THEATRE

CONTEMPORARY REVIVAL King Of The Fields

Edinburgh: Traverse Theatre, until Sat

18 Dec ****

There’s a hir t of Lorca and DH. Lawrence P .lout Stuart Paterson's tragic dral la. The sense of the peasants’ blood-link to the soil in the work of these writers has a kind of mysticism that's always in danger of looking plain silly. Paterson, however, demonstrates a deft touch in illustrating that the events that overtake his rural Ayrshire characters are not simply the cruel tricks of forgotten pagan Gods, but are socially, economically

and sexually determined.

Matt (Liam Brennan), the long absent elder brother of Rab (John Kazek), has been found, more dead than alive, near his familial home. Troubled by evil dreams and in failing health as a result of being gassed in the Great War many years before and having lived rough ever since, he‘s nevertheless a braggart. A little like Pinter's

Davies in The Caretaker, he

displays a delusionary belief in his

own strength and potency;

inadvertently egged on by his starstruck sibling, he takes command of a carefully built business. There follows an inevitable affair with Rab's city- born wife, Catherine (Vicki Liddelle), a women much objectified and too

often silenced by the males around her.

All this hints at the Blood Wedding outcome and atmosphere. However, there's also a commentary on the strife of the play's depression-hit milieu and the effects of sudden modernisation on this remote location although this might have been better developed. For all that, strong playing by the central trio sustains the play, while Blythe Duff as a woman spurned by her community for begetting an illegitimate child is a stand-out among the

supporting cast. (Steve Cramer)

A very unpeasant fellow: Liam Brennan in King Of The Fields, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

theatre

listings

CITIZENS' THEATRE

119 Gorbals Street. 429 0022. [P. H. TI".

l we. WA] Death In Venice Until Sat 18 Dec.

7.30pm. £10 (£3). Tue all tickets £3.

Drama is listed by city, then alphabetically by venue. Dance is listed after drama for each city. Shows will be listed, provided that details reach our offices at least ten days before publication.

DISABLED ACCESS KEY

Access: P = Parking Facilities. PPA = Parking to be Pre-Arranged. L = Level Access. R = Ramped Access. ST = Steps to negotiate.

Facilities: wc = Adapted Toilet(s). as = Wheelchair Spaces. AS = Adjacent Seats. II = Induction Loop System. IR = Infra Red System. (i = Guide Dogs Allowed. R 2 Restaurant Accessible. (' = (‘atering Accessible. T = Adapted Telephone.

Help: A = Assistance Available. AA = Advise Venue in Advance.

TICKETLINK

Tickets for major venues in Glasgow are available from the Ticket (‘entrc. (‘andleriggs Mort-Sat 10.30am until b.30pm in person or until 0pm by phone oil (II-ll 287 55 I I. Sunday opening is noon—5pm. Any Tickctlink box office can sell tickets for other

THEATRE TOKENS

'I'I‘ irtdicates venues w here Theatre Tokens cart be evcllanged for tickets. Tokens can be bought from the Ticket Centre. ('andleriggs‘. (ilasgow. (II-ll 287 5010: most branches of WT I. Smith. John Menzies and James Thin Booksellers: or by credit card from Tokenline. tll7I 240 8800.

GLASGOW DRAMA

THE ARCHES

30 Midland Street. 321 «Itltll. [W(‘. WA] The End Part Two Sat I Jan. 00.0Iam. A seven minute piece of physical theatre based on lleiner Muller’s .Ilt'tletr/l/uy. which summarises the life cycle of sex. marriage. birth and death. l’trrr oil-Irelres' Hog/nullity .‘s'ig/ll.

Giles Ilavergal directs Thomas Mann‘s

story of a restless writer who becomes infatuated with a beautiful young boy as cholera spreads throughout the city of

Venice.

Blood On The Thistle Until Sat 18 Dec. 7.30pm. £10 (£3). Tue - all tickets £3. Douglas Sketlon‘s dark play. adapted, directed and designed by Kenny Miller. tells the story of three Scottish killers who relive their crimes from the

i psychiatrist's couch.

Cavalcade Until Sat 18 Dec. 7.30pm. £10 (£3). Tue all tickets £3. Directed

and designed by Philip Prowse, Noel

(‘oward's epic play follows the ups and downs of the Maryott family through 30 emotionally charged years.

comm THEATRE

03—95 Ilyndland Street. 357 3868. [II. WC. WA]

Babes In The Wood Until Sat 18 Dec. I7 Dec 1pm & 7pm; 18 Dec 2pm & 7pm. £6 (£2.50—£-l). A traditional family panto

l brought to you by drama students at Glasgow Nautical College.

Elli/letteultt ceurne l) University Avenue. 287 5511.

Area 51 Thu I()—Sat I8 Dec. 7.30pm; Sat

3.30pm & 7.30pm. £7.50 (£5). The world premiere of this all new rock 'n' roll musical tells of something evil from outer space. which finds a home in the top secret military installation known as Area 51. As

i the body count mounts the mystery

deepens. Created by Glasgow University students. the production uses pyrotechnics. video pro'cction and live DJing.

Godspeli Tue Zl—Wed 22 Dec. £5 (£4). Students of the Musical Theatre course at the Dance School of Scotland present this popular musical.

j RITMARDINNY ARTS CENTRE

50 Kilmardinny Avenue. Bearsden, 931 5083. Plum Loco's Christmas Cracker Thu

Your at-a-glanoe theatre guide

‘r'riaig‘e‘ay‘i‘e ‘r‘i‘raay' i7 " ' “Saturday 18

Sunday 19 Monday 20

"Citizens Main Citiaens Circle

Cavalcade Cavalcade

Blood On The Thistle ' Blood On The Thistle

3

Cavalcade

' Tuesday 21 EWednesday 22

Blood On The Thistle

Citizens Stalls

Death In Venice Death In Venice

Death In Venice _

Cottier Theatre

Babes In The Wood Babes In The Wood

Babes In The Wood

Gilmorehill

AreaSl AreaSl

Area SI

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King's

Mother Goose Mother Goose

Mother (ioosc

MitcheI‘ITheatre

Beauty And The Beast Beauty And The Beast

Beauty And The Beast ? Beauty And The Beast

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Beauty And The Beast

Mother (loose Mother Goose

Beauty And The Beast 1 Beauty And The Beast

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Theatre Royal

Scottish Opera Scottish Opera

Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty Sleeping Beauty

Scottish Opera

" - g Terry Neason Terry Neason i Beauty And The Beast : Beauty And The Beast Beauty And The Beast Beauty And The Beast Beauty And The Beast Beauty And The Beast Sleeping Scam)? Sleeping Beauty Sleeping Beauty n i i I - i i a “l Scottish Opera 1 Scottish Opera King's : Cinderella Cinderella (‘inderella (that-rent Cinderella Cinderella m - The Steamie E’The Steamie.‘Rashiecoatsz The Steamie The Steamie The Steamie hire Steamie/Rashiecoats. 2 I Phantom Of The Opera Phantom Of The Opera ' Phantom Of The Opera Phantom Of The Opera - S Peter Pan Peter Pan % PQEr Pan M” m - Peter Pan ' Peter Pan I Peter Pan

1h Workshop

The Little Lamp

The Little Lamp ~

The Little Lamp

Traverse 1

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King OfThe Fields King OfThe Fields

64 THE LIST 16 Dec 1999—6 Jan 2000

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King OfThe Fields - _

The Little Lamp The Little Lamp

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