THE VISITOR SEEMED TO SPEAK FOR THE POWERLESSNESS OF ALL
Finer Noble Gases
Of Minds nd’ Mé
Theatre editor Steve Cramer rounds up the themes
and preoccupations of a strong festival.
he coil-cc and cigarette diet (Sliitilxc‘ until _\ou‘re
too hungr}. then eat a cigarette) oi' the i‘extiVaI is.
at Iaxt. o\ er. .\s e\er. it w as an c\hilerating experience. hut heymd this. it w as a genuine!) strong i'extixal. as might he attexted to h} our theatre pages. which hoa\lcd more the \tar re\'iew\ than I can recall ;l\ theatre c‘tllitil'.
'l'hcrc was a sense oi. the need to iind political ll'lllll\ ahout the world that persisted throughout the i'extixal. l-‘rom 'l‘li.-\.\l\ magnii‘icent Particularly in Illt' llt'urI/um/x (00000. 'l‘raVerxei to (iir/ Blue/rum Ina/s litig/u/tu/ [fur/1mg to... . l’lcasanccl there was a i'ocux on individual peole struggles with the ruthless and rapacioux l‘orces oi‘ multinational~led hegemony. liach in ii\ wa_\ cried out against the pic-programmed hespoke philosophies tied to us h_\ the mass media. he it the palpahle nonsense that _ill.\lilic\ a pointless war. or the hi/arre religious doctrincx that reinforce such ilill—‘l'k‘»\\l0ll. So. too. in (ioodmm to... . 'l'raverse) the \tories told that lead to h} xteria and genocide were \L‘l'llpllltlll\l_\ and mo\ingl) e\amined. 'l'he lill" also made its conu'ihution through I’luiiin'ni to... . Rtwai l._\ceumi which spoke with thrilling articulac} oi‘ the mass de-indh idualixed pap oi' pornograph) that is sold to ll.\ in the name of indhidual expression. The sex industr} that i'eeds it wax di\ti||ed down to the
e\perience of its faceless dronex. and the tragedy of
their li\c.\ in l'n/ii‘olt't'm/ (00000. 'l‘i‘a\ erer
So there were pow Cl‘lc‘xs i'oilx t‘acing huge l'orces. hut there were also a few \er} famous figures l’c‘xllt‘l‘CCICtl for the fringe. among them Rohert Kenned} in ’uriicu/uriv in the Heartland. l‘it‘eud in T/It’ \isilor to... . llili Street). Zelda l"it/gc‘i‘;ild in Zelda to... . Sweet (il‘tlsslllttl'kc‘il and exert someone yer} like (iore Vidal in 'll'rrt' Huutc />_\‘ lit/intuit! White to... . .-\s.\emhl_\ Rooms). in Liar Hare liven 'Iii/d to... . l)/('(1.\'(l/I('(’l we even meet Rohert Maxwell.
who manach to e\plain. il‘ not itixtil} his lltlltil'ltlll\ hull}ing. ruthlexxnexx and theft. l’igurex who are less
acclaimed than notorious didn‘t stop with .\la\wcll. l'or
.'\l_\'ra llindlcy in li’mln/ i000 . l’lcaxance) illxo gets her at}. ax does (Ear) (ilitter in (’p l/It' (itiiji' to...
l'nderhell) ). alheit through an illlpcl‘xollttlol‘. in each case. what w ax \o liaxcinating wax that the celehrit}
status. good or had. of each wax no match for larger
iorces that control minds. The \‘lxitlli oi Sigmund
lireud menaced h_\ a (icxtapo officer in The \isiior
SL‘L‘lllCtl it) \pc‘tllx litil' Illc‘ ptm c‘l'lcsxllcw (ll. till.
.\leanwhilc. the unconscious and our hasic inahilit} to control neither it. nor the \lt)l'lc‘\ we tell from it has long heen i'extiyal talc. and it \\1t\ not old} the figure ol‘ lireud who spoke oi' it. Anthon} \eilxon'x stunning and hilarious Rut/[xiii (00000. |{o_\al Lyceum) saw a morning oi. i‘rce association in the mind oi a a\erage sort oi middle claw white co\c ll'illiSPtML‘tl into hrilliant theatre. So too. the llilc‘tillxcltith. what we re\eal of it. and who we tell formulated the haxix ior Two Men Talking to... . :\\\cmhl_\ i. an open com'ersation ahout ps} chiatr} and who ow li\ a \lol'} which seemed to intrigue on each night it was. quite differently. pert‘ormed.
Then there were the odds and \otl\ ol‘ the i'estixal. he it an accomplished re\'i\al oi‘ Halt/u (nib/m- (.0000. Hill Street). a retroxpectiVe stud} of the political and personal w aste oi‘ the x-generation in the superb I-im'r Nob/v (hum (00000. Bongo ('luh) or the honkers pastiche comed) oi' .S'pi'nioii/ujr (Tm/ml (00000. :\.\,\Cliihl_\ Rooms). There can he little doubt that most memories of [lilx festival will he dominated h} (ireg Burke's magnificent lilac/t ll'uii'li to... . L'nhersit) oi~ lidinhurgh Drill Halli. yet there will he man} other mementoex too. not least a superh program by the li‘tHc‘l‘sC. for whom prett} nearl} exery show was a w inner.
Theatre
Hit
THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE
* Tutti Fruttl John Byrne's cult television series, not seen since its release in 1987 is here transposed into theatre courtesy of the NTS. Under the direction of Tony Cownie, a strong cast lead this tragi- comedy with music. This could well be a highlight of the theatre year. Touring.
3|! How to Steal a Diamond The much acclaimed young company Vox Motus are back. with this stOry of a diamond's journey from its theft to its end in a posh London display case. Expect smart and witty theatre, with a strong visuals. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 27 — Sat 23 Sep, then touring
It My Dark Sky The story of a group of student activists who started their own subversive organisation. The White Rose. in Nazi Germany, and the tragic consequences of their actions. The company concerned. Reeling and Writhing, were also responsible for the acclaimed Standing Wave at the Tron. Tramway, Glasgow, Sat 16—Sat 30 Sep, then toun'ng
* Stars Kate Nelson's production of Ania Hilling's play for Nutshell garnered some praise at the Traverse during the festival, and here reappears at the Citz. Incorporating a tender examination of the loss of innocence and rights of passage into adulthood, this piece might well move you. Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow, until Sat 9 Sep
* Julie The NTS Ensemble presents Zinnie Ham’s' new version of Strinberg's classic. Midsummer's Eve passions ignite between a young aristo and a servant with tragic consequences for both, in this intense psycho-sexual drama. North Edinburgh Arts Centre, Fri 9 Sep, then touring.
'—.>' '39:, THE LIST 83