MAYFEST DIARY
DAY BY D
FRIDAY 13
THEATRE
I Shanghaied "I run Tilletttte Sec Kltls section for ltill description
I Somewhere Overthe Balcony .\Ioir Ilall. Hi 13 aridSat it “put. £5
(£3 50). 'l he may popular all-women t Tiaralianc Theatre ( ‘ompariy from Not thern Ireland in a play by .\Iarrc.lones. which locuses on women by ing in the notorious I My is I-Tats ltl \\ est Bellast . and their attitude ttithe British.
I Lady Windermere's Fan (‘iti/ens' Theatre. t‘ntil Sat 21 (not Suns ). ".30pm £3t£l l-teei.'llie (‘iti/ens' T heatie ('ompany in ( )scar
\\ lltie's comedy about the goings-on in high society. Directed and designed by Philip Pro“ se_ who usually tioeswtinderltll things with “Title. See Rey less.
I Entertainingthe Troops and Be What You Were Born to Be Third T-.ye ( ‘cntr'e (Studio). t‘ntil Sat l4. 7.30pm. £3.50(£3.50). Beth Lapides. described by [line ()ulas'the drinking person's Laurie Anderson'. uses the basis til stand-up comedy to take an oblique ltitik at the modern world in [criteria/rung I/lt’ [mo/is.
w lttlc litheldreda offer a comic pageant on the absurdities til the linghsh aristocracy.
IActing Shakespeare King's Theatre. 7.30pm. £S.50. £7.50. £050. £4.50. All ticket prices include 75' I donation to .-\ l I )5 Research. Ian \tckellen in his highly acclaimed solo performance til most til Shakespeare. which lte has been performing tirelesst round the country to raise money lol‘ AIDS research. Don't miss it. McKellett also appears in I:dinburgh later In May at the Royal l.yceum. See I‘eature.
I Stars inthe Morning Sky News Athenaeum Theatre. RSAMI). l't'l l3 attdSat l-l. Spin; Sat 1-1 at 3pm and 8pm. £tit£3l; £3 ( £3). The acclaimed .\Ia|y Theatre ('ornpany trom Leningrad in the British premiere til a painlully honest look at life in the Soy iet l'nion through the eyes til a group of prostitutes. See Reyiew
I Great Expectations (‘handler Studio.
16'I'he List 13— 26 May was
RS.I\.\II). I-‘ri l3 at 3pm and 3.45pm. £5 ( £35”). lA(i Theatre(‘ornpany in a new . innoyatiye staging til ( harles Dickens classic I’laywtrglit .ltihn ( 'litlord has written the script. dancer (ir'eg Nash has choretigraphed. Ian Brown directs and Alan (‘umming anti I-orbes Masson (possibly best known as their alter-egos Victor ck Barry ) appearon stage.
I Ballet Macabre Mitchell Theatre. Fri 13 and Sat H at "L30prn; Sat 1-1 at 3pm and 7.30pm. £6 (£3). The British premiere of a brilliantly \ isual. funny piece til theatre by ('zechosloy akra's Theatre on a String which. like Brecht'sArturo ( it uses farce. fun and music to chart the rise and demise ofa dictator.
I The Clyde Is Red (‘raw furd Theatre. liri 13- Sat 31 (not Sun 15). 7.30pm. £5 ( £3). T heatr‘e I’kl in an acclaimed poem-play by (ieorge Byatt. in which the people til (ilasgow discos er that they can walk on water.
I The White Bird Passes Tron Theatre. Throughout Mayfes‘l (not .\ltin To) Rpm. £3(£l) members; £4 non-members. A strong cast perform Anne Downie's intelligent and mm ing stage adaptation ofJessie Kesson's story of a young girl removed frtim her sicially frowned-upon mother. A compelling eyocation of life in I‘Dlls' North Iiast Scotland and til the relationship between a mother and daughter.
I The Celtic Story l’ay ilion Theatre. Throughout May-fest (not Suns). 7.30pm. £5. £4 (£3.50). Wildcat use stage and music to tell the story ofa hundred years of ('eltic Football Club and lans. See Rey'iew.
