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‘I stopped drinking a few years ago for reasons I don‘t want to go into, so now all I drink is Perrier. Until I get sponsored by someone else, then I‘ll drink whatever they want me to. I‘m hoping to get Irn Bru next.‘
A ward-winning comedian Frank Skinner remains open to offers.
‘The process of researching the play was like being an amputee chasing the soap around the bath.‘
Slatzer's Bouquet director Ken Campbell demonstrates his theatrical imagination.
‘We‘re three Latin, slightly macho and romantic southern European characters who try to be in a band but don't like each other. Each tries to express his nationality through his guitar and his fruit.‘
Cover star Paul Morocco is led gently away by the white-coated Fringe sanity inspectors.
‘He caused a great sense of betrayal. There were a lot of important people going around saying “bugger Granville Barker. .
Theatre director Peter James on the original reception for the playwright (not) on everybody 's lips this Festival.
‘We had incredible scenes oszechs and Bulgarians running onto the stage at the end saying “Bravo Bulgaria, bravo Strictly Ballroom.” ’ The Film Festi val 's gala premiere director Baz Luhrmann explains how his ballroom romance took on metaphorical significance in Eastern Europe.
G'I‘he List l-l -» 2ilAugUst 1992
No cash no F.T.
Visitors to this year’s Fringe will notice the absence of a regular feature of August in Edinburgh. The weekly newspaper, Festival Times will not be appearing this year. due to cutbacks by its publishers, Edinburgh University Publications Board.
Edinburgh University, in financial crisis over the last two years, cut costs with a 16 per cent reduction in the grant to Edinburgh University Student’s Association, and so EUSA itselfhad to find ways to save money. One of the first bodies to suffer was the Publications Board, a
esflval
times
student-run publishing house which produced welfare handbooks. post-graduate brochures and. most famously, Festival Times.
The FI‘ acted as an early-learning centre for many stalwarts of Scottish journalism from Sheena McDonald to the Independents theatre editor Sarah Hemming, from Scotland on
' Sunday’s Spectrum editor Nigel
Billen to many of The List’s own staff. This year the magazine has fallen victim to the cuts despite being one part ofthe Publications Board output that breaks even.
‘The major problem.’ says EUSA‘s
president Paul Williamson ‘was that we were given no warning. Because this cut was imposed on us in that way, we had to make some long-term harsh decisions which maybe could have been avoided if we had been given more time. For instance, Festival Times need not have been stopped, and I’m sure it could have been profitable.’
Ifeverything goes according to plan, however, Festival Times will re-appear next year when it will come under the Student newspaper banner. The award-winning Edinburgh students' weekly paper went it alone last year, setting itself up as an independent society. Rather than having to rely on the finances of the university for funds, Student pays its own way through advertising and sales revenue, and a grant from the Scottish Enterprise Council. All of which, given the accounting prowess ofthe university over the last decade, seems like very good sense. (Philip Parr)
[— Fringe lates
As usual, there‘s a diverse crop of late-comers who, without the added boost of the Fringe programme, will be struggling even harder to grab your attention. It’d be nice to think that if they didn’t get their act together in time to get in the programme, they won’t get it together in time for the Fringe, but the Fringe just isn‘t that simple. Obvious exceptions to the theory are Opera Circus (directed by David Glass), 405 cabaret specialist Jessica Martin and Stateside stand-ups Dana Gould and Jimmy Tingle. who all have promising shows squeezed in under the Assembly banner (226 2428). Due to a technical mix-up.
Fiona Knowles competes tor attention
The MsFits missed their place in the listings for Diverse Attractions (225 8961) where you can catch Fiona Knowles's highly-rated mixture of comedy. song. poetry and monologue. The Seven Ages of Woman, from 24—29 Aug. Also worth a look is Lust at the Counting House (226 2151 ). a short
monologue by Iain Heggie starring Forbes My Dead Dad/ Victor and Barry Masson.
Less predictable are a bizarre group of shows that have turned up at the Chaplaincy Centre (650 8201 ), including a clairvoyant called Madam Rosina, an astrologist called Rita Hraiz and a stress-expert called Rex Lassalle. Sounds like the place to head when the Fringe gets too much for you.
Strong sellers in this year‘s record-breaking pre-Festival box office boom are Paul Merton, whose show has sold out completely, and the Chinese State Circus, which has already sold out at least one performance. Disappointing cancellations include US stand-up Bill Hicks and too-bizarre-to-be-true Karaoke Opera. Finally, ifyour demand for CR Taylor plays is truly insatiable, Edinburgh Youth Theatre has a late entry into the EIF programme (225 5756) with its production of Some Enchanted Evening, 17—29 Aug. (MF)
Mellordrama
An inlormed source tells us that Minister oi Fun David Mellor is planning a visit to Edinburgh in the next couple oi weeks and has asked the Fringe Society to prepare an itinerary. We humbly recommend the following productions: Man About The Flat at the Acoustic Music Centre, Finding The Darkhaired Girl by Playback Theatre and The Naked Civil Servant by Gauntlet Stage Productions. Got any better suggestions? Send them into ‘Dubious Meilor Smut’ c/o The List 14 High Street, Edinburgh. Prizes iorthe worst entries.
Performer’s Choice
Lynn Ferguson, appearing with Fred
Macaulay and Richard Morton at The Gilded Balloon (10pm), lists the live
shows she's determined to catch this year.
1
Frankie And Tommy by Hull Truck Theatre. C02 1 think Hull Truck are great and I love Tommy Cooper just about as much as I love Morecambe and Wise.
2
The Haunting 0i Billy Marshall by Gallus Stage Productions. Cozl like hauntings.
3
Cyrano De Bergerac by Communicado. Coz I like people with big noses.
4
Dougal And The Blue Cat by The Cunnineg Caned Company. C02 I want to know how they’ll act out the Magic Roundabout (also loads of guys I‘ve footered with look like Dylan, so I want to know who’s playing the rabbit).
5
Vivat! Vivat Regina! by Buckhaven Theatre. Coz one of my best friends in the entire world is the lead so I’d probably get my nose broken if] didn’t go.