from the steamer of modernity." Great stuff.’ Confessions of a Justified Sinner, Steve Owen, Richard Demarco Productions: Richard Demarco Theatre, Heriot’s School, Lauriston Place (venue 22) 7—23 Aug, 6pm. £3.50 (£2.50). [F] Mayako vsk y — A Tragedy, Robin Sneller, Richard Demarco Production: Richard Demarco Theatre, Heriot’s School, Lauriston Place (venue 22) 7—23 A ug 4. 45pm. £3.50 (£3.50). [F]
" I =~ SAXA SALTY HUMOUR Why is it that so many soberly trained classical musicians end up turning to something lighter; Elton John, Jimmy Galway, John Williams, to name but three, have in their different ways broadened their horizons. Gabrielle Lane of The Fairer Sax, says it’s because ‘You can’t make a living out ofclassical music, especially on the saxophone.’
The Fairer Sax. Miss Lane. her sister, Anne-Louise, Karen Street and new member Julia Mills, make their own frocks, arrange their own music, which ranges from Georges Bizet to George Gershwin, choreograph their own very camp and very funny dance routines. and generally do whatever they can to avoid getting ‘left sitting in the corner with a potted plant.’ All of which gives them a good deal more scope than your average orchestral player. But they are wonderful — a definite must see. So you’ll just have to write the dates in your filosax. Sorry. (R.D.S.)]n the Pink, The Fairer Sax, Bedlam Theatre, 2 Forrest Road (venue 49) [0—16 Aug, 12.15—I.45pm. £2.50 (£2) Tickets: 5561388. [F] Sax Soirée, Canongate Lodge, Canongate, Royal Mile (venue 5) I8—30Aug,12.15—1.45pm.£2.50 (£2) Tickets: 556 1388; Celtic Lodge,
DARK SHADES
"The idea behind the Shadow Syndicate wasn’t to do just theatre, but also films and records.‘ And they mean business.
During this year’s Fringe, Peter Granger-Taylor. Adrian Johnson and David Young are in charge of three separate venues hosting 37 ' other companies as well as running two of their own shows.
For this year‘s Fringe , Peter has written another play. ‘You could call it a musical — but it’s not really. I hate that term.’ Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is based on the true story of the S Louis, a ship taking 1,(X)O Jews to Cuba from Germany during World War II . which was
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refused entry and turned back, over three quarters of the passengers ending up in concentration camps. But it’s not just a political piece, it’s about jazz, one of the greatest human equalizers druing the war, banned by Nazi Germany for its decadence. Enter Adrian, the very talented music man who’s responsible for the music. Music has always been and always will be a large part of the Shadow Syndicate , according to Peter, who can’t imagine doing a show without Adrian. ‘Plays take off with music. Music’s such a good extra weapon to get at the audience.’
David’s responsibility is administering this lot, but look out for his 20 minute film on BBC this autumn. Music by Adrian, and yes, he’s alswo done the music for Blood of Angels their second, more eccentric Fringe show based on Oscar Wilde’s Salome, which will be playing at midnight. (Hattie Evans) Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, The Shadow Syndicate. YWCA (venue 8) Aug 10-30 (not 17and24). 8.15pm. £3 (£2). Tickets 225 4202. Blood of A ngels, The Shadow Syndicate, Canongate Lodge (venue 5) Canongate, Royal Mile. Aug 9-30 (not 17and24). Midnight. £2.50 (£2)
TOG RATING
One group of Fringe performers this year are taking the unusual step of taking their audience about with them in a double decker bus. Nicola Smedley, of the four-person company, Geographical Duvet, from London explains: ‘The bus idea came about through a desire to present our work in a completely new way and to show some areas of Edinburgh that people do not usually have a chance to see - and that visitors aren’t even aware of.’ Stop off points on the two hour trip include Leith Docks, Fettes College, Easter Road Football Ground and the Gallery of Modern Art. Each stop will be for a performance of about 20 minutes featuring ‘song, speech, design, humour, but mostly dance.’ In between stops, they will also serve refreshments to their audience/passengers. (Graham Caldwell) Duvet Lovers Edinburgh, Geographical Duvet, Bus on Waverley Bridge. 11—30 Aug (not Thurs) 2.30pm. £2. 75 (£2). [F]
FISHING FOR CONDIMENTS
(Salt Water Moon is not, fortunately, just another sentimental love story. This Canadian play, receiving its European premiere at the Lyceum Studio, is set in 1926 in the tiny fishing hamlet of Coley’s Point in Newfoundland.
