f you've been troubled by thoughts
of holiness while celebrating rlrar
Bethlehem birthday. then be thankful for Jim Davidson. whose smutty panto Sinderella (Edinburgh Festival Theatre. 15—20 Jan; Glasgow Pavilion. 12—17 Feb) should erase any lingering piety. Yes. it‘s back to the grind. and Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum presents that modem classic of washhouse drudgery. The Steamie (l2 Jan—3 Feb) to rub-a-dub it in. Meanwhile. quirky perfonnance group Man Act raise their eyes to Heaven (Tron. Glasgow. 30 Jan—ll Feb). As always. masculinity is under their microscope: now sexual relationships and Europe are added to the broth.
Glasgow Tramway's I like to be in America festival will renew transatlantic links. and includes Tennessee Williams's Suddenly Last Summer ( i 3—l 7 Feb). performed by New York's Circle in the Square company. Williams fans can also see In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel (Citizen's. Glasgow. 28 Feb—23 Mar). Not to be outdone. Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum also offers Americana in the shape of John Steinbeck‘s classic Depression saga. Of Mice and Men (9 Feb—2 Mar). More cheerfully. Northern lreland's shaky ceasefire is celebrated in Onions Make You Cry (Cumbemauld Theatre. 1—3 and 12—17 Feb; Paisley Arts Centre 5--l0 Feb). a comedy poking fun at both sides of the religious divide.
The heaven and hell theme resumes with Compass Theatre Company’s Doctor Faustus (13—17 Feb) at the Tron in Glasgow. where that
shoestring rmrr (re/me. the Arches Theatre, will also be busy. Prolific local playwright Robin Wilson presents his latest piece. Peripheral Violence (13— l 7 Feb). a play about youth crime which — eerily — was written before Jamie Bulger‘s murder; and the resident company tackles anti- Sernitisrn with Shakespeare‘s Merchant of Venice (22 Feb—9 Mar).
Promising young Edinburgh playwright David Greig's new Traverse commission. The Architect (23 Feb—it) Mar) centres on a high flier whose buildings and family are falling apart. Decay and tlecrepitude also feature at Glasgow's Tron, whose own company takes on the dark wit of Samuel Beckett's Endgame ( l—23 Mar).
March sees a rare commissioned play at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh, Robert Forrest's Montrose (8—30 Mar). celebrating the short but eventful life of Royalist rebel James Graham, who defied the Covenanters in the mid-I7th century. Lynn Ferguson tnakes a welcome return to Edinburgh with her sleeper hit of the 1995 Fringe. Heart and Sole, a piscine romance (Traverse. l.i—-i7 Mar). Talking of female icons, Toyah Willcox is back at Edinburgh Festival Theatre, this time as drinker, smoker and midnight gun-toter Calamity Jane (2—6 Apr).
lrvine Welsh's prolonged fifteen minutes continue as Harry Gibson stages Marabou Stork Nightmares at the Citizens' (l--23 Mar). and Trainspotting receives yet another touring revival (Royal Lyceum. Edinburgh. 25—30 Mar; MacRobert, Stirling. 6—9 May). but those of more classical tastes will iind the Royal
‘ \‘ ‘;\ \ ...fi.. ,5“
Rents receives instruction from Sick Boy in the hardy perennial Trainspotting (top): and
i ' J i’ i - 1’ \
1996's guardian angel flutters wings of desire in 7:34'3 Angels in America
Shakespeare Company's Twelfth Night (Edinburgh Festival Theatre. 23-27 April) reassurineg period-dressed. Spring's high point looks like being 7:84‘s Angels in America (Tron. Glasgow, 29 Mar—20 Apr; Traverse. Edinburgh. 8—19 May). Tire most serious American play to enjoy major Broadway success this decade. Tony Kushner's state-of—the-world fantasy
features gay men. Eskimos, Mormons. AIDS and ~ no departure from 1996's theme ~ angels.
Major outbreaks of theatre are expected in Glasgow in May and Edinburgh in August (see Festivals. above). These aside. only one certainty remains: December l99ti. without question. will be panto season. Oh yes it will. (Andrew Burnet)
arly i996 sees Edinburgh basking
in serious Latin heat as Francisco
Sanchez‘s Curnbre Flamenca Company blaze into town with fire in their loins and flamenco in their feet. Switch off the central heating and switch on to Corozon Flamenco (Edinburgh Festival Theatre. Tue l3—Sat 17 Feb). as the seventeen- strong troupe stomp their way through two feverish numbers in the libido- raising dance/music style unique to the gypsies of southern Spain.
Hot on the heels of our Latin lovers comes the latest from the lads at Edinburgh-based X-Factor. Headed up by increasingly noteworthy choreographer Alan Greig. the company turned heads last year at the Traverse with Red. This season they bring us a new work. Dead (Traverse Theatre. Edinburgh Fn' 8—Sat 9 Mar). and if last year's offering is anything to go by. enthusiasts can look forward to another dose of tough but sensitive new-lad. new-dance for the 90s. with unasharned athleticism as its vital core.
X-Factor can also be seen at this year's New Moves Across Europe 1996 (Tramway. Glasgow. Tue 27 Feb—Tue 26 Mar) where they'll be rubbing shoulders with the brightest lights on
X-Factor: new-lad, new-dance tor the 90's
the European dance scene including hot to trot new work from Hungary to Holland and Slovenia to Spain.
Traditionalists fleeing the wilder shores of New Moves should take note though. Adventures in Motion Pictures' man Lake (Edinburgh Festival Theatre. Tue 9—Sat 13 Apr) may sound like a safe bet, but the company are already mffling feathers down south with this stylish, witty. modern remix of the ballet and. shock horror, a cast of male swans. (Ellie Can)
he laughter begins in 1996 with a
brand-new venue run by top
Scottish comedian. Fringe star and people's entertainment entrepreneur, Parrot. Parrot’s Comedy Church will be based at Cafe Roslyn in the stand-up's native Greenock. and opens for business on Sun 11 Feb (thereafter on the first Sun ofevery month). with heaven-sent proposals for top—notch stand-up (Parrot's last club was played by the likes of Mark Lamarr, Greg Proops and Lee Evans), wild cabaret, and not-the-Edinburgh- Fringe ticket prices of around £4.
Spreadingjoy and happiness in
almost every other part of Scotland besides Greenock, Gilded Balloon
Productions (Tue 20 Feb—Sun 24 Mar)
swing into the New Year with yet
another grand tour of 24 carat stand-up
that incudes Lynn Ferguson, Kevin Day, Donna McPhail. Fred MacAuiay. Gerry McNuIty and Alan Davies.
And ifyou still feel sad and lonely after that lot. we strongly recommend you sign yourself up for a dose of the tax man‘s favourite man-with- ticklestick — Ken Dodd Happiness Show (Festival Theatre. Edinburgh. Fri 19—20 Apr). Sometimes the old ones are the best. (Ellie Carr)
Golden Boy: 24-cam steel-op iro- Aloe Davies and sum Balloon Productions
The List 12-25 Jan 1990 9