THEATRE LIST
COWBOYS AND INDIANS
TAG Theatre Company. On tour.
How many Scottish born people do you know, or know oi, who are oi Indian or Asian descent? This new play by Gunneet Mattu, himsell an Indian Glaswegian, locuses with honesty and cheerful intelligence on the contused, complex racist attitudes that many Indian Scots lace.
Set in a comer shop it tells how Jog and his sister Nirmai join lorces with their white lriend Tam to revive the ilagging lortunes of their iather’s business. They decide to make the shop a ‘theme’ shop - the theme being Cowboys and Indians-cheekin taking their cue irom the Grand Old Oprey opposite. By focusing on the friendship between the three - and a dear old lady customer— while playing with the ‘Cowboy and Indlan’ slightly iantastical element, Mattu approaches his subject with wit and sympathy. He explores the assumptions people make about even their close iriends and the way we class people superlicially, broadening his theme to consider how easy it is lor young people today, oi every background and nationality, to accept the passive, depressing role models society creates for them. Through the exchanges between tlirmal, iierceiy independent yet restricted by her gender, and Tam, who has a crush on her, Mattu explores how much oi a personality is inherited, how independent and individual one can be or become, how we should never assess people on prejudice. An old lady is more than an old lady, a yob is more than a yob - barriers ol nationality and generation need not be barriers, though the dillerences may be there.
it Is an intelligent, lively and funny play, its chiel lault being that Mattu works too hard on his wit, becoming too laboured in places, and doesn’t quite accommodate the lantastical element; its chiel virtue being its sympathetic and vivid creation oi character and relationships. It is well served by Maggie Kinloch’s breezy and snappy production and by strong perlonnances. Rizwan Abassi as Jog carries the action, the relationship between Sharon Maharaj’s sussed tlirmal and Babara Rallerty’s canny old blddy Anges is warmly developed, and Robert Carler makes a delightful no-good charmer ol Tam. Neatly undermining the audience’s own lirst assumptions to make them think, play and production ask lortolerance without becoming ponderous. (Sarah Hamming).
evgs. Bar/Cafe.
A Christmas Carol Thurs 19 Nov—Sat 26 December. 10am (every day except Sat); 1.30pm (every day); 7.30pm (4 & 5 Dec.9 & 10 Dec). £3.25 (£1.90) Parties often or more £2.90 (£1 .70). Family ticket£10(2 adults & 2 children or 1 adult & 3children. 4 ice creams incl.!);The Cumbernauld Theatre Company kick off early with their Christmas panto—an adaptation ofthe much—loved Charles Dickens story written and directed by Robert Robson. I DRAMA CENTRE 126 Ingram Street.041 552 5827.
Three Sisters and The Suicide Mon 16 Nov—Sat 5 Dec.7.30pm. A double bill
'f’
$4951“
THREE SISTERS/THE SUICIDE
Drama Centre, Glasgow To mark the seventieth anniversary of Soviet Russia, Strathclyde Theatre Group presents a repertory at two great 20th-century Russian plays: Chekhov’s ‘Three Sisters’ and Erdmann’s ‘The Suicide’ on alternate evenings. Successful interpretation ol Chekhov depends on the creation of subtle suspense and malleable atmosphere (here the sprawling set assists greatly in Chekhov’s ‘roving camera’ technique, drawing the audience almost into the action), and on striking the correct balance between sell-involvement and relationship; suppression, evasion and revelation. Susan Triesman, who both directs and plays a passionate, enigmatic Masha, achieves this balance largely by assembling a very strong cast around her. Robin Preston’s blull Chebutykln, John Cobb's bumbling Verapont and Romilly Squire's inwardly torn Andrey are especially convincing; though young Graeme Wilson is miscast as the middle-aged pedant, and Margaret O’Hara’s accent is as iII-advisedly plastered on as her
shown on alternating nights ( Three Sisters on 26. 28. 30 Nov; 2 & 4 Dec and The Suicide on 27 Nov & 1.3. & 5 Dec). To celebrate the seventieth anniversary ofthe Russian Revolution. the Drama Centre mount Chekhov‘s classic on alternate nights with Nikolai Erdman‘s TheSuiCide. written in 1931 but not seen in Russia at the time because of its satirical portrayal of bureaucracy. See Review.
I DRAMA STUDIO West Quandrangle. University of Glasgow.
I FORT THEATRE Kenmure Avenue. Bishopriggs. 772 7054.
Season’s Greetings Mon 7—Sat 12 Dec. 7.30pm. £2.50; Members£1.75;OAPs
make-up.
A lew discreet textual incisions and more eiiicient scene changes would have thanklully shortened this lengthy but moving and dynamic production.
‘The Suicide’ is a very dillerent type oi play: a soclo-political Soviet satire in the tradition of Gogol. An unemployed man, crippled by poverty, llippantly decides to commit suicide. Word gets around, and he spends the remainder of the play trying to shirk the demands ol parasitical Job’s comlorters who enlist him to their various causes. Banned by Stalin in 1932, it is a very lunny and hard-hitting play; but Tony Gee’s production is rather Ill-executed. Besides ignoring the obvious possibilities oi relevance to 1980s Britain, it sullers from clumsy staging, misjudged pacing, an uneasy mixture oi costumes and a general iussiness in much at the acting which dissipates locus and stilles some of the humour.
