FESTIVAL PREVIEW
FESTIVAL THEATRE
L I I I w 35) l5 All)! 3 Sc-pt ( Hot and “fury/turn”. bl” {CW
Sun" [l'k‘k‘l‘lk‘lsb 13 i over here willhavc read "\“31- f‘l‘m L“ 5"“: lll‘il I: l his novella 'I‘lit' llt’armfa Hog. onlv recently allowed out in Russia. and Roger MCGOUgh tells Boddy l pathetic. the bizarrely humorous and the tragic in .itiiaetiiigti lolot.
- the most routine situations — a description which 411‘ 'll'm‘; . ‘ abOUt adaptmg NabOkov- Plus might equallyapply to McGough‘s poetrv— and ‘lt sa brilliant book. ‘ other novel adaptations. there is a risk that this linguistic inventiveness 33.;:(‘7131-53'3;1:11;”m“ It was two years ago that poet Roger McGough gush! bhc'my)".2&3‘2fcplji1y-‘E {p.00 10 1180“ stage. with co-writer first sawThe Kosh performtheir‘danceplays' at ")mg't :‘L 5“”, JOE‘S 3-5!) Vngth Richardl-.rtlinaii.vvith the Fringe. He was ‘verv impressed‘. and last I‘mgpdgi ‘ emph‘!5_llmg m Slightly 1i“.th and 8""? 1” Wm" “10“” ‘5 vear. after meeting company co-founder Michael forms”tCCI"llm‘)§[a5}f1‘f"‘5 Pm“le Ills‘ s‘imilalr to .lltlalt'll'llyl‘tl‘ Mcmjtzcr‘ hcoffcrcd m hcl'pin thcadapmtionof subtitlestoa Russian film. And as Merwitzer .hltng nuna .tllttvestttlt . .. .. . . . . . . I ~ s ,, points out. Language can be a greatcover-up. . . “\“tll’ld'W‘F MUM“ an early Nabokov short story . A Marteroj (, lianct h ‘ d. ‘ w d ‘ ‘ h, "I t I . W ‘ . mm “mks H through”). — ‘we were standing at the bar at the time and that I fin“ ‘m mOVLmLm ML d ndrmm“ m “N” logically. with this could have helped!‘ 0‘.le ' _ . combination offactual
The storv. although a more conventional . [he Chor‘fOWPhl and Stagmg Wch dCVle’PCd narrative than Nabokov’s later works. explores m a will, Wthh S0mcumcsagrc95110d SUmCIlmcs mim). 0f his comm] prumcupmions _ the contrasts With the verbal narrative inorder to protagonist in exile. obsessed with a lost past. of“ mic “'1” Slll‘3tl0nal COmPICXll." ("1 lhs‘ gradually coming to the realisation that despite pl?“ ' é‘lfxmap? Eh“ I‘mgu‘igc gum“ "l all his efforts to plan and control. life is not a Ndbol‘m ‘md Md’ough hm“ found the” "Hull game ofchess. McGough. who will be reading his
siy lc and a wild. anarchic sense of humour.‘ i at last. (Kasia Boddy) . - . . . . IAMatter olChance'I‘h ‘ Kosh.T ‘2 ‘W ‘ ‘ poetry in the l-ringe again this year. retainsthe i L h“ m“ “rl‘*‘l“’l‘~-‘4 essentials of this tale ofstar-crossed lovers. but i l
IAnimal Farm. BareAnd 3 Ragged Theatre. Cluny Church Centre. Cluny Drive I (venue 52)23—27 Aug 10.453mz29 Aug—2 Sept 5.15pm. £3 (£1 .50) [Fr]
QUASIMODO!
()tiasiniodo' is i the ol lhoh' exliaoidiiiar \ phenomena w hich w itliotit the lidiiibui gh l tinge
would iic\ ci be the same. I he show iesists any easy tlellllllli‘tts liasedoiia lttdtciotts patotb ol Hugo's \i'l't’ llamt'iic l’aris.wiilei \la\ llandley describes ll as‘a TV soap opci a l in a 2 ill
\c‘lt'etl. .ts \\ ell is .i
lllll\lc.ll,.t(‘.tl1li‘llllllls‘.lll\l aciictis'
l l.ltltll.'\ .l w l itei lot Ratltti 1‘s H t'i'lt l Hill‘le.
