FASCINATING AIDA
Dillie Keane arrives late. As the tounding member otthe singing trio. that no doubt is her priviledge. Meanwhile Denise Wharmby and Adele Anderson (respectively the shorter and the taller otthe trio) are limbering up tor another morning interview ordeal. Denise. who isthe latest to join the act is literally limbering up. going in and out at view behind the arm 01 a sola as she does her sit ups. Progress ol sorts is being made. I discoverthat Denise was ‘lound‘ at a Sydney barbecue. and lrom Adele that ‘the group has always had a selection ot more serious songs to which people pay less attention‘. and that the ideas lorthe songs ‘come out at Dillie‘s head'. ‘Oozing and bubbling out at her ears‘ adds Denise. who‘s Australian. Just as Denise is telling me that Dillie gives the group guidance and a sense at direction. Dillie arrives. Facsinating Aida owe a good deal ot their current lame to R4‘s Stop the Week. Depending how you look at it this is a very good radio slot-the group usually appear as welcome reliel just about when you think you'll have to throw Robert Robinson out at the window. However. the radio doesn't prepare you tor Fascinating Aida‘s glittering stage appearances. They are currently on their second national tour and since the newline up wastormed they have consolidated their reputation as one 01 the tunniest singing acts around.
Dillie. who writes most ot the songs. is clearlythe dominantlorce even it Adele increasingly shares the burden ot writing the
lyrics and Denise the music.
A quick witted and tunny
woman with an impeccable
‘ media pedigree (she‘s
Irish) she has justbeen
Z asked by a leading woman‘s . monthly to write a
; humorous column. But
inevitably. pertorming in
Fascinating Aida.
individually they are hardly
household names. ‘They‘ve
. taken individual publicity § shotsot us‘. Denise tells mez'Oneacholthemthey
have just written Fascinating Aida'. Couldn‘t you be lamous by now like Victoria Wood it you went it alone. I ask Dillie. 'Listen.l wouldn‘tbe verytamous itl
f tried to do 3 Victoria Wood.
. I'd lail miserably.‘ she replies.claiming heronly
long term plan to be 'living through this tour‘.
With a TV special happening soon. perhaps none at them need worrytoo much aboutanonymity (although Denise. whose nickname is now Densie
5 Whambey. is a little tired at
no one getting her name right). Television exposure doesn't please everyone though. They made the mistake ot announcing to a Harrogate audience that they were to be on 3:2:1. 'l‘ve driven all the waylrom Newcastle to see you and
inextricablylinkedinthe
annals 01 movie history.
Cotten worked with the
E Mercury Theatre Company
in the 19305. made hislilm debut in Welles' early production Too Much Johnson and continued theirlertile collaboration throughout such acknowledged classics as Citizen Kane. The Magnilicent Ambersons and The Third Man. ‘Orson would always phone up lrom the most impossible toreign location asking you to appear that next day as a character he very persuasively outlined. He asked me to be in The Trial
but I was committed to a
play at the time and he played the part himsell.‘ With his suave urbanity. rasping tones and gentlemanly mannerCotten
was atop romantic star in
the 19405. at his best in Hitchcock‘s Shadow GM
3 Doubt. Adedicated
now you say you‘re going to .
be on 3:2:1. Never again. I leel so let down.‘ one tan toldthem.
Fascinating Aida will be at
the Theatre Royal on Sun 11
Oct. see Theatre.
1‘ JOSEPH COTTEN
In his current volume at autobiography. Vanity Will Get You Somewhere
3 (Columbus).veteran HollywoodstarJoseph
Cotten recalls: ‘When ltirst met Orson Welles. he wasa tree soul. having just lost the binding title otchild prodigy during
; adolescence. and having not yet had the more mature i
title 01 genius thrust upon him.‘ Cotten and Welles are
2 The List 2—15()ct0hcr
workaholic he was largely unaware otthe problems Welles laced at RKO during this period. However. in person. he does contirm that in 1972 Welles
Fascinating Aida
i l
GUEST LIST
attempted to re-assemble
his cast to shoot a new
ending lorthe
recently-televised MagnilicentAmbersons.‘lt wasamarvellousidea andl
don‘tthink anybody else
has ever done it; to shoot
the scenes with the same cast thirty years on. Aggie Moorehead. Anne Baxter. Dolores Costello and Iwere
stillalive andlthinkitcould
have been possible. He tried it but the lawyers couldn’ttigure outwho owned the rights; somebody in Europe had a bit otthe television rights. somebody in Cuba had something else. it was just a mess and nobody really seemed to care about the idea.’
