FEATURE LIST
‘Inmy qualified opinionthis -- ent is no longercapable « rational behaviour. erefore I ask you all fora - and opinion.‘ Consultant Psychiatrist. 12. 15. 17.19. OJuly.
' FORBES MASSON
Any resemblance between thls man and Victor. of Victoer Barry fame. is purely a trick of the light. Perhaps. 23. 29. 31 July.
JOHNNY EHIEEHIIJIIII
'A major comic talent' The Guardian. ‘Hey Pal Weren‘t You in the Merry Mac Fun Show Once?‘ Everybody else. 26—28 July.
TURNING BACK THE BLOCK
As the famous Five Past Eight Show is revived at the Glasgow Tron, Michael Boyd explains why to'Sarah Hemming. Above, some of those appearing introduced in their own and other’s words.
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JOHN DOWIE ‘Loathsome. vile. unfunny. An obnoxious. loud- mouthed. opinionated boor who. in any civilized society. would be taken somewhere quiet and efficiently clubbed on the head.’ 27 July.
The Five Past Eight Show is something of a Glasgow legend. Started by Alex Stewart Cruikshank in 1933 as the Hit/[Past Eight Show at the King‘s Theatre. it confounded sceptics who thought a summer variety season was doomed and became an enormous success. In the Fifties it moved to the Alhambra, reincarnated as the Five Past Eight and expanded to lavish scale'and style. In May 1968. however. the Alhambra went the way of all bricks and with it went a tradition — something ofthe grand days of Glasgow variety.
Twenty years later. you might think that sort oftradition a thing of the past. Not so. Michael Boyd. artistic director of the Tron Theatre about to launch into a mini-revival of the Five Past Eight Show feels he is not just building on nostalgia for the old days. but on a still strong current. ‘Whenever we‘ve done variety during the summer months before people have just flocked. I think that Scottish variety has such a distinct
Perrier Award winner, 1987. ‘That‘s the kind of person I am.’ ‘And why not?’ ‘Somebody'sgol to do it.‘ Seminal. 13-17July.
IJSEIJIIIIIII .MCLENNAN
'Grandpa wasalen Buddhist, and I can always remember him sitting in his armchatrbylhefireside with hisleet up onthe pouffe, dressed in long saffron robes and dipping his false teeth into a mug of tea.'19. 20. 21 July.
flavour of its own that it has almost become one of the expressions of Scottish culture. And I think that kind ofgeneration gap is less savage in Scotland — the gap between Norman Wisdom and Ben Elton for instance is pretty large. whereas that between Jack Milroy and Victor and Barry isn‘t so large .‘
His venture also partly represents an alternative to the now accepted convention ofalternative stand-up comedy. The shows will. in true variety fashion. vary from comedy to music. gathering into the fold music: established comedians like (‘raig Ferguson. Arnold Brown. John Dowie and Liz Lochhead: up-and-coming talent and some traditional comedians. such as Johnnie Beattie and .lack Milroy. who were even in the original Five Past Eights. The vicious Tron ‘(iong Nights' will also make a regular come-back.
The new names are very important to Michael Boyd - one of his hopes is to encourage new talent. ‘We‘re
GThe List 8 — 21 July 1988