TESTIVAL — theatre/nouno-ue
ofthe unknown. into the known of language. Energetic performances and witty word-play achieve all this with a wonderfully light touch. Although it flags somewhat towards the end. this is a funnyand thought-provoking show. (Sue Wilson) '
I On The Verge/T he Geography otYeaming (Fringe) Festival U.S.C.. Southside Community Centre (Venue 82) 667 0484. 18. 19. 25. 26 Aug. 1 Sept. 4pm. £3 (£2).
lIIIIIIIIIIIIl HAWK MOON
From gunsiinger‘s monologues to poems that tell ofmilk trucks. gasoline and apple brandy. Hawk Moor presents Sam Shepard‘s brash and sometimes bizarre observations of life in America.
The poems are both lyrical and outrageous. some spoken individually. others by the mixed voices of the fourteen-strong cast. In the longer poems this works well. though the stage sometimes seems overcrowded and group gestures slightly gratuitous.
Most effective are the surreal stories or monologues where street gangs. bucking bronco riders and rock 'n‘ roll addicts spring to life and a Southerner describes his vendetta against peacocks. (Rod Isaacs)
I Hawk Moon (Fringe) Festival Theatre USC USA. Southside Community Theatre (Venue 82) 24. 29.31 Aug. 2pm. £2 (£1 .50).
BAT THE FATHER RABBIT THE SON
Rabbit has lost his moorings. The head of a large Dublin haulage firm. self-made and ruthless. he is searching for a way back to himself. to his origins. to his father.
In this deranged exploration of self. Donal O‘Kelly portrays Rabbit as lingering on the very
I edge of madness. His
range and his control— switching from tense. nervous son to ponderous
father — are mesmeric.
Hugely successful
already in Ireland. New
, York and Glasgow. this is a play not to be missed.
(Matthew Barrell)
I Bat The Fatherflabhlt The Son (Fringe) Rough Magic Theatre Company.
Assembly Rooms(Vcnue
3) 226 2428.10Aug—1 Sept. 2pm. £5.50 (£4.50).
LAMENT FOR
: ARTHUR CLEARY
Arthur Cleary. returned
. to Dublin after fifteen
years spent wandering in Europe. meets a girl and falls in love. To her he is
special because he knows how to breathe. He can
see above the poverty and
the despair of the Dublin
estates. But his Dublin is
in the mind. a memory; he ; is a stranger to the new
brutalized existence. He cannot compromise and therein lies his tragedy The story is told in short scenes by five actors using a minimum of props. Dream and nightmare intertwine with the main action as the play explores
: Cleary's dislocation.
With its strong sense of place. and making clever use ofthe inevitable Joycean echoes. the play paints a powerful picture of a new Dublin. disintegrating. but not without hope. (Matthew Barrell)
I Lament ForArthurCleary (Fringe) Arthur Cleary Productions. Traverse Theatre (Venue 15) 226 2633314 Aug-1 Sept. times vary. £5.50 (£3.50).
III-III EAGLE
As well as highlightingthe uncertain future of one of
the largest and most majestic birds of prey. Eagle. by Theatre for Africa. retells the story of a solitary woman‘s close encounters with one such bird after seeking refuge high in the mountains. lnterspersed with African song. music. movement and dancing. conveying mood from sadness to joy. the play shows us the world ofthe eagle — its territorial instinct. flight. hunting. mating. and fear of the young girls who come nearer to the nest as they climb higher for fire wood.
The play has a simple charm about it (ideal for kids). although sophisticates might be left wanting something more. (Aaron Hicklin)
I Eagle (Fringe) Theatre For Africa. Springwell House (Venue 32) 337 1971.24. 26. 28. 30Aug.l Sept. 2.30pm. £4.50 (£3.50).
