MAYFEST preview

RUBY NEEDS YOU!

THE PRODUCERS OF RUBY (First Reels ‘97) invite you to SUPPORT NEW SCOTTISH FILM.

Can you help with transport 0 set-building materials 0 cast accommodation 0 office services (fax/mobile phone/printing) O catering O incidentals 0

Anything could help and all RUBY's friends will be credited on-screen and feature in publicity material. PHONE PAUL WELSH ((1141 334 1605 or ()141 948 ()071) for details.

Ruby is kindly supported by Scottish Screen, STV,The List, DNA: The Scottish Print Textile WorkshopJames Watt College, Peckham’s Catering, Glasgow City Council, Remenant Kings and Wild Pitch Graphics.

They know what’s good for them.

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° The Exotic Venue with the ' 50 Gibson «Street, é/esgow 612 o ' Map/wire 0141 554 2655 °

° Fax 0141 554 4099-

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THE USUAL SUSPECTS

Live cabaret show featuring

The Pearlfishers Alan Warner 90’s Fab Four The Beatcombers Musicians from Riverdance plus comedy, poetry and drama...

Presented by Peter Easton Friday 2nd May

Studio 1, BBC, 5 Queen Street, Edinburgh Broadcast live on Radio Scotland Doors open 9.30pm Free Entry Licensed Bar

22 rneusr 2—is May 1997

DRAMA

My Piece Of Foreign Sky

Glasgow: Arches Theatre, Tue lB—Sun 18 May.

Set in the mining community of Auchinleck in 1989, My Piece Of Foreign Sky opens in spring with the future looking bright for all. The pits are providing economic sustenance and wedding plans are afoot. Hope turns to despair with the announcement that the mines will close that winter.

How the families affected by redundancy cope or, fail to is a theme not solely confined to Scotland: hence the play’s success in London. 'The play is about a mining family rather than the mining experience,’ explains the play's author Lara Jane Bunting, ‘lnitially, it was about what redundancy does to the younger generation, but it became more about all the relationships affected by it.’

Ayrshire-based Bunting and director Cheryl lnnes a Scot who now lives in London formed Lanes Productions to present the play, and are proud to return to not-so-foreign Glasgow, where they first worked together. (Brian Donaldson)

«Q lanes lead home: Nan Kerr and Noreen Boyle in My Piece Of Foreign Sky

I

MONOLOGUE Acting Up

Glasgow: Citizens’ Circle Studio, Thurs i—Sat 10 May.

Former Casualty nurse Maureen Beattie returns to Scotland for this one-woman play about Charlotte Charke, a celebrated actress, who tried to launch her career as a writer in 18th century London.

Director John Carnegie emphasrses the play’s relevance to a modern audience. 'lt's as much about real life now as about historical circumstances. it's about life and the family, the way that personal relationships and society are organised.’ The play is written by Frederic Mohr, whose partnership With Carnegie has already proved successful - prevrous collaborations Bozzy and The Admiral Jones both won Fringe First awards at the Edinburgh Fringe.

'I hate nearly every one-man show I've seen,’ says Carnegie 'They’re all about the actor's ego. This is a two-person play the actor has a direct relationship With the audience. They have to believe in and work wrth that character it's a real

An actor despairs: Maureen Beattie in

Acting Up :

challenge, to dominate and entertain the audience for nearly two hours, but

Maureen's a wonderful actress. She’s the woman to do it iKate Sriiithi

COMEDY Whisky Galore

Glasgow: Citizens’ Circle Studio, Tue i3—Sat 17 May.

Think Mull Theatre and shows such as Whisky Galore probably spring to mind. Little shock or horror there, but artistic director Alasdair McCrone is keen to find a spin on the company's Mayfest flagship. ’We don’t want it to sound like tartan kitsch and I do think it's beyond that,’ he claims. 'There’s good rubbish and bad rubbish This is good rubbish, well done.’

Based more on the book than the film, the 40s radio broadcast-style production charts the tale of the island of Todday, hot wrth whisky after an American-bound merchant ship spills its pungent load there. 'lt's a classic tale of

and Cathal Quinn in Whisky Galore

A spillage in the village: Kevin Brock

the outsiders’ View of perceived Hebndean indolence; and a traditional farce, in

many ways,’ states McCrone.’Setting it in 1948 or 47, you've got peOpIe makino live sound-effects by using a brick and scrubbing brush or a large tin bath and cricket bat.’ (Brian Donaldson)

I Mull Theatre are also on tour on Mayfest’s Citywide circuit With Stephen Macdona/d’s Not About Heroes, See page 72 for dates and venues