THEATRE PLASTIC MADONNA
A charismatic mystic whose dreams come true makes the locals go cock- a-hoop when he mosies into town after the local ; priest is murdered. Five hundred years later a "' young man squats in the same church to prevent a road being built.
History and its consequences are tackled in Richard Davidson‘s new play. as scenes dovetail across the centuries. introducing
THE MINTY FRESH , CAMPAIGN
Let's face it. Advertising is an easy target. All those agency whinkids schmoozing round award ceremonies and brainstorming over liquid lunches are basically a comedy writer's dream. Richard l)yball's one man comedy (directed by Neil Mullarkey with added TV appearances by various Comedy Store types) centres around an impeccably performed award acceptance speech by the creative director of a brand new toothpaste
notions of the Great Chain of Being. This isn't nearly as clever as it thinks it is. While the interchangeability of icons and the contradictions between an archaic. spiritual state of grace and modern day consumer culture are interesting. they are never explored with any real coherence. and the result is all so much gobbledegook and spiritual mince. (Neil Cooper)
I Plastic Madonna (Fringe) University of Nottingham New Theatre. Hill Street Theatre (Venue 41) 226 6522. 10—26 Aug (not l3) 5.25pm. £5 (£4).
3’”/5"" FESTIVAL
'
slimeball. A ‘Fringe actor’ character also turns up. his presence eventually becoming relevant as he joins the pathetic parade of actors doing screen
tests for the aforementioned ad. Very
knowing and witty. if a bit sledgehammer. (Cait Hurley)
I The Minty Fresh Campaign (Fringe) Gilded Balloon 1 1 (Venue 5l) 226 6520. until 2 Sept (not 29) 3.45pm. £5.50
(£4.50). lIEIMEIIIIII
? THE TIM VINE
FIASCO
; Every time I think I‘ve
worked it out. someone
commercial; One Grade A
l
Sam Shammas Productions Ltd presents
a new play by Patrick Mackic AN ARMED ROBBERY. THREE CHARACTERS.
WHEN TWO MEN SHARE
C Venue 1‘) Overseas House 100 Princes Street Box Office:
225 5 I05
4.l5-
STEALING
A LATE NIGHT RENI)EZVOUS.
COMMON OBJECTS OF DESIRE. CHANCES ARE THEY'LL END UP
STEALING
9 August - 2 September (not IS. 22. 3| Aug)
5.30 pm
£5.00/ £3.50 concs
Jack Shepherd & The One Tree Company present
His new play set in a jazz club:
CHASING THE
MOMENT
From August 9 to September 2 at The Pleasance (0131 556 6550)
M V“, I
' Icon of icons Oscar Wilde comes under .. the lavender tinted spotlight as Ireland’s Balloonatics continue their love affair with their native literature in this impressionistic evocation of his rise as luvvy darling of the dandies to his notorious downfall in a prison cell. Paul O’Hanrahan’s virtuoso solo performance is a sumptuous display of fine tuned foppery, revelling in the spaneg frocked flamboyance of the man who at his peak, everyone, even the Prince of Wales, wanted to hang
i
comes along with a brand new bag of sweeties to try.
even the most hardened cynic forget themselves . and start laughing — with a stage full of daft props. and a rapid-lire cheesy selection ofjokes so corny. part of the charm is a double-bluff. How could anyone be cheeky enough to get away with this material? Vine srnirks sheepishly just to let you know he‘s fully aware how ludicrously silly (and far too catchy) his songs are. and what stupid. irresistibe fun the whole enterprise is. Fun. fresh and very silly. (Cait Hurley)
I The Tim Vine Fiasco (Fringe) Tim Vine. Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550. until 2 Sept. 5.40pm. £7 (£6).
Tim Vine could make '
t 'ifir.
.9
Tim Vine: fun, fresh and very, very silly
I Dream Before: feminist classic in waiting
I DREAM BEFORE I TAKE
‘THESTAND
Well performed by The Journey (font/nut): this show consists of live short plays by an American
playwright named Arlene
Hutton. After a very odd opening monologue (‘You took the wrong turning to the wrong room and you‘re taking the wrong test?) these mini-plays settle into a quirky nattiralisin. with each
based on a neat concept. Seeking to buy a house that's not for sale. recording the speaking clock. and sabotaging skyscrapers. Finally. a defence lawyer cross- examines a woman on her appearance in a sexual assault case —- so distorting a perfectly innocent walk in the park. This. the title play. has the makings of a feminist classic. (Ben Brown)
I I Dream Before I Take The Stand (Fringe) The Journey Company. Adam House (Venue 3-1) 650 8200. until Aug 26 (not 20). 4.30pm. £4.50 (£4).
ZANY 0F SORROW
out with.
As it takes in assorted excerpts from , the great man’s works, including the
famous handbag scene from The
' Importance of Being Earnest,
O’Hanrahan distributes plastic green flowers among the audience in much the same way as those in Wilde’s
rather smug inner circle did on first
T nights of his plays. The whole thing
looks quite gorgeous, especially the depiction of Salome, which transcends the confines of such a tiny venue. There is also a clever use of
contemporary music to illustrate
. Wilde’s legacy, including the costume changealong of The Kinks Dedicated
‘ Follower of Fashion and a closing
Waiting For The Man.
But the trials and tribulations of the latter part of Wilde’s somewhat rainbow-hued life are dwelt on most, I from his ill-fated love affairs to his
Cooper)
£5 (£4).
Zany of Sorrow: fine-tuned foppery
libel action against The Marquess of Queensberry which backfires and lands him in a prison cell.
Prior to his premature death though, Wilde is seen as a sad old queen with his better days behind him and nothing for company except anecdotes of his genius. Whether intentional or not, it is plain to see how rapid the decline from razor sharp wit to crashing bore would’ve been had he lived.
This is a finely crafted monologue which gets beyond mere tittle tattle and into the heart of a true talent cut down tragically in his prime. (Neil
Ian y of Sorrow (Fringe) Balloonatics, Theatre Workshop (Venue 20) 226 5425, unfi12 Sept (not Suns), 5.45pm,
38 The List l8-24 Aug 1995