Theatre v- ~
Spite the face coo Alex Dee's Ethan has lost his sense of smell. We follow him and his camcorder over a week when he conducts an experiment. placing his nose on the arse of a pig in exchange for a bionic man-style computerised one. Searching for human fulfillment in a quirky. sarcastic way. it's entertaining. but about ll) minutes too long. (Lindsay (on) Baby lie/1v. 0870 7453083. until 27Aug. 6pm. [8» [‘1 (17-18).
Tossers: More Balls than Most 0. beautiful performers from around the world. theirjuggling is unmatched. their tumbling is first rate. but where they fall short is it] their narrative. ()ne leaves with the sense that they spoil it by failing to stick to what they know. (liddie Thornton) ( '(ltlerli‘lz'ljji until 28 Aug. 6.50pm. fl2.00l[/0.00/. [14.00 (112.00).
The Mylyth 'I'eg oo ApriCot Theatre. using Welsh folklore for inspiration and Butoh's craft. have devised a piece that resides in the shadowy world of superstitions. incorporating dance and sound. What is initially engaging becomes too repetitive and loses steam when in a fairytale world the possibilities should be endless and exciting. (Lindsay (‘orr) l/mlerlu'lly. 0870 745 3083. 6-27Aug (not 19). 11.45am. [7. 50- [8. 50 (£65017. 50). Mummenschanz oo Alien-like in form. concertinaing caterpillars and inflated gingerbread men are manipulated by this established Swiss company. who appear to have made huge cut backs in bringing their abstract physical show to the Fringe. There isn't the necessary darkness to hide the blacked out performers. and the piece cries out for musical accompaniment. (Eddie Thornton) (ieorge Square Theatre. 662 8740. until 27Aug (not 21). 5.30pm. £10412 (£75040).
The Allotment O. A nice. neat production from theatre group New Perspectives. Andrew Barrett's play sees assorted asylum seekers trying to provoke peace and harmony through horticultural therapy. There are some funny moments and touching scenes. but overall this piece trickles along slowly and shakily. unable to hold your full attention. (Lindsay (on) Pleasanee Courtyard. 556 6550. until 28 Aug. 3.40pm. [9— [/0 (£7.50-—[8. 50).
Man & God 0. This divine tale looks at God’s long awaited second resun'ection on earth. But in today's faithless consumer driven society. even God himself becomes a marketable commodity. This appealing and relevant topic is presented in a poorly written piece that relies on obvious cliches and blatant overacting for laughs. It's almost enough to make you lose faith in theatre. (Greer Ogston) Baby Belly. 0870 745 3083, until 27 Aug. 1.30pm. [84") (17—18).
Accidentally Waiting to Happen 0.. The Paper Birds tells the story of three girls merged in a moment. through music and movement. that reaches into the emotional landscape of fear and paranoid neurosis in us all. This imaginative and quirky introspection of trepidation in the fragmented instant of an accident is well-perfonned. but just a tad too whimsical. (Lindsay Corr)
'l‘ossers are an eclectic mix of
I’leasant'e ('ourtyartl. 556 6550. until 28 Aug. 12.50pm. [7.50- [8. 50 t [6717). Bitches and Money as
'larantino meets (ialsworthy after a scam goes violently wrong and three grifters (two female and one male) in Victorian Britain fall out over the cash. Told non- chronologically. this piece has the occasional tense moment. but a slightly self-conscioth reversion to sub \k'ildean aphorism doesn't quite work. while not all the performances are of the same quality. A nice try. but in the end. Reservois Turkeys. (Steve Cramer) Baby Belly. 0870 745 3083. until 27Aug. 4.45pm [8 ([7).
Cinzano 0.. Due to its perceived destructive pathos. Lyudmila l’etrushevskaya's ('in:ana was performed only in secrecy during the Soviet rule of Rtissia. Adapted first for the Tron Theatre. (ilasgow. the play travels effortlessly to wherever there is poverty. and alcohol is used to numb the pain it causes. A fiery and often amusing three- hander. that after a shaky start is gripping and relevant. (liddie 'l‘hornton) Smirnoff l.'mlerln’ll_v. 0870 745 2083. until Aug 1‘). 9.15pm. £7. 50 t [6. 50).
How To Explain the History of Communism to Mental Patients 0.. in the weeks preceding Stalin‘s death. Yuri l’etrovski arrives at a mental hospital to teach the history of communism in order to awaken the patient's minds with the wonders of a Stalinist utopia. lnlluenced by lonesco's Theatre of the Absurd. Matei Visnicc's political farce satirises Stalinism by exposing the faults of his communist ideals. it‘s an ambitious concept which may not appeal to all. ((ireer ()gston) Zoo .S'autltsitle. 662 6892. until 27 Aug (not 22). 2.15pm. [/0 ([8).
