THEATRE | PREVIEWS
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VENUE SEASON ASSEMBLY ROXY
Although the Roxy has been a familiar venue during the Fringe season, it’s currently being reinvented by Assembly as a year-round space with a distinctive approach to performance. Luke Holbrook, currently programming Assembly Roxy, is very clear that it’s aiming to become a strong presence in the capital. ‘We’re working to present a programme with consistency so that audiences know we’re here and that there’s always something to see,’ he says. ‘In a short space of time, a consistent programme has emerged due to the demand from artists in Edinburgh for spaces at our scale.’ The season has a double strategy, Holbrook
continues. ‘The Roxy is beginning to emerge as a venue where the work of some of the most innovative and diverse Scottish companies and artists can be found alongside some of the UK’s boldest touring companies.’ From Tragic Carpet’s site-specific and intimate study of Rendition, through Kith’s exploration of identity and migration, to the latest piece from London-based but globally alert Tamasha, the season combines familiar touring companies and emerging, and established, local performers.
‘To have a venue with three very different spaces that can showcase that work in Edinburgh year-round is incredibly exciting,’ Holbrook adds. ‘Edinburgh has such a vibrant theatre scene, but space for artists is precarious. As rich as the theatre, dance and comedy scene is in Edinburgh, a diversity of spaces is crucial to making a diverse range of work. Ultimately the beneficiaries of that breadth of choice will be the audience.’ (Gareth K Vile)
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D A V E Y P O R E M B A
ADAPTATION TOUCHING THE VOID Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 16 Feb; Perth Theatre, Thu 7–Sun 10 Mar CONTEMPORARY DRAMA (CAN THIS BE) HOME Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Thu 14–Sat 16 Mar; Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 28 Mar
CONTEMPORARY DRAMA TENSILE STRENGTH Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh, Wed 20–Sat 23 Feb; Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 20–Fri 22 Mar
A real-life tale of pioneers venturing to achieve a technical feat never before completed, Touching the Void’s transition to the theatre chimes with the adventurous spirit of its subject. It tells the story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates’ attempt to scale the west face of the Siula Grande, in the Peruvian Andes (put to paper by Simpson in 1988 before the BAFTA-winning 2003 film adaptation) and their subsequent death-defying descent, during which loyalty and self-preservation end up in a life or death conflict. At the time of writing, the outcome of Brexit is still in doubt, making Brite Theater’s (Can This Be) Home perhaps the most timely production of the next three months. Artistic director Kolbrún Björt Sigfúsdóttir is aware of the show’s immediacy. ‘We started making this show the summer before the vote, because it scared us,’ she explains. ‘So we made a show about what it’s like being new to a country and why you stay, as well as the benefits for UK citizens being able to travel freely. It was a plea. Then when the results were in, we knew the show had to change.’
‘It’s a tale that has reached beyond just the The company has adapted the show in light of
climbing world and become mythological,’ says the Royal Lyceum Theatre’s artistic director David Greig. ‘We had no idea how to do climbing on stage; we just knew it would take a thrilling theatricality to realise this book. It’s an existential thriller that will have audiences clinging onto the edge of their seats.’ Between Greig’s scripting skills, and the sensitivity of his co-producer, Bristol Old Vic's artistic director Tom Morris, to a spectacular yet rich dramaturgy, Touching the Void aims to be more than just an adaptation of a popular film. It’s a startling expression of theatre’s potential to create a sense of danger and immediacy. (Philip Wilson)
subsequent events; this version is the fourth iteration yet each one has dealt with the uncertainty of the status of migrants and reaches out to ‘offer more viewpoints than our personal ones’. It's a dynamic and thoughtful questioning of what has become a divisive debate about the UK’s sense of identity, inclusion and the importance of political engagement. By the time it reaches Scotland, the outcom of Brexit may be more clear. ‘Dealing with that in a public space will be an experience. If you come and feel like we are wrong, that would be great too. At least you've listened for an hour to a point of view that’s not your own.’ (Gareth K Vile)
‘I saw a piece of theatre a few years ago that I thought would be a really cathartic show for me,’ recalls Tensile Strength’s creator Holly Gallagher. ‘It was about taking on too much and how that affects people. And in the end, I left feeling like it didn’t hit the mark for me at all. So I decided to make something about stress and how life can get to feeling like it’s all a bit too much for us sometimes.’
If Gallagher’s inspiration came from disappointment at the failure of theatre to get it right, Tensile Strength addresses the worry that could be seen as a defining contemporary anxiety. ‘I am a big believer in making work about the world we live in,’ she explains. ‘So I went into making Tensile Strength asking two things: do people feel the same way as I do? And if so, why are we all so stressed?’
She’s been supported by veteran creators Third Angel, who have never been intimidated by exploring huge issues through imaginative formats, and mentored by Scotland’s dynamic playwright Kieran Hurley. ‘I mostly hope that people will leave the theatre feeling like they’re not alone,’ she concludes. ‘One of the most rewarding audience responses I’ve had was when someone said they felt “normal” after seeing the show.’ (Gareth K Vile)
90 THE LIST 1 Feb–31 Mar 2019