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ARTISTS for EL SALgAgOR Theatre Group list
The Story of El Salvador
OLD ST PAUL'S CHURCH HALL
i‘lllyartlstroml ringetittrcei ii I I RI \ \tht lint: \i.tiht‘l\l' alsotlownt .iir;il‘t‘crs( losestcps
at: High \trce! near \oitli Ilritlge
AUGUST 15 — SEPTEMBER 3 2.30pm EVERY DAY is”: \titttlan
\ "‘— ,gy
:i.-ri:l ririge ( litrte or (NJ \3 l'atil s( hutch llal'.
s -‘
oregano 9
Photographs
An exhibition of landscape photography by
a massive selection of postcards, signed books. prints, calendars, posters
alliorsale at
Old Fringe Office
170 High Street, Edinburgh Every day 11 Aug —3 Sept, mam—5.30pm
Most of the above (except the framed originals) also at
Assembly Rooms
George Street, Edinburgh Every day 11 Aug —3 Sept, noon—midnight
Scotland‘s foremost photographer: many framed originals,
FESTIVAL THEATRE
Malcolm X. (Hitlistl
increasingly obsessed with periection. The Blow l‘p Theatre ( ‘ompany giy es these two lee-coltl roles to women a moye which adds tension to the production whilst strengthening the contrast with Danton's w horesand his relatiy e decadence. The rich raw lite oithe times is w ell captured in these briet scenes. as is Danton'sgrowrngbeliei that change in tact changes nothing. The adaptation might be sti'eariiliiied to ady antage. but iieyertheless. the lasting impression is that pow er liardetis as Robespiei re and Saiirt-Itrste reiect what we know to be reasonable appeals ('1 inch .\iinteri I Danton‘s Death‘t'he Blow t‘p'l’heati'e ('oiiipany . Abbotstord lodge. (y eriue M i 4.1" 1133.1b:\ug 3 Sept.(iiot Suns. .\ionsoi Thurs 35) Twilipm. {ZSUILII
THE TEMPEST
.-\udiences oi the past lew eyenirrgs hay c been giy mg the Nirragaw a (‘ompany 's piodiictioiioi 'I'lre It'ni/ir'yr that rarest oi poptrlar accolades. a .standiiigoyation. In terms oi show mansliip. pomp and spectacle the show is certainly without r'iyal. .\'o British company . aiter all. would liaye the
w lierew ithal to mount a proiect ot such magnitude and then transport it haliway across the world.
Yukio .\‘iiiagawa‘s direction reilects clear awareness oi the mellow . tender and magical nature til this. one oi Shakespeare's last play s. The youthitil beauty oi Miranda and i-erdinand. played by Yuko'lanaka and l lisashi l latakey'ama. creates an impression oi iairy ~tale characters. and the latter part oi the play is dominated by gently ltillirig music. courtesy oi a Yamaha organ lurking at the side oi the stage.
The production abounds in cley er touches. liinphasizing the symbolically sub-human nature oi ( 'aliban and his cronies. the monster crawls out iii the iinal act underneath the walkway on which the courtiers are Ieay irig. l’rospero's
clapping his liands to indicate to the players. who sit grouped around the stage. the beginningot siiiitrltarieotisly eyokes the atmosphere oi the circus ring. and the era ol the great actor managers like Richard Burliage. (iarrick and Kean.
()ne r‘esery ation remains. l)o. as(‘ole l’oi'ter would say . 'Brtrsh tip Your Shakespeare" belore blithely settingout Those who do their homework will be amply rewarded by the depth and richness oilapanese theatre. (llelen l)ay idsoit)
I The Tempest Nirtagawa (‘ompany oi .Iapari.
l’lay house 'l‘heatre. Run l-‘inished. li.l.l~'.
A MIDSUMMEH NIGHT’S DREAM
.-i .ilrrlyrminrer ,\re/rry Dream is one oi those l‘etttlliitlll} craited plays that allows the director to inscribe hisor her own yision into the yery tabrie oi the NH. (it‘egol‘y
l lersoy . director oi the Royal l' \charige 'l heatie (‘ompany . brings his dai k and brooding interpretationoi l/rr' Dream to strange iiuitron in this accomplished production at the Assembly llalls. llis achrey ement lies in the delicate handling oi the three straiidsoi Shakespeare's iiiaster'piece: the story oi the loy ers escaping irom the marbled halls oi Athens. where learning yies with the attsoiwar and brutal laws; the rude mechanicals. w hoeagerly subscribe to Athenian rule. and the strange world oi the ioi'est. outside the limits and restraintsor normal order. and inhabited by weird creatures that come straight irom the imagination.
The play is stagedon a raised platiornr open to three sides. 'l he sets are cleyerly designed; the Faeries disturbing and nightmarish. reminiscent ot monsters irom Srur- Il'ury. This is not the Itiin world oi the ruiigle but a heath blasted by the quarrel betw eeii ( )beroii and Titania l’rick is threatening rather than mischiey otis. and the on ers become stripped oi their humanity asthe night progresses. Ina moment oi theatrical magic. Bottom is transiormed into a chillingly realistic ass. and it isonly' towards the end of the play that warmth and humour are restored
l he w orkmen. led by Bully Bottom. periorm a side-splitting interlude ior the court. but the play is tell open-ended as l’uck darkly iiitones his tiiial speech (\Ieoltt Rol‘et’tsottl IAMidsummerNights Dream Royal Izychaiige 'l lieatie ( ‘oinpany. Assembly Hall ldtlll.“ Sept. "Supra. t“ r try-t3)
B-MOVIE: THE PLAY
Tom Wood. w ho w rote. stars in and directs Ii-Iloi'rt'. has w ritteii a side-splitting larce on him re obsession which had this rcyiewer in tears oi laughter on at least two
The story centres around the eitortsot ;\rt t'l'oiii \Voodsl and Starr i a brilliant pertorrrurnce irom Stephen ( )uimetle l. to tilrii a modern day remake ol the ( )ediprrs legend. renamed ‘ loaiie alttl l'.tltllc'.. lit the process. there is an opportunity toparotly hundredsot li-riioy res. ranging irom "l he (‘reatui'e irom the Black lagtioll‘ to ‘T he Mummy ‘s 1 land'
the play ‘soperirng mimics the riioy ies. w ith a yorce-oyei running alongside the pi oiected credits. I he tie-in with moy re methods is maintained throughout. w itli. amongst other s. background music and substrtles - as w hen .-\ rt . iii a moment oi stress. slips into 'moy ie-damage' and ieliyesa .lapaiiese yersioii or ( iod/illa t.-\ highly sttct‘esslttl theatrical creation by specialeiiects man. Ron Stelanirrk.)
llieie are line per tor iiiaiices all round iii thisliciieticiarce lorir \Vootl and Stephen ()tiimette are eyharistirrg to watch. w hile ( on re Ktislti ts e\celleiit as .-\t t \ adoring girltr'ieird.
o\ erlooked Iii tlte picsctiee oi l)ana lirooks‘ soap opera stai . (w hose entrance on to the iiioiiochioinc set. in bi ight yellow dress. ls reminiscent oi the y ibrant colotrrsoi early 'l'eclinicolorir rnoyiesi
Minor criticisms can be made oi the production and some iokcs are stretched too tar. but this Is, ti\ erall. gtitltl theatre; wai iiihearted in its tribute to another genre while making the most oi the possibilitiesottered by the stage. A itiemorable per'torrnancc. (Ron Attlsenl I B-Movie: The Play Royal Lyceum Theatre. Rt '.\' IiNIN-LI).
24 The List 26 Aug— 1 Sept 1988