THE LIST
I FlNGER-LICKING good, though you may need a grown up to help you with
this bit. Crabby uncle,
Michel Piccoli has a change ot heart when his relations come over. See Film Index page 31.
I OH no! He's delivered it again. The Guardian has a young couple petrified after they lind out that their child's nanny is reallya druid. Well they should've checked her reterences. The tact that they could only be read by the light of alull moon, must have at least given them a clue. See Film Index page 31.
Now that the Fringe is over and the Word Processor is no longer being used as a venue, it’s time to sweep away all the drunk reviewers and break out the Shortlist.
THE LAST bastion of Buskerdom is in grave danger. Edinburgh‘s Mound, which during the Festival becomes Britain’s premier busking venue, is fast losing its appeal — due to the intrusion of bands equipped with (gasp) PA systems. This horrendous breach ofetiquette has lead to a vicious war of words — mid-performance — between buskers and bands. So far the croaking voices of the street entertainers are winning, but only just. The favoured tactic being to rally the audience in a communal plea for the bands to go forth and multiply. However, they cannot hold out forever against the might of technology.
None of the street acts complain about the bands as such. It‘s their inconsiderate use of speakers drowning out the hoarse ranting. of the magicians, jugglers and sword-swallowers that is the nub of the problem.
Meanwhile the Fringe Office. where acts can book a slot to perform outside the National Gallery. say they will put on any Fringe act PA or no. Ofcourse, many performers simply turn up and don‘t bother to book, so even if the FO were to put their foot down they would not stop all the PA abusers.
The death of the Mound as a venue for free entertainment would be more than just a sad loss to Edinburgh and the Fringe. it would mark a serious setback for the cause of street performers everywhere. Already Covent Garden, widely regarded as their Mecca, has lost its lustre with performers having to queue from dawn to get a pitch there. Some ofthe most entertaining shows to appear in Edinburgh both in and out of the Festival have been put on at the Mound for nothing. not a sausage. So it’s heartening to note
“\‘é’x
during the last week of the Festival the massed ranks ofpunters outside the National Gallery recapturing something ofthe spirit ofthe Fringe and telling the PA-toting groups where to go in no uncertain terms. Anyone who has enjoyed the efforts of the entertainers down there should go and lend their voices or contact the Fringe Office to ensure the buskers can continue to be heard at the Mound.
GOOD OLD Clint eh. he hasn‘t lost his sense ofhumour. In fact he may never have found it. After the stone-jawed actor and erstwhile mayor had been lecturing in Edinburgh on law-enforcement. he was asked by a London journo ‘What do you think of the Gulfcrisis Clint'."
To which he replied. ‘Well my handicap is down to eighteen at the minute.‘ Ofcourse that maybe . because his memory ain‘t so good; ‘You know I can’t remember whether I took five shots or six. You feel lucky?‘
BESTJOKE ofthe Fringe? The winner so far is Malcolm Hardee with the following: ‘What do you get if you cross Lassie with a Rottweiller‘.’ A dog that savages you and then goes for help.‘
The List 3] August — 13 September 19903