'IT'D BE DAFI' TO SAY IT'S MELODRAMA BECAUSE IT'S NOT'
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Steve Cramer talks to DOUGLAS MAXWELL about his Traverse premier,
Melody. But neither is entirely honest.
he hlttdgeoning populixm ol the a\erage pop—
cttltttral px}c‘lttittti;t|}tic' xcll'—help hook hax a
lot to anxwer l‘or. (iranted. it hax \aguel) increaxed conxciotIxncxx that we all ha\e not a xinglc. centred and coherent xcll‘. but man} contexting dcxirex within ottrxchex. xomc ol which we are unaware ol'. l’erhapx thix ix a good thing. httt it hax introduced a widel) mixttnderxtood \oc';thti|;tt'_\ ol~ px} chotherap}; which ix danget'ottxl} mixapplied h} itx \ ictimx.
'l'ake reprexxion. .\loxt people in the prol‘exxion xee thix ax an intportant rextraint to ottr perxonalitiex. which ix occaxionall) damaging in certain inxtancex. In other wordx. it cart he a good thing that w c're all reprexxix ex. hecauxe it helpx tix to xocialixe and e\ixt together. But the widexpread mixapprehenxion that it‘x alwa_\x had l'or _\ou to rcprexx hax turned a generation ol paxxixe aggrexxixex into maxxi\e aggt‘cxxi\e.x. 'l'hat l‘amottx 7()x hook might well he retitled I'm ()l\'. Hill You Won't be H'lit'n I'm 'l'llmug/t it'll/I You. ax xo man} l'olk who time been taught to ‘healthil_\ e\terna|ixe their l‘eclingx ol aggrexxion' in order to extahlixh 'honext} ‘ are let looxe among ttx.
Dottglax .\1a\w ell ix well aware ol‘ thix. He rcl'lectx. with .xtoical good humour. on the odd experience he‘x had ol~ all thix. ‘Someone who doexn‘t rcprexx att}thittg ix h} definition a px}chopath. It'x like that perxon who pullx _\ou axide down the pub and xa}x. “I‘m gonna tell )oll xomcthing l‘\e nex er told amone before". and _\ott think. "No. pleaxe don‘t.” he xa_\x. “There's thix thing about honext} in the theatre where people come up to )titi alter )olll' pla} 'x been on and tell you ahottt your pla}. hecauxe it‘x more honext. And then the} tell )oll _\ou‘re ttlt idiot. \Vhttl good doex it do it] walk up to xomeone alter their pla) and .xa). "I thought the third act reall_\ taich oil and the perl‘ormancex were reall} had."l"
.-\x we xit iii a little |.eith cale oxet' a pot ol' tea. were not itth tilting the da} awa). \laxwell‘x new pla} lie/oily. original!) written in Mill. httt nnproduced hel‘ore thix 'l‘raVerxe production. c\aminex pc‘opic‘\ right to reitwent liiL‘ltle‘in‘x. and htll'} the paxt il~ the} wixh to. w ithont the itttet'\ention ol' dextructixe hotttx ol holiL‘xt). In it. a woman hecomex xttrrogate tnother to her htwl'riend and his mother. httt one night. ax a xtorm ragex otttxide in their little hottxe in (iir\an (Maxwell‘x childhood home. which hix work hax l'retlttentl} rexixitedl a \‘ixitor arriVex to conl‘ront a xuccexxion ol' ttL‘ltlttii) quite dextrttctixe truthx. lt'x a hlack coined}. with the odd ttnaxhamed xentimental touch \er) mttch Maxwell‘x home territor}.
l’or thix ix a writer who locatex a pow erl‘ttl Itottcxl} twhich in art. rather than We. run he health} ) about human emotion through the ntmoxt ximplicit}. which here ix reflected in a well-tnade—pla} l‘orm. ‘It‘d he dal‘t to xa} it‘x a melodrama hecauxe it‘x not. but it‘x definitely not xh_\ing aw a) l‘rom the accuxation. Three actx. a xtorm outxide. and the w a} it'x conxtrttcted. lt‘x not a xt_\lixtic exercixe. bill it doex have thingx in common with that l‘ormf he xa}x.
I can't help hut l'eel. ax I look at thix Iikeahlc man. who l‘xe inter\ iew ed man} timex. that he'x \er} like hix work. which ix more unttxual in a writer than )ott‘d think. ’l‘here'x an engaging good humour and warmth there. and xomething elxe. which ixn't xhown hut xenxed about him a touch of the melanchon He‘x good enough. though. not to xhow thix latter to me. an} tnore than l‘m likely to dixpltt} m_\ darker xide to hitn. 'I‘hank' heax'enx l‘ot' reprexxion.
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 10-Fri 31 Mar.
Theatre
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Hit
THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE
* Faust, Parts 1 8. 2 Mark Thomson's Lyceum is showing its spirit of adventure with this sprawling and epic tale, incorporating two plays which can be viewed separately. John Clifford's version of Goethe‘s classic promises supreme visual and physical spectacle alongside a very contemporary and politically aware text. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, in repertory, until Fri 7 Apr.
* Inferno The Arches brings us a tale of condemnation and purgatory set in the underground vaults of this creative powerhouse. Dante's tale looks set to be brought alive by effective design and a massive cast. Arches, Glasgow, Fri 70—Fri 24 Mar.
It Melody The first Traverse show of the season sees Douglas Maxwell's welcome return to Scottish stages with his new play Melody. In it. a visitor from the past brings unwelcome revelations to the home of the eponymous Girvan tenement dweller. Black comedy with a nostalgic edge. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 70—Sat 37 Mar.
* Falling Poorboy, one of our leading site-specific companies heads up the NTS programme proper with this journey through the Glasgow underground, pubs and backalleys in search of love and intimacy among city dwellers. A promising evening on the train. Arches, Glasgow (begins at Queen St Station), Tue 74 Mar—Sat 75 Apr.
* Perfect Ple Maureen Beatty directs Judith Thompsons's tale of fraternal care between two women. Expect thought provoking entertainment from the author of My Pyramids. Tron, Glasgow. Wed 15-831 18 Mar, then touring.
-. :r.v, ’/ ',':i' 2', 1', THE LIST 83