Theatre
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A MANIFESTO FOR A NEW CITY Tron Theatre. Glasgow. Wed 20—Fri 22 Apr
Call me a cynic, but it‘s getting easier to categorise those involved in politics. Think twentysomethings discussing issues of fair trade over cups of Roibosh tea, disgruntled fathers in superman suits or posh men in, well, crap suits. And the most revolutionary action these days is to boycott MacDonald‘s. But there’s plenty folk dissatisfied with the ways things are, so where‘s the revolution? We might take advice from Newcastle- based Northern Stage, whose musical-poetry- performance piece is all about power being handed back to the people. According to artistic director Alan Lyddiard‘s, we perhaps need to listen to the artists and not the politicians.
"The piece is only political in the sense that it‘s about a poet‘s view of how people have the opportunity to make a difference,‘ he says. ‘The poet questions business ethics and management ethics and the general status quo. It's the poet‘s duty to change and disturb it.‘
The poet in question is Booker Prize nominee Julia Darling. a writer from Newcastle who Lyddiard describes as ‘incredible'. After seeing her perform her poem ‘Manifesto for a New City‘, Lyddiard was so enthralled he asked her to write a full-blown musical. ‘The show begins with ten people arriving in a space to
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sing. There's a bus driver, a blind man, a lesbian schoolteacher, a security guard, lots of different people from all walks of life. They start the play by saying “we are disgruntled". And the character of the poet catches the sense of this. She says she wants the human aspects of the city to flourish. So they come together to decide new rules. For instance, everyone should have an afternoon nap, we only imagine travel, all big supermarkets are closed and everyone is given back their own ingredients.‘
Based on Newcastle, Lyddiard insists the show will appeal to Geordies and Weegies alike. ‘There is lots that people can relate to. I actually think Newcastle and Glasgow are very similar. They both have a shipbuilding industry and a big river running through them. And the people, of course. the people are of the same nature.‘ Having lived and worked in Glasgow with various theatre companies, Lyddiard revealed he is leaving Northern Stage in the near future to direct in Europe, but insists the company, renowned for creating motivating theatre, will continue to go from strength to strength.
Making politics entertainment. Northern Stage could be a front runner for the ‘people's theatre‘ label if there ever was such a thing. And as for the show, Lyddiard says it is a ‘very gentle, very beautiful, very human hour and a half‘. There may not be a revolution, but it could at least get us talking. (Meg Watson)
MORE GRIM[M] Desmes Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 16 Apr 0000
HEDDA GABLER Perth Theatre. Thu 14-Sat 16 Apr. then touring