10PM/LATE FESIVAL
Some People
Out of the dark comes the voice of a Trinidad-born DJ, larded with patois. Soon his stead will be taken by a f flighty Puerto Bican girl, a Jewish mother fretting over her social worker son, a Polish repairman who speaks next-to-no English, a New Jersey yuppie, a black kid going nowhere. ; There are few props or costumes, only voices, twelve of them. These are, simply and titularly, Some People and
Some People: The Big Apple’s small talk i
enough of schooling; on his return he began teaching drama in New York’s over the show’s 90 minutes their jails and putting his love of the streets i words bring us tightly-focused into words, ’ snapshots of the myriad worlds of New Some people and Danny "och were York. and. in the process. a portrait of an instant hit in New York’s a city. theatreland. The show was filmed for
‘Some People is about language.’ television and the writer has recently says 24193741” Danni "00". the collaborated on a film soundtrack with 3 fourth-generation New Yorker and born David gyme. More recently nee). has mimic behind the show. ‘Most of the i been travelling through India, characters in this show, their native Cambodia and cmatia, interviewing language is not English, yet they all ‘ehildren or war’ with a view to find themselves in New York City, incorporating their real-life tragedies trying to communicate a host of ideas into a new play. ‘l’m trying to bring and emotions. The whole show is ; this piece into the framework of the about language being the salvation for United states. Obviously i can’t the world’s problems. Or the main represent these children but if I can barrier.’ present something that l’ve gotten
Some People was the second show from them I’ll be doing them some lloch wrote after leaving New York’s justice . . .’ (Craig McLean) High School Of The Performing Arts Some People (Fringe) Danny lloch, (aka the Fame school) and spending Traverse Theatre (Venue 15) 228 1404, . six months on a-scholarship in London. 5 10—31 Aug, 11pm (first week only; ' He won entry to MBA but had had check times), £7 (£4).
GILDED BALLOEN PRODUCTIONS 1 PRESENTS
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THEATRE
THE GAMBLER
it‘s almost official. Britain is a nation of gamblers.
after the show.
Naturally. this promises top adrenalin-charged fun but aren't these other late- night chips no less bad for
into a stageplay.
: a Russian general‘s ' compulsive gambling has : sunk his family’s fortune
? the dire consequences are
to Sharkey. inevitable. ‘Oambling is at its best as
casinos and the National Lottery bring people together.‘ He aims to
-‘ spirit to his audience. who will be invited to
The recent furore over scratchcards and the poisoned chalice of instant riches appears to lend weight to the view that it’s nothing but a mug's game. but for Stephen Sharkey. a love of Dostoevsky‘s The Gambler seduced him into the gambling dens of London’s King‘s Cross — and from thereto into an adaptation of the novel
Donaldson)
In DOSIOCVSky‘S CiflSSiC.
your health than their deep-fried brethren“? ‘Of course. it can be addictive. with the chemicals in the brain fizzing up but i think 1 have that under control!’ He. however. would say that: denial is the addict‘s trustiest weapon. . . (Brian
I The Gambler (Fringe) Odds On Theatre Company. Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550. 10 Aug—2 Sept. 10.50pm.
COMEDY
Eddy Strange: hair apparent
refreshingly. stupidly funny he is. Coming over all goofy and at times sureal with his dai‘t stories and steady delivery. he's a master of the art of making it look easy to be
and forcedl his daugiger _ . _ filllhbgltifigilrlntgl 1)[uljltccan t into sexua s aver . er ' ‘ ~ ‘ . y nuthouse contents oflns
true love is dragged under the roulette wheels and
addiction and madness. Dire. yet not. according
bigger. a social thing. Both
spread this collective
speculate across the baize in Edinburgh's casinos
Eddy Strange has big hair. You can’t really escape it. flowering from his bonce like some enormous rag doll afro. And it's getting
‘lt has been much like my lungs — it has inhaled and exhaled for the past seventeen years. it's currently on an exhale.‘ says this ex-army. New York-based stand-up. The second thing you‘ll notice about Eddy is how
not-insubstantial head.
‘l am to comedy what a French man is to love. and by that I mean fickle and unable to be reached the following day.‘
So what the hey. have a one night stand. (Cait Hurley)
I Strange. . . But True (Fringe) Eddy Strange. Southside (Venue 82) 667 7365. ll Aug—2 Sept.
1 l.3()pm. £5/£5.50 (£4/£4.50).
; comeov
Smiley’s Culture
llext time you find yourself in the bar of the Gilded Balloon, have a look at the underside of the bar itself. There, you will find impressions of a set of very uneven teeth; it was a trick l, Smiley, came up with last year for keeping myself upright during the marathon liver-enlarging competition known as “The Fringe’. Other performers had their own props - fans, agents, bar staff, bouncers, luvvies, Karen Koren - who could hold up at least five at a time without breaking into a sweat.
For, you see, every night of the Festival people would crowd themselves like alcoholic veal calves into this claustrophobic area to talk about:
(1) their latest/last proiect,
(2) the show they’ve just seen, or were about to see,
(3) and/or their projection, motivation, stage presence, microphone technique, material construction or basically any old bollocks that would help to while away the first hour or so before they dispensed with attempting to impress all and sundry and got on down to the serious business. That is, getting a TV series, an agent, or into someone’s knickers.
lot that l have tried any at these
Smiley: excess all areas
tactics, you understand, but I’ve seen plenty that have. If you want to see the soft white underbelly of the Fringe, the Gilded Balloon bar from about 1am onwards is the place to be. Put on your waders ’cos the bullshit is knee-deep and rising . . .
Tosurvlve these long tortuous hours, a crucial pointer: don’t take charlie, or you’ll end up talking shite and grinding your teeth into talcum powder like everyone else. If you feel the need to have a pick-me-up, take half an E and everyone will suddenly seem much better looking and infinitely more interesting.
Me? I’ll be the one in the lloel Coward smoking Jacket and cravat, out of my tits on Prozac and psychoactive crisps. llave a good Festival and don’t look at the )ugglers. it only encourages them. (Michael Smiley)
Smiley’s culture (Fringe) Smiley, Gilded Balloon (Venue 38) 225 2151, 11 Aug-2 Sept, 10.30pm, £6 (£5).
“The List 11-17 Aug 1995