Theatre
TROJAN WOMEN Contemporary approach to Greek tragedy 0000
T "‘e and the aga n we hear about the atroczties of war: Bosh. a. Rwanda. Sadan. D‘fere": patties. Identca herrors. Eurordes' tragedy aeou'. the cone" of Troy. am the " org”. 3000 years ago. rem has us wth its powerful dep'ct on r t’ desoatr and pa " that "story seems deemed to reoeat tsel‘. H acaca ttvlyra McFadyer‘v. once the proud Queen of the l‘()\.'.' co": oered Troj. he‘pessty 'ooks o" as "er daughter C£188£t"(l"£l -,ltxa.‘o tvloreeoI
and dead son's wute Andromache tKate DlCKiGl ay-ratt I'lC‘Il tate as slaves to thelr captors. Despvte such devastation by men. the women see Helen (CEIIKIICO Edmunds‘ as the root cause of all their Suffering.
Thzs vs a ntesntertslhg productIOH (lll‘GClet‘l w:th pot-sned precision by Cathie Boyd. Multt-dtscipl nary 'n its presentat 0.". the stuntwng set. ytsua's and sound e“ects 'J.t"£t Bardsley and Martin Parked enhance the power and emo'. ye 'n-gl‘t 0‘ Brendan Kenne'ry 's poet c and contemporary adaptation. But t is the strong oert'or'nances by the cast. t)arttcuiar*y McFadyen and D CK'O. that ;t‘;ect the aC"-'tgt|y raw. desperate evnot on McFadyen’s Hecu'oa .s superbly oold as she struggles to retain he" (TGITG'W sort in a oody now merely an ot>;ect ‘or her captors pleasure. The ess cont ncthg character satto" ot Mene‘ats .Ketth Macohersonu arguably dos the otherw'se {t'L-t’tl_)80"l)ttlg tenson. There :s a tirne=essness to he language and .n‘agery. act'ng as a power‘ul £1"(l orah‘at-c syntho ct the
EAST COAST CHICKEN SUPPER Engaging comedy with West End potential 000.
If that grand old boy of the West End, William Douglas Home, had been born a lower middle-class Fifer, he’d certainly have produced this new Traverse piece. There’s nothing big or scary about it, it doesn’t attempt to say anything grand or deep, but it’s as sweetly endearing a piece of theatre
as you’re likely to see.
In it, three old schoolmates have, before the play begins, set up a drug dealing business in a Fife village. Gibb (Gary Collins) has departed for London for a bit of murky business over the last year, and having left no explanation for his departure, sees his mates peeved with him on his return. Stew (Paul Blair) has in the meantime, learned to enjoy the chemicals he’s been purveying. There’s nothing really awful about your landlord enjoying a tipple, though, is there? Fred (Paul Rattray) has also been changing, making plans to become a TV chef, with organic stir fries a speciality. It all looks like a rosy little reunion, until we meet the local hard man, Malone. He arrives to tell the boys they’ve a week to leave town, or suffer a dodgy end. But even Malone is a bit of an old sweetheart deep down, and like the gunman of Shane, he‘s getting too old for this shit, and
wants to hang up his broken bottle.
It never looks as if things will get serious, and Richard Wilson’s production of Martin J Taylor's play shows some deft touches in keeping things light. The structure of the play helps; there’s nothing crazy or experimental about it, it’s more or less a three-act West End farce (though played right through at just short of 90 minutes) of the kind we’ve been seeing for a century. So, too, the design by Fiona Watt recreates with perfect naturalism of the boys’ living room — it’s all about as reassuring as
it could be.
And it is very fine work. Taylor’s debut shows a real sureness of comic touch, some lovely structuring and damn near perfect tone. It’s the kind of work that could transfer straight to the West End from the day it comes down in Edinburgh. The performers, too, are splendid. Blair’s Fifer with attitude is completely watchable, while all three other performers are of a
high standard. A terrific night out. (Steve Cramer) I Trtwe'se Theatre. 228 740/1. 2P? flap-’1' ""07 9?”
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brutal conseQuences of supposed “victory Ill war. (Michelle Macintyrel
I George Square Theatre. (562 87 40. until 28 Aug /not 9. IO, 74. l6.23t. trrnes vary. l.‘l2 I538).
