THEATRE LIST
on the techniques of commedia dell’arte.
Filleen Minute Hamlet, Cuttin’ A Bug and lsts and Isms Fri 7 Nov. 7.30—9.45pm. £1 .50 (£1). Another triple bill: Stirling Youth Theatre present Tom Stoppard’s comic mini-version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet; Bannockburn Youth Theatre in an excerpt from John Byrne’s comic success Cuttin ' A Rug and Telford College Drama Course in Ists and Isms (see above, Wed 5 Nov).
Anyone tor Murder Ma’am? Sat 8 Nov. 11am. £1 (50p). Theatre Workshop Junior Youth Theatre (see above, Thurs 6 Nov).
Breakers and Who Threw That? Sat 8 Nov. 7.30pm. £1.50 (£1). Cumbernauld Youth Theatre in Breakers, a comedy set in a disco looking at the religious divisions that colour the choice of partner and Telford College Community Drama Course in Who Threw That? (see above, Thurs 6 Nov).
Please Please Please Wed 12—Sat 15 Nov. 8pm. £3 (£2.50). Theatre de Complicité, Perrier Award winners, with their new show. See Feature.
0 TRAVERSE THEATRE 1 12 West Bow, 226 2633. Box office Tue-Sun 10am—8pm. Bar. Rest. Tickets also available from the Ticket Centre, 22 Market Street.
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HOOLIGANS
‘I wanted to do a play about hooliganism. I wanted to look at what drives people to that.’ Jon Gaunt had begun writing his play, Hooligans (see Traverse) betore the Heysel Stadium Incident-though the Heysel catastrophe and the response to It brought sharply Into locus the areas he was exploring. ‘l think hooliganism Is an Inevitable consequence oi the way a lot at working-class kids live a sort oi trashy lite while they’re constantly being led the consumer con.
Gaunt, brIquI ol enthusiasm and anger, talks ten to the dozen. HIs play, exploring the background to the ' Involvement otlhree ‘hoollgans’ In riotous behaviour, has won great acclaim, since lirst parlonned by Tic Toc Theatre Company during the Edinburgh Festival, tor its punchy, dynamic ster and understanding ol the lorcas behlnd violence: ‘I don't think anybody wants to be a hooligan. I don’t
' * s}.
Burke and Hare Until Sun 2 Nov. 7.30pm. Temp members £4.50; Econ members £4; Full members £3.50; Student, OAP, UB40 £2.50 (Members £2). See Review. Hooligans Tue 4—Sat 9 Nov. 7.30pm. Prices as for Burke and Hare (see above). Return of Jon Gaunt’s Fringe First winning play looking at the social forces that lie behind hooliganism in modern Britain. See paneL
Request Programme Tue ll—Sun 16 Nov. 7.30pm. Prices as for Burke and Hare (see above). Eileen Nicholas brings her superb solo performance of Franz Xaver Kfoetz’s Play. See Shortlist.
TOURING
0 The Albannach A recast, revitalised production of John McGrath’s adaptation of Fionn MacColla’s novel. Writing in the Twenties, MacColla lamented Scotland’s repressed potential, lambasting the Kirk for depressing the poetry, song and spirit of the Highland people, through the figure of Murdo, a young and imaginative Highlander (The Albannach) who eventually leads a musical rebellion. McGrath’s adaptation is a jaunty, sketched outline of the story that Finlay Welsh’s production, now faster and tauter than before, brings to life with
believe we're all born innately good or evil either, but society conditions you. I think averybody’s got the capacity to be violent, it’s just that the more comlortable you are, the more tricks you Ieam to avoid It.’
