festival
THEATRE PREVIEW Feuergesicht
Since the 19605, there's been no shortage around the world of plays about generational conflict; but from Germany, in particular, there has been a constant flow of such work. The latest piece along these lines is this grotesque and farcical study of a dysfunctional family by Marius Von Mayenburg. At 27, Mayenburg is surely the youngest writer to have his work staged at the International Festival this year, his playwriting career having begun in earnest with Psychopaten in 1998. As the title suggests, this is the study of a serial killer, much like his early play Harmann.
You won't be surprised, then, to find that this latest contribution also features a disturbed young man who lives at odds with his family, and takes to arson as a hobby. His sister, also feeling isolated from her parents, joins him in his destructive activities, but is torn between pyromaniac fun and her conventional boyfriend. Produced by Deutsches Schauspielhaus, one of Germany's leading companies, it is directed by Tomas Ostermeier, currently celebrated for a succession of critical and commercial successes over the last two years. This piece looks like strong meat indeed, but may well be rewarding for those who can take it. (Steve Cramer)
I Feuergesicht (International) Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Royal Lyceum Theatre, 2-4 Sep, 7.30pm, E 70-£20.
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Burning Passions: Feuergesicht
Fringe show or you'll find yourself the target of some wicked mockery. But unlike many of his comedy comrades, the Belfast funnyman's quick delivery and pleasant nature don’t leave you wishing the ground would swallow you up. After successfully warming up the audience, his razor-sharp musings on Irish pubs, Protestants and Catholics, unsuccessful bids to get through customs without being labelled a terrorist and the fact that no one on Masterchef ever cooks up a Findus Crispy Pancake, keeps the craic in full swing. This is observational humour at its very best, impeccably delivered by this extremely talented, loveable rogue. (Helen Monaghan)
I Colin Murphy (Fringe) Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550, until 30 Aug.
7. 30pm, £8.50/£ 7.50 (f 7. 50/£6. 50).
Often? (Fringe) The Right Size, Observer Assembly (Venue 3) 226 2428, until 30 Aug, 6.30pm, £9/E8 (£8/£ 7).
THEATRE PREVIEW The Land Of Igor
Masks, the desert and mime: not obvious ways to stage a couple’s relationship with their autistic child. However, writers and actors Mary and Michel Vienot who trained at the LeCoq school in Paris struggled for five years to find the right approach - ‘We wanted to put it over realistically, but not so that you were prying into something private.’ Their own son is autistic, although the play is provoked rather than based upon their own story: ’We started off with the idea of the Little Prince: a couple find a little boy in the desert with nothing but a
COMEDY REVIEW packet containing a medical file on his The Right size _ Do You back. The wife wants to look after Come Here Often, him, the husband wants to abandon
' him.’ Having already entranced *ir‘kuhk audiences of all ages in France, its
If, for the first twenty minutes of this show, you find yourself gazing at the stage in wonder with barely a smile twitching your lips, while folks around you are roaring with laughter, don‘t fear - you'll soon be joining them. The Right Size deal in such leftfield humour that it can take a while to acclimatise, but once you do, you’ll be begging for mercy. This comedy about two men imprisoned in a bathroom for years is without a doubt the most ridiculous thing you will ever see, and you can't get a higher recommendation than * i, * that. (Kirsty Knaggs) * it I The Right Size - Do You Come Here *
magical blend of physical theatre and humorous observation (in English) is only here for another two nights, so catch it quickly. (Judith Ho)
I The Land Of E gor (Fringe) Companie Le Puits, Bonnington Resource Centre (Venue 48) 337 0564, 26-27 Aug, 7.30pm, £5 (£3).
Continued over page
STAR RATINGS
***** ****
Unmissable
Vt‘ly (100d
Worth 500mg
Below average YOU'VO been Warned
festival
publicity distribution in Edinburgh and nationwide
Tel 0131 555 1891 www.cae.co.uk
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26 Aug-9 Sep 1999 TIIE LIST 37