CHILDREN OF THE SEA
Post-tsunami Pericles 0000
Box ng Day 2004 was a ch:iltng remmder of the power of nature. With between 200.000 and 300. )00 dead tnroughout l".0 ledta" Ocean. zt .s hard to "nag-no any hope survvtng. And so. Chidren of the Sea proyes a oeaut tut sure" so.
In the a‘terntath o‘ the 20 Dece'noer Tsu"a.'n . a ser-es ot \.'.'orksh0ps “as WOO to help Sr' Lankah coastas (:on‘m...".tle: overcome The oeyastator‘» of the way e. dsthg Shakespeare's iesser know" Perrcres as tts has s. Theatrun‘ Botan cum takes tn's centuries Old story 0" a ‘amtty torn apart oy storms and reo'ays t n ai 'ts a stub no modem day v'ereyance.
Acted t)y 'octh professonazs (“2"(3 cat are" "'o'“ t"e sttr'yyors' camps. I" s s not the depressant; snow that one "i g"! expect. Fret“ the moment o..r loyal gt. oe Rat-t. r Paratene “or fine '3'“ '~.'/ha/e chi‘erl meets as at the gate to the Bctav‘ o Git!‘(l0"8. there s a ‘es'. ye a r to the expet‘ ence. As per c-es (MUS. ioses and ones aga " s sto'y t);."(ll..£l‘.0(l oy ..'lttl)£l$'l0(l putt: every am y era": damwg set aga nst a stun" Ea nourg" sky ne.
\l.’ t'“ :"e cast nay no as good a t "we as We a..a once. 1" s s a" masl‘a'nedy v‘c- a“rn‘ no piece that ClOSC"\'OS to oe EBY‘fiA’Gil its/,8: that. Cor" e 4'ls I Rota Botanc Gar'aer‘s. 5:32 7.‘ 7'7 Aug}. 8.30:3'7‘. 70—57 ’2
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THE GIRLS OF THE 3.5 FLOPPIES
Bean down so long . . . COO
You «hols: new the Royal Cont. a great ace ‘or ways aoout oyslu"cttot‘a :tdle-class f'an‘ es. s aways ::o”"n:ss o"t":} ‘.'."'.te"s ‘rc"‘ t'te tour o:>""ers o‘ fl‘e wor (t to to exacty ’."e same '< "a (2‘ plays? We . t" s ’vlex can t: ece hy Loos En" use Gut errex O": / Monastero s "oi at a‘ ke that. .t SHOEMS. "stead. exec ..l‘.(l(?" the (1' rec‘. o" o‘ ooh" '7' “a"\. o‘ '."e: at ona Theatre o" Scot and. o" is own or g; "s a 't‘ ut‘ty (i a" ‘.y.
i" t. two dow" a'. "ea. y'ao'ne". Azla cow and Gaorea Murray. “ate a rough t"‘e
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and cocaine. They live ll‘ constant poverty. each month creating a new desperate scheme to pay the rent. Most of what money tney get comes IFOl“ an estahltshmmt called the 3.5%. Flopptes Ciuh. where you might cal; them good time girls. were the phrase not so redolent with worry. For all that. you can't help but ‘.‘.’£tl‘ll‘. to them.
Mark Rayeohtll's subtitled translation \'.’()"r(8 pretty well. recapturung the casua? obscenity of the characters Iangaage. whue tne recurrent Imagery of C(III‘O'IOSII‘ “poth ‘rathes and !l'()ll|SOS thetr sttuatton. There :s a'so a (ILtOSIiO'ng of exnsteotut theattznu n"Sl(l€3 the play and ()ttlS'IlO. as we ourselyes are interrogated about why we are treating these charactm's as cyphers. The endtht; of the piece tngl‘t he a little pu/xltng for the ayeragje acu‘ence. and some of the reoetttor‘s l" the text stutter the action. but thzs is a good "ight {)Ltl. boasting; a coupe of likely perforntances. Stem Cratnert I Traverse Theatre. 228 l .101, unfrl 28 Aug «not ’5. .‘rrhes vary; 5‘7 l—S‘h’
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HITTING FUNNY
A serious look at stand-up that‘s very funny .00.
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'- THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 73