Theatre
‘WE TRY TO WRITE AS HONESTLY AND DIRECTLY AS WE CAN ABOUT LIFE'
The sunshine boys
With a new album in the pipeline, their first number one hit in the UK charts and a musical inspired by their tunes, The Proclaimers Craig Reid talks to Steve Cramer
fter 20 years in the entertainment business.
The Proclaimers. otherwise known as Craig
and (‘harlie Reid. have a special place in the Scottish psyche. Their songs. from the joyous exuberance of ‘l‘m Gonna Be (5()() miles)'. to the celebratory yet quietly melancholic ‘Letter From America‘ and on to the heartfelt and achingly emotional ‘Sunshine on Leith'. are inspired by real life as it is lived. ()n reflection. it seems remarkable that. given the sense of drama their songs evoke. their work hasn‘t formed the centre of a musical until now. The bright idea to place them in this kind of spotlight came from writer Stephen (ircenhorn. who. in collaboration with Dundee Rep. has created Sunshine (m Leif/1: Illr’ iMIlsit'rll.
The boys themselves are in the middle of a spiendid run that goes way beyond the theatre. with a new album and tour in the offing as well as the recent (‘omic Relief revival of ‘500 miles‘ topping the charts and giving them their first ever UK number one. His feet still firmly on the ground. (‘raig reflects on the last few months: ‘lt‘s great — everything seems to have come together at once. We had this album planned for a while. and we got the call from Comic Relief about the song last September. and we said “yeah. we'll do it". As to Suns/zine (m Leirh. we knew the musical was going to happen a couple of years ago. but it‘s terrific it‘s happening now. We said okay
to Stephen thinking it was going to be a couple of
nights in Dundee. Since then. it‘s just got bigger and bigger as a show. with this big tour and so on. We were delighted. We really didn‘t think it would be as big as it's turned out.‘
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And how are they coping with being back in the spotlight? ‘lt‘s 20 years since the first album came out. so we knew it was going to be a big year for us. but there‘s been more than we thought. The chat show circuit has been easier. The first time we did it. it was pretty overwhelming. Suddenly we had a record out and it was a hit. so everyone wanted us. and it was almost too much for us. This time around it‘s been very enjoyable actually.‘
How does (‘raig feel about Greenhorn‘s comment that he was drawn to the project by the drama of their songs‘.’ ‘There‘s a really wide subject matter to our material: they aren't all love songs by any means. Maybe that lends itself to theatre as well. We try and write as honestly and directly as we can about life the stuff we write is fairly personal.‘
()n the face of it. (ireenhorn. a political writer. whose narrative in Sims/zinc (m Loft/z centres on two soldiers who are having trouble i'eadesting to life in their home town after returning from action. might not seem an instant match with The Proclaimers. yet Craig says their recent work has been more political. ‘There‘s more political stuff with the new album that we‘re going to start recording in a couple of weeks than there‘s ever been before. It‘s not by design. that. it‘s just the way the songs come out. but this new one is definitely more like that. There‘s more about the Iraq war. which we mentioned on the last album. there‘s also a song about (‘ash for Honours. one about racism . . . there‘s about half a dozen of them.‘
Sunshine on Leith, Dundee Rep, Wed 18 Apr$at 12 May, then touring.
Hit
THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE
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* Arches Theatre Festival The brilliant TEAM return after their fringe triumph with Particularly in the Heartland (pictured). an enchanting allegory about three orphans on a Kansas farm and their unlikely mentors. Sneakin witty and politically insightful, with a mighty emotional punch, this is a highlight of an exceptional Arches festival. which also includes appearances by Taylor Mac and Russian surrealists Akhe. Arches, Glasgow, various dates until Sat 27 Apr. Some acts then touring.
* Black Watch It you missed it first time around. this is your chance to catch it. John Tiffany’s production of Gregory Burke’s tale of the strife facing a group of ordinary Scottish soldiers in lraq has been the most talked about NTS production of the year. The Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, Fri 73-777u 26 Apr, then touring.
* Tutti Frutti There’s plenty to relish in Tony Cownie’s production of John Byrne’s theatre version of his legendary television series about a down and out band setting off on their last tour. King '3 Theatre, Glasgow, Thu 72-Sat 74 & Thu 19-Sat 21 Apr, then touring.
* Sunshine on Leith Dundee Rep presents the first ever Proclaimers musical. Follow the traumas and transitions as two soldiers return from the army to their home town, accompanied by some of the most memorable Scottish pop of the last 20 years. Dundee Rep, Wed 78 Apr-Sat 72 May, then touring.
* Re: Union 7:84’s new production looks at the issue of the division of countries from an unusual viewpoint. Four writers from different parts of the world will present short plays set against the historical context of the creation of new nations. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 11 -Fn' 13 Apr, then touring.