THE LIST
FESTIVAL GUEST LIST
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MICHAEL KELLY
'Count Me In. In What?‘ Most city newcomers are baffled. So area depressingly high number of locals. But it should be perfectly clear. For all its glossy image. Edinburgh is failingto pull its weight's-worth of visitors. There’s a job to be done and. like it or not. each and every native should be lending a hand.
That‘s the theory. at least. behind Michael Kelly's (less than arresting) caption. Kelly-ex-Glasgow Provost- is the man behind the winning ‘Miles Better' catch-phrase. The ultimate subversion. or the brightest signto date ot inter-city co-operation?
Concentrating on attracting big-spending conterences to the capital. Kelly‘stirst—admitfedly modest-aim isto seea high class conference centre established. After that. the sky could bethe limit; butiudging bythe slogan's impact so far. it looks as though it‘ll take more than a cloud of balloonsto get this campaign otlthe ground.
é CREATIVE FLING I Literally bringing art alive.
3 thefamous
; Porridge-flinging duo. Dogs
3 In Honey, will be adding a
new flavour to High Street
‘ window-shopping overthe
nextfew days.
‘ From the window stage of
the Collective Gallery. Sarah Tutt and her game
I partnerStephen Jones.
both trainedin artand
‘ drama. will be performing
their ‘very visual‘
. interpretation of 1980s'
culture. in whatmaylook
like an impromptu water
fight but is. in fact. a
tightly-planned script.
Using minimal language-
usually read through some
A medium like a megaphone ortannoy system—and maximum physical
expression.they describe their work as ‘ritual action around survival inthe home‘. taking the mundane and exploding the myth
behind it. ‘We should be
read in the same way asa painting.‘ says Sarah. ‘asa series olimages.‘
Heactionsto their
pertormancesvaryfromthe
E hostile - usually overcome
-to the confused. ‘People
often say “I don‘tthinkl understood that." yet go on to prove they've completely taken the point. It’s a new artform,‘ says Sarah. ‘but people are quite capable of understanding it.‘
Turned professional in 1985, the pairare funded by East Midlands Performing Arts Group, andtravel extensively in Britain and abroad. Their next show. ‘Two a.m. Erotic Time’- very. very sexy. as wellas messy. starts at the Third Eye Centre. Glasgow in October and. incorporating athird performer will. they hope. rid the act ofthe inevitable overtones ota male/female show.
Their ideas are bold. their presentation brave. but what inspired them to take art to such dramatic and sticky ends? Sarah laughs. ‘We always wanted to do something in a shop window.‘ Haven’twe all? Dogs In Honey will be
performing atThe
Collective Gallery. High Street. Thurs 20-Sat 22 Aug at 9.30am, and atselected timesthroughoutthe day withinthe gallery.
JIMMY BOYLE
Wild rumours are whipping through the city. Jimmy Boyle. Scotland's most tamous reformed iailbird. has recently acquired the Washhouse. and speculation is rampant. An old steamie beside the Gateway Exchange. his rehabilitation-cum-arts
centre. it looks ideal fora private prison.And who
‘
beherquahhed?
Boyle laughs at the idea. ‘People have big ears.‘ he says. and outlinesthe Washhouse's real. and less revolutionary purpose for
the building which is currently the appropriate venue torTheatre de la Basoche‘s ‘Le Lavoir'. Calling it ‘a new music complex'. he hopesto encourage local bands. who, he claims, have to put up with running walls and flourishing mould in most cheap rehearsal halls. Supplying ‘tive very luxurious recording studios‘ and rehearsal space in the building‘s lowerhalf. he‘s charging only £1.50. or thereabouts. an hour. Upstairs. “We‘re creating an exciting new venue‘. a nightclub/live performance space. with will hold 700. It's obvious. though. despite his enthusiasm for this venture. that Boyle's heart still lies inthe Gateway Exchange. who will reap a third ofthe Washhouse prolits. Seeing
the music centre as a way at 3
giving Gateway greater
economic stability. Boyle is 3
proud of the fact that he‘s never relied on grants for his project. “We're used to hustling.‘ he says. and talks
enthusiastically at his plans
forthe tuture.Though he no longerdons arrowed pyjamas, Boyle‘s still a crowd-puller. and the
Washhouse is likely to draw ,
the curious as well as the keen.
How does itfeel to be stared at like an eel in a tank? ‘It doesn’t bother me.
Theatre de la Basoche in Le Lavoir
If people want to live in the past, that‘s their problem. I see myself as a thriving person. moving into the iuture.‘ Steaming ahead. you might say.
CONSCIENCE CABARETS
Host to a wide variety of altruistic entertainments. Edinburgh is fast proving that social concern isthe latest and trendiest growth industry.
Hot from London comes Club Sandino, hopingto raise £2000 torthe Nicaraguan Solidarity Campaign. and so lar‘on target'. Providing relaxed surroundings (the walls plastered with posters. and inlormative literature drifting across the room). its Latin/Jazz music is one way. the organisers hope. of opening people‘s earsto another culture. All proceeds trom the club goto ‘ the campaign.
A further solidarity promotion that's becoming something of an institution. isthe Night ForNicaragua. to be held at the Usher Hall. its 2000 tickets already almost sold out. A cabaret actwhich has earned the reputation ol highlighting Fringe Hits. and results now in performers' tantrums when they discoverthey’ve not been included. it'sthe pertect Festival lullstop.
This year's perlormance is on 30 August. tickets £5.50 (£4) available lrom the Assembly Rooms Box Otlice.
Moving to concerns unfortunately closerto home. the Scottish Aids Monitor are staging Comedy Factory. a cabaret to be held at Fire Island on Wednesday 26 August at 9.30pm (tor10pm). Performers like Tom Robinson and the Alexander Sisters will be holding the stage. and a disco. running until 3am will be included in the £3 ticket price.
MUTOID WASTE COMPANY
You may have seen The Fish aroundtown. It‘s roadworthy. but scaly. and was once a valve saloon like any other. Now it belongs to the Mutoid Waste Company and is part of a tleet olvehicles of which others include The Terroid and The Skull Bus. It's all part oftheir resurrectional approach to art. in which they use —or more correctly mutate— scrap into sculpture. Scrap with a heavy industrial feel is prefered.
The recent Glastonbury Festival saw some spectacular examples ol theirstyle. notably ‘Car Henge'. specially made for the site. The Edinburgh
2 The LN 21 Aug — 3 Sept