THE RISE AND SHINE OF COMRAOE FIASCO
Set in Zimbabwe. The Rise and Shine of Comrade Fiasco examines the birth of a new nation. At its centre is Fiasco. a former guerrilla found hiding in the hills six years after independence. He believes the war still to be raging. His appearance one night in a police cell is a puzzle for three ne‘er-do-wells locked up after an evening's drinking.
Re-enacting variously his capture and interrogation. the night of his one failed mission. and their own stories beside. the three attempt to make sense of-what he has done. Is he coward or hero? Fake or martyr? In the course of the evening they take control oftheir history and their destiny. A powerful. often very funny play. (Matthew Barrell)
I The Rise And Shine OI Comrade Fiasco (Fringe) Springwell House (Venue 32) 337 1971. 13 Aug—l Sept. 4pm. £4.50 (£3.50).
THE WORKINGMAN
Three youngsters rent a room planning to make a porno film oftheir gang-bangcxploits ‘just forthe fun ofit‘. when in walks a bogus cop who
turns out to be a
dangerous psychopath . . or is he'.’
Written in 1976. this wa Tom Walmsley‘s first play. A self-confessed Canadian ‘enfant terrible’. his life history is infinitely more dramatic than this British premiere of his work: a heroin addict. imprisoned for armed robbery. who after four plays. sensibly gave up writing to become an Anglican minister.
The Workingme is a rough cut attempt to depict the harsh and violent lifestyle of characters living ‘on the edge of society". The play is hopelessly melodramatic with a ludicrous plot laden with hackneyed dialogue straight out of a second rate American cop show. The actors deserve some credit for making the show half-way bearable. but the writing is underdeveloped and only significant in uncovering the raw frustrations of a would-be writer. who can't express his ideas or his angry self with any coherency. (Michael Balfour)
I The Workingman (Fringe) Theatre Erebus. Blow Up at Abbotsford. Abbotsford Lodge (V'enue84).447 1122.24. 27. 29. 31 Aug. 5pm.£2.50 (£2).
DOWNTOWN UPROAR
Super jazz. a nice story and heaps of raw energy. that‘s the order of the day down Cowgate way. As the the lights go upit‘s 1890 and the scene isa plantation in Mississippi. Boots Brennan has got himself a pair of tap shoes and is about to break his neck trying them out. Along comes (irandpaw and shows him how. rheumatiz. an“ all. There's no stopping Boots now. He meets up with Fast Fingers Cunningham and offthey shuffle to New ()rleans. Four gorgeous gals appear
and a new act is born. In one hour they cover about sixty years and it's all fast and furious stuff. As the group’s name suggests. the high point of this show is the Lindy I lop. a fast. sensual and acrobatic form ofjive.
All great stuff. but I feel that the production needs tightening. Once or twice during the performance I found myself willing the show to go in a certain
direction. It doesn't. What saves it every time is the excellent music and the sheer guts and talent of the cast. There are loads of laughs and some brilliant dance routines. David Barrett as Boots and Anthonyllunt (Fingers) steal the show. Ifyou like jazz. this is for you. highly entertaining. (Sean Kavanagh)
I Downtown Uproar (Fringe) The living Lindy Hoppers. The Ciilded Balloon (Venue 38) 5pm. until 1 Sept. £5 (£4).
22'1’he List 31 August— 13 September 1990
T __l _
JOOLS HOLLAND
Jools l lolland and his medium sized band are extra\ agant . especially with the amps. Jools and his enormous pianogivc us stride. honkytonk. jazz. swingtimc. twelve bar. eight bar. and also. unfortunatly. his singing. l‘he fingcrwork is frenetic and the footwork extremely fancy. and though the joint wasn't jumpin' when we got that old Fats Waller tune. it definitely was by the end of the evening. Folk were on their feet having a good time. the band was having a good time. and Jools pushed them into encore after encore ofgood old raw rock and roll. (11} Freeman)
I Jools Holland and his Big Band Extravaganza ()ucens Hall (Venue 72) 663 2019, until 31 Aug. 10.30pm.£7 (£5)