FESTIVAL REVIEW
4-hour ‘marathon‘olall three partx on Sunday night were well rewarded,
Douglax Leland makex the part of Arnold — originally played by l‘terxteln himxelf- appear yyritten for him. and hix energetic teddy -hear camp ix xuxtatned to the hitterxyy eel end. The remaining caxt proy idc creditahle xtipport. tltotigh ( ~ail Krrxhner'x Day rd Ix too luxxily neryy lot my taxte.
llte lrrxt and ltghtcxt play [he [Illt’l'llulltlllrl/ Slut] ix a tyyo-liandcr hetyy cert Arnold and l'.d “ith a commentary ol 'toieh' xongxttouchingly per lot med hy Amy lolxky lto mark itx ertiottonal deyelopttteltt I'llL’llr' III (I .Viiru'rt' rxthc tiioxt emotionally xcaiehtng ol tlte three. and playx out tlte tartgled mlrdcltttcx. deceitxartd coiiluxtoitxyyhtch occur when loy erxoltl. rteyy and pending conyerge on l-d'x lat rrthouxe. and the ltnal part. ll'iilim \ tint! ( III/tllt'll l'inI. might he dexet ihed ax a xenttmental .leyy ixh comedy . centrtng ax lt doex oil Arnold'x hereayement. hix .\lomiiia‘x y txit. and hix adoption ol a young xtleetkid, l’tohahly the hext and lunniext ol all. tlttx play endx on a rtote ol xlrghtly maudltri contentment .Ix Arnold coritexto teimx \yrth ltix motlter and. more important. himxell
Although they prohahly “or k hext ttl xequence. l'tl recommend tlte three \epatate tllpx ttoyy riecexxaiy toxce them all It] :\tttlteyy l’tttllK altecttoitate atrd lllt)\ ing production l.-\lltlle\\ Burnett I Torch Song Trilogy :\hle lltltltex. St ('oltlntlta-x l‘y thc( .txtle l \elltle -«l l :3” H I”. l‘nttl 2‘ .v\ugt I play per night l. ll .‘llpm (Midnight on 35 .-\ugl. tfitt.‘ Sin
DISASTROUS PEACE
lxolatton. inxulaiity.
lty pociixy . domextic
y tolence arid the trailty ot huntan relationxhtpx are lllxt xttttte tll the cheer tel idcax tltloyy n ahotrt hy (lathet'lrre .lelletxott artd \latheyy lloyxyei rti thix neyy peilorrnaiicc \york commixxioned hy the Mind l:ye ( ‘entie 'l hey portray tyyoeortlple\. dixioiiitedcharacterx attempting to communicate act oxx the “ell-marked houndartex ol their ho\ room In ing xpacc Variouxetlortx toyyardxthtxcttdare xcuppeied hy their
indiy idual hang-upx and
'deep. xeethiiig .xuxpicion ol'each other.
The xtark. xiinple xet addxtothe general leeling ol xtultily'ing cortlinement (xhadexollluix(‘loxlartd hoth perlormerx are comincing in all their manic y'ulnei'ahility.
Boyyyer‘x cynical character yy rextlex yy ith the work ethic. pei'xixtent in hix conxtant need l'or tidincxx. order . control a y iy rd eontraxt to ('atherine .lcllerxorr'x tortured. rtiitrderoux yyomati xtill clinging toa tatterol ltope.
(LIBS conxtructed the piece xo that it lett plenty ol room loi rrttproy ixatton. \y hieh cart he mi\ed hlexxing. ()n the tirxt night. much ot the dialogue hecainc ragged and lr'agmerited. nullilying the edge that can he getter ated hy the lreedont lioni a coityentional xtr'ueture 'l)rxaxtroux l’eace‘ ix a peculiar mt\ture ol xuccexx and larlurc. ol tdcax that hit home immediately and hall-hakcd irotiottxthat dtxxtpatc on utterance. hut hy ttx yery nature it cottld he radically dilleieitt eyeiy nigltt tl’atiick Small)
I Disastrous Peace ('..l_l$.S . llteatre Workxhop, 15 Aug 3 Sept (Nut Stttlxl \‘ertue Ill tel 225 “Ml. ltl.3llptti 9.3 (L3).
