THEATRE | Previews 98 THE LIST 1 Apr–31 May 2018
P H O T O : J O H N J O H N S T O N
FESTIVAL MAYFESTO Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Thu 3–Wed 30 May
With its roots in political theatre, the Tron’s annual festival of ‘provocative’ theatre has gone domestic for 2018. By teaming up with the National Theatre of Scotland, Take Me Somewhere and Fire Exit, it not only presents a season of new plays that take a look at the family, but offers opportunities to see work from emerging artists alongside more seasoned performance makers.
Both Gut and Ma, Pa and the Little Mouths are new scripts that examine the anxieties of family life, while David Hoyle’s Diamond invites the legendary artist to meditate on the history of LGBTQI+ activism. Fire Exit preside over a series of readings supported by their bursary programme, before Mayfesto concludes with a concert from their in-house community choir. The Tron’s own production, Ma, Pa and the Little
Mouths, stars Gerry Mulgrew (a veteran of Scottish theatre) alongside Karen Dunbar. The former Chewin’ the Fat star’s experience as a comedian has already been translated into an exciting approach to theatre, as witnessed by her appearance in Beckett’s Happy Days which was directed by the Tron’s artistic director Andy Arnold. Playwright Martin McCormick has already won the CATS Best New Play 2015, and his work has a wild wit, a taste for the absurd, and a fiery sensibility. Other highlights include Cora Bissett’s latest What Girls Are Made Of, and an entry supported by the Mental Health Fringe Award. As ever, Mayfesto is buoyed by its range of collaborators and a commitment to new work and emerging artists. (Gareth K Vile)
PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER GUT Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 20 Apr–Sat 12 May; Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Mon 16–Thu 19 May
Directed by Traverse associate director Zinnie Harris, Frances Poet’s play is a timely one, as it delves into how much trust parents have in strangers keeping their children safe. The play focuses on a couple, Maddy and Rory, who are devoted parents to their three-year-old boy Joshua, but who one day find a supermarket café trip with their young son turning into a living nightmare.
‘I wrote the first draft of Gut when my kids were two and four,’ recalls Poet who is currently a creative Fellow at the Traverse. ‘I was in the eye of the parenting storm: exhausted, fire- fighting and looking at the world with new eyes.’ It’s this vulnerability, as well as notions on how best to protect children, that informs the piece, without losing a sense of dramatic engagement. With another commission from the Institute of Advanced Studies in the Humanities at Edinburgh University already in progress, Poet makes theatre that is both socially conscious and dynamic. ‘Gut is a psychological thriller,’ she continues. ‘First and foremost, I hope an audience will be engaged and excited by it. When it comes to how we raise our children, people tend to have a strong emotional response, and I can’t wait to hear the discussions coming out of the theatre.’ (Lorna Irvine)
P H O T O :
POLITICAL THEATRE BIN LADEN: THE ONE MAN SHOW Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 25–Sat 28 Apr
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K E V N C H A R L E S P A T T E R S O N
Launching at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe with a critically acclaimed sell-out run, Bin Laden: The One Man Show has taken Knaive Theatre around the world, even to the USA. Its bold material, however, is paired with a subtle theatricality that, far from re-stating predictable controversies, imagines the Al Qaeda leader as a rounded, and sometimes domestic, person. Emerging from a conversation about whether it could be possible to present Bin Laden in a
positive light, the production manages to address deep political questions without settling on an answer: thanks to the self-conscious casting of Sam Redway, it even studies the nature of white privilege. ‘Everywhere, we come across new, interesting responses to this work, and it grows with that understanding,’ says director Tyrrell Jones. ‘We ask a lot of our audience and for many it’s a challenging experience. We’re still waiting to find someone outside the theatre ready to nut us but so far that has never happened! People have always respected the conversation we’re trying to provoke.’
This respect is partially due to the production’s unassuming theatricality, but also the seriousness with which the company deal with Bin Laden’s biography. While they acknowledge that it is less controversial in the UK, as post-colonial thought recognises the necessity of challenging imperial complicity in subsequent conflicts, even North American audiences have been positive and engaged. It’s a remarkable example of theatre’s ability to traverse difficult terrain, and open up an apparently closed subject to nuanced discussion. (Gareth K Vile)