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APRIL IN PARIS Bittersweet comedy from playwright John Godber
‘A l and Bet are one of those couples you wouldn’t want to be sitting next to on a bus,’ says Joe McGann, who plays Al in John Godber’s April in Paris. ‘They have been together 27 years and it sounds like constant bickering. And we all know couples like that.’ Godber’s play follows Al and Bet on a trip to Paris, the city of romance, at a time when their relationship is looking shaky. McGann, delighted to be sharing the stage with Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street’s Sunita) as Bet, has been touring the show for five weeks but remains excited: ‘I had never done a John Godber play before, and the fact he was directing it – it was an easy yes.’
McGann says that rehearsals were a pleasure: ‘John is an actor himself and he
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really enjoys the rehearsal process. In a two- hander there is nowhere to hide, but he made it fun.’ However, it is the script that keeps him inspired. ‘John’s characters are very real, they are not caricatures. I know these kind of people. As far as the arc of the story is concerned, they do go on a journey, but that is meat and drink to an actor and it is a joy to find the truth of the journey,’ he continues. ‘You see wives nudging their husbands and saying – “that is you, that is”. Godber writes in a universal way. Anyone who has been in a relationship will understand it.’ (Gareth K Vile) Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Tues 26–Sat 30 Aug.
HITLIST THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE
✽ Ubu and the Truth Commission The final part of a trilogy to celebrate 20 years of South African democracy, this adaptation of Alfred Jarry’s wild play brings together recent history, the puppetry maestros behind War Horse (Handspring Puppet Company) and the famously foul-mouthed monarch. See feature at list.co.uk/festival. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 28–Sat 30 Aug.
✽ In Time o’ Strife The National Theatre of Scotland begin a huge tour of this political classic (pictured, above), expanding the script with fragments from author Joe Corrie’s other works to provide a panoramic vision of his contribution to Scottish culture. See preview, page 85. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 9– Sat 13 Sep.
✽ The Carousel Fresh from its Fringe success, Stellar Quines presents Maureen
Beattie in one woman’s adventure into memory as she confronts her mother’s final days. See review, page 85. Tron Theatre, Glasgow Fri 29 & Sat 30 Aug.
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✽ 1984 Headline bring a new, dynamic
interpretation of George Orwell’s bleak novel for a generation who know Big Brother not so much as a threat to liberty but a sometimes amusing game show that destroys people’s lives. See column, page 86. Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 29 Aug–Sat 6 Sep.
✽ The Mousetrap Some shows don’t know when to retire: catch the longest
running show in the world, but don’t give away the ending. See preview, page 85. Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Mon 15–Sat 20 Sep.
✽ A Play, a Pie & a Pint: Faster, Louder Stephen Dick’s play has a
celebrity caught up in the chaos caused by a pious mother, intrusive journalists and a failure to think before going onto Twitter. Òran Mór, Glasgow, Mon 1–Sat 6 Sep.