A SKY BLUE LIFE
'l olxtoy and lentir through ( iotki through Brenton. In xome texpectx thtx tx a hunt ttrh play. (ior'ki iixex hlaekhoardx tor Biechtian legeridx axa meartx ot introducing xottte ol lttx \llolt xtor Iex. their xettriig and underlyingtheme lnthix didactic piece. director Keith \lttlllle tixex the ximplext ol dey icex to httng the audience irtto the action l'actory yyorkerxtry toctoxxthe lt'o/en Volga. a young tnan tray elx a thotixatid milextoltndthat lolxtoy ix ito hero. honour. paxxioir. e\pectton and humiliation llood otit in thix tlntmhnatl xketchol the higgext country iii the “odd
But ix it a true and tuxt \yotld ':\r‘e ( ioi kt'x xtoiiexthe oitexl enin \\.tlll\ to read ’ l)oex the great Ruxxtart puhltc \\ ant tltem ’ lxthere iitconxixteriey here ’.-\|l thexe ixxtiex are giyeii liexh. energetic e\[ltexxlttll llle enormoux leap taken hy the I‘ll“ ieyoluttoncoinex .tL‘ltlxx trim llele more poignantly than in the xtiriple lunei .tl ritex ot art
FESTIVAL THEATRE
NEW PLAYS
illiterate lamily. .-\ reading liotii a manual on pig lat mtng can heeotne xatixlactotily dtgtitlied proy lded It lx read In a reyerent yotce, .'\ iiatiort xtrugghitgaloite toyyardx hirtlt in a cold.
tlll“ eleorning \yoi'ld rx the laxt xtoty . told \I till a potyer'lul riti\tuieol tear and hope 1 l inch .\lintei l IASky Blue Lite. Limelight l’i'oductionx. ('alton Studiox. (yenue ql l 55h “llhh. l‘ltttl 3" Aug. triot Sun l 3 45pm 13 Hell
BERKOFF’S GREEK
Volcano Al heatre (‘ompany perloriit lierkoll‘x (iret'k . the uncaitriily' updated xtoty ol ()edrpux. \y itlt unhi'tdled lcrocity and energy. Young l'.tl(llL' urtleaxhex litx xtr'ange dextrny \y hen he leay ex hix “inking Claxx home. already xometlnng ol a cuckoo in the next. dr'iyen on hy xexual ltixtiiigx and mater ial greed 'l he xhahhy. dtxxoltite people ol l.ondon yy horn he tricounterx in hixtrayelx xur ge tip. then dixappeai helote littit like the cliatactei'x in xonte ghaxtly . xur real horror
l he caxt lll ltllll enact tlte xaga ol l'ddte'x quextioriirrg ol the Sphinx and e\ elttual dtxeoy ery ol hix true parenthood \\llll an uiiahaxhed plry xrcaltty that giy ex thc xhoyy itx ttrtrrtedtaey and poyy er ller koll. lletllllg til tlte implicationon incext and patticide. deliberately textxan audience'x.Ihility toyyithxtarrd cmharraxxment hy hix li'arikrtexxalmut xe\ualtty lit the linal tipxhot he ollelx little hope lot ';i rtatron hall axleep and drugged \Hlll hextial llllllgx .l l leleri l)a\ Itlxolt l I Berliolt‘s Greek \ oleatlo llteatie ( ~ompaiiy.