The story tellsol a Hamilton Place (venue 20). 220 5425. 15 Amt-3 Sept 4 ‘ liasintiodtitet!yct adds extra scenes and drops superfluous
scientist w ho transforms a dog into a human being w ithotit realising the (not Suns). 8pm. £5 (£3.50). [Fr]. I Melting intothe . Foreground Roger McGough. Assembly Rooms. 54 Chi‘r‘wlcrs I” USMC” up the drama- George Street (venue 3). 226 24278. 22. 2‘) Aug 8pm Nabokov is of course famous for his cavalier use ‘ ‘ ‘ of language. which strains and puns to reveal the .
consequences. Spatil sees 25 Aug. 10pm. £4.50 (£3.50). [Fr].
in it partly an ambiguous attitude to the ' the best wayto communicate them.‘
Revolution. ‘lt plays around with sidesot revolution howlaritcan get you and how far people can change, But it can be read in many ways there is also the idea of the icsponsibilily ofthe scientist and or people The adaptation sticks The Shadow Syndicate are “Cry @0590: l” Jun)“: justly notoriousforthcir WOW“ Ihcmg'lmmg mmnw. cxplmiw (which in this case sets the ; drumm. “Cm! in tale in the context ofan concentrated. dark spaces Cwmng “,f gh‘Pl and accompanied by Smry'tcnlngl.” "‘Ch'dCd gut-wrenching music. Past and a“ the Cp'mdcs MC l-‘ringes hay e seen their {unhfuu-V rcpmdUCCd' adaptations of 'l'lit'rese .
another element iiitoan cyidently cyeiittiil two houis lath night a special guest \\ ill appear in the iole ot a condemned man woman. and be called upon to title: soiiie laiiious last words, iathci
iiithestylcot‘ltisatai. . dependants.
Spatil and T'ltllllilll were laced w itli the challenge of matching litilgakoy 's style in stage terms ‘lt's set in a delitltle theatrical style w hat we know lroiii photos ot Ills' Russian theatre .‘ say s Spatil. 'lt seemed like a really good
lai better [how I do Hitleieiit novelot cotiisc,btil picsuiiiably the same sort ol idea
Most ol the poets. actois and comedians that
Handles has approached
so lai lt.t\c pioycil
cooperatiy c .ll‘i tut bidding
The Heart 01 A Dog
farewell to the woi M iii
towards their ‘People keep missing it i Rat/tan. Oscar Wilde's
Salome and Dracula. This year. the ghostly classic is Henry .lames' The Turn ()f lillt’ Screw.
They are not easily frightened: the big stories. the top emotional heights are what attract the Shadow Syndicate, Their bravery often pays off. but manipulating such hot material can as easily cause it to evaporate into
out: the opera version doesn't do the full story. but it's important.‘ says Pope. ‘That‘s part ofthe reason why we do adaptations.‘
The Turn ()f 'l'lit'Scrt’it'
is a most chilling tale: ‘The
whole business about the possession ofchildren. it‘s very powerful.‘ says Pope. The inexplicable has a strange force when realised on stage. and the
novels which we used to bridge the gap between school and the arts centre or the theatre.‘ says Wooldridgc. It was tremendously successful (except. says Wooldridge. amongst the Stalinists who thought it was anti- revolutionary) and when two of the actors from the original production asked him if he would direct a new version for (‘entre
is what was most on the
minds of the two directors as they went into rehearsal. ‘livery morning at ten the rehearsal room will be a paddock. and the actors will be cante ring and learning to eat sugar out of somebodys hand.‘ says \Nooldridge. Both productions are rely ing on movement as the principle way of putting across the animal characteristics.
(ieiiy \adowit.‘
lioys will be
\ltlelslclrv».
hayc been ti .tll‘lllt'
this public iiiaiiiiei and
\llllllll
liiowii and lh. ( l'rihyion
those l.ti.l!‘w_' part
()itasitiiotlo iizdias
intensively iiii-itlc: to undertaketl:ea.iobatics and iope swings iieeessaiy. l oituiiately
the actress pla\ titttonc ~ it
opportunity todoa lat ge-scale production on the lines Ul Meyerholdor Mayakoysky'
The result. he hopes. w ill be a tribute to the book. not a substitute: ‘\\ e hope that we encourage people to read iiioic litilgakoy .' (Sarah lleniining) lThe Heart olaDog ('Yl. Southside International. (\enue82).
Stage. Wooldridge was the gai goy lcs has (‘I s'\ It Nb happy to agree.