I Politics in the Park (‘handler Stiiditi. RSAMI). I-'ri l3and Sat 14. lpm. £~I(£2). A wonderlully funny two-handerby lain (Wholly- llt'u/t/ty' (i/usgtiic) lleggie. in which two elderly sisters meet for a gossip on a park bench. Delightfully performed by Words Beyond Words Theatre ('timpany. the play
rey eats iii an hour a whole history til love. hate and opposing lifestyles.
DANCE
IThe Pied Piper! he Scottish Ballet Studio. T‘l'l [.3 and Sat l4. ".30pni. 50p (35p). An opportunity to see tlte yytir k made by disabled people in con|unction with Steps Out and their eyenittg class students.
ROCK
I Nanci Griltith (USA) Meliysan's .‘slusict‘entre. (ios'an Tow n I Iall. Spin. £5(£3.5lll. Ilaying recently released an album lair/e [.Ul't'xi Hurry which cony inced es en a
ey nie like me that there is life in country music beyond ( iram I’arsons. this should be another highlight til the May lest music eyents. A testimony to the \irtuestit good songw riting and fine singing(comparisons with early Linda Rondstadt have been made i.
CABARET
I Amampondo Beck's Spiegeltent. I-ri I3 andSat l-t. tipnt £4.5lll£:l. Return to Scotland til the exhilaratirigand colourful African hand. who were a great hit at the Tidinburgh I’estiy‘al.
I The Alexander Sisters
WHALE NATION: SEE TUE warmers. Edinburgh Festival audiences will probably remember Boy Hutchins as a gentle, ironic stand-up comedian— extraordinarily agile. and with remarkably expressive hands. His latest show is something at a departure, however— in Whale Nation. he does a solo stage adaptation ot a new poem by Heathcote Williams about the lite ol the whale. ‘I read the poem andl thought it was wondedul,‘ he says. ‘I wanted to pertorm it and I suppose I thought of mysell as a solo performer and switched trom something lunnyto seriousness. You employ the same skills.’
The poem encompasses the behaviour otwhales, their natural history and the history of the whaling industry: ‘The audience is invited to inhabit another world-the ocean.’ says Hutchins. ‘It is very sad- but it is also very exhilarating.‘ Then. ata
AY
Third Ixye ( ~entre (Studio). Hi 13 andSat l-l. 10.30pm. £3.50 (£3.50). The ll resistible A|e\ander Sisters with their lugth Irreyerent yetsitin til tartan terrors heather and kilties with a special springtime touch. IJeremy Hardy and Kit Hollerbach Mitchell Theatre. t‘ntil Sat I4. l0. I5prn. £5 ( £3.50). .leiemy Ilardy‘s gentle line in stand-up comedy made him one til the I’err‘ier Award linalists at last year‘s Tidinburgli l‘esTlHllL Amer ican Tsit lItillerliach does a wondertul line in sharp wacky \ignettesol modern Trying. I International Comedy Festival Moir I Iall. Every night except Sun and Mon. Different acts each night. £5 (£2.50). Tonight's line-up at the new comedy festival is Hattie I layridge. Mark Steel and Barry Steiger. IThe Fabulous Singlettes Beck‘s Spiegeltent. 10.15pm. £5(£2.50). Fun and funny hairstyles. Three ladies with beehiy'es. a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe. in an ey'ening of comedy. IThe Tom and SammyJo Show i .\lay arid IU- 15
loss as to how betterto explain the power and fascination ol the poem than to read it. he does so. It seems like a good idea: ‘Whales play/Forthree times as long as they spend searching tor toodz/Delicate. involved games./With leathers,/And logs otwood/Flipped trom the tops of their heads;/Carried in their teeth/Fora game oltag. ranging across the entire Pacific/Play without goals.‘ (Whale Nation will be published by Jonathan Cape in August; the show is also scheduled to appear at the Traverse. Edinburgh during the Edinburgh Festival.) (S.H.l
May. I rtin 'I'lieatre. llpm. £3 ( £l ) members; £4 non-members. I’eter (‘apaldi and Iilaine (‘ollins star in thisnew comedy taking a sharp look at American T\'
e\ angelism.