Though he is to some extent guilty oi this, Alan McGinley gives a bright and amiable portrayal oi the anti-hero Podsekalnlkov which carries the show to a degree at success, but is not sufficient to equal the professional air ol the ‘Three Sisters’. (Andrew Bumet).
£1.25; OAP members and children £1. Seasonal fare from the Antonine Players in Alan Ayckbourn‘s festive comedy. IOLASGOW ARTS CENTRE 12 Washington Street, 221 4526.
Cinderella Tue 8—Thurs 10 Dec 7.30pm. Tue 15—Thurs 17 Dec 1.30pm. Thurs 17& Fri 18 Dec. 7.30pm. £2 (£1) 75p for parties of ten or more. Actors Lab in their new version of the well known tale about the princess who loses her shoe
I KINGS THEATRE Bath Street. Box Office. Mon—Sat noon—6pm. 4 bars. [D]. [E]. Phone bookings. Ticket Centre. Candleriggs. Mon—Sat 10.30am—6.30pm.041 227 5511.
Cinderella Mon 23 Nov—Sat 6 Feb 1988. 7.pm. Wed & Sat mats. 2.15pm.£2—£6.75. Cones. for children and OAPs every day except Saturday. The ever popular Rikki Fulton and Walter Carr take to the stage for the long stint ofthe Christmas pantoas the two L'eg Sisters.
I MITCHELL THEATRE Granville Street. 221 3198. Box Office Mon-Sat noon—6pm. Bar. Cafe. [1)]. Tickets also available from the Ticket Centre. Candleriggs. 227 551 l Mon-Sat I0.30am—6.30pm.
Cowboys and Indians Tue 24-5111 28 Nov. 7.30pm. £3.50 (£2.50) TACI Theatre Company in their touring production ofa new play by (iurmeet .‘ylattu. See Review. How to Be Successful Without Even Trying Wed 2—Sat 5 Dec. 7.30pm. £3.50(£2.50). Forum Arts Society demonstrate this enviable skill in their show.
Dick Whittington Tue 8—Sat 12Dcc. 7.30pm. £3.50(£2.50).'1‘he Pantheon Players in the panto demonstrating the advisablity. for politicians. of being for turning.
I PAISLEY ARTS CENTRE New Street. 887
1010. Box Office open Tue—Sun noon—8.30pm. Bar (Open noon— I 1pm Tue—Sat; 12.30—2.30pm&6.3(L-1lpm Sun. Meals served). Cafe (Open noon—11pm). [1)].
Beauty and the Beast Sat 28 Nov. 2.30pm. Adults £1 ; Children 50p. A puppet show given by Edinburgh Puppet Company. The company give a workshop in the morningat 11.30am.
Cowboys and Indians Thurs 3 Dec. 7.30pm. £3 (£1 .50) TAU theatre company in their new touring show. See Review.
Look No llans Sat 5 Dec. 7.30pm. £3
(£ 1 .50) Frontline Theatre Company in the farce by John Chapman and Michael Pertwee.
I PALACE THEATRE‘) (ireen Street. Kilmarnock. 0563 23590. Box Office Mon—Sat 10am—5pm. Cafe Bar Mon—Sat
10am—5pm.|1)][1i].
The Magic Snowball Thurs 3—Thurs 24 Dec. 7.30pm. £4 (£3) Matinees 2pm on 4.5.9.
11.12.16.l7.18.19.22.23.24l)ecand 10am on 9. 11. 16. 18 Dec. £2. Wildcat Stage Productions in their new Christmas Show in which the Wicked Witch ofthe South has made the North so frozen that it won't even snow. But she reckons without the twins Betwixt and Between and their cat/friend Fleas.
I PAVILION THEATRE 121 Renfield Street. 332 1846. Box Office Mon—Sat 10am-8pm. Bar.
Total Abuse Sat 28 Nov. 7.30pm. £5. £4. £3. Gerry Sadowtiz delivers the abuse in question. See Feature and Queen‘s l lall. Edinburgh.
Mother Goose Fri 4 Dec—Sat 30 Jan 1988. 7.30pm. Matinees 2.30pm (5. 10. l2. l7. 19.22—24.28—31Dec;2.6.9.13. 16.20. 23. 27. 3(IJan). £5.25 (Children £3.25). £3.25 (Children £2.25). Johnnie Beattie and Andy Cameron in this year's Pavilion Panto.
I THEATRE ROYAL llope Street. 331 1234. Box Office Mon—Sat l0am—6pm. (7.30pm on perf cvgs). Bar. Buffet.
Scottish Opera Tue 24—8111 28 Nov. See Classical Music Listings. The Taming of the Shrew Mon 30 Nov—S2115 Dec. 7.30pm. Mats on Thurs & Sat 2.30pm. £2.50—£8.50. Cones: Mon—Thurs cone groups £3 off advance booking for seats priced £5.50—£8.50. Mats conc groups half price. Parties of 15 or more £1 .50 off. Stand-by seats (for students. OAPs and UB40s) £2.50. on sale 90mins before performance starts. The British Actors Company. a new company. in their first production: Shakespeare's comedy about the wooing of the wayward Kate. Stars Kate O‘Mara and Tim Woodward. See Guestlist. I I THIRD EYE CENTRE 350 Sauchiehall Street. 332 7521. Cafe open 1 lam—2.30pm Tue—Fri and during evening performances. AVision of Love Revealed in Sleep Fri 27& Sat 28 Nov. £3.50 (£2.50). The ‘New J
The List 27 Nov— 10 Dec 198719 J