Like all good fables. Animal Farm is enjoyed and understood by all ages. and both (‘entre Stage and Bare And
(‘ostume is kept to a minimum and the farmyard environment will be suggested rather than carefully draw it. ‘The unrealsociety makes yoti look at your own world
Shadow Syndicate have the courage to exploit that terrifying. unresolved mystery to the full. (Julie Morrice)
I The Turn 0t The Screw
The Shadow Syndicate.
my" “,‘sti5. l5 27:\iig.tiiot Sun). 2.45pm. £3.50 (£3.50). [tr].
empty sound and fury as distill to the vital kernel. Last year's disappointing Nosferatu and a directorial debut for Jonathan Pope on the Glasgow (‘ili/ens' wide
expeiicnecot .lllllv'lli' roles. and(liawsatteiition on hci( \' to be: tide .is
Htleiil lltcliic‘.sltike apes l his w ill. she . l.tllli\. beone ot hci ll‘iin human
NEW PLAYSZi‘i‘i’:
roles li‘ilalc lllle'l‘
open stage may bring something new to their latest production. ‘lt won't be giving you the goods quite so early".says .lonathan l’opc. who directs. ‘Wc‘re moving on.‘
The Henry James short
(‘row'n Theatre. llill Place (venue 53). (167 7588. 1-1 Aug—3 Sept (not Aug 21. 28). 9.20pm. £4 (£2). [Fr]
ANIMAL FARM
The abiding appeal of ()rwell's animal classic is evidenced not only by the
Ragged Theatre hope their productions will sell as family shows. The straightforward story and its watertight message leave room for concentration on the characters. who must appeal as individuals and
more immediately .‘ says JillJustice. director ofthe Bare and Ragged production. ‘.-lmmal farm is particularly relevant to today. My fear is that sections of society are having their rights eroded. that things are being snuck
l)a\itlsoiii Ifluasimodo! ()tiasiiiiodeii: lllealle (oiiipaiiy l’l. asance. (\eiiue ‘.1t.‘.\t‘~li“5l'.li Aug 5 Sept not ll. .Tl.
25l2g15piii tori} 5H) [Ti]
THE HEART OFA
l FROM MY POINT OF
VIEW: Volcano Theatre. Mandela Theatre. (venue
79) 662 0312/0181.15
Aug—3 Sept. 11am. £2.50 (£2) l MAMMON: Llewellyn/Deb‘bora. Assembly Rooms (venue 3) 226 2427/8.12 Aug—3 Sepl.
. y _ yet stand as metaphors. through which are 2pm. £4 (£3). story has been adapted by two adaptations being Bum and Ragng use [hc Changingm” “May I LIZARD IN THE GRASS; the whole company and performed at the nge squashed cynicism of What it w“ is w“. gimplc . y . h H r _ Company Theatre, Festiva' km pk“ '2 Support?“ h-V 1h“ ycar‘ but by the {SCI Benjamin the donkey in but very important: power _I [hulk “f If I. “N \ Club (venue 35) 220 film as wellasAdrian thatoneofthemisbeing ' ' WSW-ll H‘W‘JK 'M “l
the guise of narrator as a way of putting the other
corrupts and absolute power corrupts
2278.15—21 Aug. 30 Aug—3 Sept. 2pm. £3 (£2).
revived for the fourth lttletcsl ltl l‘L‘i is Russian
time. lan Wooldridgc.
Johnston‘s music. ‘lt is
.. e l multi-media.butwearc “HUM- NH bl NH“
trying to present a cogent piece of theatre. We‘re not slapping the film on
now director ofthe Lyceum Theatre. originally adapted Animal
animal-characters in perspective. ()n the whole. however. the
absolutely. We are iiol preaching politics. my only fear is that we are
Spaul.ol( .lll‘zl‘lltlt's Youth lheatie ()iic wiitci heliopcsxyill
l TRASH: Tic Toc. Heriot Wall (venue 7) 229 3574.13 Aug—3 Sept. 7.30pm. £4.75.
adaptationsare faithfulto talkingtothe converted.‘ I WAITING FOR _ ) ' ‘ ‘. . .v y becomenitichziioic top. saysl ope lhc story [arm for IA(i. (ilasgow s thc struaurc “forwclrs (Juhc Mummy 1 .1 k H SHUGGIE'S MA: owgen contains so many things touringtheatre company. - - . ' ‘- w 5 “H i '\ m“. H h g _ . - . . angina IAnimalFarm(cniic H I, k \1 . Hp. House The Edge. bc}'oritltlie dialogue. ‘ltwasthe first ofseveral l u i“! m' “H m i ‘
()ften saying them is not
adaptationsofclassic
Playing at being animals
Stage. Lyceum Studio. (‘ambridgc Street (y enttc
laiiiiliai with his Hay/tr
24The List 12 — 18 August 1988
Drummond Street. 15—27 Aug7.30pm. 557 6010.