A 0AOIST lth0liTAl. is how . it: this chinese lvory tigure ._ ,9; describes himselt - and he’s fig. already survived 400 years. iii: 3.9}; Mg You can assess tor yourseli fight: how well he’s aged at the new u Ivy Wu Gallery, which has just gay??? opened in Edinburgh. 3,. Dedicated to Chinese, '1 -‘
Japanese and Korean ,K , artworks, the gallery was ' fl; created with a gift oi £750,000 4 . .
from llong ltong businessman - Gordon Wu (who named it after x . his wile) and will hold “ " permanent and temporary exhibitions ot pieces from these three rich and distinctive cultures.
The Ivy Wu Ballery is at the Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. An illustrated book about the gallery and its exhibits is available from the Museum at £9.99, or from bookshops at £12.99.
‘r'fi {9 v iii??? ""5? P463393. ’3 east.
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F0lillBEAllD FANTASY are a Devon-based company tascinated with splicing together tilmed and live action. Their new show, The Fail 0! The llouse 0f Usherettes - which comes to Scotland this iortnight — celebrates 100 years oi cinema in a luriously inventive and intenser iunny manic melodrama ‘loosely adapted’ trom the similarly-titled tale by master oi gothic horror Edgar Allan Poe. Set in the Empire, a decaying old cinema run by an absurd iamin who’ve inherited a perilous secret, it dwells on illusion, battling audiences with its technical wizardry, and ottering a breathless 90-minute rollercoaster oi madness. Don’t miss.
The Fall 0! The llouse 0t Usherettes is at Theatre Workshop, Edinburgh, Tue 29 act-Sat 2 Nov; Macflobert Arts Centre, Stirling, Thurs 7 Ilov.
TWELFTII NIGHT is one of Shakespeare's darker comedies. and ex-RSC artistic director Trevor Nunn's new film version draws the more solemn elements out of the cross-dressing plot. Post-Branagh. Shakespeare on screen has box-office potential. especially if the cast gathers together Helena Bonham Caner. Mel Smith. Richard E. Grant, Nigel Hawthorne and Ben Kingsley. But ’twas not ever thus. ‘Years ago I actually pitched Twelfth Night as a film project to an American company.’ Nunn explains. ‘l didn't put the title on and changed the name of the characters. They said. “This is absolutely great. we love the story.“ Then they asked where I’d got it from. and i said it was by William Shakespeare. And the interest completely dissolved.‘ The director has taken some liberties with the structure of the play, but his efforts serve the material well. ‘Shakespeare wrote great screenplays.’ s'ays Nunn. giving credit where it's due. ‘I would bet you that Shakespeare. confronted a few hundred years ahead of time with a filmmaker, would say. “this sounds really fascinating. I want to get involved with this. I can see it means I‘ve got to change things. Film works better with briefer scenes and l've got to get more contrast out of the potential for editing." He was a pragmatic man and ten’ifically flexible to changing conditions.’ (Alan Morrison)
Twelfih Night opens at the F ilmhotrse, Edinburgh on Fri 25 Oct.
2The List 18-31 Oct 1996