Festival film see page 71 0 Festival art see page 79
THEATRE PREVIEW
1 Thunderstruck
A raw take on Canadian family values
‘ When Quebecois writer Daniel Danis’
Stones And Ashes was produced by The Traverse a few years back, it was an emotionally wracked cry of anguish that left audiences startled by the sheer muscularity of the language. The only other piece of Danis’ we've seen in this country since then was Theatre Cryptic’s production of ’Celle- la’. Now, Edinburgh regulars, Calgary’s One Yellow Rabbit, have brought this new Danis work to town.
Set in the Canadian backwoods, Thunderstruck introduces us to three brothers who must tend to their magical sister after their parents die. Pulling together with a fury borne from their past, their struggle is to keep their family together in the face of constant interference.
While just as raw as Stones And Ashes, One Yellow Rabbit’s quirky physical style removes the play from an over-reverent naturalistic approach, and has, according to directors Blake Brooker and Denise Clarke, even revealed a hitherto undiscovered levity. ’lt’s quite intense,’ says Brooker, ’but we found humour, and Danis’ just loved that. Some people can take him all too seriously.’ (Neil Cooper)
I] Thunderstruck (Fringe) One Yellow Rabbit, Traverse (Venue 75) 228 7404, 76-26 Aug (not27) 70.30pm, £72 (£7.50). Preview 75 Aug, £7.50 (£4).
THEATRE PREVIEW
Caroline Nin - Scarlett Stories
Cabaret chanteuse is filled with Festival secrets
Caroline Nin has the sort of Weimar- occupied Parisian accent that makes middle-age dads reach for the lederhosen and their stash of Allo Allo videos. Nin belongs to that campest of pre-war vaudeville genres, cabaret, and this year she returns with a show about ’Nightlife, the red light district. It is glamorous songs about prostitutes . . . and there's a few things new that I want to keep secret.’ Working with a pianist and a double bass player, her show takes equally from film noir, Deitrich and jazz. Back by popular demand, Nin is keeping things close to her chest. ’This is a big premiere for me but I want to keep it a secret . . . what I can tell you is that I will be covering a song by Madonna.’ Cool. (Paul Dale)
I Caro/in Nin — Scarlett Stories (Fringe) Assembly Rooms (Venue 3) 226 2428, 76—28 Aug 70.40pm, £9/£8.
THEATRE/COMEDY
Dracula's Foot And Other Objects Not Normally Found In Hamper **
Moses . . . Live! *
Vampires and prophets are mixed but not a blessing
Self-indulgent, inane theatre doesn’t get much better than this. The Start Again cast star in this double bill and although Dracula’s Foot. . . has some
.‘ ~"ky .- .3,"
COMEDY 666 ****
An insane foursome make a killing
To list the peculiar sexual and violent actions carried out in the name of comedy in 666 would only sell it short. This is not just a smutty perv-fest; certainly, it's rude, but it's not particularly sexy. No matter how lithe the actors may be, you can't help being distracted by their urinating, salivating and, of course, prosthetic
appendages
This is the story of four criminals housed on death row awaiting execution. In the time we spend getting to know them we discover their fears, desires, paranoias and sexual fantasises. You find yourself giggling along with these throat-slashing, head- stomping maniacs. You might even feel for a few moments that you could bring them home to meet
semblance of a coherent, attention- holding storyline, both shows are irritatingly overacted, consistently unfunny and annoyingly nonsensical. Moses. . . Live! had a few comical moments but the 'burst into song' style was more self-gratifying than effectual. Dracula’s Foot. . . was more likeable, and the highlight was an Ali G-esque Moses hosting a Jerry Springer-style chat show. The cast are talented and make every effort to include the audience, but the sweltering heat and American cultural references make these shows more silly than surreal. (Maureen Ellis) a Dracula’s Foot And Other Objects Not Normal/y Found In A Hamper (Fringe) Start Again, C (Venue 34) 225 5 705, until 72 Aug, lam, £5.50 (£4.50); Moses. . . Live! (Fringe) Start Again, C (Venue 34), 225 5705, until 72 Aug, 70.20pm, £5.50 (£4.50); Double bi/I £9.50 (£7.50).
raw-Late 591*3VII
- .:., vi. ‘ I . 1‘}, “ts ., \
The mad, the bad and the ugly . . . oh, and the downright nasty
your family, if it wasn't for the fact that they’d probably have lunch with them, garrot, rape and then murder them. Nice.
The whole story is told through grunts, screams, shouts and whimpers, with virtually no decipherable words uttered by the quartet, so their actions and gestures are incredibly expressive. One or two of the set pieces drag on a little, but other than this it’s a faultless performance of a novel premise.
The Mary Whitehouse-alikes, Daily Mail readers and
Robertson)
any other knee-jerk reactionaries will be queuing up to condemn this as pornographic filth. And that's pretty much all the recommendation you need. (Mark
666 (Fringe) Y/lana, Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550, until 28 Aug (not 75, 27) 70.30pm; 77—72, 78—79, 24-27 Aug, 72.05am, £9—£ 10 (£8—£9).
COMEDY Karen Loftus ** Julia Morris hurt
Comedy twosome have mixed success
Karen Loftus and Julia Morris split the time slot and the two comedians could hardly be more different. Karen uses the age-old approach of the boobs, balls and blonde jokes, making every effort to win over the mixed crowd, but With the exception of a few succinct insights into the female persona, she's uninspired and unoriginal.
Julia Morris’ perspective is refreshing, with an unrelenting foray into the sexual exploits of a repressed, privately-educated Catholic schoolgirl. Somehow she remains within the realms of good taste. See the show just for her anecdotes on ’golden showers’ if nothing else. (Maureen Ellis) I Karen Loftus and Julia Morris (Fringe) Peppermint Lounge (Venue 38) 226 2 75 7, until 15 Aug, 70. 75pm, £8 (£7).
THEATRE Dream At The End Of The World ****
North African adventures delight
Inspired by a novel, Nathaniel, an American traveller, packs his bags and heads for Morocco. What ensues is a manic expedition which takes in a plethora of bizarre characters and situations encountered by our hero along the way.
This one-man piece (a true story) won the Kennedy Centre's National Short Play Award and it’s easy to see why. David Tughan makes the most of the scantily-furnished set, and with the aid of vigorous description, minimal props and a selection of stunning slides, he manages to evoke the sights, sounds and moods of Morocco. (Dawn Kofie) a Dream At The End Of The World (Fringe) TO TMA, Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550, until 28 Aug (not 74, 25—26) 70.45pm, £5/£6 (£5.50/£6.50).
10—17 Aug 2000 THE lIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 69