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It's all Greek to them: David Greig, Tom McGrath and Liz Lochhead
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Theatre Babel are a young company, whose steadily growing reputation has been built upon a succession of admirably accessible and well-staged productions of classics, with a particular focus on Shakespeare. The title of their upcoming trilogy, Greeks, might suggest they're sticking to their classical precedents, but there are some important differences. For this project, Theatre Babel have been awarded money from the National Lottery New Directions scheme, allowing them to work on a more ambitious scale than ever before. Artistic Director Graham McLaren has pulled off a splendid coup in securing the services of three of Scotland's leading writers to provide new versions of classic Greek tragedies. David Greig will be handling the inescapable paradoxes of fate in Oedipus; Tom McGrath looks at the relentless quest for justice that is Electra; and, perhaps most intriguing of all, Liz Lochhead will examine the dilemma of a woman adrift in a foreign society in Medea. Expect a freshness of angle and some insights about a society much closer to home than that of Athens 2,500 years ago. (Steve Cramer)
Jeanne—Mance Delisle's Trenc h- Canadian play of the /0s has the unusual distinction of havrng brought about the resignation of two members of Stellar Quines' board before it was given the green light. Dealing With child abuse and incest in a rural community, Muriel Romanes' production promises to examine patriarchal power structures, bringing a dark perspec tive to the conventional View of the nuclear family unit
Clarence Darrow IEdinburgh Kings Theatre, from 28 Mar) Leslie Nielsen, who most filnigoers associate With the mock-heroic Lieutenant Frank Drebbin from the Naked Gun series, makes a Surprising debut before British theatre audiences as real-life attorney Clarence Darrow in a strong drama on the theme of capital punishment Already acclaimed by Broadway critics, Nielsen plays the man who defended With dignity, passion and integrity an endless succession of death penalty cases The play carries the reputation of one of the strongest character studies to cross the pond in recent years
Reopening 0f Tramway (Glasgow tbc) The delay to the original scheduled reopening came as something of a blow to theatre-goers, but the renovated burlding should, barring further difficulties, be operating by mid-summer In the meantime, there are strong rumours of negotiations With Robert Lepage's Ex Ivlachina for a return to Glasgow, a prospect relished by those who remember last year’s Geometry Of Miracles
Beckett Time Iivlainly Glasgow, October) At the centre of this gathering to celebrate, perform and examine the work of Samuel Beckett are Cathie Boyd and Claire Findlay's Theatre Cryptic, who have commissioned a Wide range of national and international artists Among known local faces at work on the prorect are Graham Eatough and composer Davrd Paul Jones There are also approaches to the late Irish silence-merchant's work through dance, puppetry, film and exhibitions from places as far away as SOuth America
comedg
The Stand in Glasgow iGlasgow, Mari The Stand Comedy Club has helped to shape and create new directions in Scottish comedy in few short years The idea of an all-year-r0und venue, where comedy could be seen on any night that you felt like it, was — until the creation of The Stand's York Place headqciarters a pipedream for Edinburgh's comedy fans The opening of a second Stand in Glasgow wrll now offer this servrc'e to West Coast audiences, hopefully complete with accessible bar
Peter Kay (Edinburgh The Stand, Mar) Peter Kay’s reputation has been growrng for some years now, and might well reach a high pomt this year He'll be appearing at The Stand after the launch of a new sitcom, That Peter Kay Thing, which promises to considerably up the profile of this yOung COlTTlC. With a conversational, rambling, delivery, Kay’s style is one very much at ease With the audience Phil Kay (TOUTIng, Apr —Juril Phil Kay's anarchic improwsation has been popular wrth local audiences for some years now, although he’s definitely prone to hit-and-miss gigs This extensive Scottish tour Will fill houses all over the country, With gigs from the Borders to the far North and Islands Kay's main strength as a performer is an engagineg warm manner, as well as grvrng his audience the impression that the spiel he’s on could leap in any direction (perhaps yOursl at any moment
dance
Prince Rama And The Demons! Offenbach In The Underworld (Touring, from 27 Jan) The long- awaited (and at times controversial) Artistic Directorship of Peter North starts here. Scottish Ballet kicks off the new regime With Prince Rama And The Demons, a classic Indian folk tale about the rise of the Monkey Prince,
Whit h borrows from various Javanese and Balinese music and movement influences Offenbach In The Underworld tells of the l9th century composer’s conflicts With newer modernist composers These two dances Will run in repertory throughout the country
New Moves (Mainly Glasgow, from I Marl This festival of new dance and physical performance from all around the world will take place principally in and around the Tron, where more than the auditorium Will be utilised as performance space Among this year's more vaunted partiCipants are the Lucy Guerin Company from Australia, Belgium's COmpagnie Thor, DaVid Zambrano of Venezuala and Xavrer Le Roy, a Franco-German dancer. Expect a great variety of dance, all challenging comfortable assumptions about form
spotlight.
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PREVIEW 0F 2000
tflubs
Slam Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle r‘ai. e started work on a new Slam album, due Out on Soma this autumn At the moment, a number of tracks \‘.l‘il(l‘. their management stress are still \sorks-in-piogiess 7 reveal a new direction from the minimal hard techno of their l996 debut Head States You can aiso expect a Freelance Science lll|\ album from the duo, also on Sonia, at some point during 2000
Sub Club After closing its doors due to fire damage, the Sub Club is set to reopen sometime in February Idate still to be confirmed), which should cheer up the hoardes of Subbie kids lett griewng over the temporary demise of some of the best nights Glasgow has to offer
Outdoor parties Sublime are currently planning a number of outdoor bashes north of Edinburgh and Glasgow this summer For those who have already frolicked in the fields at their birthday dos, these Will be unmissable Sheep and cows beware
Warren Deigh While still seeking a venue to work his magic on in Edinburgh, Deigh (of Honeycomb fame) has found a Site in the West anI for a bar that Will have Yogi Haughton at the musical helm, due to open in April
Scottish 015 in the studio Look out for more releases and remixes from the likes of Craig Smith of Substantial, Kev Wright and ldge of Sublime, Flix ol Nomad, The Jengaheads, George T of Tribal Funktion, and nearly all of the Manga residents, as well as Daniel Ibbotson’s Frequency And Phase on Glasgow Underground. Dates are unconfirmed at the moment, so keep an eye on The List's club and music pages throughout the year
This year is going to belong to Romanthony. The buzz is already loud about the New Jersey-based DJ and producer - although he prefers to be known as an ‘artist' - who is set to release his first full-length solo album on Glasgow Underground this March. The genre- crossing R. Hide In Plain Site will undoubtedly do for him what Remedy did for Basement Jaxx and Homework did for Daft Punk — pluck
scurity and propel him into the main
Romanthony has been releasing singles on his own Blackmale imprint since the early 90s and, although it took a while for his sound to catch on in New York's often closed shop house scene, the frenzy is now underway. Everyone from 015 and producers to A8iR men and club promoters on both sides of the Atlantic are anxious to get a piece of him.
But a piece of Romanthony is hard to get; he shies away from the industry machinery, doesn't have corporate PR behind him and only recently agreed to do any interviews. If anything. however, this has helped his status grow to near mythical proportions — a house music genius discovered at last
(Simone Baird)
7—20 Jan 2000 THE “ST 99