Theatre
Be There Firs
Steve Cramer runs through the pick of the earliest opening Fringe shows. You. lucky reader, can see them ore-festival.
eing a i‘e\ie\\ er ean \ometimex \eem like a
prixileged poxition. It delinitel} hax itx
dranhaelxx. hut on the tip \ide. lolk in m_\ [ll'tlIt‘\\ltlll get lree theatre IIt'hL'I\. and then are paid to go. \Vhieh I \uppoxe ix a eo\_\ \ort ol arrangement. Yet there aie adumtagex that _\Ull. a\ a memher ol the pa) iiig puhlie that \\ e eritie\ \er\ e. ean ettio} o\ er ux. In partieular _\oii ean get into \ho\\\ helore ll\. I’rexieux. \\hieh eritiex are not permitted to attend are. admittedl}. \ometimex \lightl} rough al'l'airx. hut
\xhen the_\ take ol'l'. tou’w got _\our\ell a night ol
tiiialit) theatre lor lexx than the ll\l|;lI pi‘iee.
'I‘he opening ol' the Izdinhurgli I‘ringe reprexenh a eand) \hop lull ol' theatre to weak into hel'ore the eritiex. 'I‘o \tart \\ith. Ilenr} .\damK ne\\ plat l’i'lm/ ./('\Il\ _\'i"e/il/iiim' z: 5 (/II the lime nl I/It' .l/i'ni'ii/ii the 'l‘ra\er\e llagxhip pieee \xill he tip ax earl} ax fillth .lul_\. il‘ )ou eare to drop into a theatre lll\l gearing up tor the textual. .\dam‘x pla_\. \xhieli dealx \xith l\\o pinned doun Ixraeli \oldierx and their three une\peeted guextx in the lorm ol' a 'Ie\an oil man. a Rahhi‘x \\ido\\ and .i )illlllg Ixraeli arm} ol‘lieei'. \\Ito ereate ha\oe in their dugout. lookx ax \a\age a \atire ol eurrent .\Iiddle Iiaxtern I’olitiex ax _\ou're likel} to we lIll\ textual.
It _\ou're a (ilaxuegian \xith \ome imagined \light preventing _\ou Irom ti'axelling to the eapitol. }tiii ean e\en eateh a \lither ol' the hinge in )oiii‘ oun eit_\ il' )iiii'i‘t‘ \\illing to go along to Rona .\Itinro‘x ne\\ pieee .\‘r/iiii‘lit'rrri'x m .Iimmrri'. an adaptation oi I'.\L‘I}llL‘ tIL‘ Itt (‘IlL‘llCIlCl‘Ci\ I‘IIIL‘t‘\\\ CCI I‘Ulllttllllt‘ eomed} l‘rom Quehee. In it. imagined romantie \eeiiariox and realit) elaxh in the li\e\ ol \e\er'.il lo\e \mitten indi\idual\. I)ireeted h_\ Painex I’lough'x artistie direetor Ro\ana Silhert. l‘oi'merl}
82THELIST.‘ ..
AS SAVAGE A SATIRE OF MIDDLE EASTERN POLITICS AS YOU'LL SEE THIS FESTIVAL
People Can Run
ol the ’I'ra\er\e. thix pieee promixex a kind ol
thoughtlul Vii/me Dunn \eenario lor the romantieall} inelined.
.I‘IIL'I'C ttl't‘ ;| Iltl\I ill UIIIL'I [llt‘t't‘\ It) t‘;tIL‘Il lll deinhurgh. lx’ed Sliil'tK adaptation ol the ieome lilm and hook. (lt'l ('iu'lt'r \pe;il\\ iii a \xoi‘ld ol gangland amoralit} \xith ai'tieiilae}. and ean he \een at the I’leaxanee eourt_\aril ax earl} a\ 3nd .-\ugu\t. 'I‘he \ame date and \eiiiie \xill \xitnexx the return ol the delightl'ul I’eople ('an Run with a pieee that lollo\\\ the gorgeoud} \xhimxieal \atii'e .Irii/m. a I-rmge hit last war. I‘M/l .\iori' \pe;il\\. one \uxpeetx in a \imilar delightliill} pla_\lul \t_\le. ol a group ol people \xho get hored. and the ma}hem that lollou \.
Some \\\;t\IlIlllt'I\Illlj_‘ \\\ordpla_\ ean he e\peeted l‘rom I)l(('/\. a \e\\ York aei \xhieh leaturex lad} \\\Ul‘tIIl:_‘IlIL'l'\ detnomtrating ph_\\ieal and \eihal \kill\ to the ma\. You ean \ee thix aetion paeked little lireeraelxer at (' ('hamherx Street a\ eat‘I_\ a\ the 3nd .\uguxt. ()u the \ame da_\ o\ er at the I'nderhell). _\ou ean eateh the eomed) \xhieh \et the S_\tIIIC_\ I'ringe alight laxt _\ear. liturgi'rx (Ull/ .IIm/i. eneroaehing on that tahoo area ol \hared aeeommodation. \hagging the l'latmate. .'\l\o at the I'ndei'hell}. .\I Smith'x Roi/in l'rom the eompam Kiiiitliiixk} \xhieli \eemx to iii\ol\e \paeexhipx and \eiel’antax} hax some pt‘ett} \tlIltI ei‘edeutialx hehind it. Ihix eompan} piodueed the hinge hit Ipno/ii laxt )ear. \o mueh l\ e\peeted ol IIll\ lollim tip.
I‘m mei‘el} \eratehing the \url’aee ol the entertainment on otl'er lrom IIll\ )t'.ii"x pre\ie\\ lind _\our \\a} to one tor a good night otit helore the eritiex arm e to \pi'II e\ er_\thing.
\Cthim
See venues for details. www.edfringe.com
I Whispers has heard of what looks like an exciting and creative season ahead from the folks at Perth Theatre, 8 season on from the appointment of its new artistic directorship. Ian Grieve and Graham McLaren presented an interesting programme in its first year, which in the process netted Liam Brennan a deserved Best Actor gong at this year's CATS Awards for his role in Christopher Hampton's Tales from Hollywood.
The new season starts with Tony Cownie's touring production of Jim Cartwright's dark and intriguing comedy of marital disharmony, Two, which will feature two actors capable of carrying their own audience with them throughout Scotland, Elaine C Smith and Andy Gray. There will also be a slot for the legendary Hull Truck company. Amanda Whittington's Ladies Day takes place in a fish filleting factory, where a group of working class women make plans for a posh day out at Ascot. What sounds like a light and inspiring comedy should play well to 3 Perth audience.
Perth Theatre itself will be providing an autumn chiller in the form of David Edgar’s adaptation of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Given the reputation of this radical English dramatist, the author of such pieces as Maydays, we might expect a political slant to the chills of this quintessential piece of Scots gothic. Over the Christmas season, there’ll be the traditional fare of a Cinderella, while Bette Davis fans can look forward to a version of Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes in the New Year. I guess the big question, with full respect to the original play, is ‘who gets to be Bette?’ There’s a lot more in store, though Whispers can’t close before mentioning that the season ends with Michael Lunney’s adaptation of James Kennaway’s great novel of the peacetime Scottish military. Tunes of Glory.
Liam Brennan