In 1981. Cotten suttered a
heart attack and a stroke that robbed him otthe power ol speech. Six years later. intensive speech therapy and the tender care 01 his devoted second wile have helped to partially restore his lormervigour. His promotional visitto London is their tirst since his stroke and a round 01 interviews and a bout ol laryngitis are clearly notthe mostsoothing ol combinations. However. he remains charming and courteous throughout.
Cotten‘slinal lilm was Michael Cimino‘s much troubled Heaven‘s Gate and there seems a tamiliarring to tales at that director‘s waywardness. ‘In some ways he does remind me ol Orson in that there seemed a resentment 01 his early success and talent. Although. at course. Orson was neverallowed to squander $40 million on a lilm. ljust had a little piece to do in thelilm inthe Harvard scenesthatwere shot over here at Oxlord but lhad dinner with Cimino and he seemed a charming lellow. a very imaginative director.‘
Cotten now lives in Palm Springs and spends his days sculpting and helping other
; rowoom IRK
stroke victims. At 82. he has lived a long. rich and varied lite berett ot regrets. even over the tact that he never turned his hand to direction as his wile leels he should have. ‘Whateverthe dictionary delinition ot talent that's what the great directors have but there are so many directors that sometimes I‘d think I could do it. Then. lwouldthink that maybe it was betterthat ldidn‘t.‘
Vanity Will GetYou Somewhere is published by Columbus Books; Citizen Kane can be seen atthe Edinburgh Cameo on1 November.
b o
The Tolbooth Kirk
On 22nd September in a ceremony at the Highland Tolbooth Kirk the Moderator
otthe Church 01 Scotland otticially handed overthe
keys otthis ancient. but sadly neglected. building. to Mrlan Skipper. the chairman at Heritage
. Projects Ltd. Heritage. who
created the successtul Jorvik Viking Centre at York.
aims to transtorm the
interior 01 one 01 Edinburgh‘s most prominent historical landmarks into a similarly ambitious. innovative tourist attraction.
On the ground tloor ‘The
Edinburgh Story‘ will ‘ recreate a day in the tile 01
the Locks - an authentic lamin ot the 1590s. The voice at Margaret Lock will guide visitors through a maze ol wynds. closes. markets and work-yards. etc. designed to give an accurate portrayal at tile in the city at the time. Upstairs ' m
oseph otten on the set at the bird Man
in the Great Hall there will be a multi-media presentation using slides. live action lilm and theatrical sets to take the audience back in time to the Old Town. Holyrood. and the New Town. Thetormer Library will house a ‘theme‘ restaurant with a balconied dining area. At a projected cost 01 22.4 million (with hall 01 this sum coming trom the Scottish Development Agency. the Scottish Tourist Board. and Edinburgh District Council) the Tolbooth Heritage Centre expects to attract 700,000 visitors in itslirst year when it opens in Spring 989. (Lily MacGillivray)
BING HITLER
One time The Oreamboys drummer. Craig Ferguson went on to cut his comedian‘s teeth in the aggressive atmosphere at New York's Comic Strip. emerging with a new persona and nowthe celebrated and Opinionated Bing Hitler. and author at a very successtul pantomime at the Tron last year. will
. soon be seen on his own
one-otl special on BBC Scotland. In the meantime however you can catch up with him at the Pavilion. Glasgow orthe Gateway Exchange. Edinbur ls Theatre listins:
o"
i
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