FESTIVAL THEATRE | Reviews
MEN IN THE CITIES Passionate monologue about intimacy in the modern world ●●●●●
Standing in a spotlight, with 17 motionless fans behind him, Chris Goode delivers a monologue about men in the city, their stories interweaving into a broad tale of masculinity, sexuality and intimacy in the modern world. Goode’s writing is excellent, frequently funny
and often unexpected. His characters aren’t predictable, and not always likeable. Goode is aiming for truth in all its complexity, over storybook simplicity and, at times, it’s electrifying to watch.
One theme that provides food for thought – and feels utterly contemporary at the same time – is Goode’s interest in how we’re impacted by headline news. In one effective part Goode recalls an intimate night with a friend, peppering details of the encounter with thoughts of the day’s headlines: missing flight MH370, the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman and allegations against Woody Allen. It’s an astute realisation of the complex ways that the news infiltrates and shapes our lives.
Men in the Cities is a little long, and rather sprawling. But with ambivalent characters, fruitful juxtapositions and moments where you feel you’ve been through the emotional wringer, it offers something raw and honest – and that is exactly how theatre should feel. (Gail Tolley) ■ Traverse, 228 1404, until 24 Aug (not 11,18), various times, £18 (£13).
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BIRDWATCHERS’ WIVES Performance artist takes on avian alter-ego ●●●●● OUTINGS We’re here, we’re queer . . . and people have got used to it ●●●●●
SIDDHARTHA, THE MUSICAL Glossy adaptation of Hesse's novel ●●●●●
‘Welcome! Willkommen! Bienvenue!’ warbles Rita Grebe. Grebe is seven-foot tall, preening delicately in a sumptuous costume of extravagant plumage. This solo show from performance artist Caroline Smith takes all things avian and twists it through the testimonies of Rita: a self-identified ‘avian-therian’. Or, put simply, a woman who thinks she is a bird.
Caroline Smith’s Rita takes joy in teasing the assembled audience, her birdwatchers, as she calls them – and yet she is quick to reverse the process with wit-soaked observations on our respective plumage.
Although Smith’s performance provides much to like, her tone remains consistent throughout, making it difficult for much momentum to build before the finale of the show (the hotly anticipated avian talent contest, ‘BirdOrff’). Birdwatchers' Wives bristles with interesting concepts, yet each one is given only a fleeting appearance. Although there is no shortage of bird puns and a particularly gripping riff on a lunchbox straying into Rita’s eyeline, the performance itself struggles to take flight. (Elliot Roberts) ■ Summerhall, 560 1581, until 24 Aug (not 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23), 12.30 pm, £12 (£10).
80 THE LIST FESTIVAL 7–14 Aug 2014
Outings is a cheerful and at times poignant celebration of how far LGBTQ rights have come in the UK. The selection of stories are mostly upbeat, as friends and relations disappoint expectations of bigotry and condemnation. A few older men recall the brutality of attempts at psychological reconditioning, but the tone is positive and ends on a declaration of pride, hope and, surprisingly, religious faith. Taken from interviews, the verbatim script
covers a range of experiences including those of transgendered people. It is at its most challenging when discussing the experience of a woman whose husband came out after years of marriage – but this sombre note is absorbed in the many outings that have the polish of a witty anecdote.
A Buddhist musical about spiritual enlightenment, with lasers, fireball projections, porn heels and pounding Euro beats? And it all began as a rehabilitation programme in a maximum security prison in Milan? It’s unlikely you’d imagine any of that, when you hear they’ve made a stage version of Hermann Hesse’s 1922 novel about the Buddha’s journey. But welcome this glorious oddity into your life, for it is as utterly mesmerising as it is ridiculous. The opening scenes feel like stumbling into a cruise ship ballroom. Spray tanned, nimble gym bodies leap across the set. The glossy, high-camp production follows Siddhartha’s journey: pampered prince, then homeless truth-seeker, and eventually radiant wise man (portrayed by Michael Nouri, the one American / English actor in this otherwise Italian, subtitled production).
The lack of dramatic tension prevents Outings It’s a loincloth-version of Derek Jarman’s
from finding new themes, and the list of things people say to their gay friends is a predictable trope. Warm and uplifting, Outings reflects an increasingly inclusive society. If this is a loss to theatrical intensity, it is a testament to the progress of social change. (Gareth K Vile) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 25 Aug (not 13, 21), 1pm, £12–£13 (£11–£12). Sebastian, transported to a meditation class, with singing to accompany it all – and that unlikely combo leads to something incredibly enjoyable, perhaps not necessarily for the reasons the producers had in mind. Regardless, the crowd are up on their feet when it ends. (Claire Sawers) ■ Assembly Rooms, 0844 693 3008, until 24 Aug (not 13), 6.10pm, £15 (£12).