Love Remains ooo Andrew Keatley directs this black comedy where two ex-lovers meet for closure along with mind games. Exploring the politics of love and why you should never ask for the truth. it's delivered with fast-paced bitter emotion. with a few one-liner gems and an astute performance from Brett (ioldstein. (Lindsay (‘orrl Pleasanee Dome. 556 6550. until 28 Aug. 4.20pm. £7. 50- £8. 50 (Hi—£7).
Sing a Storm of Blackbirds
.0. Tale On Fire spotlights the influx of Kosovo refugees to Britain in l998 exploring love. learning and xenophobia in this minimal performance surrounding immigrant brothers and English sisters. Bizarre narrators. umbrellas and a conceptual climbing frame create an enjoyable piece with a simple message. But the ending is a trifle cliched. (Lindsay Corr) Venue 45, 556 0476. until 26 Aug (not 20). times vary. [7 ([6).
Jack the Lad 0. Turning tricks to survive. a poor rent boy searches for his father in every (EJohn. he services. lt.s a pretty clever Freudian reading of a well-known fairytale. but the performances leave something to be desired. They shout. they swear. they spit. they fuck: but ultimately. they fail to shock. (Eddie Thornton) (1 Chambers Street. 08707015105. until Aug 28. 9.45pm. £8. 50 (£7. 50)
My Chair - Your Self so
A devised work exploring displaced desire and failed intimacy. using Bacon and Freud influences to mould the static
70 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 17—24 Aug 2006
The Writers’ Guild
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new writing awards
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Theatre editor Steve Cramer reveals the nominations for this year's
The diversity of what we define as writing in the theatre these days might be encapsulated by this year’s nominations for best play. From more orthodox pieces like Greg Burke's Black Watch to Anthony Neilson’s Realism a piece written in process albeit by one writer, to some brilliant group devised writing in TEAM’s Particularly in the Heartland and on to a kind of inspired extended wordplay like Arthur Riordan and Bell Helicopter’s Improbable Frequency, the disparity of styles and processes is what makes it all so brilliant. In the area of newcomers, Adam Rapp’s Finer Noble Gases and the collectively authored The Unsinkable Clerk seem to indicate a bright future for Fringe audiences, not just through the quality of the work, but through its sheer range. What was once narrowly defined as theatre writing, where a dramatist sits alone in a room for months, produces a play, and then goes into rehearsal, is still a vital form, but the many other ways of producing great dramatic writing might also be displayed by this festival of diversity. (Steve Cramer)
I The Wr/t/ng Awards are announced at a ceremony at the f"f(/Il11)(ll‘l<(3l Ga/lery on 22 Aug at 1 7.30am. Read the resu/ts 1/) our 24 Aug l.‘;‘;l1(,‘.
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composition. while a Pinter-ster menace pulses under the surface. This high- concept piece is never charged enough to
succeed. the dialogue frantic and circular.
with silences marking time rather than creating tension. A moment of meta- theatre is reliving and interesting. but overall the piece is shapeless. and the image of the resonant chair needs more precision. (Lindsay Corr) Roman Eagle Lodge. 226 7207. until 27 Aug (not 22). 7. 30pm. [7—1‘8 ( fS—IOI.
Persae O. Persae begins with promise; footage of war set to loud rock music gives it a titnely frenzy that sadly dwindles as the cast appear. Jarring with its content. the language adapted from Aeschylus' The Persians fails to unearth any new perspective on the war in lraq. (Eddie Thornton) Underbelly. 0870 745 3083. until 27Aug, 3.55pm. £8 (£7). £9 (£8).
Kid-Simple: a Radio Play in the Flesh 0 Kid-Simple is simply atrocious. The script bores to the point of insanity and the performances do little to
lift it. That members of this company
were involved in the hugely successful
2005 production of Hmv I Learned to
Drive is staggering. (Eddie Thornton) Bedlam Theatre. 225 9893. until Aug 26
(not 20) 1.45pm. £8.50 (£6.50).
Slap! 0 There's little to advocate this meagre l980s musical homage. An overbearing make-up artist. her besieged assistant and a celebrity coiffeur
congregate at a video shoot. The make-
up artist and hairdresser have history. . Everything works out in the end. And that's it. with the occasional calamitous pastiche of Soft Cell or Kraftwerk. (Lindsay Corr) Pleasance Courtyard. 556 6550, until 28 Aug. 2.15pm. ; £7.50—£8.5() (£6—f7).