Young Jacob Mercer, after a year’s unexplained absence, returns home, hoping to reclaim Mary Snow, in the meantime engaged to another man. The father of Mary’s new lover has in the distant, but far from forgotten past, humiliated Jacob’s father. In this production the parts of Mercer and Mary Snow are played by two
Canadians, Ian Tyler and Julia Lewis, but director Sean McCarthy feels that the parts are by no means restricted to native Canadians. Coming himself from County Cork in Ireland, McCarthy can claim to understand the loves, hates and bittersweet humour contained in this Irish/Canadian village. The script, written in the Irish/American "Newfie’ dialect, has what McCarthy calls a ‘poetic reverberance’.
But is there not a danger that the ‘eternal triangle’ situation could allow audiences to just wallow in all the sentiment? McCarthy refutes this suggestion. ‘Like many fine
plays its hallmarks are its simplicity and its humility. The vulnerable, fallible and awkward get possessed of an everyday courage that is staunch.’ (Helen Davidson) Salt Water Moon, Royal Lyceum Theatre Company, Lyceum Studio, Cambridge Street (venue 35) Tickets: 229 9699. 7—30Aug (not Mons 11, 18), 7pm. £4 (£3). [F]
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COMMERCIAL BREAK
Toby Sedgwick hates advertising. The ad business gets it in
the neck in Tale-Men, the first offering from The Call of the Wild. Call of the Wild is Moving Picture Mime man Sedgwick’s assemblage of talent from some of the outstanding fringe groups of recent years; Tamsin Heatley from Lumiere and Son, Tony Haase from Cliffhanger, Richard Hawley from Impact and Peta Lily from, well, Peta Lily.
You would not expect just another play from that lot and you are not going to get one. Directed by Italian oommedia expert Carlo Boso, Tole-Men mixes a conventional drama of everyday advertising folk with a commedia-inspired burlesque of five characters in search of the ultimate wish fulfilment elixir. Wish fulfilment, adverts, geddit? No one seems to know what happens in the end yet; the director had to leave after five weeks rehearsal, they cut 45 mins after the first night and, as Sedgewick frankly admits, working with five different entrenched ways of doing thing is ‘a pain in the arse’. All the same, I can’t help feeling that, with that lot doing it, the end result will be well worth a look. (R.D.S.) Tele-Men, Call of the Wild, Elephant Tent, Zap Club, Hole in the Ground, Castle Terrace (venue 16) 8—24Aug (notI7Aug), 6.15pm. £3.50 (£3) Tickets: 226 6746. [F]
LENNY BRUCE: MURDER BY LANGUAGE
Sticks and Stone: is an adaptation by young Irish writer-director Conall Morrison of the satirical routines of Lenny Bruce. Examining the roots of Lenny’s contemporary reputation as a martyr to the cause of comic freedom, the play incisively and hilariously represents the original material and shows how the American legal system’s censorious, hypocritical response to it was one of such relentless vigour that it broke the man,
However, while allowing the audience to judge Bruce’s status as a groundbreaker for much modern comedy and hence demonstrating the shift in attitudes since the Sixties, Sticks and Stones, as director Morrison points out ‘not only represents the character and opinions of a pretty remarkable person, but also goes to show how cripplineg funny he was then, and still, I think, remains today.’ Morrison uses Lenny as the central character, with four others assuming roles as diverse as Jesus Christ, Lyndon B. Johnson and Hitler as they both receive and mete out some
merciless abuse. . By the same token, while Sticks and
Stones is a testament to the sheer breadth of Bruce’s satirical range, it reveals throughout the fair-mindedness and the constructive attitude of one sane head in a world of moral lunacy. Here, the potent mix of penetrating comment and wicked humour remains undiluted, the use of other actors colourfully animating Lenny’s astonishing ability to single-handedly conduct a conversation between several of his comic creations at once. The play is a hugely enjoyable reminder that the walls of hypocrisy can be shaken down by the uproarious sound of laughter. (Trevor Johnston) Sticks and Stones, E U TC, Bedlam Theatre, 2 Forrest Road (venue 49) 9—23 Aug (not Suns) 4. 15—5.25pm. £2.50 (£2). Tickets: 225 9893
The List 8- 21 August 15