PfiIVATE AGENDA u Carnegie Hall. Dunfermline, Thu 9 Sep, then touring.
This will be an important show for 7:84. Depending on how many people stay for part two of the show, a live debate with a local MSP or political figure, they will be able to gauge what percentage of the audience was sufficiently interested, or outraged, or inspired, or concerned enough by the first half of the show, the play Private Agenda, to stay behind and discuss the issues it features.
I use the term ‘play’ advisedly, since what it actually comprises is verbatim extracts from interviews conducted with people around Scotland, real people at the ‘front line’ of private finance initiatives, such as those at the new Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, and the Isle of Skye Bridge scheme. Thoughts and
from beginning to end. It is so busy making and re-making its point - that PFls and PPPs are bad for public services - that it forgets to be interesting or dramatic, and instead feels like an overlong party political broadcast, or one of those never-ending conversations with someone who won't stop moaning, so matter how much you wish they'd change the subject. During the Fringe, it was proved that political theatre can be both entertaining and engaging, and still be relevant, while Glasgow-based company A Moments Peace in its production That's What We Should All Be Mourning used a similar technique to 7:84, in presenting extracts from interviews with people about the war on terror, to a devastating and intensely powerful effect. 7:84 seems to have forgotten to be a theatre company and has turned into a militant mouthpiece for people to put their tuppence worth of opinon across. A return to
Theatre
achieving the difficult balance between theatric and politic is what 7:84 should be striving for; theatre can be such a powerful medium for the discussion of issues, but needs a more creative approach than simply becoming a soap box for the disenfranchised
opinions from those people are presented by four actors in various costumes and accents. But those costumes and accents are the sole extent to which 7:84 have gone to make this work as a piece of theatre. It lacks any real structure to provide tension, characters to
provide humour or depth, and is overly static public. (Gareth Davies) PFU and I GLOBAL RESPONSE Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 11 Sep r ' ' 14".; . .:wf' . ' . Nita MUS/x ‘8' 1: : ' T; t.‘ <..' :f'ti tn ‘ ll ' '~:a' l it turn: t ' i ' t'(;l"i7"( .t/r..it.') ‘» t ‘ [twit ' l ." t'/;'ii'i f: i'1t'i’7‘.‘.‘€:'_'. t ' o 'i l):;it‘t‘; ‘ (the: ' i o _.i " ,' ' . l li;.i'a~::ii statt: a”; i;/,r‘.:.._:‘,." ; 1'4: E-Lgir‘n a": t i :3: 1': . ' :. amt... tn... _; .' l/ . ' t) i . Glasgow pie eating shock am: Bars; xi? tea M; T" '."i’:‘ i..- '." ~ ix." Yot"‘<;r<;" rm 2" l ' 'i i V‘L’iNK’WHMV MEAIHE: fOi' a meal. a drink and a oi‘tz- it; "f‘flllérliaifl‘t’: "matarx‘sv‘tx. 13.3.”; Thaw-1; a .w, ‘.' ; éISIi-AY’ A PIE AND A atlt play. and can Still ht: ham at <:a.-<;f:5. 8a S::"'<:-f;"{;o;". a l‘(:.'. "zi'W: f', Ej'ifan‘. ‘3' :3 , l. i- 1.: : w - OranMor‘ Glasgow. weekly the office in time for the ear“, 01:0" "‘ait: 63:; (LU a '~',-" :1 t.- ’11:" rt",' ' ' ’; Mon_Fri from Mon 6 Sep. afternoon 'boretl‘ meeting. ‘I 'liéiSCCZ" est/j ss<2x..a. aria ling-urn. .: ':;1~:,-r:, a, " i f' '\ i ' ' ' l'GllTQmDQF going to a lunc'ttin‘e ..'t<:<,«rto".»:,-s of the War)": mutant; awi t"~:; rttyt'artsif c‘ {,‘7 .i, r; ' GOing to the theatre can be a theatre 'n Edinburgh in the earl; en‘.ironi*‘e"t. T'tere's a at o‘ "st, at ."r: :x' .£:.'.' drag. right? Hating to book 705. and it was fantastic.‘ says case and We (tc";;."et/.:a.tiro.n of war: in‘ sewers. exa'" " "7} it‘onths in adxance to get the MacLennan. ‘It was Such an abo..t.' r‘e sa\,s. best seats. paying a small easy. accessible and ENG/able But this Is ,cst scratching the surface. a Ca“ -st, 0 .'
anti-terrorist baranoa set on a .‘rest coast Is and. a co to": ’,:’E,i"‘a: set ' Singap0re. and a oece by Gooi‘re‘, Ham‘th on e“ect c toti can see the myrrao e‘i‘ect. Go see. then tax about t. Stee Cran‘er
fonune for them. haying to get dressed up and go straight from work because you don: have time to go home before the show starts at 7.30. only then to Sit thrOugh three solid hours of heavy Greco or Shakespearean drama while wondering if you programmed the VldeO correctly to record that Ceronatbh Street obtible- bill to watch tomorrow night. if time allows. Right’? \\’rong.
A Pat. A Pb and .t P "f 's a
way to enjoy theatre. It made theatre a part of daily life. That's what this initiative IS all abOut. It's not like going to the theatre at all. at least not in a conventional way.‘
Tweive plays. including nine new commissions especially for the protect. Wltl be Shown O\.'er the coming weeks. each running Monday to Saturdat. Debrs open at 12.3Cibn‘. the shots. staits at t.‘.Obn‘ and 6 oxer ht i.50;)lt‘. Already. the {tit} new theatie initiatite Doing na't‘es (n board incticte TVS spearltt—‘aded ht DdUt) Greg Hen‘pwll :r‘t; MattLennan. with the ain‘ a" cart. actresses Catherine doing away taith all those Hansen and Jei‘nfer' 8 ac«.
breconcebtions about theatre r' and performer Jon". Bett. l‘elltg 5&3i7781i7iligjtt‘ti HJ‘.C‘:C \lil'ch' Dclctd bicac' 53H. ark}
mant n‘bre. Sc ooh“. ,t.s:
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book ll‘iOl‘ttiS in adtance. bat a
snail foittine Tor. etc. lt's
Tbcated in the reconditioned \bo" it.i‘c"ibi'eaks tl‘ s at.t..
Ol'anMOi' Church tenue on dorm“ to Cranhto". its
GUSSOWS Great Hestem Ineatre. but "3'. e «'12-.
Road. and audiences pat f‘t‘ Gaietn Caves Lorenzo Mele
- z -. x -'- THE LIST 69