THEATRE | Previews 84 THE LIST 1 Sep–31 Oct 2017
DRAMA THE COOLIDGE EFFECT Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 21 Sep; Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 27 Sep
‘Pornography and sex in general are massive taboos in this country, and with this performance we really wanted to challenge that in a fun and, hopefully, enlightening way,’ claim the Wonder Fools: and where better to break taboos than in public?
Inspired by a TED Talk that discussed the impact of pornography on young men, The Coolidge Effect promises to bring the discussion out from underneath the bed and onto the stage. Originally part of their graduate show at Glasgow’s Royal Conservatoire, it has been developed from a plethora of interviews with ‘porn advocates, addicts, mental health experts and scientists and, with the help of Skype, these conversations spanned the globe: Quebec, California, Sweden, New York, Indonesia, Pittsburgh, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester and London.’
Committed to theatre as a space for ideas and reflection, the Wonder Fools (Robbie Jordan and Jack Nurse) are unafraid of divisive topics. Their website has a series of blogs exploring their process and thoughts on the future of intimacy, and pornography clearly attracts their concern. ‘As young adults, Robbie and I have grown up with the advent
of the internet and at the beginnings of the mass consumption of pornography that this new media has allowed,’ says Nurse. ‘In the UK alone, 10 million porn videos are consumed every day and the average age a young boy starts to watch porn now is 12 years old.’ This disturbing statistic does, as they suggest, demand analysis. ‘What we aim to do is start a conversation: what we present
on stage must be discussed or challenged, even,’ he concludes. ‘Whether it’s in the bar, online a month later or even randomly in a coffee shop somewhere, it’s vital the conversations continue to happen.’ (Gareth K Vile)
AMERICAN CLASSIC A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Tue 5–Sat 9 Sep, then touring
Celebrating its 70th anniversary, Tennessee Williams’ classic Pulitzer prize-winning play, A Streetcar Named Desire, is the latest work to be staged by Scottish touring company Rapture Theatre following their success with Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?. Under the direction of artistic director Michael Emans, the production aims to transport Scottish
audiences to mid-century New Orleans. Gina Isaac (National Theatre’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) and Joseph Black lead the cast as Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski, who find themselves clashing over the soul of Stella DuBois (Scottish actress and theatre-maker Julia Taudevin) after Blanche moves in with the young married couple. When asked about staging this classic work in 2017, Emans comments that ‘the play deals
with the eternal themes of class, race, gender and power struggles – and is therefore as relevant today as ever.’ Despite these larger themes, Emans sees A Streetcar Named Desire as an essentially human story with strong characterisation, familial strife and powerful, poetic language. Established in 2000 and inspired by the work of legendary Scottish companies such as Wildcat and 7:84, Rapture believes in theatre’s ability to create a space for the public to informally, and enjoyably, discuss important concepts and ideas. ‘Live theatre, as has been proven over and over again, creates a direct connection with audiences’ Eman says. ‘It makes abstract ideas personal – what better basis for discussion?' (Sean Greenhorn)
NEW WORK DAMNED REBEL BITCHES Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 30 Sep; Platform, Glasgow, Wed 4 Oct; Paisley Arts Centre, Sat 7 Oct; and touring Scotland
‘I saw about three pieces in a row where the older female character either died so their funeral could give young characters a life-changing moment, or they gave advice then disappeared whilst the young characters went out on adventures,’ says Sandy Thomson of Scots theatre company Poorboy. ‘I never saw any of the tough and funny older women who raised me reflected on stages or screens, instead I saw thoughtless scripts by men who cast these women as functions that serviced the young, normally male, main character’s arc and life.’
Damned Rebel Bitches is her attempt to redress the balance, telling the tale of two sisters in their 80s and their lives from the Clydeside Blitz of 1941 to Hurricane Sandy hitting New York in 2012. The script is a combination of influences, from real discussions with women aged over 65 and Thomson becoming a gran for the first time, to the ‘part art, part luck, part mission’ wonder of a successful marriage.
‘I always say I hope our show makes audiences laugh, cry and phone their families, that’s success to me,’ says Thomson. ‘The majority of ticket buyers for theatre are women over 50, I hope they enjoy seeing themselves reflected onstage being pivotal and vital here. Equally I really believe this is a show for everyone; it’s about the intense and sprawling connections across the decades that make up a family, and I think absolutely anyone can relate to that.’ (David Pollock)