Theatre
MODERN SATlRE LOVE FREAKS Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Sat 1 June 0000
The review you’re about to read contains what some people would call obscenity. I’m not being simply prurient or showing a wilful desire to shock for shock’s sake, but if I’m to accurately describe lain Heggie’s new, rather loose, adaptation of Marivaux’s Double Inconstancy, we have to get down and dirty together. And it’s not as if Heggie himself is displaying a childish shock-jock streak either, for Love Freaks is, like much of Heggie’s work, a deeply, almost puritanically moral piece, a very funny commentary on the moral and sexual confusion of our times.
The vast global conglomerate, Costly Coffee, is hosting a countryside training weekend, where young Celine (Julie Austin) has been whisked away to be channelled, in more ways than one, into management. In fact, Justin (Brian Ferguson) son of the magnate who owns the whole chain (Callum Cuthbertson) wants into her pants. Preventing this is Jarvis (Paul Riley) her eco-warrior boyfriend. The scam is to get Jarvis distracted by Britney (Carmen Pieraccini) the sexually generous sister of Whitney (Gabriel Quigley) the manager of operations who’s also the boss’ lover.
It turns out that the former is a better seductress than the latter, for Jarvis has, it’s repeatedly remarked, a small, very cheesy knob, and since Whitney has a very small front bottom it’s her who goes for him. Meanwhile, Celine has a bit of an Albert Hall on the fanny front, so she seems better suited to Jarvis, who’s hung like a horse. Staffer Ringo (Cuthbertson) doesn’t know what to make of it all, but since he buggers his son (Ferguson) for a
tenner every night, he hasn’t a right to judge.
Get the picture? Perhaps you don’t. Within its endlessly twisting farcical scenario and the relentless use of one expletive and anatomical reference after another, Heggie’s play is a very thoughtful examination of multinationalism, sexual mores and human emotional instability. The play is a commentary on the mutability of principals when confronted with passion. Several of the characters change beliefs on a sixpence when confronted with an ideologically opposite person who gives them the hots. Heggie’s ideas have such a veneer of
Burger all for prudes
detached observation that it’s at times hard to guess his position on all this, but there’s a whiff of moral absolutism in all good satire, and this is good satire.
Graham Eatough directs all this with pace and intelligence, and if there is a moment or two, half an hour in, where you feel a bit expletived-out, the piece soon picks up again. There are fine performances, too, with Riley’s pompous radical and Quigley’s calculating man manager particular highlights. A very funny and ultimately quite challenging evening. (Steve Cramer)
COMEDY. DRAMA
THE REAL THING Pavillion Theatre, Glasgow, Mon 27 May-Sat 1 Jun
Tom Stoppard
‘National pastime: nostalgia.' Liz Lochhead wrote of Scotland. Perhaps that's why many people still assooate John Gordon Sinclair With his gawky Gregory's Girl protagonist. This deSpite the fact that. Over twenty years later. Sinclair has stacked up an impressive range of roles and has won an Olivier award for his troubles.
Sinclair stars in Tom Stoppard's 1982 play. which focuses upon plawiright Henry. who leaves his Wife and moves in Wlth his mates ex. Annie iv-iith whom he's been not-so-secretly rendezvous‘ingi. Henry is then forced to re-evaluate his perceptions of love when Annie. an actress. embarks upon an affair ‘.’.’!ll’l l‘C.’ yeting co star. ‘He thinks he understands love and puts himself down as a romantic.‘ says Sinclair. ‘He believes that once yOu've made a commitment that's it really.
56 THE LIST 27% May-fl .Jun 900/
that's all yoii have to do.‘
A ‘cats and dogs' drama then? 'The great thing about Stoppard is that he presents both sides of the argument.‘ says Sinclair. ‘Apparently. when it was done at the West End a c0uple of years ago. it was very lelSlve. Peeple came out either agreeing with Henry or Annie'
‘ln the play. Henry has been invited to appear on Desert Island Discs and is struggling to choose SLlltable records. Sinclair can empathise WlthlhlS task. 'The dilemma he has is that he doesn't like the inLiSic which, in his own words. is "the music that it's all right to like." He doesn't understand classical music or opera. To him it all just ebunds the same. What he really loves are the Everly Brothers or the Righteous Brothers.‘
And if Sinclair himself were to be invited on the show? 'There's a conceit to it because you're trying to present a Side of yOurself that makes yOu maybe more interesting than yOu actually are.’ he says. ‘But I would have Wagner in there. and possibly ‘You've Lost That Lovm' Feehng'.‘
Sinclair is looking forward to returning to his homeland. 'I still think there's a very strong sense of community up there. nail‘ich definitely does not must in London.‘ Perhaps; he's being nostalgic? ‘I don't miss the rain at all.‘ he hastens to add. lKik Heidi
coN l E MPORAIW DANCE AKRAM KHAN/WILLI
DORNER
Tramway, Glasgow, Fri 24 & Sat 25 May, Fri 30 & Sat 31 May
Ti'aiii\.'-./ay has long had a reputation for bringing innovative and exciting dance to Scotland. but even it is excelling itself this fortnight. For two (ZONESOCUIIVO weekends. the venue will play host to award— winning clioreographms whose new group works have sent a l>u// ricocheting round the dance world.
The niesnierising moves of Akram Khan will have stayed with anyone who caught his Tramway show last year. Trained in the £300 year-old art of Indian Kathak danCing. Khan went on to study at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance before forming his own company in August 2000. Still only 27. he's been the resipient of a Jerwood Choreography Award. Time Oct Outstanding Newcomer Award and a whole lotta praise from the dance fraternity.
Following on from the success of his group show. Rush. Khan has iust premiered his first full-length work. Kaas/i at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall to a sold-out audience: and now it's headed our way. A collaboratiye piece for ll‘.0 dancers. Kaas/i ithe Hindu word for ‘if'i fuses Khan's choreography sculptor Anisli Kapoor's set and composei Nitin Saxzhney "s score. ‘The piece is i'l§§l)|l'(E(l hy Shiva. the Hindu god of destruction and lord of dance] explains K’i‘an. 'And the idea that when you destroy something. you create something l‘(}‘.'.'..
A week later. Austrian danceinaker Willi [Dorner rolls into town Knowi‘. for his (:lioreograi)hy. curating and \’l(l(}() all skills. Doinei has been creatzng grouii(llireaking works since the eain 80s and his latest venture. 1a.". . has turned more than a few heads. Winnei of the Austrian ()hoitxigiaphic Perfoiniance Award in 2000. Add/l has gone on to play at dance lestnals throughout the ‘.‘.’()I'|(l, Born out of an earliei due’. I». Doinei. intern: tli > ‘.'.'orl\ was inspired by l relicli philosopher l\/1£tll.'l(it3 Merleaa l’onh and (iliestior‘s our
Willi Dorner’s dance group
perceptions of iiio\.'eiiieiit and dance.
through a series of solos and duets. [lovi‘ei .ncoipoiates liliit. text and Me ()l'()](?(lll()ll, ensuring woie v-xell and truly up to oui eyes in iniagen. ‘.'.’llllt.‘ pushing the dancers to the limit liotli pli\si(:a|l\ and mentally. iKel|\ Apteii