Theatre
demanding requiring previous background knowledge for audiences to benefit fully from its conscious pSycI'ioanzrilytical approach.
(Mererid Williamsl
I C. 0870 70/ 5/05. until IO Aug. 9. 70pm. £6.50 (£75.50).
JOHN LAURIE, FRAZER & I
A Private malfunction O
If a dour Scots voice intoning the phrase ‘We're doooomed!‘ carries no significance for you. then avoid this story of the life of veteran actor John Laurie. better known as Pt Fra7er from BBC's geriatric Home Guard comedy series. Dad 's Army.
In fact. everyone would do well to avoid this tragic (dare I say doooomedl production. Performer Ian Watt is neither a good impersonator nor even a capable actor. appearing unfamiliar with both the clunky script and the very concept of performing for an audience. Stay at home. and enjoy a repeat of the classic comedy series on late— night cable instead. (Gareth Davresi I Gilded Balloon Cowgate — Caves /.ll.///. 226 2 l5 7. until 26 Aug. 6pm. 53750—5850 lf6.5()—f.‘7.5()i.
THE SPLIT
Soap bubble bursts 0.
It's no surprise that soap stars rarely manage an easy transition from screen to stage. That said. the eXCitement value of seeing someone ‘oft telly' occasionally makes the dubious acting and bunkum script worth the ticket price.
To its credit. there isn't a suggestion of 05's flavoursome "method acting' in The Split: all the leads turn in nice performances. But the script never fully realises its potential. While it does offer amusement in places it never provrdes the audience with enough to truly cOrinect with the characters.
soap fans only.
(Anna Millarl
I Pleasance Dome.
556 6550. until 26 Aug (not 79/. 2. 15pm, 5‘/'~-l‘8 l5‘5—F61.
DESIRES OF FRANKENSTEIN Monstrously mannered .0
James Martin Charlton's bombastic. pseudo- poetic. soap starring melodrama is the worst type of Fringe fare. Pretentious and heightened language make up for lack of depth and analysis. The play attempts to explore what it is to be a modern monster and fails.
The direction is brisk and the actors are game. but unfortunately they are mannered and harnrny. mainly because each character is a caricature. The tone veers wildly between Dickensian grotesque. meaty method acting and French and Saunders. Marketed as homoerotic. it is decidedly not. Such a shame that so much energy and money has been squandered. lne worst fault is its ox'rn self-rm;>ortance.
(John Binnrei
I P/easance. 556 6550. until 26 Aug (not 13/. 6pm. 5‘?'.:’)()-rf‘5).:’>() (l‘6.5()~ f‘i’s‘oo‘i.
KITCHEN Undercooked Aussie comedy 00
Dubbed as Australia's most exciting young playwright. Vanessa Bedham's 2.'.iork wouldn't look out of place on the British stage fifty years ago v-ihen couples where guibbling over kitchen sinks fighting for the upper-hand. In this case. a domestically useless but ambitious career woman and her Jobless husband go to surreal lengths to gain one upmanship. with a few laughs from the crowd along the way for their comic. if not disturbing efforts.
Loud and brash. both script and performances could benefit from being subtler. enabling the black to be blacker and the wit to be sharper. especially when rnrxrng such a high 'r‘-‘.r-' ri‘
nonetheless.
(Merer‘rd \J‘.’i|lrarnsi
I C. ()é‘I/(l [(ii' 5 ('05. until 25 Aug (no? ('53. l(). [tip/n. V5.56 ’5\()\.C’)()l.
sill set (:II It; GO GO: THE BOY WITH THE
MAGIC FEET
The boy done good .00
The Hotar‘ics is tr'ansfc-rrizcd lnto /an/rba' in this niagri a. tale of a tic, .'.vl‘-o. haying su‘feied a nasty. accident. is armed by naracle .'.(r‘r<:li gives him magic ‘eet. ()n tne
‘i’lf; r,» l‘ 9 re" footbaicr‘g skits. i".(: .s t'arts‘errerl fr) Scotiarxi.
l‘.,'(I."i\/I 'Ilf) (II‘ ‘II
t)-::‘.rs~:,-d ar‘d iririxiezl I). lob, (ioiigir‘ 4:er iii:rl<:"'l»::<r‘:>y ‘ "‘ier'itiers of Me . ri'ar‘: all sir‘gi'iii ail :Ia"r:r‘i; /a‘.‘.’(;sr,- 'a'i‘
are 'r‘t<;r.’.<;'.'r;r‘ as .'.-:.-"i.-
sutures
taken on a life accord-rig To (is (id ()“.(1' sirnpie .r‘ (I’ll‘ftfll’.
but ..sira|i, eryoailiit: l".
i.l.le .'.'rtf‘ some ‘t..'r"‘.
moments. as .'.ir,~li as landmines a'id Sf”iiir‘;fi hoolgans.
(fvlererml ‘.'."ill ar'lsi
I Hiya“ Hofa'i‘iz.‘ (Li/den, 336 Willi“.
