FESTIVAL Qam-‘lpm continued
THEATRE REVIEW
Five O'Clock Angel
it Ar fir it
Based on the 300 letters which Tennessee Williams wrote to his confidante Maria St Just, Five 0’Clock Angel traces their 40 year friendship from the halcyon days of the pair’s youth, through to the darker episodes of their adult life.
Despite the fact that St Just’s love for Williams was unrequited, they still enjoyed a relationship which hovered around the boundaries of a torrid affair. This is artfully rendered by Nichola McAuliffe and Stefan Bednarczyk who, in addition to capturing the tensions between the two, also exhibit perfect comic timing which is necessary to do justice to the Wildean wit of Kit Hesketh-Harvey's script. (Dawn Kofie)
fl Five O'C/ock Angel (Fringe) Cafe Royal (Venue 47) 556 2549, until 30 Aug, 77.75am, £5 (£4).
THEATRE REVIEW Tropical Tree A “it :2:
This simple but strikingly staged adaptation of a Yukio Mishima novel exudes a peculiar, sickly-erotic perfume. A hothouse chamber drama
Scotland’s Year of the Artist
invites applications for
funding from artists in all
creative disciplines.
Proposals are encouraged across the full spectrum of
creative activity, such as digital art and design as well as music,
visual art, dance, theatre and contemporary developments.
For further information please contact
Rona MacDonald on I 0141 339 2846 or visit our website at
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Scottish Cultural Enterprise
28 THE lIST 26 Aug—9 Sep 1999
theatre o dance 0 comedy 0 kids
of incestuous, homicidal family passions, it attempts to illuminate darker, deeper facets of love and hate. The suffocating air may not appeal to all tastes, but director Eiji Mihara of Switzerland’s Theatre Soleil Levant takes a stately stab at the material. As the outwardly devoted, inwardly deadly mother, the male dancer Alexi Kaye-Campbell stands out in an experienced English cast. He is also adorned by one of the most beautiful costumes in the Fringe. (Donald Hutera)
% Tropical Tree (Fringe) Theatre Soleil Levant, Garage Theatre (Venue 81) 227 9009, until 30 Aug, 77am, £8 (E 7).
COMEDY REVIEW
They Shoot Cowboys . . . Don't They? AM:
The alternative title of this production could be ‘The History of the Western — in an hour’. This fast-paced piece was written by Lil Warren, who plays opposite Spencer Dobbin (yes, his real name) in this examination of the subtext of classic Western movies.
It’s a fun romp through history loosely based around Stagecoach, the movie that made John Wayne. Covering a number of archetypal characters, the two occasionally deliberately slip back into their own selves, and this is where
SCOTLAND’S YEAR or THE
ARTIST 2000 - 2001
the weakness of the production seems to lie.
It's highly entertaining (especially if you’re old enough to remember all of the old movies), although sometimes tends to be self-gratifying.
(Tracy Griffen)
They Shoot Cowboys . . . Don’t They? (Fringe) Lippy, Pleasance ( Venue 33), 556 6550, until 30 Aug, 72.45pm, £7/E6 (£6/E5).
THEATRE REVIEW The Devil And Billy Markham
3% Ar it Remember that old song where the Devil went down to Georgia, looking for a soul to steal. Well, in this version he goes to Nashville and gets involved in the usual adventures: country music, dice games, pool and loose women. This show is much more fun than Its form - a solo performance in verse — might suggest. There’s plenty of swearing and scatological humour as Billy Markham, a washed up singer, goes six rounds with Satan himself in order to win back his soul. As ever the Devil has all the best tunes, but God is pretty handy with a pool cue. (Moira Jeffrey) w The Devil And Billy Markham (Fringe) Sugarmouth Theatre Company, Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550, until 30 Aug, 77.30am, £6.50/E6 (£5.50/f5).
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Theatre Workshop (Venue 20)
Box Office: 226 5425
17'h-30'" August/f 1 ’A , ' 10am-11.SOam if I
Under the skin of the classic western: They Shoot Cowboys . . . Don't They?
THEATRE PREVIEW Little Women
i7 7’; ‘A
The story of the March sisters is as heartbreaking as ever in this adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic family story. Staying as true to the original text as is possible in the time given, there are, however, places where those unfamiliar with the book will feel a little lost, but the relatively heavy editing is handled quite well. The transition of the girls from children to little women is apparent only through action, rather than image, save for Joanna Joseph as Amy. The roles are all played with skill and enthusiasm, but it is tomboy Jo, played by Kirsty Kinnear, who is the most convincing. (Kirsty Knaggs)
Little Women (Fringe) Tangled Web, Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550, until 30 Aug, 77.30am, £6/£5.
THEATRE REVIEW Desperate Remedies
The way in which financial control underpins sexual relations is developed cleverly in this adaptation of Thomas Hardy's debut novel. Focusing on an ageing female aristocrat, this mysterious narrative explores her control freakery as she exploits her position to manipulate the lives of those around her.
This is a multi-layered text of power and desire with an interesting homo/lesbo-erotic sub-text. However, the last ten minutes explode on stage with the introduction of material that is handled all too quickly. Strong performances and a simple, beautiful set. But they should take their time. (Davie Archibald)
Desperate Remedies (Fringe) National Student Theatre Company, Augustine's (Venue 752) 225 65 75, until 30 Aug (not 29) 72.45pm, £6.25 (£4.75).
STAR RATINGS
***** *‘kti
Unmissable
Very good
iii Worth seeing
it Below average
* You've been warned