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SUB ROSA After its triumphant debut at Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre in 2009, David Leddy’s gothic Victorian promenade show transfers to a working Masonic lodge, full of the requisite hidden nooks and crannies that lent the original production its eerie atmosphere. Leddy assembles a memorable collection of theatre ghosts who lead the audience from room to room gradually unveiling the story of a chorus girl who burned to death beneath the stage while the show carried on above. ■ Hill Street Theatre, 226 6522, 7–30 Aug (not 10, 17, 24), every 20 mins from 10.20–11.20pm & midnight–12.40am, £10–£15. Previews 5 & 6 Aug, £7. 5THINGS
Evolution is all about survival and reproduction, but in the natural world (as at the Fringe) you sometimes have to sacrifice one for the other. Baba Brinkman offers five tips for surviving and reproducing 1 To survive, avoid socialising. Meeting people is the best way to catch a disease, drinking will strain your voice box, and staying up late will leave you tired and unpresentable. To reproduce, stay out until dawn every night without exception – you never know who you might meet and what might come of it. 2 To survive, be inconspicuous. Attracting attention is synonymous with attracting hostility. To reproduce, draw attention to yourself by any means. 3 To survive, be thankful for whatever crowds you happen to get – full houses turn bad much more quickly than empty ones. To reproduce, give away comps prolifically. Empty seats are a total waste of space. 4 To survive, spend a significant part of your day dealing with admin. To reproduce, put everything unrelated to the Fringe on hold, because the festival only lasts for 1.9 million seconds whether you squander them or use them well. 5 To survive, don’t worry about the outcome, just have a great time and try to experience as much as you can before it’s over. To reproduce, same. ■ The Rap Guide to Human Nature, Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 7–30 Aug (not 9, 16, 23), 3.45pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8–£9). Previews 4–6 Aug, £6.50; The Rap Guide to Evolution, Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 20–30 Aug (not 23), 12.30pm, £9.50–£11 (£8–£9.50).
Hitlist FESTIVAL THEATRE *
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✽✽ Harlekin The award-winning physical theatre company returns with a stripped down show inspired by Dante. See preview, page 71. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 7–30 Aug (not 9, 16, 23), 1pm, £12–£14. Previews until 6 Aug, £9. ✽✽ While You Lie Sam Holcroft’s follow-up to the acclaimed Cockroach is a four- hander about the breakdown of two relationships. See preview, page 68. Traverse Theatre, 228 1404, 6–29 Aug (not 9, 16, 23), times vary, £15–£17 (£11–£12). Previews until 5 Aug, £11 (£6). ✽✽ Beautiful Burnout New play from Bryony Lavery focusing on five aspiring boxers in training at a Glasgow gym. See feature, page 62. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 7–29 Aug (not 9, 16, 23), 7.30pm, £11.50–£14 (£10–£12.50). Previews until 6 Aug, £5. ✽✽ Little Black Bastard Australian actor and choreographer Noel Tovey tells the harrowing story of his early life. See feature, page 66. Gilded Balloon Teviot, 7–30 Aug (not 16, 23), noon, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50). Previews until 6 Aug, £5. ✽✽ Lockerbie: Unfinished Business Timely verbatim account of the aftermath of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in December 1988. See feature, page 58. Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 7–30 Aug (not 18), 2.30pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Previews until 6 Aug, £5. ✽✽ Sub Rosa David Leddy’s gothic melodrama finds a new home in a Masonic lodge. See Big Picture, left. Hill Street Theatre, 226 6522, 7–30 Aug (not 10, 17, 24), every 20 mins from 10.20–11.20pm & midnight–12.40am, £10–£15. Previews 5 & 6 Aug, £7. ✽✽ Forest Fringe The artist-led mini-festival returns to the Forest Café with more theatrical experimentation. Forest Café, 623 3030, 9–21 Aug, free, tickets in person from box office. For Festival Index see page 128.
5–12 Aug 2010 THE LIST 57