WOYZECK Royal Lyceum. Edinburgh, until Sat 19 May 0000

The point of tragedy is that however shitty your world is, it isn‘t as bad as the suffering on stage. Or, put another way, tragedy is about catharsis, a purge of suffering in an empathetic audience. The dark modernist score of KTC's staging of Buchner’s social tragedy quickly

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Theatre

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THE SPECULATOR/ DRACULA

RSAMD. Glasgow. Mon 14-Thu 17 May (Speculator): Tue 15—Sat 18 May (Dracula)

alerts you that this is what you're 1 going to feel. One look at Neil v Warmington’s bleak, black bin liner- wrapped set and it’s apparent that .: something pretty grim is about to : : happen. The design reflects the Neil McKinven is an astute and intelligent Woyzeck : vision of David Harrower‘s : adaptation, directed by Guy indifference to his plight. To put the looks young but raddled, capturing Hollands, in which the world and its old tin lid on it, his partner (Helen the helpless, pointless, self- : human inhabitants are treated as so Lomax) has the singular cruelty to assertiveness of the character 2' much rancid detritus. get off with a reproduction- intelligently. Lomax is also strong, Neil McKinven's title character, a obsessed drum major (Greg Powrie) creating a social and psychological : neurotic soldier suffering from in front of him. plausibility for her infidelity and the : delusions and hallucinations is You can see where all this is rejection of her filial duties to her : 2 2 2 much put-upon by the world. His going, and it gets there with child. E 2": 2' commander (Matt Costello) compelling. brutal frugality. The The cast is generally strong, ? : patronises and intimidates him with script might need just a smidgen of though it is a little mystifying that 2 : ~ humanist philosophical ramblings editing in its middle stages, but the Paterson diminishes the pressure 3 '- 2 2 and the occasional threat, the general power of this production, on the audience by playing his ' 2‘ 2 : company doctor (Robert Paterson) whose epic feel and staging doctor as a kind of pantomime mad : » 2 ' " » 2 treats him as guinea pig for a liberate the dark metaphysics of professor. All the same, it’s an .2 2 :. 2 . nauseating peas-only diet, and his the play is undeniable. McKinven’s engrossing night‘s theatre that’ll 2 2 : t i only friend, a fellow squaddie suffering soldier is conveyed with make you feel better afterwards. l 2 2* . i (Barrie Hunter) displays apathetic astute use of body. Throughout he (Steve Cramer) 2:: if l" it'll-ii 'ieE I ‘3 "' " l ' SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT TAP DOGS .,., , .. . . Tramway, G|asgow‘ Thu 17_sat 19 May. Playhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 17—Sat 19 May. M ‘H 1 /.\".2_"t:tl't:. .i'42‘tgifl\.l.ir m. "tfuti‘im‘ifw.2'2e-gz't. - 4 yr “F” in: il 1: 2‘ 2 «‘ Us: Eula. . 2 in \i \22 ' f't S3 .22' . Ila-M)”. f SSt-t'fiv .2: '1' ‘2 2 :3: 2 2 "2 2~ : 'L .i l“ u: "x " .i a 2? .~ ‘- 2 2 2 : «tin 2Nt an vii. (2:2 l.“ i' 2 v z .3 2 22.2212 .22t 1'12; 2 :.:i‘z'r".i‘» 2: ui- *" ' ' ' '2 2.1. '2 r. . 2H2». \i '2 " .121 .2-.’ .2.;t-.‘. .2 2-2 ' l " Tll‘m " Y' ' .(i. i)! 1'! 1"" '2t'2 '. l 1'2 ' 2\ii'i 't\2i v it:t'~ '2 ' l :2: 2' 2i 7' i l ‘> 2. 2'2 "'.ll‘i',.'°.t ' . " .l- \l : .it-2 2' 'u "Miami: 2t: '1 ' 2 z' T2 '22 it. .’»t lif't” l ’. 2 2"t 2T 2t‘ . l N 'l 2 ‘2 H2: 2.1mm. ( l :34 .titit ix" 2 l2 ‘8 2 iv 2 2 ('K i! M : l » 2i 2 .22 'r 2 Liz Lochhead, whose t'2 2 2 t lt' t;.‘t' 2 t2 .2‘ . 2 2. Dracula will beahigh- x " :3. "l .22 " . light of the RSAMD \ I2 :2 thwt : 2' 2 t: ' 2 .2 :.f_,; Season .2: 2' t-xi‘w... I‘m: :w- - :9 ("t1 Heavy duty tap dance "t ' it'th'w utili' 2:)“ ' i2' 't"t' :" ‘."‘" hi2 .ti'ti,” "2\ .‘ ‘z‘ t 2 f l" a v ", ' 2 2 ' : . itatx‘. 21 .wm w m (-22. 2 2.: 2 ' 2 . 2 ' ) " l 2 2 ' 2 \.' n‘ i 2 " ".9. \iti 2 S . . . . .. v ' 2 v 2: 2 2' m ' m‘ *’ .ill at l: “2t 1 7n ' 2 1.2 1"‘2\ ' .2...‘1 l‘ 2 2' Sxi‘; . z : ‘\‘. itittt't \2 «' 1 '2 2.: ' i t‘! .i‘t .1! t l" \i ' 'l‘t-tl ' I i "ii ' 2’ \ '.- °22t 22' t i‘ 1'2 a '11 :2' ' l ' .zi't2l ' 't't ttt').1{ ' 2: , 1" 2 , V 2 2' 1 . 2t:t=:'it2 022.‘ 2:2" 2 ' 2 2 : 2 2 2 2 2 “‘2' 2:51:34" .‘ ' i\ 2 I Make it up with Gob Squad ' . 2 ' :2t. 2:2 2‘: «a 2

'. :. ' THE LIST 65