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PALACE OF THE END Caught between Iraq and a hard place ●●●●● A third of Judith Thompson’s trilogy of monologues – an imagined conversation with Lynndie England, perhaps the most noticed of the convicted Abu Ghraib prison guards – was seen at the Traverse some years back. Its two new additions add a cumulative power to an already compelling night of political theatre.
repetition of the Engrish-sounding phrase ‘You are one eye gone’ is baffling rather than evocative.
Only the skeleton of a plot (monster terrorises city, is obliterated with WMD) is discernible; and some brutish part of me, not satisfied with mere artistic representations of demolition, was disappointed Breen didn’t get to actually stomp any tiny buildings. (Matt Boothman) ■ Venue 13, Lochend Close, 0707 420 1313, until 22 Aug, times vary, £8 (£5).
BEEN SO LONG Great tunes, pounding voices and beguiling dialogue ●●●●●
The Scottish premiere of Che Walker and Arthur Darvill’s straight play-turned musical brings a bittersweet reflection upon love and our fear of it, tempered by a sardonic streetwise wit, which, pleasingly, isn’t nearly as tough as it makes out.
The keeper of a no-longer fashionable London bar (noted soul singer Omar Lyefook) is smitten with a
jellyfish and the devastating Oxygen Destroyer device; and Sam Breen’s Godzilla costume has a homemade look that may have resulted from budgetary constraints, but nevertheless recalls the original’s low- tech aesthetic. The narrative style is abstract, with
downstage narrators providing dialogue, projected stills from the film representing characters and four puppeteers, plus Breen, recreating the large-scale city-stomping action. The play lasts only half its advertised length, which probably explains (though doesn’t excuse) the dearth of exposition in Ehn’s script; and his
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local single mother (Cat Simmons). She in turn is drawn to a jailbird and lady-killer (Arinze Kene), who himself is sought out by the vengeful wannabe lover (Harry Hepple) of one of his old conquests. The latter finds himself distracted by the attentions of scary local slapper (Naana Agyei-Ampadu). The elaborate erotic minuet that
follows is accompanied by a pounding rock score, some splendid voices (Agyei-Ampadu’s huge, tuneful tones, accompanying her bumptious character, are a particular pleasure) and Walker’s eccentric, beguiling, almost Jacobean dialogue. In the end, this piece says little about commitment, passion and emotion that we don’t already know, but it cleverly avoids a simple tie-up, while bawdy humour and first-rate ensemble work make it a terrific night out. (Steve Cramer) ■ Traverse Theatre, 228 1404, until 30 Aug (not 24), times vary, £16–£18 (£11–£12).
BLONDES Denise has more fun ●●●●●
From England’s (Kellie Bright)
discourse, which brings a history of her own sexual and physical abuse as a context to her brief career as a military policeman, we move to the final conversation with Dr David Kelly (Robert Demeger), as he sits propped against the tree at the scene of his death, the life-blood running from him, then to a middle-aged Iraqi woman (Eve Polycarpou) who has suffered the extinction of her entire family, at the hands, first of the Ba’athist regime, then the US invaders. What’s so startling about Greg
Hersov’s production is the subtle way in which each piece becomes a commentary upon, not just the protagonists, but our own tacit complicity in the grisly, murderous bloodbaths that have been ongoing since 2003. There are strong performances from all three monologists, with Demeger’s picture of a civilised English bourgeoisie corrupted by the rapacious realpolitik of his circumstances particularly outstanding. (Steve Cramer) ■ Traverse Theatre, 228 1404, until 30 Aug (not 24), times vary, £16–£18 (£11–£12).
ONE EYE GONE Godzilla puppet adaptation loses something in translation ●●●●● Unless you’re already familiar with Godzilla and the daikaiju genre, it might be hard to follow this re- imagining of the 1954 film – though its strength is in Katie Shook’s puppetry, not Erik Ehn’s storytelling. There’s imaginative use of concealed lights to create cityscapes, bioluminescent
ICARUS 2.0 The perils of flying the nest ●●●●●
Camden People’s Theatre has a policy of supporting risk-taking productions with an emphasis on the visual (you may remember last year’s intimate, near silent, office cubicle drama Paperweight, which was supported by them). This year director Matt Ball dissects the father/son relationship in a visually stimulating, emotionally affective and charmingly funny curiosity of a play that pushes boundaries in the right way. The Icarus of myth didn’t heed his father’s advice and the result was a
melted-wing, drowned-son disaster. In a cramped training camp/ laboratory in London a man has genetically bred a ‘son’ with the aim of making him fly down to Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth, securing fame and respect for himself. But while the first Icarus had his youthful arrogance to blame for his demise, these two tragic characters have a complex interdependency working against their best interests. Played out in a claustrophobic room, crammed with biological specimens
and domestic detritus, Sébastien Lawson and Jamie Wood turn in heartbreakingly truthful performances as the struggling father and son. The action is divided between domestic chores, the grand flying plan, Icarus’ training regime – an almost balletic routine that is repeated throughout with changes that chart the changing relationship between the men – and times when the advertised narrative slips, and hints of a darker reality poke through. The drama becomes less mythological and more psychological as their
circumstances become apparent. Blending one interpretation of their relationship into another, the forward momentum comes from shifts in tone and pace. Taking a lot from physical theatre, episodes of silent business, dialogue, monologue and brief snatches of music build an impressionistic whole, at times hurtling with near-hysteria and at others tripping with sadness. The resulting journey is more visceral than cerebral, existing in a space beyond the reach of words. (Suzanne Black) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug (not 25), 3.25pm, £9–£10 (£7.50–£8.50).
Blondes is exactly what you’d expect it to be. Graham Norton on voiceover introduces ‘Denise! Van! Outen!’ and with a razzle-dazzle and a boop-boop- be-doop she shimmies her way onto the stage, belts her way through hits from Dusty, Madonna, Britney and, of course, Blondie, shows some family photos, reveals a little about her own heartbreaks and banters saucily with an audience who clearly adore her.
Some of the humour seems forced: jokes about apartheid seem to have come from co-writer Jackie Clune’s pen and sit rather awkwardly in our gal Den’s mouth, and it takes her a rather stilted 15 minutes to ease her way into her script at first. There’s also the odd bit of product placement slipped in there: we’re pretty sure other supermarkets are available.
However, there’s no denying that she’s got a splendid set of pipes on her. She puts her all into every song, seems completely at her ease talking honestly in front of an audience, and there’s a nice little story about Bonnie Tyler and a toilet brush that should tickle the faithful. (Kirstin Innes) ■ Udderbelly’s Pasture, 0844 545 8252, until 31 Aug (not 25), 5.50pm, £13.50–£14.50 (£12.50–£13.50).
64 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 20–27 Aug 2009