GUI IUHE C'. ASH [gitt't’fzk
INDIAN COUNTRY
Traverse, Edinburgh, Wed 11—Sat 14 Jun
Welsh dramatist Meic Povey’s first English language play, Indian Country, takes its cue from an historical incident: the invasion of a small rural community by a
foreign army. The invading army was largely English, though led by a strikingly
beautiful Swedish woman and 100 children.
This was, of course, the making of the 1958 film The Inn of the Sixth Happiness. The invading army was the film’s cast and crew, led by star Ingrid Bergman. While no one was harmed during the making of the film, the invasion disrupted life in the post-war Welsh community. This particular take on a clash of cultures has been addressed elsewhere. Irish playwright Marie Jones’ Stones in his Pockets turned a similar scenario into a tragi-comedy, while Pulitzer prize winner David Mamet played it as whimsical comedy in the film State and Maine.
Povey, though, is using the invasion by the Army of the Sixth Happiness for his own ends. ‘My childhood,’ he says of his years growing up in Snowdonia, ‘coincided with an increasing prevalence of English in everyday life. Indian Country examines its impact on a largely monoglot community and portrays the concoction of excitement, confusion and trepidation we experienced at the time. Essentially, it’s a play about change.’ Cultural change in Wales over the last 40 years gives the play its contemporary relevance which is the operational mandate of Sgript Cymru, Wales’ new writing company and the outfit behind Indian Country. And cultural change accounts for Povey‘s decision to write in
English.
Anyone familiar with the Ingrid Bergman film will be aware of the thematic link The Inn of the Sixth Happiness shares with Povey’s play. Also based on real events, the film tells the story of an English missionary in China converting the locals to Christianity. Substitute Wales for China and the English tongue for Christianity and you have the crux of th‘ concerns Povey expresses in Indian
Country. (Miles Fielder)
RELIGIOUS Pl AY
THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST Dundas Estate, South Queensferry, Tue 10—Sat 14 Jun
It's a tall order. The rdea of o'esentmg the
old Na/z-trene's lrle has azwat s tasc aateo Hollywood. and was. let's face .1. the posmve obsesmon ot the ear 3. European theatre. But Suzanne Lottes. arttstx: drrecIOr' of Cutting Edge theatre. doesr"? seem rntrmrdated by th.s ct‘aracte" strc open-arr protect. Thrs con‘pa'i, has certarniy been unafraid of the Scott's,"
weather In presentrng ope".-ar' theatre to
Wrde audrences. A successron of summer Shakespeares tt‘. recer‘t tears speaks for rtselt.
With a large cast drawn frorr‘ man. church communrtres. the W030?! offers
both scale and spectacle. as e as a t}.
of sun rt the weather .5 uncharacterrstrcallt krnd. Thrs {Tr'CLt'u’c‘E a" arms to present audiences. relrgxxrs an: otherwise. mth an account c" the IOrmatrx'e theological O\Ct‘.f of as: c.. tore \‘JIIICII eschews the tradrtronarr. sun"; associations of churches and 5 no e
doctrrnes, Among the ache supporters
Space invaders
Entertainment for a broad church
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Theatre
iflrénrsneuce Arches. Glasgow. Wed 18-Sat 21 Jun
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of ‘3',“‘I-tt‘Irttl the. are '. \t Exploring the box
It: ts {.1 . “".r- a' “a” ' " ' .' at‘tzta! teie.‘s:o't stage it peflfli‘. " " HI I? ' t . '- " :' my... har‘zttert t’. ‘re.‘:t'.e:. truz" {an t f" ' r' .2: that ihe she's. trans=atetz a it t " ‘.'. 'r.:'. : n v” r' r'." t" '. ‘7. hate; s2ori techn'dues onto the st.:«:-- fith't ' : : ‘ " '- as .‘.'erl as (IY{I.'.’.t‘rtl o" Harr'sorrr. at. t' e 1' : °_ 1,2": '. as a traned r'taormar‘. usinr; elt-r're"'.:. 5%.? :.' : ' .1: .t .' of :lLrsron and saspe'tsror' of dishelre’ \ '.'r
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COMEDIANS
Ramshorn Theatre. Glasgow, Mon 16—Sat 21 Jun.
