festival BW- 89'"
All Of Me
All 0! Me marks the UK debut of Australian performers legs On The Wall, who have been wowing audiences on home turt with the physical daring and emotional intensity at the work.
The company has a reputation tor challenging theatrical settings — they have been known to perform while abseiling down buildings — and although they are confined to Pleasance One, there is talk of a more exciting location for at least one performance.
legs (in The Wall fuse dance, circus skills and narrative to create a unique performance language, which they use in All 0! Me to tell the story of a tamin tacing the tensions and changes surrounding the birth of a baby. The characters’ inner feelings are voiced in poetry by Scottish writer Mary Morris, who co-devised the piece with director tiigel Jamieson.
Company member thor Blomfield says it is very strongly visual theatre, but hopes audiences will get so carried away by what is happening
Legs On The Wall: giving their all
that any worrries over an unfamiliar style of performance will be forgotten. ‘In the end we want people to be affected by it, to identity with what is happening and for it to mean something to them,’ he says. (Catherine Pound)
All 0! Me (Fringe) Legs On The Wall, The Pleasance ( Venue 33) 556 6550, 9—31 Aug (not 13, 20, 27) 7.10pm, £8/f 7. 50 (£7/I‘6. 50).
"...exploring the theatrical possibilities of storytelling without being so obvious as to remind one that these are indeed the greatest stories ever told"
The New York Times
As TOLD BY Max McLean
Directed by John Pietrowski
"McLean meets the test ol 0 master storyteller and engages audience members to follow with attention... and to keep one on the edge ol the chair." —— Jewish News
August lO-24,1996 Mon-Sol ot 7'30pm {Sat Aug it; o' e topmi, Wed 8. Sat mOIlneCS or 2 00pm Tickets 26 50/25 50 c0ncession coll 0131-5562626 Carrubbers Christian Centre 65 High Street Edinburgh
0 [/Y()(IULI'()". ol Imhwntnp lot the Pcii«)rrr..r'g Art;
Rainer Hersch: playing it for real
COMEDY PREVIEW
ALL CLASSICAL MUSIC EXPLAINED
Rainer Hersch hasjust been bitten by a rabid dog in South Africa. but that won‘t stop the stand up cotnic coming to Edinburgh. Mission: to explain the mysteries of classical music. With the aid of a piano. a series of recordings and a (by now) mad sense of humour. he'll be attempting to make it all make sense.
Describing the show as caustic. and definitely not for musos. he has solemnly promised not to play arty snatch ol‘ music for longer thati live seconds. 'That's the trouble.‘ he explains. ‘lt just takes too long to get into. Listening and concentrating and all that jazz — who‘s got the time."
All of which sound refreshingly unclassical. ‘The aim is to entertain and have a laugh.‘ says llersch. who was once touring manager for an orchestra. ‘but it people come away feeling that they've learnt something. that's good too.‘ (Marc Lambert)
I All Classical Music Explained (Fringe) Rainer Hersch. The Honeycomb (Venue l 39) 33b 3 IS I. 9—3! Aug (not l‘). 3|). 7pm. £7/L'5.
COMEDY PREVIEW
JEDI STEADY CD!
It l’hill Jupitus had a pet eysok. he says. 'l'd gut it atid turn it into a pyjama Ctlse.‘ :\ skilled \stitihle impersonator. he noys ()I'L‘sellls .lt'l/I .Vli'tIr/r (inf. a personal homage to Slur lliiri.
'll brought domesticity
into sci-li.' he anoraks. Ile lo\ etl tlte speeder chase ‘ on the moon ol‘ lindor. l and l)artlt Vader's asthma. l littl Iltosl of all he loved ' (‘ai‘rie Fisher's hairdo. 'll gave her a Heidi-like innocence] he s\\oolis. \"arious celebrities are due
to guest-star as |.eia
(ireg Pumps and Bill I
Bailey are thinking about it. while Tony Slattei‘y. apparently. ‘begged to be l.eia iii a barf
.lupitus created the show (or this. his tirst l’ringe. '| see Ilty‘sell' as I.lII\t‘ Skyssalker - a iiaiye larni boy.. he says. 'l'aldie luard is my ()bi-\\'an Kenobif
But is he ready to be a .letli'.’ ‘I led the l‘ot'ce all the time. much like a kindly unclef he claims May ll be \\|Ill you. l’hill. Always ((ii'ant (ioidoni I Jedi Steady Go! (I’iinge) l’ltill .Iupitus. (iilded Balloon Ill (Venue l3) 33b 3|5l.‘) 3-) -\ug (not l3). 7pm. £0.50 (£5.50).
Phill Jupitus: Luke and learn
THEATRE PREVIEW
CLOWNFISH SERENADE
(ietting through Kt) cigarettes in halt an hour is a pretty mean teat. especially tor a non- smoker. In l.:\-hased (‘lownl’ish Schools
In isted comedic romp (‘llllt'II/lh/I .Yt'l't'lltlt/i’. pei‘lortners' pt‘etei'ences are forgotten as bizarre characters express their obsessiy e needs: attention. tea. food (or the body. sustenance lor the soul.
The show has two moyeinents: 'It'u ’l/Hl’ Mil/in sees a woman chained to a bucket. desperately straining lol' the dangling key which n Ill release her; \yhile in Ilium /I.\('// ()III. the non- sinoking singer s\s aps cigarettes liot' song lyrics. ‘All of the characters are trapped by each other.' esplaiiis director Brian llowrey.
The company is renowned iii California for grafting physical comedy onto musical forms and appears to base both feet firmly planted iii the absurd — American critics have compared them to Beckett and
Going for a song: Clowntish School
l'elltlli. 'll.s yei‘y dil'l'erent tioin what you usually
.' concludes Ilowrey. let‘s hope they remember to stock up on duty l‘t‘ee ciggies. ((‘laiie l’i‘entice). I Clownfish Serenade tl-ringe) (‘loyy nl'is'h School. Moray House Kabat‘et (Venue ltib’) 556 0103.9 3| .-\ug (not ll. It). 3o) olflpm. £5 (£3).
COMEDY PREVIEW
INTERNATIONAL YARN SPINNING CHALLENGE
Shaggy dogs of all shapes and si/es will be bounding l‘orth this year. as the
III/t IlltlIlH/ltll lill'll Spinning ('liu/leuet' ltils toys it. .~\ spilt-oil (ouch) ol the Adelaide I‘unny Business l‘estiyal. this new sibling promises. and (or once deliyers. an unpredictable eyennig. The emphasis is on tun.
\\ ith each contestant let loose on the audience (or (them itiinutes. though 'people can be gonged oil it they ’rc di‘eadl'ul.‘ assures .-\\\L'liil)ly"s general manager Mary Sltteltls.
.-\ll\\le cltaiitp ls'eI Watkins reckons that. IihL‘ the Scots. his race are natural born storytellers and. as the guidelines actiyely encourage \s ild ramblings. he may haye something ol an adyantage oy er more traditional lollslot'lsts.
With a trip to Montreal tip lot grabs tor the \s inner. it's likely to be closely contended.
I IIo\\ ey er sllll the
competition though. they 'ie the leitsl til. Watkins. “miles. “The haidest bit “I” be trying to tune lit to the accents. I'll has e to carry on listening to my St Ul/(lllr/ The What tapes before I arrrxef t('laire l’renticei I International Yarn ' Spinning Challenge
il‘i iiige) Assembly. Assembly Rooms (Venue 3) 336 3438. ‘)--I3 Aug. 7.30pm. £7.50 (£6.50).
48 The List 9- l 5 Aug I996