THEATRE LIST
I‘Iopper's performance as I liggins holds everything together. and amongst the smaller parts Nicholas Funnell displays skilful versatility as Freddy and Alfred Doolittle. (Andrew Pulver)
PREVIEW
CLOWNING GLORY
It's perhaps not surprising that in the country where hamburgers give rise to serious academic study and baseball is an educational vocation. clowns are also given recognition by people in ivory towers. Believe it or not. the Universityof Wisconsin really does have an Iixtended liducation ('lown (‘amp program (sic) and down the road in Delavan there really is a (‘lown llallol Fame and Research Centre.
Not that the history of the clown is anything less than fascinating. Forty centuries ago a nine-year-old Pharaoh described the clown as ‘a divine spirit to rejoice and delight the heart' and there have been a good many entertainers carrying on the tradition since then. ()n Friday 30 June. clowns from around the world are gathering in Iidinburgh to present two performances at the Playhouse and they promise the whole gamut of clown tradition — skits. musical interludes. magic. mime. juggling and ‘blackouts'. ()n show in the foyer is the largest collection ol‘clown portraits painted on egg shells in existence. This is the traditional way of recording each clown's unique face make-up and the collection serves as an official (‘lown Registry.
The photograph is of Arthur V'. l’edlar in his guise of Venue. The silent. white-faced character is something of a rarity and has been developed more or less as a hobby by the Southport born Amusement Arcade owner. (Mark Fisher).
Arthur V. Pedlar
I Sponsorship First Who are Theatre In The Sand? is the worried cry going round the Scottish theatre world. The previously unheard of Glasgow group have seemingly come from nowhere to
secure not only the
prestigous 7—9pm slot at
the Lyceum Studioduring 5 this year‘s Edinburgh 3 Festival Fringe. but also
two first-time sponsors. Getting the backingof I’cckham‘s Delicatessen and G rand I Ioldings. owners of the Blue Note. have earned Theatre In The Sand recognition from ABSA for being one of the first new companies ever to attract two new sponsors. (‘o-ordinator. Valerie Edmonds has resigned herselfto accepting that the future of the arts lies in business sponsorship and has wooed her backers with an image conscious business analysis. 'Most business men will admit they are I’hilistines.' she says. claiming they are happy to leave artistic decisions to the theatre professionals
' providingthe benefits to
the company are made clear. The show in question is a new translation by David Johnson of Lorca's tragedy Yerma which will be directed by Tom Watson.
I Fringe Programme ‘l'm glad that the Fringe can be unpredictable .‘ says Mhairi
Mackenzie- Robinson
.; yfiprcsiding over the second
biggest Edinburgh
Festival Fringe programme ever. So bigis this summer‘s event that the 96-page volume has had to run to a supplement to squeeze in the map. the order-form and the all-important ad for The List. There's an increase
' in foreign companies
participating this year - nearly 100 all told - with representitives from as far a field as Alaska. Bolivia. the USSR and Australia. The home-grown contribution remains steady with a quarter of groups coming front Scotland. And circuses are the order of the day— with the arrival of four big tops around the town. To make the search through the programme a little easier. eight Fringe I-‘ind computers are being installed in hotels and information centres to let you know what‘s on at the push of a button or two. And to make things really easy for you. The List will once again be going weekly during August.
I SAM Benefit'l‘he Traverse Theatre has added a performance to its run of the very wonderful Just Frank. It's on Friday 30June at 10.30pm andall tickets are £5 (no concessions). All actors and crew are providing their services for free and the money raised will go to Scottish AIDS Monitor to put towards their programme of holidays for AIDS patients. The play is an up-beat celebration of the life of I’ilton-born Frank Gilchrist who is himselfan AIDS sufferer.
I Correction Peter Nardini has even more facets than we thought. Not only is the well-known folk singet branching into writing with his playlimmy Han/on at The Tron. he is also responsible for the publicity artwork. The List apologises for mistakenly crediting the illustration to Alasdair Gray who has traditionally provided Annexe Theatre Company with his drawings. The Annexe season of new plays continues until Sat 1 July.
LISTINGS
THEATRE ACCESS DIRECTORY
In conjunction with the Scottish Council For Disability, The List will be expanding on venue Information of relevance to disabled people overthe coming months. The project begins with the Theatre section and it's hoped that over the next few issues all the venues listed in this section will iointhose encoded this time. During the change-over period. the existing disability codes ([0] for facilities for the disabled. and [E] for facilities for the hard of hearing) will be run alongside the new system. We're keen to hear your views and suggestions on what information is most useful and how it should be presented. Write to The Editor. 14 High Street. Edinburgh EH1 1TE.
KEY
Access: P = Parking Facilities. PPA = Parkingto be Pro-Arranged. L = Level Access. R = Ramped Access. ST = Steps to negotiate.
Facilities: WC = Adapted Toilet(s). WS = Wheelchair Spaces. AS = Adjacent Seats. E = Induction Loop System. G = Guide Dogs Allowed. R = Restaurant Accessible. B = Bar Accessible.T = Adapted Telephone.
Help: A = Assistance Available. AA = Advise Venue in Advance.
LISTINGS
Theatre is listed by city first. then byvenue. running in alphabetical order. Touring shows are listed separately under the relevant beading. KEY: [0] facilities forthe disabled. [E] facilities for the hard of hearing. usually an induction loop system. For prices. price in brackets eg (£1.50) is the concessionary price. Long running shows. unless specified otherwise. do not run on Sundays.