Disaslrous Peace Mandela 'l'heatrc. (\etttte ""llafilllf‘ll tllhl l‘ntil 3 Sept (not Sunx) ltl..‘~tlpin. £3 t £25m
UNDERTOW
An American parachutex onto a l’actltc rxlattd in World War lyyo. lle tindx a .laparicxe xoldicr equally tnarooited. lt rx not the intth original plot lot a play But . yy hat hax heeti created hy Shiinoii \Vincelheig txxortiethrng xpecral It would he llttprtxxlhle to create t\\ o cltat‘aeterx \y lro hay e lexx in common. I he total lack ol undetxtandtng eitcompaxxex language. culture. religion and the htggcxt dry ide. age
Andy .\lc(‘utcheon ax the immature :\iiiei'icaii air mart. :\ly Ill. ixxupcrh l loyy ey er . ( ieorge ll .tkel hax tlte harder taxk. to deyelopa character lot art l-irglixh xpeakirig audience. uxirig only the .lapanexe language l le xiicceedx hiilltantly lhtoitghout the MN hall l aler Ix the tttotlel ol the iriipaxxiy e .lapanexe yyar l lot . the xtereoty pe Hl a thouxand \\ at cotaitcx aiidtilmx \lct'utcheortix the immature \yally . xilly htit endearing lily llle end they haye loiirid their riirddle ground. It \yould he a xhattte lt) xpttll the MN m the tail (\ic'k l)udley l I Undertow \elllelhoyy .v\rtx('entre. -13lligh Street l Venue .‘lll 55“ ‘15") t'rittl 3 Sept 3pm £3 "Still
- NAPOLEON AND HIS DOG
(‘oinedy dei M ed ltorii had polittcxand military atrocitrex ix. to xay the leaxt . a tricky huxriiexx
l hix xltoyy . tor all rtx ttitderitahle \\t\l tlt ax propaganda againxt the appalling aetiy ttiex ol the l'lSalyadorean xectirity
loicex. ix not a wry xuccexxlul piece ol theatre. 'l he main prohlem ix continuity \\t'llL't' director
5.] .( itlldtttl llax ellttxell .i rey tie lot mat \x liteh lrteltttlex xortte It I eley arit rttater ialt a game xlttm. lor e\amp|e. in \\ liieh audience rnemherx at e axked xuch challenging qttextionx .ix.'\\ here ix (‘ential .-\inet iea only \yorkx\\hen
"Land
momentum txxuxtatned: xhoi't. tllle\ eti xeenex and per lot inancex do not help. thotigh xoine nioitteittx do \yitlk\\ell. the (ioyeintnetrt xoldieixaie xtrongartdxinixter . arid \yhoeottld tail tohe llltl\ ed lly llte xltdex alld l
xpokertdexcriptronxol ihtx people'xopprcxxroii’ I Importantandxhoeking l thingxare hettig xaid lte'e. but they are llt‘l xlatetl i clearly or Ulll\l\lellll\ or lurtittly enough. \\ hieh ixa eiyirigxhaine t \itdiexy Burnett INapoleon And His Dog :\r tlxtx lot l‘ l Saly ador. Old St l’atil'xt hutch l lall (Venue-15135 'Stml. l and 3 Sept ( not Stiiixt.
_._‘\llptn. UtL‘l _‘ BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR
Andie“ Sinclair giy ex art
engaging [‘elltltlllatlce lll thixone inaii \llrt\\ ahoiit a yoting.outxpokett (atllatllall pilot in \\ oi ld \Vat ()ne l he play chaitx l llixhop‘xeiiatiepiogrexx li'oin haplexx. accident l proneyoiithtotlteyyai I ltero. honoured hy hix king \y ith a gala\\ ol medalx. and the
iiite\peetedcomment. ‘\\ell. yr‘tl-y e heert a how hugger. llixliop' :\eeoiiipaiiied l\\ l’atriek \loriart\ at the piano. Smelari tretluently xidetrackx lrom the more
