THEATRE LIST
TRAVELLING LIGHT
There are two warId traivellers in Donald Mackenzie's play of that name, givenits premiere at the Brunton Theatre this month (See Listings). One is a ship’s carpenter, a real globe-trotter, the other is the woman whose imagination is sparked off by the tales he tells. She, the working mother in an eighteenth century File mining family, laid off from the pit after injury, remains largely a traveller of the mind.
‘The play is very much about a leap of the imagination,’ says Mackenzie. ‘Everybody is capable of making that leap, ifthey have the courage. And in that sense it’s relevant to today. She’s liberated by the fact that she’s no longer economically viable.’ The economic plight of eighteenth century mining families is one thing that Mackenzie hopes the play will illuminate, ‘I don’t think that anyone who sees the play will not appreciate the sertdom of the mining community in those days.‘
The play, which won the 1983 Assembly/Alloa Breweries Award, is one of many that Mackenzie, something of a world traveller himself, has written. He is a compact, cheery soul with an anecdotal bent— and his varied career has given him fuel for anecdotes in plenty. A journalist in early life, he became a war reporter and, at one stage, head of publicity for the Scottish Office. His travels also gave him material for many of his plays, the one he feels most passionately about, being aboutthe
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the most disgraceful incidents on the history of the British Raj. The shooting that day completely changed India in relation to Great Britain, on both a political and a social level.’ Economically, playwriting has to
remain a sideline for him, however, and, as erstwhile chairman of the Scottish Society of Playwrights, he feels prospects for Scottish playwrights have only grown dimmer in recent years.‘You’l| never make your bread and butter as a playwright! Things have got far worse for Scottish playwrights. One of the things I believe about Scotland is that there are many people who are never going to achieve their potential, because of the economic situation ofthe country. I think it’s a great thing then that Charles Nowosielski (artistic director of the Brunton Theatre) has decided to do four Scottish plays this season - it’s a very courageous decision’. (SH)
iiiiiire atAmritza in lndial ‘One of
over-theatrical and sentimental treatment ofthe ‘game for all the family’ aspect of the work. (Shan Evans).
The Warld Traiveller Wed 22 Oct—Sat § 1 Nov. 7.45pm. £3.50 (£2). First
" night£2(£1.50). First showing fora , play by Donald Mackenzie focusing
on a family conflict in a mining village in 18th century Fife. See Panel
0 CHURCHILL THEATRE
; Morningside Road. Tickets usually
available from Cruikshanks opp the
Theatre.
0 KINGS 2 Leven Street. 229 1201.
Box office Mon—Sat 10am—8pm.
Bar. Rest. [D]
Peking Opera Sat 18 and Sun 19 Oct. 7.30pm. £7.50—£10. Child. Student. OAP. UB40— all seats £5. Two performances from the celebrated performers who illustrate the traditional and fascinating art of Peking opera. Falling somewhere between opera and panto and including virtuoso acrobatics. the production tells comic tales from ancient mythology. See Guestlist The Last of the Mohicans Mon 20—Fri 24 Oct. Mon—Fri 7.30pm: Sat 5 and 8pm. £4.50—£6. Mon eve and Sat mat all seats £3.50. Tue—Fri. Child. Student. OAP and U840 £3.50. The New Vic Theatre Company in their latest anarchic high-energy production — an adaptation by Phil Woods. See Panel.
