Theatre
PREVIEW VisUAi setcmctii AB ELEPHA Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 3 May
We’ve seen enough McTheatre in recent years to spot the big, spectacular, all singing, all dancing, massive special effect extravaganza a mile off. Inside the profession such shows are frequently seen as uncreative, with actors given little freedom to create characters, becoming more like props than the mighty visual gimmicks that emerge around them.
While Elephant is undoubtedly a spectacle, the Dodgy Clutch production gives the audience more to chew on than the vacuous alarums of a Miss Saigon or Mamma Mia! Part of this is no doubt due to the sense of creative input the ensemble have been given in its development. ‘The way the company devises the piece gives the actors creative control over it,’ explains actor Paddy O’Connor. ‘When it was in its first phase we created character, movement, dance pieces — it’s fundamentally the ensemble’s work.
94 THE LIST 2-3 Ajrr 5’; Ma, 771063
Sometimes as an actor you’re told what to do, but not in this show. As we’re performing and touring, the show keeps changing and developing, so it never gets stale.’
Given its longevity, that’s quite an achievement. The story of an African King who is denied access to heaven due to an inadvertent misdemeanour involving elephants in his youth, the piece was devised with the Market Theatre, Johannesburg to evolve through puppetry, dance and physical theatre. The resultant spectacle has toured worldwide for 12 years; this visit to Scotland promises all the zest of the original. ‘We went to Africa to see the elephants themselves when we devised the show, and have been back many times,’ O’Connor adds. ‘When you experience it firsthand you realise that animals have a massive importance to people there, and tell their own spiritual story. It’s more than just an animal, an elephant, it has its own spiritual life. Its meaning is about hope, and bringing people together.’ (Steve Cramer)
PREVIEW Cl ASSIC
Dundee Rep, Tue 29 Apr-Sat 3 May
Willi Oscar Wilde's lélth century Britain.
come out with a smile on your face.‘
PREVIEW REVIVAL
ABIGAIL’S PARTY
Brunton Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 1 & Fri 2 May
Neighbourhood cocktail parties. with their inevitable cheese and pineapple sticks. are something of a quaint 70s throwback. but notions of an aspiring middle class have altered little in the past 30 years. perhaps making London Classic Theatre's new production more relevant than its kitsch styling might suggest.
Mike Leigh's iconic suburban comedy of manners sees Beverly (Alice Selwyn) and husband Laurence (Steve Dineen) host a cocktail party for three of their neighbours. As the drinks flow and the tensions rise. the sniping couple barely manage to conceal their dysfunctional marriage.
A fan of Leigh‘s film work. director Michael Cabot was instantly charmed by Abigail's Party. ‘There's something about the very fine line that Mike Leigh treads. his naturalism and pastiche has always appealed to me. and I thought it would be very interesting as a director to see how that panned out. working with characters that originally came from a devised basis.‘
Despite the obvious 70s comedy. Cabot is very clear about the core of Leigh's work. 'This play is all about class: about the subtle nuances that divide people as much as bringing people together. Angela comes to Beverly's home and wants the things Beverly has. From a class point of view I think that is something that's fairly timeless. and it's what makes it such a definitive piece.” He continues. ‘lt heralded the start of a major social dynamic that hasn't really gone away. people valuing themselves for what they have and not for what they are. In a way. Abigai/ Party is quite prophetic' (David Laing‘j
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
There are times when we all wish we had a legitimate 2xcuse to avoid that dreaded Visitor. awkward social engagement. or stifling family party. We continue to stay in touch With people we really don't like. when life would be so much simpler if we had the courage to choose to live without them. But it is this attitude of responsibility to people. however bad they make us feel. that keeps us in touch
Middle Ground Theatre Company's production of Wilde's oft-performed comedy of love and deception. stars TV favourite Tony Britton as venerable reverend Canon Chasuble. Having played both Wilde's young ‘bunburyists' Algernon and .Jack during his career. Britton's admiration for the work is clear: he points out the contemporary resonance of the play. 'lt's extraordinary because it might have been written yesterday. the writing is so economical. straight to the point. and the Wit is so perfectly poised. you almost don't have to act it really.'
With so many different productions each year. it has to be wondered what this play has that makes audiences keep coming back for more. Will this particular E‘t’ir‘riesf top them all? Full of praise though Britton is for this production. he insists that's not the point. ‘They come out laughing, that's all. There's no highly important philosophy to be drawn from it. you just enjoy a very funny play. and (Sarah Bedhead)