It focuses on Donna and CarlarrCarla and their n'xrll-they wont they get rnarrred drlerrrrna. their rnrddle aged straight friend Babs crisis of y'xhether she should leave her husband Bob and try to lrye a Buddhist exrstence x'rrth only ergltt
..p» y‘ x, . f) - F'I'V‘I\/\r p; :t') :~..>. .
items. and finally gay Nick. desperate for lone ‘.‘.’IIT(II‘. he finally finds it tl‘e shape of a shark. Quirky yet irisigtitftr‘. :3 delicately and truthfully explores commitment in same sex relationships. ESII£I||()‘.'.’ gay love and midlife crisis. Laughs. love and a couple of passionate same sex clinches makes Ozzen le‘.'.'rs' production a fringe highlight. itlane llarnzltoni I l’i’ei'tsance. {>510 (arise. unfi/ .1’0/tiig we? 80/. Jib/n 523.19
/.“:’>' Yb».
'iirt Al Ht YOU COULDN’T
MAKE IT UP
Rent boys and boy bands .00.
live rnrddleiaged gay friends. one dressed as ".i’rlde. the other as llrtler'. ‘.'.'alt/ Llllttt?! a mrrrorball to the strains
../ /‘\l\/l, /.(__\/|//. , \/
(.‘_(/ L(,(7L;,
Patrick ‘.'.’rlde's pr‘oyocatrye new drama. Full of great one l.r‘.e"s and compelling character's. iri<:3;r<li'ig a str‘argl‘t rent bc‘, traun‘atised by childhood rape. a cioseted boyband rnemner‘. and a perfect poof with g"<:~;‘rt tot; but terrified < t ir‘timacy. the pay is fast: rtating yet '7; Z'( l.
L.ke an insprrn‘g (3a; S‘.'.'eatsliop 811s drama. it s not scared of being r>ol:trcal. angry and nar'd hitting r.“ 11' rest“. confronting .ssees o‘ the day. U'ifoitar‘atey '2 bursts at the seams ‘.'.'IH‘: ideas. 'ants an: passions. A ‘.'.t)l‘:lt?.’iti ensemble of actors seanriess'i. directed by the prawngnt Z" l“t;t‘rlf make ths a must see. ‘.Jt)l‘,.'t Brenna I (Entree Ba. :7.
(/\)|.'a\;k1.(\, . .
of Dusty. one of the ' ’ many striking scenes in i‘ti V}? r ‘ «...: . .‘ THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 45