SEX DOESN’T SELL Don’t be duped by the posters
Six gay men on stage with their cocks out: is that going to sell theatre tickets? Obviously Strawberry Theatre is hoping so with American Scott Miller’s shoddy cock-fest Head Games (Hill Street Theatre, 226 6522, until 26 Aug, 10.30pm). Just a pity the play is so irredeemably bad.
From its poster, Desires of Frankenstein (Pleasance, 556 6550, until 26 Aug, 6pm) promises a beautiful boy, naked apart from bulging white underwear. Neither the boy nor the underwear appear on stage, only a badly simulated blow job and wooden acting.
The Out in the Garden poster (Assembly Rooms, 226 2428, until 26 Aug, 2pm) features nude male bums and they appear on stage. But don’t go expecting gay-issue drama: apparently this is farce pure and simple and not very interesting.
The gay Fringe is awash with nude sexual imagery, leaping out of posters, promising us productions that are homoerotic and titillating. Appeal to the lowest common denominator and pull the punters in with the possibility of sex. It doesn’t matter that the plays aren’t very good, the audience have paid their money.
None of these productions are remotely erotic and none of them explores how incredible and vulnerable it is to be naked with another person. How does such gay marketing affect ordinary
mortals and their feelings of self-worth? Do such images of male perfection influence the increase of eating disorders among gay youngsters? I don’t imagine the producers care.
Be wary of attending a play because of its poster image. Go because of a good playwright first. There’s more passion in the gay scorcher of a kiss in Adam Bock’s Swimming in the Shallows (Pleasance, 556 6550, until 26 Aug, not 20) than in any of these provocative-poster productions. Or go down to CC Blooms or Planet Out and find someone to be erotic with yourself. (John Binnie)
COMEDY HEY Y’ALL!
Camp in a camper van 0..
James Dean Jay Byrd and his partner Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer look like they've just stepped out of American Gothic . . . apart from the fact that Jay Byrd is male and wearing a bedazzled apron over his dress. The gay duo perform in front of Jay Byrd's lucky green dress and entertain with quirky tales and songs of their hillbilly lite. Their stories are heart-warmineg funny and their COuntry songs are just delightful. Sung with great harmonies and tongue in cheek lyrics. they give a rosy image of their simple life living and towing the US in a 20ft camper trailer. Close your eyes and you could even be in their make-believe TV show. (Jane Hamilton) I Rocket (0) South Bridge Resource Centre, 558 9997, until
24 Aug (not 78). 4.45pm, £6 (£5).
FILM
8 WOMEN All-singing murder mystery
French enfant terrible. film director Frances Ozon, is followrng in the footsteps of gay Hollywood director George Cukor. who was considered the world's best director of women. Ozon gained arthouse successes with Sitcom. a film about how a rat affects a dysfunctional family. and the Fassbinder inspired Water Dropping on Burning Rocks.
He'll be in Edinburgh to introduce his new film. hopefully accompanied by two of his incredible actors who really are some of France's greats. Catherine Deneuve. Emmanuel Beart. Fanny Ardant and Isabelle Huppert appear in this all singing, all dancing murder mystery set in a
NEXT ISSUE OUT THURSDAY 22 AUGUST
46 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 1:392 Aug 200?
cediitry mansron Lesbians and gay men will have a field day. Buy a ticket.
(John Binnie)
I 8 Women. Film/louse. 78 Aug. 7pm. $7 ($74.50).
THEATRE FILLER UP Attack on skinny
culture 0...
New Zealander. Deb Filler, has issues wrth her mother. her weight and food. Not Surprising considering she was weighed as a baby as six and a half loaves and at Chelsea bun.
She introduces us to a whole host of other colourful characters including her Holocaust survivor father, Aunt Vippy. her neurotic sister and her significant girlfriends. Her story is told with passion, humour and great unt‘lerstanding of the 'skinny culture' while she bakes a deliciOus loaf of her father's challah bread.
Best of all, she comes through her song-enhanced story proud — and
healthy talk about sex centre stage. Jemima Levick's company of five terrific actors conjur up a hot. muggy Montreal night as they talk. howl, make love to the moon and invoke it for forgiveness. Two randy teenagers remind Catherine Owen's heartbreakineg lonely widow of her dead husband.
Ali de Souza is outstanding as the gay man with AIDS. as is Thomas Newman as his devoted lover. On at the intimate Gateway Studio with only a pulsating score and flexible lighting, it's direct. heartfelt and tender. A Fringe gem. (John Binnie)
I Gateway Theatre. 377 3939. until 26 Aug (not 27), 70pm. £7 (£5).
Desires of Frankenstein: wooden
THEATRE
you fancy. better have yourself a wank.
Set at the Edinburgh Fringe. it centres on a woman (ably played by Denise Nicholson) throwing a party for a depressed, middle aged theatre director. His presents are a nude masseur and a rent-boy actor. Guests include the woman‘s closeted fiancee and a gay couple of many years. And it's no surprise that they have all had sex with the masseur.
Characterisation is non-existent. there's no plotline and it quickly bores yOu rigid. Only James Oliver McGuire is at ease with his nudity. When all six men disrobe. it's such a let-down.
(John Binnie)
I Hill Street Theatre. 226 6522, until 26 Aug. 7 0.30pm, (39—8 10
HEAD GAMES “8—59)-
All knobs and no plot
' for GLASGOW American Scott Miller 8! EDINBURGH has written an atrocious GAY SCENE see play. which is sold on non-festival
its knob-factor. and if magazrne
that's what
wearing leather trousers. Go on. take a bite. (Jane Hamiltom I Assembly Rooms. 226 2428. until 26 Aug, 1.45pm. 579—57 10 (EB—539).
,. w.
Filler Up
THEATRE SOLEMN MASS FOR A FULL MOON IN SUMMER Heartfelt Quebecois drama 0..
Michel Tremblay. the great French Canadian gay plaw/rigl'lt. puts women. gay men and
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