‘SOME OF THESE ARTISTS ARE POLITICAL IN REALLY
SUBTLE, NON-OBVIOUS WAYS'
Roxy Musings
Macbeth at Roxy Art House
Steve Cramer finds a new arts venue for Edinburgh in conversation with
programmer LINDA GRAHAM.
hen l lier came to lidinhurgh in IONS. in}
lirxt great dixco\er_\ \\ ax the 'l‘ra\crxe
theatre. Located in itx xecond incarnation in the (iraxxmarket at thix time. the Inn mi\ed itx higgcr houxe xho\\x \\ith xmaller xcale e\perimenlal \\ork. 'l‘hexe latter piecex \\ ere a particular ad\enture. lo\\ priced and lo\\ hudget. ll. truth he told. I xa\\ xome prett} anlul thingx there. hut alxo xome little gemx. ol‘ten xllo\\caxittg the talentx ol‘ \\riterx. actorx tllltl dit'cL‘lttl‘x \\IIU \\Ullltl go till ltl lk‘L‘UltlL‘ lL‘gL‘lltlx. Since then. the 'l‘raxcrxe hax mo\ ed on to a dil'l‘erent kind of programming. \\ ith hig houxe xho\\x mi\ed up
\\ith xome medium xcalc touring theatre of
guaranteed qualit}. ()n one le\el. thix ix a good thing. hecauxe men it the product ixn’t e\cel|ent. )ou xeldom xee xtul‘l' that‘x real|_\ had there. But alxo_ it hax hecome harder to find the real hole—in—the-xxall e\perimcntal xtul'l‘. the real rixk—taking theatre.
(ilaxgoxx hax xuch xpacex ax the .»\rchex (to name hut one). \\here .v\nd.\ .'\rnold‘x hucaneering attitude ix to gi\ e _\oung artixtx lrec reign l‘or hrilliant e\periment. or enough rope to hang themxel\ex. depending on the caxe in quextion. But lidinhurgh doexn‘t quite ha\e the xame facilitiex in the centre ol to\\n. l'ntil no“. that ix. ’l‘he Ro\} .-\rl Ilouxe. formerl} the l.ad_\ Ro\hut‘:_‘h (‘hurch llall. hax. o\ er the laxt l'e\\ monthx. hode a range of different xmall xcale \xork l‘rom muxic to dance to \ ixual art to theatre.
The d_\namo at the centre of" all thix ix l.inda (iraham. a l‘ormer photographer \\ ho had tra\elled the \\orld in xearch ol~ the action heliore returning to lidinhurgh to create thix admirahle enterprixc. \\hich ix multi-xpaced and containx a xmall and unpi‘etentioux cal‘e. ‘l \\.lx in Boxnia photographing
the \\ar there a ten )earx hack. hut while | \\;1x there I hecame reall) interexted in the theatre and artx xcene. .r\|l o\er the former liaxtern Bloc there ix xome real creatix it_\ going on. and the artixtx concerned \tork at great perxonal rixk xometimex. :\x \er| ax hoxting local artixtx and ol‘l‘ering them a right to e\periment and xometimex lail. \\e ha\c an international xtrand here. \\ith \xork l‘rom liaxtern liurope. in tact an_\\\here It] the \xorld. reall} \\elcome. .\ lot of the
\xork \\e‘rc illlel'exted ill ix political. alld xolne ol'
thexe artixtx are political in reall} xuhlle. non-oh\ ioux \\;l.\x.~
'Iillc‘ calc lx ttl IIIL‘ t‘L‘llll'L‘ HI. lllc‘ ltlllltllllg'x crcali\e \ ixion. ‘\\'e xer\e thingx like xoup and coffee. nothing reall_\ pretentioux. htlt good l‘ood. mainl) \egetarian. But the hig thing ix it‘x a chance for the puhlic to mix hill] the artixtx to e\change ideax and l'eedhack. l \\anl to create a xpace \\here that kind ol' e\challge ix made cax_\.' ll xecllix xhc hax. You can alxo xee e\hihilionx. xtudent work and xingle performance artixtx prexenting hoth l'inixhed \xork and \\ork in llroilrexx. and at a Pt‘etl} lo\\ price. ~'lhere ha\e heen a lie“ thingx that are more e\penxi\e. hut the a\erage price for theatre ix hetneen line and xe\en poundx. \\hich ix prett} good \alue. The idea \xax that price \xouldn‘t he prohihitixe l'or amone uho came along to a xhoxx.‘
lne\penxi\e. e\perimental and adxcnturoux'.’ lt xoundx like lidinhurgh mould do \\ ell to keep thix gall
L‘UlllL'.
The Roxy Art House continues to programme new work into the new year. Check listings for details.
Theatre
Ilit >l<
THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE
M-
* Sleeping Beauty Tony Cownie's production of Stuart Paterson's enchanting little allegory holds delights for young and old. Love. loss and the nature of trust are all explored by a splendid cast in this moving little slow. Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh, until Fri 37 Dec
* The Little Mermaid Andy Arnold ‘3 team at the Arches haven't tackled festive season entertainment before, but they've a big future in it if this piece is anything to go by. Incorporating a little of the movie, a touch of Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale and the odd other ingredient. this short but gorgeous piece of entertainment about the mermaid who trades her tail for legs for the love of a prince is as beautiful as it is moving. The Arches, until Sat 9 Jan
=l< Jack and the Beanstalk The Krankies are back, and this time they've got an erection to climb on! Glitzy. bawdy and endlessly funny, this year's Pavilion Panto sees the night packed with continual entertainment. Pay/lien Theatre, Glasgow, until Sat 29 Jan
* Aladdie Forbes Masson's humorous and observant updates of old stories have become a fovourite at the Tron over the years, and this year is no exception. Bringing in such modern demons as property developers only adds to the satirical entertainment. Tron, Glasgow. Until Jan 8
* Merlin The Magnificent Stuart Paterson’s old table of the conflict of good and evil involving an evil witch and a good wizard is as entertaining as ever. Dundee Rep's production features some grand performances and has a very Christmassy feel altogether. Dundee Rep, until Fri 37 Dec
THE LIST 99