‘PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS PRESSURED TO ABANDON
THEIR INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE'
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Mind your language
As his new play premieres at the Arches, Booker Prize winner James Kelman talks to Steve Cramer about language, the theatre and politics
t might seem remarkable that a Booker I’ri/e-
winning Ito\'clisl should he a\ailahle to write for
the stage in Scotland. )c‘l hasn‘t been asked to do so for well met“ a decade. Yet this is the situation .lames Kelman has found himself in. despite a general willingness among theatre companies to perform his work elsewhere. A number of practitioners haxe worked with Kelman internationally as recentl) as 3003 Texas outfit Rude Mechanicals (seen at this year's lidinhurgh fringe with (it! Your lliir ()nl made quite a hit of an adaptation of his Ilow lure ll Hits. How Lure. But the tnan who penned .st Dim/Miran to win the 108‘) Booker. and has since impressed an
international readership with a succession of
acclaitned no\'els. can‘t get arrested in Scotland as far as the stage goes.
This lamentable \oid in our theatre cultttre is currentl} heing retnedied. at least in pat't. h} .-\nd_\ Arnold's team at The Arches. .-\rnold has shown his tisual theatrical .stt\‘\_\ in calling on Kelman. w ho'll he presenting IIIL‘ ITl‘sl Ul. l\\0 [ilc‘c‘c‘\. Her/ml /\’(‘Hii't/l('\ til the .-\rches shortl}. "I‘he idea for the pla_\ came from a short stor} I worked on back in UNI.~ Kelman explains. ‘But that doesn‘t simpl} mean that the pla} will be a short stor_\ on stage. he written this piece especially to be staged.’
The play's’ central idea is a simple one. In it. two men walk in a park. discussing all manner of matters from the sublime to the \er} ordinar). w hen a woman appears. Their discussion then continues with a third part)". Given the simplicit}~ of the scenario. there seems to be a bigger existentialist subtext ~ one that
is frequentl) tagged on to ls'elman’s work. 'l’eoplc will sa_\ that it's like l’inter or Beckett. hut its old} that \\;i_\ in that it takes from them. and other writers. a sense of things preceding from e\er}da_\ lile. lrom the things that are simpl} happening around us.' the writer e\plains. “There is a tradition of this. and in the sense that it belongs to that tradition it resembles certain other writers. but the piece. I hope. also inherits certain newer traditions that are e\ol\ing in writing now. 'l’he whole thing takes place on stage in real time. for instance.‘
Kelman seems to hint that part of the problem in getting staged. and indeed getting on as a writer. is about the e\cltision of local \oices from a mainstream comersation in the culture. The mttltirrationalisation
of language. the insistence on a small number of
\oices speaking in similar accents. quite distinct from the \Vest ('oast idioms of man} of his characters in most mainstream media is part of the problem. '\\'hcrc\er )ou are. people are alwa}s pressured to ahandon the indigenous language of where the} are from. ’l‘here are certain w a}s of getting on in the world. which inxol\e speaking in the language of others. ’l‘here's a lot ttI‘UlIi class lll\til\cd here. it‘s liasicall} political. If )ott learn to pla_\ this game and speak in the language of a different people. and abandon the e\perience of origins. of what _\ott grew up with as realit_\. then sou can get on \er} well. But I prefer to write in the language of the realit} of [Ralph's e\pet‘iencc.‘
The Arches, Glasgow, Tue 16-Sat 27 Oct.
Theatre
Hit
THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE
III Peer Gynt Dominic Hill's spectacular swan song at Dundee Rep retells Ibsen's classic through Coiin Teevan's joyous. sad. and, at times. foul- mouthed adaptation. Splendidly acted and physically very impressive, this is a spellbinding night out. Dundee Rep, until Sat 73 Oct.
1' Nicholas Nickleby David Edgar's adaptation of Dickens' novel is a theatrical legend. here given a major revival for the first time in a couple of decades. Full of song. comedy and astute political commentary. this piece retains great power. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 9—88! 13 Oct. 1' Rupture Although structurally flawed, Davey Anderson’s new piece. devised with the cast. amounts to a strong piece of contemporary drama. Well-acted and featuring strong dialogue. the play examines a group of atomised individuals retreating into neurosis. using a thriller format. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 6 Oct.
1' Susan and Darren This new mixture of dance and text at the Traverse features a mother and son act who invite the audience to a party with a difference at their home. This piece promises high quality entertainment with an element of audience interaction. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 17—Sat 20 Oct.
* Waiting for Groucho This fascinating semi biographical entertainment promises insights into the Marx Brothers, as, without Groucho, the boys are represented reflecting upon their careers in showbiz towards the end of their lives. Tron, Glasgow, Wed 17-Sat 20 Oct.
THE LIST 81