.i’ti/iag, (-t’rirr‘. : "i
A BROTH OF A BOY
The boring boy .0
One of E's/o plays year be sed on the short but colourful flf-Zl- of Irisl‘ play ght Hiertrlar‘ Hobart, this takes iis (iii a pub (Lia's/I througl‘ his highs and lows. Drunk ()Il (Business. flt: recites
The Straight Man
stories of iris childnood. his :ri‘.'ol‘.erne'it .‘JlIf‘. the IRA aid of course. his works. including lhe ()ua/e / e/i'o‘.'.’. Sadly. the s:;r‘-pt. nihicl‘. is based on Beliar‘s (,‘onfessror‘s of an /' sf: li’ehex. is only engaging at tinies. witl‘ Danny Verie/‘ra's {1(flliil'tlfhzfiliif sightl‘. .i'r‘atitl‘er‘trt: perfor‘ir‘ar‘ci: ’ackirig the at;r;t‘r. ° 2 create a .'.':r'<r arciirrl fl‘i; t:r>"fral (Illil’ilfli-fft. lnrs :s ‘ii'tl‘er
‘ntrarriipted Ir. tl‘-:
.i‘f' f) ' ' i," 't}, , " {i it i' [i /\.1t; '/ .‘l'K/
ONE MAN RANT
Good show, crap advice 00.
fiza‘m'... p.221:
<:"‘r;(: '."‘-:;--':t. A [)imfr: 's "as"; a pa'tiixiia' V. bad :Ig‘i‘.. E‘Savkeri for siirfr‘g
Bil"? .l’. "'fi fl()\li f%_lif'\'l‘(l
Jana nil, it's! 't:(:!l."t] Hi.
If] 3(I ' i “ii
'[ IV ivyyf III 1
mean rna't .'.:t't bar‘a'ras ';ir 'tzi'rds. );>1‘(‘."[‘x<‘ft\r;.‘ V\ ., i..(l.i <.,)., iror. tit-o rr‘ost satire-a? (it wanes 'irs t>.'.'n '.I.lr<:' feill'ltl “'8'”. to 1
four; f’;' ai‘ its '.'.'i.-rt".
'Tlillft'. :x.:l fili ix .13 .l
(let-Irrniw-qu enzirtc'at'
to fill! l‘is st‘c't titlt‘ (pout irsrr‘g alloy-1:- tl‘w (fail, gri‘d, /’\."i<l '.'.r‘i'(: flit: :;lt(>.'. ‘ack scope. firtc’rei sl‘ii‘.'.s great irt'io‘.atrorn and per‘orr'zarwi: and His szjrlpf.
((latlten'ie lir’iinley.
TELEPHONE BOOKING Book Festival 0131 624 5050
Fringe 0131 226 0000 International Festival 0131 473 2000 Film Festival 0131 623 8030 ‘
I CO2. ()8 /"() f0]
5 WE). until 25 Aug (not l ii. 2. i'5pin. 5650 (5550i.
WHO’S FLOYD STEARN? Where‘s the daddy? O.
\JVIIIISI filming a TV series in I lor‘rda. Tom Hanks persuaded
f rnrny nominated actor Michael Raynor to seach for his already dead father: It's a conyer'sat'on you don't ‘.'./ant to imagine
words irke "man were probany used ~ but the n>shot is this one~rnan shox'.’ ‘.'.'here Raynor comes to terms with the anger. loss and frustration felt at having peer: separated from his father at an early age.
I luidly assuming the roles of mother. father and grandparents. Raynor proves himself to be a consummate performer out this still ‘ec-ls iike us paying for has therapy. I honestly hope he ‘eels better but by I'te end of this my arse ‘.'.a:: 'ltl'ill‘tl.
(Iatl errne Hrornleyi
I x'i.s:;e"‘.').". Hori'rrs.
.’ ‘2-‘(5 .11. 59-). 4i.":'// .“6 fro-g . ; .;_.’(i‘r"r‘.
THE STRAIGHT MAN
50$ throwback O...
it's the late 50s and zarietg. performance is on -Is arse. Telc-ylsror‘. has taken oxer‘. putting double :titfs like [)rii'wie'. {Il‘itl Kier's in servi‘ias jt:()_l)£l"(f\.. ‘.'."e 'in another Monday nigr". per"orr"=r‘{i i"; ll'()l‘.l of
woe: f'ier"
another ".aif lull hoase pct boot; and the of lrnanc2a| gain
{i"".-.‘f; r the form of
'aixs'i l\.’ producer I log". Hil‘.‘.;’lfl(3(? ‘played to perfection by Michael fii(:i\.'.<>odi. One or: blern tnough he on". '.'.'a."ts Kier.
ti' Ilianliy scripted by \Jol‘nl rirternore. this exztinti‘. rendered comic tale about a friendship tested by the cut throat r‘aturi: of sliox‘iliiisiriess is not unlike .i yariefy f;.’l()‘.‘. .r‘ itself. only '.'.'rtliout The royalty. (‘ireat Kitltlt} for ‘.'.F'iat you get there's ,okes.
(Catherine Bromleyi
I Pleasance Courtyard and Over The Road. 556 6550, until 26 Aug (not 2()/_ 4pm. 577—51950 HTS-47.50;.
PROFILE
PRITHAM CHAKRAVARTIIY Voice of the voiceless
At the end of performing one of her acclaimed political monologues. Pritham Chakravarthy was approached by four eunuchs.These women trapped in men's bodies told her about their lives. Well educated and brought up in a high caste family. Chakravarthy was shocked that the practice of crude genital removal still existed in modern India. She investigated further and decided to give the 'hiiras' a voice.
The result is a monologue that Chakravarthy will perform in a rare English-language Outing as part of the International Festival. Used to performing in Tamil and appearing in car parks. gardens and Village halls — wherever the people are — Chakravarthy calls herself an ‘actress-activist'. She IS a trained performer who switched her career in conventional theatre and television to a life devoted to India's voiceless population.
Her performances are not fixed — the same story can take anything from 10 to 40 minutes — and she is as interested in audience discussion as her own contribution. It looks set to be one of the most engaging and alarming appearances in the festival.
(Mark Fisher) I The Hut). 473