\elliltlxtxxtlexrtl “at [H
Itlll‘ttt\l\e\lllll leaxcx. midair dog-tightx. and l encounteixxyirhtheciuxtt l peerexxol the realm \\lto heltteitdxhiin (‘heeilulandthaiiinng thtxunpreteritiouxthy iiidiilgexall \Ihoielixh lightheartednoxtalgta tlleleit l)a\ idxonl IBilly Bishop Goes ToWar ()\litttl( ollege l’layetx l‘e\ll\.tl( lltl‘,l\etltle "It .‘lllII'Sl ritil .‘ '.»\ug titot luel lll :lll‘lll L.‘ "‘ l it.‘ 3"i
ISAW THE SWEDE
lit the laxt \eat ol the \y at
\llll\\ roux xttteken huxtnexx itiait Raoul
\\ allerihet g gayt up a xalq ioh arid .lll.l\ lied hiiitxell to tlte .\\\etll\ll eonxiilate
lltel .21 w» my
Ill lludapext llehyeeit ,lttly l‘lll.tlltl.l.tlltl.ll\ I‘ll‘. he managed toxa . . llllUNltllltritgartan lt‘. lioiiithegaxthanihe-x \\ heit the Rttxxiaitx .Iiriyedheinyxleitouxlx dixappeaiedandyyax tlt el.llk‘tltlt‘.ltl.ttlt'tdtl later hy xoyiet loreigii iiitnixtei \ndrer (llt‘lll\ ko. although iii! .. xe\enliexa lt'\\l\ll tl|\.ltl\ itt claimed he I: l~' xeert the Syyede Ill .I Siheitaii lahoiii eariip \\.illetil\ett! x c\tiaoidiitar\ xioiy may he the xtttll ot late night I\ dotiiiiietttaiit hut lt \yothxuiprtxriigly “x H or: xtage ltl llll\lle\\ play hy \ltltstlax \\eritk|ieriti
at lr"\\i'tl\e\ the \c'lYS. ~.
the youita'
oiitiageoitxatid ictty xuiroiitiditittthetextile llll\\ll‘l‘x \\allcithetg lltixtlt'x.e.i|itlex.llatterx. l‘lll‘t\.itttle\eltl‘eltletltl \a/ixloatlite\elirxaiiii
lllextatte txl‘atexau a le\\ xt .llli tedxittleaxex ti lt.ixl\ toxtitinetltangex l. ixariappropriatexettiitrf ll't thixyxattriiit di‘aitia \\hithlittiixexortr‘eoylc \\|tohadt«ilta\c eyeiythiiigheliiiidtheiitli \xeat‘etltelli'ltlt.ttlxl..it.. thep|a\ alxohtghlightxi lellll‘le’l‘.ll.ltltl\ the \.l/l l“lll\ \yliotiealx le\\ixl‘.thildtetilikeclay ptgt oitx it .I ltllllalt t at! ltllltllllll\letl\t'.tl old and Ieitdt tl\ . .tl\’\\l‘-t\ hlondlread ll llc\ \xl:i IISaw the Swede \llcl‘.lllll.rlltl( o. Sottthxide Iritt irrational Soiillixidet eiitiet\ etii. \_‘, (.(t‘ .§l\\ "RH‘ " {it \ugaiid l,‘ Scptfpm. 2_ltt..‘i
PRISONERS 0F CONSCIENCE
_-\innexty International hay e lent xtipport totttoi. than one production at thixyeat xl iirge aridthi~. production tx a mud ii:.l iitoyiiigxttidy ol e\ile lhieeol tllecllataeletx
( htlean. .I Pole and an lrtxhrnariarexeekntg politicalanliiin l‘lll duet aii.Idniinixtratne llll\l.i. they are tottit d. ll‘. the l: xtatkaridltirritttiielexx tell. hy tuitpeeple lt
llte itiipiixorntieritot the
mental axy ltllll
\ttlt\\le'llte' lllett'l‘\ hecoiitexa tlllllt'u'llll‘l. -. .llltl\lll‘llee\[‘lt‘t.tlli'tl than the title rtttght xuggext
llte te\t itxell ix heaiittlnlly pat ed. lingering tiixt the r ight tlegleeitll Illetlayxitl “.illlt‘iL'. touhtt lt the gum. aiexuhtttted Short
ll.t\_1lll'elll\.lllle!|e.t a.
tlt" kite“. .t't' l‘tllll \lc'atllly li I\\.ittlx hinge-i paxxagex e\prexxirtg the
angxt and corillie t ol
lht'l‘l l"‘ S