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PREVIEW NEW PLAY THE INFAMOUS BROTHERS DAVENPORT Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh Thu 19 Jan–Sat 11 Feb; Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 14–Sat 18 Feb
This new show from playwright Peter Arnott and Vox Motus promises to be part Dickens, part Derren Brown. It focuses on real-life American magicians William and Ira Davenport, who in the 1860s were a central part of the spiritualist movement, which first popularised public attempts to communicate with the spirit world through events like séances. Arnott is currently writer in residence at the Traverse
Theatre as well as the Genomics Forum at Edinburgh University, and his last new work at the Lyceum was 2003’s celebrated The Breathing House. Since being approached about this new project by Vox Motus’ Candice Edmunds and Jamie Harrison, who also performs as a magician, he has undertaken detailed research into American spiritualist families. ‘All these stories have a very similar arc,’ Arnott says, ‘in
that you have people escaping poverty through performance basically. We would think of Spiritualism as being superstitious and old fashioned but actually it’s completely modern, a 19th century invention. Houdini, for instance, was intent on debunking spiritualists but he was actually doing it because he was desperate to talk to his dead mother. There’s all these strange paradoxes so we just took a big mixture of stuff and started throwing it together.’
Although the brothers’ back story has been largely fictionalised, this plot will intersect with performances of their act, the secrets of which – true to the magician’s code – Arnott is unaware. ‘It’s been fantastically exciting,’ he says. ‘It’s been a very different experience working with Jamie and Candice because they’re so visual in the way they conceive things – it’s almost been like writing a film, from frame to frame. We’re going to have the ushers dressed in costume, audience participation, people writing messages to the spirits – those kinds of things. It’s like going to see their act in the 1860s.’ (Yasmin Sulaiman)
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PREVIEW NEW PLAY THE CAPTAIN’S COLLECTION Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 25 & Thu 26 Jan REVIEW MUSICAL THE KING AND I Edinburgh Festival Theatre, until Sat 7 Jan ●●●●●
The latest production from Inverness-based company Dogstar is a rich tale about a composer and former British Army officer who courts fame by publishing his volumes of Highland music. The piece, which is being performed as part of Celtic Connections, is adapted from an original idea by Blazin’ Fiddles’ Bruce McGregor that was adapted into an award-winning four-part radio series in 1999. ‘While Gaelic culture of north Scotland was being eviscerated, Captain Simon Fraser was preserving a lot of tunes,’ says artistic director Matthew Zajac, who also takes on the titular role. ‘He was a vain man and rather obsessed with his music. He embodies the schizophrenia that so many people in the Highlands were supposed to have.’
Desperate to appeal to the bourgeoisie, the Captain removed the Gaelic and anti-government elements from his collection. This production, however, reclaims the catalogue, embracing the tunes the Captain preserved by means of a live duo. ‘Music is pretty fully incorporated into the show,’ says Zajac. ‘It is rich in language, funny, loving and we’re blessed with the performers we’ve got in the show – myself excluded!’ (Kirstyn Smith)
100 THE LIST 5 Jan–2 Feb 2012
Like most of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s quintet of hit musicals, the light surface action in The King and I struggles to keep the lid on the problematic themes underneath. Where the culture clash between prim, feisty governess Anna Leonowens and the powerful but ignorant King of Siam must have seemed awfully funny in the 1950s, Anna’s attempts to ‘civilise’ the King and his court with Victorian values now comes across as witheringly patronising. At least this stylish production, by Leicester’s
Curve Theatre, makes a stab at rejuvenating the story with its impressionistic set and ingenious use of shadow puppetry. Paul Kerryson’s production also features some lively set pieces, in particular play- within-a-play, The Small House of Uncle Thomas. While some of the dramatic two-handers feel rather static, particularly on such a vast stage, there are compensations among the performances. Maya Sapone as Lady Thiang gives a lovely rendition of ‘Something Wonderful’; Ramon Tikaram does a nice mix of innocence and petulance as the King, while Josefina Gabrielle is warm and spirited while largely eschewing sentimentality as Anna. (Allan Radcliffe)
REVIEW BALLET SCOTTISH BALLET Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Wed 11–Sat 14 Jan. Seen at Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Wed 21 Dec ●●●●●
Choreographed by Ashley Page in 2007, as part of a triumvirate of winter ballets made with designer Antony McDonald, Sleeping Beauty is opulence itself. Opening in a Victorian hothouse, the guests at Princess Aurora’s christening are lavishly dressed – but this is nothing compared to what is to come. Each scenario steps the production up a gear, with
the costumes almost deserving the same billing as the principals. As with all Page/McDonald creations, however, what’s most interesting is the narrative route they take. The duo take us from 19th century palatial splendour, to a forest filled with fairytale characters in search of a happy ending, before ending in a stylish 1940s hotel. Page’s choreography undergoes something of a journey, too.
At first the delivery has a traditional feel, with plenty
of pointe shoe action. But unsurprisingly, given the company’s modern sensibilities, the later stages are more arresting. In particular a wonderfully free pas de deux danced by Aurora and her Prince upon waking is a moment of true romance in amongst all the dynamic storytelling. (Kelly Apter)