THEATRE new shows

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THE ARCHES, 30 MIDLAND STREET. GI

CITIZENS THEATB

Spring 1997

CITIZENS’ THEATRE

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

by Tennessee Williams Until 5 April

CIRCLE STUDIO

Eva Peron by Copi Until 5 April

STALLS STUDIO

Widowers’ Houses by Bernard Shaw Until 5 April

All Seats £8/£2

Please telephone for full information

Box Office 0141 -429 0022

satueusr 2i Mar-3 Apr I997

DRAMA

My Mother Said I Never Should

Stirling: MacRobert Arts Centre, Tue l—Sat SApr.

Translated into sixteen languages, performed all over the world, frequently revived in the UK and twice broadcast on BBC Radio 4, Charlotte Keatley’s ten-year- old play is what you might call a success. Manchester-based, 37-year—old Keatley revels In this. Her ambition is to write two or three such successes in her lifetime.

’I think it takes a long time to make a piece of theatre really good,’ she says. ‘lt's important to write what you think Is really valuable, and not Just have a media career’

Now revived by the touring Oxford Stage Company, this witty and emotionally powerful play roves back and forth over 80 years to tell the story of four generations of women, exploring a century of female experience. ’My life is very different from my grandmother’s because women’s lives have changed dramatically over the 20th century,’ says Keatley. ’l thInk it has got harder, because of people’s expectations. Being a mother and in a sense being feminine has been devalued.’

As mother of a nine-month old daughter, she’s In a position to know. ’When I was carrying Georgia around, people would ask, “What are you dOIng at the moment?” she laughs incredulously. 'It’s Invisible work, but it’s the hardest job I’ve ever done.’ (Andrew Burnet)

Your mother should know: Charlotte Keatley and daughter Georgia

DRAMA

The Browning Version

Glasgow: Arches Theatre, Tue 25—Sat 29 Mar.

Glasgow~based fActional Theatre tackle Terence Rattigan’s popular but drfficult public school drama, centrrng on the relationships between a failed, ageing classics master, Andrew Crocker-Harris (known as ’The Crock'), his unfaithful wife and the one person he belreves respects him, a fourth-year pupil called John Taplow.

Written In the late 19405, the play has been filmed twice, notably In 1951, With Michael Redgrave as the tormented teacher - both Redgrave and Rattigan won awards at Cannes that year.

The fActional Theatre productron is directed by Marrela Stevenson, who says, 'Rattigan's language Is deceptively mundane for Its time. Emotions are underplayed and the actors have to work extremely hard to convrnce therr audience that their characters and the situation are real.’ (Andrew Burneti

RICHARD CAMPBELL

Crock and school story: The Browning Version

PUPPET AND ANIMATION FESTIVAL

Life And Death In Milton Keynes

Edinburgh: Assembly Rooms, Thurs 3/ Fri 4 Apr.

Live animation, What’s that all about then? According to CIliiS Duffy of Fife-based Nomad Theatre, it’s a trendy word for puppets used by grown-up theatre companies who wish to av0Id embarrassIng references to Sooty and Sweep.

Not for this puppeteer such bowing to public pressure, though Duffy makes puppet shows for adult audiences and he’s proud of It. He belreves rt Is only a matter of time before we Brrts follow the rest of Europe, where the consensus seems to be: ’Puppetry? We're mad for It'.

’It can be a very powerful form of theatre,’ adds Duffy.

Life And Death In Milton Keynes is Nomad Theatre's latest show fer adults. It mixes various puppetry styles with live action to tell the tragrc story of lack McLeod, an aspiring actor who wrnds up as an elderly children’s entertarner.

Any resemblance to characters Irving or dead In there? ’If you put Jack’s bIog next to mine they do match up In places,’ Duffy laughs 'I have no Intention of ending up In Milton Keynes though.’ (Ellie Carri ‘4'