GLASGOW
I CITIZENS' THEATRE Gorbals Street. 429 ()022. Box Office Mon—Sat 10am-8pm. Bar. [Access: P. L. Facilities: WC. W5. E. G. R. Help: AA]
Road Until Sat 1 July. 7.30pm. The Citizens‘ second summer season kicks off with 7:84's Glaswegian interpretation of Jim Cartwright‘s play thanks to the sponsorship of Strathclydc Region. It is a powerful and bitterly funny study ofinner city-life though some would say too bleak. Harmony Row Tue 4—Sat 22 July. 7.30pm. Wildcat‘s popular anti-poll tax play completes its four month tour of Scotland only days before the company‘s next play opens in the same theatre. It‘s all about a street whose chance of an award is put in jeopardy when one of the residents insists on demonstrating against the Community Charge. Delivered with Wildcat‘s patent mixture of music and humour.
I CRAWFORD THEATRE Jordanhill College. 76 Southbrae Drive. Glasgow. ()41 950 3437/3438. [Access: P. R. Facilities: WC. W5. E. G. R. B. Help: A. AA].
No theatre this issue.
I CUMBERNAULD THEATRE Cumbernauld. 0236 732887. Box Office Mon—Fri 10am-6pm: Sat 10am-3pm; 6—8pm pcrf. evgs Bar/Cafe. [Access: PPA. ST. Facilities: WC. W5. G. B. Help: A. AA]. What‘s It Called . . . 7 Sat 1 July. 8pm.£2 (£1). A revue by Cumbcrnauld Youth Theatre with scenes and sketches about living on your own.
I DRAMA CENTRE 126 Ingram Strcct . 552 5827. [Access: P. ST. Facilities WS. G. Help: A. AA].
Marat/Sade Until Sat 1 July. 7.30pm. Strathclydc Theatre Group stage the Peter Weiss play made famous by its first production in 1964 by Peter Brook. Philosophies of violent sexuality are
expounded by Marat. the revolutionary leader. and the Marquis de Sade who directs the inmates ofan asylum through an extreme theatrical performance. One of the more bizarre ways to celebrate the French Revolution. This could be the Strathclydc Theatre Group‘s last production at the Drama Centre which is in line for re-dcvclopment. After two decades in existence. the group‘s future is uncertain as suitable alternative premises have yet to be found. I EAST KILDRIDE VILLAGE THEATRE Maxwell Drive. 03552 48669. Educating Rita Wed 5-Sat 8 July. 7.30pm. With help from East Kilbride District Council. Novel Productions stage Willy Russell‘s most successful comedy to date. Set in Liverpool University. it is Russell‘s answer to Pygmalion and was made into a film starring Julie Walters and Michael C aine. The Village Theatre is closing for maintenance for a few weeks and will be back in business towards the end of August. I EASTWOOD THEATRE Eastwood Toll. Giffnock. 227 5511. Up From Sauchiehall Street Mon 10 July-Monday 7 August (not Tuesdays or Sundays). £3.50—£4.50 (£2.5(l/i2). 8pm. Robbie Moffat‘s play for Jigjag Production Company is a romantic comedy involving a mis-matched wedding. wayward children and interfering parents. The basic idea is borrowed from the Roman playwright Terence. and updated by Moffat to twentieth century Glasgow. This is the second production by the company who have ambitious plans for 1990 ineludinga six-play sequence called The Reigns of James. I GLASGOW ARTS CENTRE 12 Washington Street. 221 4526. [Access: PPA. R. Facilities: WC. R. G. Help: A. AA]. New Writers '89 Until Fri 30] une. The second week of new plays performed by the Centre‘s Adult Drama Group features Desolation and the Angel. a black comedy by Richard Davies. Soggy Socks and Smelly Cabbage. a Glasgow office comedy by Annemarie Johnstone. and Waiting For Change. a bizarre behind-the-scenes look at a drama college by Debra Clark and Johanna Hall. I KINGS THEATRE Bath Street. Box Office. Mon-Sat noon—6pm. 4 bars. Phone bookings. Ticket Centre. Candleriggs. Mon—Sat l0.30am-6.30pm. 041227 5511. [Access: P. L. Facilities: WC. R. G. Help: A. AA]. The King's is taking a summer break and will re-open on 7 August. I MITCHELL THEATRE Granville Street. 221 3198. Box Office Mon-Sat noon—6pm. Bar. Cafe. Tickets also available from the Ticket Centre. Candleriggs. 227 5511 Mon-Sat 10.30am—6.30pm. [Access: PPA. ST. Facilities: WC. W5. G. R. B. Help: A. AA]. Backstage Until Sat I July. 7.30pm. 13/14. In these days of economic cut-backs it‘s not so often that a company has the money to stage a new musical. So it is appropriate that lain Campbell and Laurence Clarke‘s Glasgow show for Forum Arts Society should be about an aging variety theatre struggling to stay open during the unsympathetic eighties. Lots of humour and songs. Run For Your Wife! Mon 3 July—Sat 5 August. 7.30pm. (Sat Mats 2.30pm). £5.50—£3.50. Continuing a summer run that will take it through to October. Ray Cooney‘s farce opens in Glasgow after warming up at the Dundee Rep. This production stars Jimmy Logan alongside Scottish comedy stalwarts such as Russell Hunter and Anne Fields. I PAISLEY ARTS CENTRE New Street. Paisley. 887 1010. Box Office open Tue-Sun noon—8.30pm. Bar (open noon—1 1pm Tue—Sat; 12.30—2.30pm & 6.30-11pm Sun. Meals served). Cafe (open noon-11pm). [Access: PPA. ST.
24 The List 30 June — 13 July 1989