Glasgow's Strathc..de Uncerstt‘. "as been rtrnnrnt; a coarse tor stude! ‘s r“ stand up corned, tor the last fr.e tears. a factor whrch Susan lrresrnar‘ says was densrve rn her riecrsrcn to stage Treyor (Jrrttrths' play from the nut: ['(Js. (Jo/rtedra'rs, Set rn a Manchester school room on the fast exenrno of an adult educatron course rn stand up comedy. the plat fSITf)‘.‘.’f; Comic belief the drtterent characters' approaches to and understandrng ol the stand up drscrplr're. ar‘ri challe perceptrons ot comedy and :Is social functions
Insofar as the undertyrng rssues of I)'t)’)Il‘, '.‘.""ii(,?‘. I. ,' mar I. ' ’ flw' e, proxrrde materza! tor comrcs exrst rn .wder socret, too. TI": r' :r wt. becomes a krnd or rnrcrocosrn of the ‘real .vorld‘ 'lhe pita. ram a rt ,‘ thrnos to say ahot why people do stand up Harte/2,. ar": t'r",..';" ar r,' t. rt strll has many conternpor‘an. resonances. Lott? sown arzd (1.531“ at‘
Trresrnan. Interestingly. the actors haue c(,!r‘r.'he"tr:’t the z' :‘ .‘1"""1Ir r'.
they've felt rn perforrnrno the stand or; rotrtrnes t,‘ ttre' Mira/term
There really rs nothrno hke the scent of fear errrangrtrrvi ‘rrxr .1 ' r e star '1 rt rn a contrned performance space But next trrne. as tum: t"e ta! :1, ,r’ descendrng on the lone performer. (irrttrths' pla, as‘wb t', tare malrgnant pleasure from rt. tGareltt [)ax'res.
REVIVAI EDUCATING RITA Byre Theatre, St Andrews. Thu 5—Sat 28 Jun
So. the unase heads at E<:"tt)..r':;tt Lyme-mt, 'r;:.e (VII: " ’2‘:‘:" er: "
to make a :grea‘. shou‘: of their prefmenct; "x <' " "55' v" " '1' "
o‘ Fnolrsti. lne as! m e the. 'trd ’f'ns. l .vas fear,” /; t'e'e. :t' I: "‘eupe’: .:";-: 'ittlYlIXEVf} ’>‘ old Romans r‘a're’: low» and He”, “:1, any: e“; p: ' .'r :,-,-' ‘ ()3’1Etortrans talc-d Harrt:shar‘rrt La'r cue", Yes. eye' uee' " -’,- r -’:2 w.‘:' Scotland ce‘ve ti"e;' arrz'.'a’ at the :e's 51'”! '."-x;, a‘ 'r:': " -': ,z'r a .:"'-',-" "
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rr‘ro'e homhfe 'yrgrr‘s.
Tna. s an, \r. .l‘. Russens coir et. uee': s 'etm' .. true: ., .r . a t1(7€:(2klfl(1!f,rx(ll(1':(}Lr(15)f) BEHKIS) (“(7 ). .IIJV'YRI‘ r{,'. '4'), I. u. {. r: I.', l ',
various ‘r'ia't':rr‘<; a'rar‘gerrer‘ts. [1.1377111 Hfr: ‘.‘:‘:" '. " 2"; '-’,-e.::' ' f' a' " e
t'ne 9" its (:c'r‘p'iszt ca to 798C. 9' z“ the trrrr r: .r, e a" ,e::". a'e'
The star“, o‘ the sprang (:ass "a "Vesser. a ‘.f’::' 1y," ' °.' e ova: ye ’-':"_ :1". U: . :e‘ ,' a' :2 W ' tsp "1e: rrr crof", f..'f’,' see-arc a' "e '1‘,” ‘ ',"e::'r c ‘1 ar 9 t at .'.".;c". the “toes if Posse aw: Game ex’ :,- T' r,- 'eee" rxcdsot an r.‘ Blood Brothers at YEW;- Fr;s'.:.'a' Theatre affix", 'r, '.' e ‘ac'. T' a? ",r:
t: scours ; possoe cocoar .rreaxe. LIC-‘ol/J: .'.’."(:‘. " r: e . I" . strong cast (3’ chhard Aooso': and Anna ‘t/ettesse. . ye. z:' a" g:
'x. 9‘9 Ar .n or. '.,.,\s g. s ,1 Lyr‘ \r"
THE LIST 65