list.co.uk/theatre Previews | THEATRE
SATIRE COCK Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 9–Sat 20 Feb; Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 25–Sat 27 Feb
Before his arrival at the Tron, Andy Arnold had guided The Arches from its beginnings in the aftermath of Glasgow’s 1990 City of Culture to a celebrated venue for both clubbing and alternative theatre. As artistic director of the Tron, he has developed a clear understanding of his approach to performance. ‘I have always said in any mission statement for the Tron that the core of our work is the spoken word.’ His production of Mike Bartlett’s controversial play Cock follows this logic. Having demonstrated a mastery of absurdism in the recent take on Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days, he turns to a more recent script. ‘I’m delighted that Mike Bartlett has now given Tron Theatre the go-
ahead,’ he explains. ‘I finally wore him down.’ And despite the challenging title, Cock is less a brutalist sexual drama than an updating of the satirical comedy of manners, focusing on a bisexual man’s inability to decide between his male and female lovers. ‘It’s a brilliant play about relationships, sexual identity and confusion,’ Arnold continues. ‘And it has an eye- catching title, which always helps. The dialogue is so sharp and witty and the narrative is very clever.’ With a cast that includes Johnny McKnight – a playwright with his own
track record for sardonic and witty dialogue – Arnold is excited by the process. ‘Given the fact that the play contains action – cooking, eating, having sex – it will present challenges. But they’re ones we’ll enjoy resolving in the rehearsal room!’ But ultimately for Arnold, it’s not just about the time spent in the theatre. ‘The best plays are ones where you leave wondering what might happen next,’ he concludes. ‘Cock is that play.’ (Gareth K Vile)
EPIC THEATRE HOW YOU GONNA LIVE YOUR DASH Macrobert, Stirling, Wed 10 Feb; Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 11– Sat 13 Feb
M H A E L A B O D L O V C
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Jenna Watt enjoyed much success with her solo show, Flâneurs, which took the experimental approach of Live Art and married it to a serious contemplation on the threat of apparently random violence. She now returns with a two- hander which considers the way that people have made decisions to change their lives. Having been inspired by a quotation from the Werner Herzog documentary Into the Abyss, Watt realised she could express the scale and beauty of these decisions through literal pyrotechnics.
‘I would say the aesthetic of the smoke effects has determined more of the performance format than anything else, because I knew before I’d finished writing the show what it would look like visually. So much of the performance format has been influenced by how to frame the pyro effects.’
But far from being a flashy spectacle, the effects, Watt explains, offer opportunities for the audience to contemplate. Having used real-life testimonies, How You Gonna Live Your Dash is a serious and thoughtful reflection on subjects ranging from drug addiction to moving countries. And while Watt never abandons a restless energy that comes from her interest in the more experimental edges of performance, her charismatic presence and willingness to address the audience lends her work a comfortable and engaging power. (Gareth K Vile)
4 Feb–7 Apr 2016 THE LIST 85