The pendulum association oi the company’s name is no accident. Tic Toc stands Ior ‘Theatre In Coventry, Theatre oI Coventry’, a name chosen deliberately to bind them to their dual policy oi producing theatre Ior the local community and Ior national tour. Hooligans Is a ‘Toc’ production, Its style though has partly to do with subject matter, partly with being accessible: ‘I‘ve always wanted to create exciting theatre. When the three guys go out on a credit-card spending spree, I was trying to show the excitement oi actually doing it. Also visual theatre can act like shorthand, getting Ideas over very quickly. I think you have to use TV and video teclnilques so that a non-theatre going audience can latch into livery quickly.’
at last year’s Edinburgh Festival with Its visual, humorous, dance-like explorations ol male power struggles and physical conirontatlon. How they are back (See Assembly Rooms) with ‘Iltan Act Two, eracles’, moving on a stage, as Simon Thome, one oi the duo, explains. ‘The starting point tor Man Act was that we both (he and Philip Mackenzie) decided to do ballroom dancing. We started using partner-dancing and exploring choreography and relationships
V The relationship th time is; \ diiierent, subtler, more gentle one
. though. ‘These two men have spent a = long time together. They have a very ' caring relationship — a progression
; lrom the more abstract situation oi the
E how men relate to one another- and
i I l
through It. This time we’ve applied the : same kind oi choreographic sense to a I
much more domestic drama with much stronger storyline. It concerns two men, oldetthis time, who are making a document tor a mythical small child over a period oi seven days, and the process people go through deciding what they want to or should pass on to the next generation.’
good humour. For further information please contact 7:84 Scotland on 031 557 2442. Moir Hall, Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow Tue 4 Nov. 8pm; Strathaven Town Hall Theatre, Strathaven Wed 5 Nov. 7.30pm; Cumbernauld Theatre,
C umbernauld Thurs 6 —Sat 8 Nov. 7.45pm.
0 The Cry of Spain Winged Horse in Robin Munro’s play, a splintered chronicle of the Spanish Civil War using a complex stylised form that parallels the development of the war with that of a bull light. It is a vivid, taut production that brings home sharply the bravery of those who resisted Fascism and the noble generosity of ordinary people who left everything to join the International Brigade. For further information please contact Winged Horse on 031 226 2427.
A yr Civic Theatre, A yr Fri 31 Oct. 7.30pm. 0292 264639; Adam Smith Centre, Kirkcaldy Sat 1 Nov. 7.30pm. 0592 266193.
e What Every Woman Knows The Scottish Theatre Company in Tom Fleming’s warm, confident production of J.M. Barrie’s comedy. Set and written at the time of the
3 time and time again controntations ‘ became antoganistic. Touching and
any sort oi physical contact became
‘ earliershow.ThatdeaIlwith aspects oI
I Incredibly traumatic. This time It’s very i I casual. This piece is much more '
; optimistic, suggesting that it Is
possible to think about a tuture and lot
two men to be together and care Ior each other,’ The idea oi male
stereotypes Is more part ol the fabric ol
1 the work that the subject oi It. We lelt
that history and the Iuture and old age
than men arguing about why they’re tucked up -which Is why we’ve put that Into the workshops, where we can
_ tcontront It directly.’ (8H1
The List3l Oct— 13Nov17
early Suffragette struggles, it takes a wry and enlightened look at opportunities for women. broadening into speculation about ambition and sexual politics on several levels at once. Maggie (Maureen Beattie), an intelligent but plain, strong-minded Scotswoman uses her intelligence to further her ambitious, self-confident husband’s (Benny Young) career in politics. Self-sacrifice or manipulation? The cast do Barrie‘s wit and good-humoured understanding of human weakness good service while avoiding his sentimentality and the temptation to be too cosy, and there are particularly strong performances from Roy Hanlon, James McClure and Harry Walker, with Una McLean playing a delightfully over-the-top worldly-wise French countess. For further details please contact the Scottish Theatre Company on 041 339 8777. Eden Court Theatre, In verness Until Sat 1 Nov. 7.45pm. Sat mat 2.30pm. 0463 221718; Gaiety Theatre, A yr Mon 3—Sat 8 Nov. 7.30pm. 0292 264639. MacRobert A rts C entre,
Stirling Mon lO—Sat 15 Nov. Matinee
on Wed 12, 2.30pm. 078661081.
5 were more pressing things to talk about