list.co.uk/theatre Previews | THEATRE
CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE TAKE ME SOMEWHERE Various venues, Glasgow, Wed 16 May–Mon 4 Jun
Glasgow’s Take Me Somewhere festival is perhaps the most explicit legacy of the sadly defunct Arches, founded by former artistic director Jackie Wylie (who is now leading the National Theare of Scotland) and curated by LJ Findlay-Walsh, another alumnus of the Arches’ programming team. ‘The festival has innovative performance at its core,’ explains Findlay-Walsh. ‘Driven by the talent, energy and voracity of the city’s arts community, it’s a platform for crucial, diverse voices from here and abroad, understanding the globalised and multicultural world we live in, and envisaging what a future world could be.’ With visits from Canada’s Quote Unquote Collective and
the USA’s Mykki Blanco and Split Britches alongside Scottish artists including FK Alexander and Ultimate Dancer, Take Me Somewhere both supports local artists and introduces Glasgow to internationally acclaimed experimental performers: it’s the same combination that made the Arches so crucial for the development of its dynamic identity. Outside of the Edinburgh Fringe, Scotland often struggles to present this range of work: the emphasis on marginalised identities and experimental dramaturgies opens up the possibilities of theatre as both politically engaged and intellectually challenging. The appearance of David Hoyle at Take Me Somewhere, a legendary performer who has been troubling gender certainties since the 1990s, not only addresses contemporary debates but points to the history of LGBTQI+ activist performance, while Florentina Holzinger and Campo address the cult of physical perfection via classical ballet in Apollon Musagete.
Take Me Somewhere offers hope that theatre can still tackle tough questions without descending into pious virtue- signalling. (Gareth K Vile)
P H O T O
:
K A R E N M E Z Z A
CLOWNING EDINBURGH CONTEMPORARY CLOWN FESTIVAL Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh, Thu 3–Sat 5 May
In recent years, the art of clowning has been moving towards centre stage in Scotland. Following on from the popular Clown Cabaret Scratch Night, Saras Feijóo presents the first Edinburgh Contemporary Clown Festival, with a chance to see international stars of this dynamic form of physical theatre.
The festival features Switzerland’s Gardi Hutter and Brazil's Ricardo Puccetti, while it’s a homecoming for Leith-born Johnny Melville, who became legendary for his work during the 1970s. Workshops complete the programme, giving a brief yet comprehensive overview of the diversity within current clowning.
As well as producing the festival, Feijóo performs and acts as an advocate for the form through Clownstepping. Her collaboration with Melanie Jordan and Tim Licata led to the scratch nights, which revealed both a depth of clown talent in Scotland and an audience ready for more. ‘The gift that contemporary clown brings to us is going through the “uncomfortability” of looking at ourselves to find our vulnerability, our playful side, and our own individual way of doing things,’ says Feijóo. ‘Clown gives us a different dimension, so it’s a great addition to the Scottish cultural rainbow which already has many colours.’ (Gareth K Vile)
FEMINIST PERFORMANCE UNEXPLODED ORDNANCES Platform, Glasgow, Sat 26 May ONE-WOMAN SHAKESPEARE RICHARD III Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 10–Sat 14 Apr
Formed in 1980, New York-based performance duo Split Britches have long established themselves as a dynamic feminist company, making work that resonates with, and challenges, audience perception of what theatre can do. The latest show from the twosome of Lois Weaver and Peggy Shaw is Unexploded Ordnances, an interactive tech- based piece as part of the Take Me Somewhere programme, inspired by the classic Stanley Kubrick Cold War satire Dr Strangelove, and also a reference to the visibility of older women. Brite Theater’s one-woman Richard III is a sprightly adaptation of the Shakespeare classic that finds a contemporary angle. ‘We have people like Trump and May in power,’ says director Kolbrún Björt Sigfúsdóttir. ‘And it is obvious that they are not the most worthy or trusted leaders or even the most popular, but a flaw in our democratic systems mean that whoever is the hungriest for power can get it. So an exploration of how people get to the top in politics and whether we are responsible for our leaders as a society is very timely, I think.’
‘I’ve been developing formats for conducting The political intention of the work, however, is
accessible and democratic conversations, such as long tables, porch sittings and care cafés,’ explains Weaver. ‘In this show, we have combined these approaches, and are experimenting with juxtaposing rehearsed performance that includes song, dance and comedy with real-time conversations with the audience.’ Above all, the main remit is to blur boundaries between
spectator and performer, encouraging a political discourse for all. ‘We hope that people will feel a bit more connected in these times of harsh disconnection,’ adds Weaver. ‘And we hope people laugh a little and come away thinking about how their own buried desires might help them solve a problem, even if it seems ridiculous or whimsical or improbable.’ (Lorna Irvine)
presented within a challenging format: Shakespeare’s script is adapted to a solo (played by the show’s co-creator Emily Carding), and the audience become part of the event, with Richard a lively, personable character, rather than just a tyrant on the stage.
‘Richard gives out name-tags and characters,’ Sigfúsdóttir explains. ‘He seats you. He addresses you directly and he will shake your hand or answer your phone if it goes off.’ This intimacy comes from the company’s desire to provide ‘an experience, meaning that it happens to them, rather than that they witness the events of the play. We want to make them a part of the world and to live within the play for an hour.’ (Gareth K Vile)
1 Feb–31 Mar 2018 THE LIST 97 1 Apr–31 May 2018 THE LIST 97