THE LIST _fim
'
i Rohert Dawson Scott
Reports
HOLE IN ONE
In one respect at least it‘s a pity that [idinhurgh’s 'I‘ray'erse ’l‘heatre
w eren’t ahlc to sort out their new Artistic Director a little earlier. the
man w ho has got the joh. Ian Brown.
currently Artistic Director ol 'I’A(i. would haye done them no harm at all in their struggle with the Royal l.yceuin to secure control ol' the new theatre which is to he huilt into the Scottish l’inancial (‘cntre deyeloptnent at the hole-in-the- ground in ( 'astle 'l‘errace. .\'ot least lieuttlse ol lan Brown's e\perieiice in working with localcommunities stittlt'tlllllg the District ( ’ouncil are known to he yery keen on. As it is. the power hrokcrs within lidinhurgh l)isti ict ('ouncil w ill hay c already decided l‘y the time you read this.
ey en though it won't he ratil'ied h.‘ the ( 'ouncil's policy and resources committee until they meet on to lune.
At one stage the 'l‘rayerse looked to has c clinched a deal hut (‘ouncilloi‘ l’aolo \"estri. w ho sits on the hoard ol'the Royal l.yceum. stepped in to stop the economic dey elopment committee deciding illst hcl'ore the local elections and i'et'ei red ey'erything to the more pow ei‘l'ul policy and resources. Now it looks as is if things might he ntoy'ing in the direction ol the l.yceum. Personally I think that would he a pity; it would giye one management an unhealthy
GRENADNtQ’KQAEUA L .
monopoly over what happens in lidinhurgh theatre.
BROWN SAUCE
lan Brow n. though. as hel’its a man with a new challenge. is more sanguine. Speaking l‘rom lnyerness where he w as supery'ising the tour ol 'I'A( i's aw aid-winning (ireur lz‘x/n't'lulimzs he promised great things: to make the 'l‘ray'erse as liyely as possihle. to inyoly‘e new mixtures ol people in unexpected collalmrations. to make the ’l'rayerse a real year-round operation. to continue this season's first steps in putting the accent hack on Scottish w riting and generally engage more with the local community ‘l'm not really into Art lor Art's sake.‘ l le was carcl'ul not to criticise what has gone helore him though he acknowledged that his tastes are dil'lercnt. 'lt's got to let its hair down. get its hands dirty" w as apparently the key phrase that won the day in the interyiews.
ldon‘t think it was that at all; the real credentials tor running a theatre in lidinhurgh now are to he called tan and to have run I'A( i. (lan \Vooldridgc. now at the l.yceum. was lan Brown's predecessor at 'I'A(i). Ian Brown. that is will he relocating in the cast. somewhat against the run ol~ play. "the time has come.‘ he said hrayely. "I‘he (ilasgow htihhle has hurst. 'l‘hei'e‘s a lot ol paranoia in Iidinhurgh ahout w liat's happening in (ilasgow. lid like to allay some otthose suspicions.’ All that and put on plays as well. eh'.’ ( ioing to he a husy hoy.
THE AXEMAN COMETH
One thing Ian Brown won't hay e to worry ahout is finding a strong-minded play reading panel. .lttst how strong-minded the current lot are came to light recently when one ol’ their numherdeliyered this
//- v u WW5 «
John Merrytield: axeman or genius?
iudgement on the w ritcr ol a set ipt: ‘lhis man is either a genius or a mad axe-man. liither way we should pursue him.‘ i 'nlortunately the reader's note was lelt attached to the script w hen it was ietui ued to the writer. He took it in good pait. and sent in a second script to suhstantiatc the ey idencc l he w t‘tlel iii question was mild mannered .lohn .‘ylcri y lield. whose The Wm tie it at has lust leatured in the tray ci'se's Scottish Accents season. At least l thought he was mild-mannered. \\ hich is it .lohn'.’ I think we should he told
NOT CRICKET
A nod ol sympathy towards the hard—pressed receptionists at lilit' Scotland. An irate ( l'emalc) licence l'ee payer telephoned last week to ask why. when cricket and goll w ere
adyei'tised on lilies l and 3 respectiy ely . she w as getting golton hoth channels. ‘\\ hy isn't there any cricket .' she demanded. 'lihe receptionistseyplaincd patiently that there wasn't any cricket on the l'\' hecause. well. there w asn't any cricket at lleadinglcy w here it was raining steadily. ‘lt’s rainingat \Ventwortli hut you‘ye still got the wretched goll on‘ came the stern reply
TlCKETY-BOO-HOO
A nourishing slice ol humhle pie to llttlSll on this week. l-ar l'rom heing the till key I had wished upon it. the iewel in the lidinhurgh l7estiy‘al‘s opciatic crown. \‘itmi m ( [Ii/til. turns out to he the hos ol'lice smash hit ol WM and not iust in l louston. l eyas. the opera receiy ed its l‘tuopean premiere last weekend in Amsterdam. lts maloi sponsor l'or lidinhurgh. .laincs .‘ylillerol Miller
l lomcs. thought it would he a jolly w hec/e to lly oy ei there to present l’estiy al dii'ct tor l’i'ank l)unlop w ith the cheque. the PR people had to call it oll iii the end hecause. heliey‘e it oi not. they couldn't get him a ticket tor the ieley ant perloi‘mance. At Billlllll. the e\tent ol his sponsorhsip commitment. that could he the most eypciisiyc non-ticket in history.
CONTRIBUTORS
Publisher Rohin l lodge . Editor: Nigel Billen. Sal ah Hemming. Associate Editor Allan Hunter. Design Simon listeison Advertising .less ti.” tow, Sheila Maclean. Accounts Georgette Renwick. Typesetting Jo Kennedy and liewcr 'l‘cxt. Production Editor Paul Keir. Production Assistants
(AND PAss . mg Al~1MUN .Tio J) A:.:“
Mark l'ishei .\i.tlicw YoungArt -\liteli.iui. . BOOKS Alan lay loi. ClassicalMusict .aai .‘yiain. Dance Alice Rain. Film Allan lluntei 'l ieyor Johnston. Folchazz Noiuian(‘halnieis. Food Roseinaiy (ioi’iug and Marina ( l'l oughliii.KldS Sally Kiniies. Media Nigel lhllcn. Sally lsiiiiit's. nghlllle\lti.iil Raikei'.
.\ndy t iahh_('olin
Stey en. Open Sarah llcniming. Rock (Edinburgh) Mah, Rock (Glasgow).lohn Williamson. Sport Kcnny Mathieson.Thlm Sarah , llemrning.Clmm
| Edinburgh Make-up
l
Services CMUack
\ichi ilson in lnmm’ed Cover Design Nigel Bitten. l’aul Keir.
4'I'he list io— 23 .iune 1988