LISTINGS THEATRE
THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS
T Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, until 28 3
’ September. 3 When The Plough and The Stars was premiered in 1926 there was rioting in
' thestalls.Timeschange.ln1991 more r . . . 3 community. This Is important, because
i in O’Casey’s terms it is the community ? which is at stake. It's a shame, too, that
controversy surrounds the weather report than O’Casey’s treatise on the lolly oi war. What once appeared to its lrish audience as an attack on their integrity now seems little more than a glorified soap, albeit with a deeper political undercurrent than Neighbours.
Character and community underpin the play's concern with politics and human experience, as the assorted residents ot a Dublin tenement lind themselves unavoidably embroiled in the 1916 Easter Uprising. While the real drama happens olt stage, the effects at the unseen battle are what counts as weak-willed men quarrel over politics and women struggle to maintain the equilibrium at their lives. Ultimately it is the women who provide the strength but who also have the most to lose.
There are some nice moments on
Su_ {E‘s (p
otter but, with the exception oi Muriel Romanes as Bessie Burgess, the
' characters lack substance, and there is . little evidence at group work,
consequently eroding the sense oi
depth at character is lorsaken tor
i overbearing caricature, though
certainly the central drama oi men-otl-to-war needed the light comic reliet.
But it's a long two and a halt hours,
, and despite the best intentions ol the thirteen-membercast,O’Casey‘s E tendency towards melodrama now
seems awkward and time-worn. While the compassionate characterisations are handled with an appropriate sense oi their human dimensions (and all the more tragic for that) the unwieldy speech and laboured dying scenes are uncomiortably contrived. It’s a period piece in tact, and ii judged on those merits alone, there’s just enough to recommend it.(Aaron Hicklin)
short season of mind-blowing fun.
I ROYAL SCOTTISH ACADEMY OF MUSIC
AND DRAMA 100 Renfrew Street. 332 5057. I [Access: PPA. 1.. Facilities: WC. W5. AS. 5
R. B.T. G. Help: A.AA]
The Soldier‘sTale trnlil Sat 28 Sept. 7.30pm. £4 (£2.50). Fresh from winning universal praise (and an award) from the Edinburgh Festival. Theatre Theatrical
return to Glasgow with their production of
Stravinsky‘s Faustlan masterpiece (it says here).
I SCOTTISH MASK AND PUPPET CENTRE 8 Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 3396185. The centre is open Tue—Sat 10am—5pm and Sun 2—5pm. A 30-minute talk and tour round the centre costs £1 (75p).
Workshops and information are available by appointment (the centre‘s library containsmer 800 titles).
I THEATRE WORKSHOP 3-1 I lamilton Place. 226 5425. Box Office Mon—Sat 9.30am—-5.30pm. Bar. Cafe. [Accessz PPA. R. Facilities: WC. W8. AS. 1i. (i. Help: AA]
Walking on Peas Thurs Ill—Sat 12 ()ct. 8pm. £5 (£3). Dorothy Talk isan all-female company which deals with
issues of sexuality in an often outrageously .
hilarious way. Here. the subject matter is transvestltlsm.
I TRAMWAY 25 Albert Drive. 227 5511. [Help: 1.. WC. W8. C].
Victory Until Sat 28 Sept. 7.30pm. £(l(£4).
filflllllllll Ill]
experience. '
Presents
THE CONE-GATHERERS
Wed 2nd-Sun 6th October, 7.30 pm at the Hl-Light Marquee, The Meadows, Edinburgh
‘THE CONE GA THERE R8 is a wonderfully original theatre
The Scotsman
Tickets £6.50/23.50 conc. \ available from The Royal Lyceum Box Oiiice on 031-229 9697
Son et Lumiere at Traquair Housej Thursday October 3 to Saturday October 5 8.00pm lights up the B O R D E R S
%—
Friday October 11 to Sunday October 27
from Broughton to Berwick, exhibitions, music, dance, drama, poetry and much, much more... including
7%
, Northumberland Theatre Company Accounts 0 Fifth Estate Buchan of Tweedsmuir 0 Rideout Theatre Company Witch Wood 0 lady lohn Scott.
We:
l Savourna Stevenson Moorsong plus Tweed Iourney with David Massingham ‘ Dance 0 Borders Regional Wind Orchestra Concert including The Three Perils ofMan 0 Lowland and Borders Pipers Society Concert of Borders Music.
56044 761109 Rowan Tree Company Moorland Tales 0 Edinburgh Puppet Company The Tale of Muckle Mou’d Meg 0 Neidpalh Castle Music and Poetry of Tweeddale and Canada.
3%! gm Maister Michael at Aikwood Tower 0 Lowland and Borders Pipers Society
Tenth Anniversary leddart Collogue 0 Borders Dance Festival 0 Borders Youth Festival 0 Exhibitions including Borders Biennial 1991.
The Choice is Yours!
. l . . tor your free brochure & further lnlormatlon:
Borders Festival, Old Jail Centre, Ettrick Terrace, Selkirk TD7 4LE, Telephone (0730) 21316. Telephone & Credit Card bookings (0750) 20034.
CITIZENS THEATRE
GORBALS 041-429 0022 GLASGOW
HEDDA GABLER
Henrik Ibsen 4 - 26 OCTOBER AT 7.30 PM
ll
“9 Ill.
“ u . 'w ’6‘
“l ....... ..
ALL SEATS £5 ° OAPS - L'NEMPLOYED - STTDENTS £1 _-___- .- _ _ l
The List 27 September— illOctober 1991 51