THE GREEDY MONSTER AND KING OF POLAND WILL NO
Hit
THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE
Theatre
Greig ahead
Theatre editor Steve Cramer examines the theatre year ahead.
f there's a single name that jumps out of
programmes and prognosis for the year ahead. it‘s
that of l)a\'id (ireig. His work has become well known to audiences throughout the world. but (ireig plainly still sees Scotland as a home base. After a decade of work here. with Suspect (‘ulture. the Tron. the Tray crse and others. his has become a pre-eminent name of Scottish writing.
This )car. along With a succession of London premieres. (ireig‘s l’y‘reneex looks like something very much along the lines of his tnost thoughtful yein of writing. comparable to such pieces as San Diego and The ('owioiiaui'x last .llexxage to the Woman lie ()iiee l.oi'et/ in the l’ormer Soi'iet l'nion (this latter will also be t‘c\i\‘cd in London this year). Pyrenees examines a group of c\istentially lost people. through a middle- aged man who appears mysteriously in the location of the title. You can see it at the Tron this Spring.
But this won‘t be (ireig‘s only appearance on Scottish stages. with a Tron and Dundee rep co- production of his own Version of 1 'lm Roi. The greedy monster and King of Poland will no doubt be transformed by (ireig's treatment. yet no doubt there will still be much of .larry's sayage surrealism present. You can also see this at the Tron in October.
But (ireig‘s old homies at Stispect (‘ulture will not be idle either. They're engaged in a new project this February which shows a truly international scope. A Different Language is a new piece by Renato (iabrielli. author of last fringe‘s A .llo/n'le Thriller. which posits a romance between an Italian man and a British woman. It‘s not an unproblematic affair. this. so expect an unsentimental View of modern relationships. The British side of the cast boasts the splendid Selena Boy‘ack. so expect quality.
84 THE LIST 'S-Q.‘ a3."
DOUBT BE TRANSFORMED BY
GREIG'S TREATMENT
David Greig’s Outlying Islands
Meanwhile. the Scottish National Theatre. although tnooting the possibility of some dey'elopment work in the Summer. will not be presenting a major production until Spring zone. The big aimouncement from them should be that of the posts of lixecutiye and Associate directors. which should occur sometime in the Summer.
After an Autumn in which the company produced no new work of its own. the Traverse will also be back in action this Spring. A hitherto unknown young writer. (‘atherine (irosyenor will see the first full- scale production of her play. Some Day All This Will
('ome 'l'o .\"ot/11'ng. lixamining the phenomena of people who disappear. as well as the discoyery of
dead bodies. the piece has a talking corpse and a policewoman at the centre of a complex emotional drama. You can see it in March. and there's more from the 'l‘ray'erse in April. with Ronan ()'l)onnell‘s linglish Version of Wang Xiaoli's play In the Bag. Part of an ongoing project iny'olying contemporary (‘hinese theatre. this piece examines the paradox between security and entrapment that so many people feel in relationships.
Meanwhile. there's the gorgeous prospect of another Visit by the Riot Group with their new piece this coming fringe. It's still in deyelopment. so there‘s not tnuch I can tell you beyond this. but expect the same poetic. strikingly political work from the Rioteers.
Boilerhouse are also up to something pretty big this May. 3600. the result of a co-production with lirench company Metalyoice. looks to add spectacle to philosophy. with a grand scale piece of physical theatre examining the way in which we interact with time. It‘s all very intriguing. but I‘m only scratching the surface here.
3|: The Nutcracker Ashley Page's version of Hoffman's classic tale is ballet at its best, contriving to please both traditionalists and the modernisers at once. Mythic action, unorthodox storytelling and gorgeous choreography combine to great effect. Touring.
* Look Back In Anger the Lyceum revive John Osborne's contemporary classic with David Tennent in the lead role of Jimmy Porter. A chance to revisit the original Angry Young Man, or to see a much spoken of piece of post war theatre for the first time, it must be worth the visit. The play was certainly controversial in its day and might still look rather raunchy to a contemporary audience. Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh, Fri 14 Jan - Sat 10 Feb
=l= Love, Sex and Older This fringe hit of 2003 visits Scotland with a tale of teenagers in a local park. The hint to the subject matter is in the title, but there’s more to appeal to bigger audiences than just teenagers here. For anyone who has mixed alcohol and sex there is a message here. Tron, Glasgow, Thu 13 - Sat 15 Jan, then touring
:l: The Little Mermaid The Arches first stab at a genuine Christmas show is a triumph. This moving tale has more to do with genuine emotion than the Disney film, and is worth a watch for both adults and children down to a very young age. At 55 minutes it doesn't overstay its welcome. 7779 Arches. Glasgow, until Sat 2 Jan