THEATRE list.co.uk/theatre
HITLIST THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE
Y E R A C N O E
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✽ Behaviour The Arches’ festival of live performance includes a heady mix of shows from the likes of Kieran Hurley, Nic Green and Gob Squad. See feature, page 24. Various venues, Glasgow, Wed 3 Apr–Sat 11 May.
✽ Quiz Show Celebrity obsession is the focus of this new work from Rob
Drummond, the man behind last year’s Fringe success Bullet Catch. See preview, page 99. Traverse, Edinburgh, Fri 29 Mar–Sat 20 Apr.
✽ Rambert Dance Company:
Labyrinth of Love A new commission from the lauded dance company. A visual treat exploring the ups and downs of that thing called love. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 9 & Wed 10 Apr.
N A L R A H L E U N A M
✽ Black Watch A chance to see the
National Theatre of Scotland’s powerful, award-winning show about Scottish troops in Iraq, which returns to the UK after an international tour. See preview, page 104. SECC, Glasgow, Thu 28 Mar–Sat 13 Apr.
✽ Buzzcut Five days of experimental live art lovingly put together by this newly
established group. Perfect for adventurous performance lovers. See preview, page 98. Various venues, Glasgow, Wed 27–Sun 31 Mar.
✽ Dr Faustus A contemporary take on Christopher Marlowe’s haunting tale of a
man who makes a pact with the Devil. See preview, left. Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 5– Sat 27 Apr.
21 Mar–18 Apr 2013 THE LIST 97
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N O S T T A P H T E K
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DOCTOR FAUSTUS RENAISSANCE CLASSIC
‘T here’s something incredibly timeless about the story of the man who sells his soul to the Devil,’ says Citizens Theatre artistic director Dominic Hill, who is staging Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus in a co-production between the Citz and West Yorkshire Playhouse. Marlowe’s version of the great myth (which was first published in 1604) was the first to be written for the theatre. With its timelessness comes an almost infinite array of dramatic possibilities. In the case of this Faustus (in which Marlowe’s text is adapted liberally for the 21st century by Colin Teevan), Kevin Trainor, in the title role, will be playing opposite a female Mephistopheles, in the shape of acclaimed Scottish actress Siobhan Redmond. Why a female Mephisto?
‘What sex is the Devil anyway?’ asks Hill. ‘Also, Faustus is a geeky, highly intelligent,
but not necessarily very socially adjusted character. I wondered what the dynamic would be if Mephistopheles was actually a woman; particularly as Faustus is a man who hasn’t had much experience of women, and is potentially gay.’ This intriguing sexual dynamic aside, and for all the talk of the secularisation of western European societies, Hill believes we remain captivated by the play’s themes. ‘We’re still very attracted, as a culture, to notions of the supernatural, and of God and the Devil,’ he says. ‘Here you have a play in which an angel can walk on, or the Devil can walk on, and that’s part of the world in which the play operates. I find that very exciting.’ (Mark Brown)
Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 5–Sat 27 Apr.