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Clear your diaries for GLASGOW’S MERCHANT CITY FESTIVAL — 60 venues, 600 artists and 285 events in one vibrant cultural district — says Allan Radcliffe.
t‘s a rare warm. sunny morning in late Attgtist. Inside the Tron Theatre‘s Victorian Bar. a palpable feeling of anticipation runs up and down the wooden fixtures and fittings. The reason for this
barer contained excitement? The launch of
(ilasgow"s Merchant (‘ity l’estival — the international. multi-art celebration of that area‘s astonishing regeneration over the last 20 years. Judging by the densely worded. glossy brochure in my hands and the impressive roll call of companies and artists being showcased by the organisers. it would be extreme folly to miss this six-day cultural feast. liven for a festival-weary hack from the east coast. These days. the unique. grid-style district in the east of the rainy city enjoys buzz—labels such as ‘Scotland with style' and ‘(ilasgow‘s (‘ttltural Quartet" and boasts an embarrassment of multicultural bars. restaurants and clubs. Yet. as festival director Neil Butler points out. getting to a place where the historical backdrop rubs along familiarly with urban regeneration and the cutting edge of international culture has been a lengthy. laborious process.
‘I think it was in l987 that l was first taken round the Merchant City.‘ he says. 'l was told that this was going to be Glasgow‘s cultural quarter. It seemed unlikely at the time. bttt it‘s been enormously exciting to watch that vision bear fruit. It‘s not an accident that we're launching the festival here at the Tron which has been integral to that vision and the area‘s cultural scene over the years..
Indeed. the Tron will be hosting one of the shining lights of the festival. Liz Lochead‘s latest contemporary comedy Good Things. set in a charity shop in the West End and rtmning for the length of the festival. Other theatrical highlights include a production at the Ramshorn of John Whiting's The Devils (remember Vanessa Redgrave’s deranged httnchback nun in the Ken Russell film?) and an
HISTORICAL BACKDROP RUBS ALONG WITH URBAN REGENERATION
uplifting production from legendary liastern European company Theatre of the liighth Day. heavily censored for many years in their native Poland.
lilsewhere. big names to relish include comedians Phil Kay and Janey Godley and artist Douglas Gordon. who will be switching on his renowned ‘limpire Sign‘ in a special event. There will be a catwalk fashion show by Armani. public food demonstrations and sampling sessions. and readings by Scottish writers Toni Davidson and Suhayl Saadi. Local bars and restaurants will play host to a daily line-up of musical treats (most at the very generous cost of nowt). and festival-goers can wind down at the end of an action-packed day by enjoying the festival club‘s themed nights. run by (‘arnival Arts. The programme also includes a film festival. whose centrepiece is the Peter Mullah-starring Blinded.
Writer/director lileanor Yule outlines the film‘s direct connection with Merchant City.
‘We put all the actors tip here while we were filming. They all loved it and discovered some amazing restaurants. It's also appropriate that the film is being shown here. because I teach cinema classes at (‘ineworks in
the city.‘ As Butler explains. the sheer eclecticism of
the programme is down to a deliberate collaboration between the festival and other organisations such as the National Review of Live Art and the International Comedy Festival. with a positive vision for the future. ‘We want this to be a "festival of festivals" where we collaborate with other festivals to bring the best of every area of the arts and culture to the Merchant City.‘ he says. An ambitious proposal. perhaps. btit one you feel that Butler and the Merchant City Festival‘s steering group have the drive and brassneck to fulfil.
www.merchantcityfestival.com
DON'TMISSIT
What not to miss at this year's Merchant City Festival
Switching on of the Douglas Gordon Empire sign The dollar Signs have been flashing Gordon's way more prolifically over the last couple of decades. and the Glasgow School of Art graduate's work still emits great power. Music and protections will contribute to the atmOSpheric lighting up of this famous cinema sign. Toni/he Lane. Wed 22 Sep, 70pm, free.
Stand Up, Drink Up Janey Godley, fresh from her sell-out Edinburgh show that dealt with her abuse as a child. the murder of her uncle, her gangster in-Iaws and the drowning of her mother in the Clyde. is here to shoot the craic. If she made that funny, Merchant City bars with some snacks thrown in are going to be hilarious. Starts in the 73th Note, Thu 23 Sep, 7.30pm, 08700 13 26 52, £5/E4.
Monica Queen You know the great Belle and Sebastian song, “Lazy Line Painter Jane'. probably the best one they've ever done? Well, Monica‘s the voice behind it. She's here with songs from her two solo albums. Blackfri'ars Basement, Thu 23 Sep, 7.30pm. 0870 220 7176, C5.
ballboy The only thing that's lower case about these guys is their name. Witty. whimsical indie tunes from Edinburgh-based John Peel favourites - here's your chance to get nice and cosy with ‘em. Blackfriars, Sun 26 Sep, 7.30pm, 0870 220 7716, 28
Sampling Sessions Merchant Square houses Mono, Locomotiv. Noah, Bibo Cibo. El Sabor, Kshocolat, Metropolitan, Smiths, Ocean Grill, Arta and Beer Cafe under one roof for nibbling and sipping till you can't sup no more. Merchant Square, Sun 26 8 Mon 27 Sep. 2pm-5pm.
ARKA - Teatre Osmego D’nia High drama and spectacle on a massive scale from this Polish street theatre company featuring a winged ship with metallic colour-changing sails. High Street Car Park, Sat 25 Sep, 70pm, free.
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9—23 Sep 2004 THE LIST 97