Snow White and the Seven Owarves
Tue 21—Sat 25 Oct. 10.30am and 2.30pm. Adult £3. Child £2. An autumn pantomime for the half-term holiday. See Kids. 0 MANDELA THEATRE (iateway Exchange. 2—4 Abbeymount. 661 0982. Devils/Longing for the Long White Night Sun 19 Oct. 7pm. £1 (50p). A , double bill of new plays presented in ' workshop by the Edinburgh Playwrights' Workshop. Dreaming Wild Honey Part 2 Sun 26 Oct. 7pm. £1 (50p). Edinburgh Playwrights‘ Workshop in a workshopped production of a new play by Chris Cherrv. Balls! Tues 21—Sat 25 ()ct. 7.30pm. ' Crack Theatre Company in a comedy first shown at Cumbernaultl Theatre about the future for young people. O NETHERBOW 43 High Street. 556 9579. Box office Mon—Sat 10am—4pm. 7—9pm perfevgs. Cafe. [El Double Bill Until Sat 18 Oct. 7.30pm. £2.50 (£1 .50). Alienarts. a Glasgow—based multi-racial theatre company in a double bill: Howard Purdie's ()m’ C/zapari— Two (‘lzupati l which won a prize in Channel 4‘s Year ofthe Black Playwright. about Sikhs coming to terms with problems in both India and Great Britain and Rebecca Ronson's The Incarceration ofAmzr'c about a young black ' American woman and what happens to her when she is put in prison for debt
man in Britain to fly and. like most
O ROYAL LYCEUM Grindlay Street. 229 9697. Box office Mon-Sat 10am—6pm. 10am—8pm on perfevgs. Bar. Rest. [D][E] (TheatreSaver cards cost £1 . last all year and are available to OAPs. UB4US. Students. disabled. under 24 railcard l holders. YTS scheme and children under 18. They enable you to bring a friend for£l offalso).
The Grand Edinburgh Fire Balloon Until Sat 1 Nov. 7.45pm. Sat mat 25 Oct.3. 15pm. £3.50—£5.50. TheatreSaver holders £1 off. Premiere of a new play by Andrew Dallmeyer about James Tytler. first
Communicado Theatre Company in their touring adaptation of a short story by R. L. Stevenson. See Touring.
O THEATRE WORKSHOP 34 Hamilton Place. 226 5425. Box office Mon—Sat 9.30am-5.30pm. Bar. Cafe. [D]
The programme ofevents celebratingTheatre Workshop‘s 21st birthday continues. including Dance and Cabaret (see separate sections). Laugh? I Could Have Died! Fri 17 and
, Sat 18 Oct. £2.50 (£2). A visit from
i the Theatre of Lemmings with their unconventional line in comedy.
The Amazing Mr Bones Travelling Puppet Theatre Tue 21 Oct. 1 lam and 2pm. £1 (75p). Magic. puppets and games for children aged 3— 10 years.
3 See Kids.
i Spectre Inspector Wed 22 Oct. 2.30
and 4pm. £1 (75p). Ghostbuster
extraordinaire Spectre Inspector in
high-flying eccentrics. out on a limb from the narrowminded society around him. See Review.
0 SPRINGWELL HOUSE Ardmillan Terrace. Gorgie. 337 1971.
Desire Tue 21 Oct. 7.30pm.
THE TRAVERSE THEATRE
PICK OF1986 FESTIVAL FRINGE ~ 59.“ ‘Dreaming of Babylon’ H2 WEST BOW GRA RKET Until Sun 26 Oct at 7.30pm ED/NBURGH EH/ zpo Adapted and performed by Kerry Shale
‘Unmissable’ The Scotsman
THEATRE WORKSHOP 7th October - lst November 1986
People Show 0 Theatre Centre
Z‘l 5'
.The Grand Theatre of Lemmings O Khoros Dance Theatre ANN'VERSARY J°hn 0"" '- The Amazing "r Bones 34 Hamilton Place I Nerry Mac Fun Co. 0 The Edinburgh Puppet Co. Edinbumh ( 0 Wire Less Wireless oveggitww 031-226 5425 53:: Kim‘s” Full Programme and Commemorative Brochure Available Now. 5 - it 1 i a i G M U 88 E L B U R G H
World Premiere of a prize-winning play
THE WARLD TRAIVELLER
by Donald Mackenzie Eighteenth century Fife is the setting for this dramatic story of family conflict in a small mining community. Wednesday 22nd October — Saturday lst November Tickets: 2350/53200 Evenings: 7.45pm
BRUNTON THEATRE HALLOWE’EN BANQUET Friday 31 st October at 10.30pm. Tickets £7.50 Three course meal. licenced bar, entertainment BOX OFFICE: 031-665 2240
A world premiéme of a new play from Scotland set in Edinburgh
about the first man in Britain to “navigate the air" in . . .
THE GRAND EDINBURGH FIRE
BAL NW
byAndrew Dallmeyer. 10 October - '| November 7.45 Seats from £2.50 Booking now (031) 229 9697 PERFORMED BY
Rm“. WWW
The List 17— 30 October 19