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Film Festival 0131 623 8030

WE DON’T KNOW SHI’ITE

A lesson in Islam 000

Haltrasleep or half ‘.‘/£li<l.'l(;l./ Any/e. dead or both? ()omas area haitsate between two woilds. and unless) you've experienced one how can they be explained, or described?

Alex Garlaiid'f; novel. about the dream-like interior lite ot a man lett pern‘iaiiently seiiti-consciou:; after being beaten up. is brought yin/idly to lite Ill Marcus Condron's. adaptation. 'lhe sense of spitting alienation Ill the piece echoes Kafka and Berkotl. as were taken on an evocative. emotive exploration of a mental landscape. Slick onstage transitions recreate the Virtual world then instantly dissolve it again as we explore the search toi seltlocation. Charismatic and chilling. it attempts to create the Visualisation ot dreams where our vocabulary tails. (Lindsay Corr)

I Plo'isance Dome. {356 (35:30, (Illfl/ 25 Aug, 2.20pm, 58—119 (l 1560-57. :30).

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PAST HALF REMEMBERED Much ado about nothing 0.

Perhaps very vaguely based on Proust. this comic romance about a tOO-year-old French speaking woman

recalling her marriage to a Russian TAYLOR MAC together with his faux-vaudeville act (which soldier - and thus recounting his WiCked Wit from the Big App'e .... incorporates liberal and dextrous playing of the country‘s history from First World War ukulele), also recalls those London-based Fringe through Revolution to Second -— is Punk, political and satirical, this is a drag show like no regulars, The Tiger Lillies. Like that music trio, Mac’s Played 38 WW. The cast. who other. Taylor Mac's got luscious lips and long legs, and an outrageously manic and maniac - clown. comprise the Cute old biddie and a he can really belt out a song when he wants to. But He gives Fringe stand-ups a good run for their bumbling musical cherus. give it their this flamboyant New Yorker exceeds expectations by money, too. Combining an endearing line in self- all. and they're rewarded With belly busting the boundaries of transgender performance. depreciation with a wicked wit and an easy-going laughs from the crowd. But it's all a bit Mac’s Fringe debut is a taste teaser of his socio- stage presence, he seemingly effortlessly charms the ham-tisted. With rather too much political themed Big Apple shows. And, given that it’s crowd. The banter and costume changes string mucking about where the show might essentially a ‘best of' routine, his set holds together together a number of comic songs. One of them,

have benefited trom a tighter script. remarkably well. That's because, although Mac’s based on fact we’re told (and you really couldn't make Still, yOu get serenaded Wlill tolk tunes bringing together disparate elements from previous this stuff up), concerns the unlikely pre-political career and plied With vodka while Queuing to performances (apparently individually themed affairs), as a romance novelist of Dick Cheney's wife and, even 90 Ht. (Miles Fielder) his Edinburgh show is well paced with tonal shifts from more unbelievably, Saddam Hussein, whose prose I P/easance Coo/tiard. 55(‘ 6550. upbeat to blue and comic to seriously touching that transformed the stronghold in which he had thousands until 28 Aug. 8.:30prii. 98.50—89.50 makes the 55 minutes whizz by faster than a of Iraqis tortured into the seductive Castle of the (97-58). Manhattan subway express train. Moon. The song is perhaps the best (though not only)

Appearance-wise, Mac’s a sight for sore eyes. Fright example of the overriding theme of Mac’s marvellous

wig, sequin-studded face, ripped fishnets, stairway-to- show: railing against and ridiculing the pricks.

heaven platforms and a wardrobe of self-designed (Miles Fielder)

outfits that marry Marilyn Manson with Lee Bowery - I 0575‘ 74C 3983. Jet/277147. 8. flip/r. 5 7—5 to

this guy is eccentric eye candy. And his appearance, i 5—5.9

62 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE ‘7—3-1 Au.) a?