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FESTIVAL THEATRE | Hitlist

THEATRE HITLIST Daffodils

Gareth K Vile rounds up the best theatre in week one of the festival

DAFFODILS (A PLAY WITH SONGS)

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE A politically charged interpretation of a play that has become dulled through familiarity. Coming from Georgian director Keti Dolidze, this production promises more than another trail through personal insanity. See feature, page 93. Assembly Roxy, 623 3030, 6–29 Aug (not 10, 15, 22), 1.55pm, £8–£10. Previews 4 & 5 Aug, £7.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES: BLOOD

FOR BLOOD A room filled with chairs stands for the bloody purges of the French revolution as a love story tries to find resolution against the backdrop of brutal history. See preview, page 96. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 6–28 Aug (not 10, 17, 24), 2.40pm, £12–£13 (£11–£12). Previews 3–5 Aug, £6.

THE PRINCES’ QUEST The Disney film that never was: the usual tale of rescuing the princess is waylaid as the heroes find their love is for each other. See feature, page 93. C cubed, 0845 260 1234, 4–20 Aug, 7.20pm, £7.50–£9.50 (£5.50–£7.50).

A tender tale of love, set in a more innocent time and featuring live music from New Zealand band LIPS for a more immersive musical experience. See feature, page 83. Traverse, 228 1404, 7–28 Aug (not 8, 15, 22), times vary, £20.50 (£8.50–£15.50). Previews 4, 6 Aug, £14.50 (£8.50).

GREATER BELFAST Somewhere between a gig and theatre show, a composer reflects on his home city having moved away to Glasgow, a place which has echoes of the conflicts and positives of the Northern Irish capital. See feature, page 83. Traverse, 228 1404, 5–28 Aug (not 8, 15, 22), times vary, £18.50 (£8.50–£13.50). Preview 4 Aug, £12.50 (£8.50).

THE VAUDEVILLAINS Fringe favourites Les Enfants Terribles take wild characters from the cabaret and plunge them into a murder mystery. In a theatre where strangeness is a unique selling point, more than a few of the suspects have reasons to hide the truth. See preview, page 94. Assembly George Square Gardens, 623 3030, 6–28

Aug (not 16), 10.10pm, £14–£16 (£12.50–£14.50). Previews 4 & 5 Aug, £11.

DENTON AND ME An autobiographical reflection on how the hidden literature of the past can not only explain modern anxieties, but plot a course for those anxieties to be understood and even embraced. See preview, page 96. Summerhall, 560 1581, 5–28 Aug (not 15, 22), 3.05pm, £12 (£10). Previews 3 & 4 Aug, £8.

MULE When two women were arrested for drug-smuggling, prison was not enough punishment. Cue the arrival

of a media frenzy that persuaded the world that, far from merely making a mistake, the women were evil incarnate. See preview, page 96. Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 6–29 Aug (not 17), 1.30pm, £10–£11 (£8). Previews 3–5 Aug, £5.

ADLER & GIBB Tim Crouch is a genius. He is experimental yet accessible. Here he looks at the gap between real life and performance in a scaled down version of his Royal Court production. See preview, page 99. Summerhall, 560 1581, 6–27 Aug (not 8, 15, 22), 5.15pm, £15 (£12). Previews 3, 5 Aug, £12.

82 THE LIST FESTIVAL 4–11 Aug 2016