BOOKS
I Words lnto Theatre 'l'htrtl liye ('entre (Studio). I'il‘i l3 Sun l5. I‘ri ck Sattipm: Sun 2.30pm. £2.50 (£1.50).
KIDS
I Shanghaied'l‘rtm Theatre. Thurs l2 Sat l4. Ham and 2pm: Sat 14 at
2pm only. £3.50members;
£2.50 non-members; £l kids. l.l/ lochhead’s new play for the Scottish touring theatre company Borderline is set It] (ilasgow during the Second \Vorld \Var. It ltitiks not so much at the elfects of w ar‘. but at the sharp social differences a group til children experience when three tenement kitls are
cy aeuated from (Tydebank tti a country house in Ayrshire.
I Great Glasgow Book Bonanza
9.458") Alison Prince. author of several popular ghost and adventure stories for children. will be talking about her work. She now lives on the Isle of Arran. a setting which features strongly in a number of stories in her new book . A Haunting Refrain. published this month. For 7—12 years. loam—12.30pm Travel Back in time to the Itith century and learn about the life and times ofMary‘ Uueen of Scots with a team from Haggs ( 'astle. I‘ortvll years.
11am (‘olin Hawkins. author and illustrator of the Mr \N'olf books will be meetingo—IZ year-olds. 1.15pm Anne l‘ine. who liy es in Edinburgh. has written books for children. adults and recently a play for BBC Radio Scotland. She‘ll be talking tti l-l year-olds plus.
1.30pm Iiileen Dunlop. author til The House on the Hill will be meeting 10 year-olds plus.
2.15pm (‘anadian writer Douglas I Till will be around most of Friday. but at 2. 15pm he'll be talking especially tti ll) year-olds upwards.
DIARY
SATURDAY 14 THEATRE
I The Mahabharata The ()ld'l'tansport Stirseuni. l4 and 17 .\tay . Various times and limited ticket ayailaliility contact Ticket ('entre (ll-II 3:“ 551 I )ltir details. l’eter' Brook's justilialily‘ acclaimed stage adaptation til the great Indian epic poem. L'nmissable ilyoucan beg. horrow or steal a ticket.
I Shanghaied Tron Theatre. See I-ri I3.
I Somewhere Overthe Balcony .\loir Ilall. "pm. See Hi 13.
I Lady Windermere's Fan ('iti/ens' Theatre. t’ntil Sat :l lltot Stilts). “.3llpm £3(£l I‘ree). See l‘l'i 13. I Entertaining the Troops and Be What You Were Born to Be Third Iiye ('entr‘e (Studio). 7.30pm. See I‘ri I3.
I Stars in the Morning Sky New Athenaeum Theatre. RSAMT). 3pm and Spm. See Hi 13.
I Ballet Macabre .‘ytitchell Theatre. 3pm and 7.30pm. See T'l'l 13.
I The Clyde Is Red ('rawfurd Theatre. I-‘ri l3-- Sat 3] (not Sun l5). 7.30pm. See I‘t‘i I3.
I The White Bird Passes Tron Theatre. Throughout .‘Vlay fest ( not Mon lb) Spin. See I‘ri I3. I The CBTTTC STOW I’ay llion Theatre. Throughout .‘ytay fest (not Suns). 7.30pm. See I’ri I3.
I Politics in the Park (‘handler Studio. RSAMI). Iprn. See I‘rr l3.
DANCE
I The Pied Piper'l'he Scottish Ballet Studio. 7.30pm. See I-‘r'i l3.
CLASSICAL
I La Bohéme'l‘heatre Royal. 3.15pm. £3 £31 (Scottish ()pera prices). Scottish Opera in their new production of l’uccini's great weepie.
ROCK
I Scottish Indie Night .‘y'feliwan‘s Mtisie Centre. (ioy'an Town I lall. Spin. £5 (£2.50). Slightly revised line-up. now featuring We I‘ree Kings. The Motorcycle Boy who have been surprisingly quiet til late — The Alice House. and The Pastels -- who base the dubious claim til being the #_J