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COMPAGNIE KAFIG Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Fri 6 May

l-leadspiiis. No matter what age you are. they can't fail to impress. Throw in some body popping and acrobatics. and you've got the crowd eating out of your hand. Formed in 1996 by french martial arts/circus whi/z Mourad Merzouki, Compagnie Kafig has been bridging the generation gap for almost ten years. 'Our audience ranges in age from seven to 77, from various social classes and cultural backgrounds,” he says. 'That’s always been the case and we hope it lasts.’

The company's dynamic blend of American hip hop With French, north African and Spanish dance and Brazilian capoeira has been dazzling audiences throughout Europe. Does Mer/ouki ever struggle to find a happy medium between serious choreography and creating the 'Wow factor"? “It's difficult,’ he admits. ‘But when there is a balance between the two. it is much more eXCiting to watch. The two styles complement each other and allow the show to build.‘ (Kelly Apter)

COMEDY

THE EMPEROR’S OPERA Brunton Theatre, Fri 29—Sat 30 Apr, thentounng

The highly acclaimed benchtOurs company is back With a new allegorical farce of laughter, lust. suspicion and hysteria. written by Michael Duke. In a dilapidated town on the ragged fringes of the new

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Ether/e a 'r ap' cryera 2 ea: . ant cicate': The GLITCH: r.‘ T“: stat»: Cf'll’; is all was "EC-10’} " 3 .t frantic .-.:r‘fer's " rgr‘t. l’flii 2 am: .risitors become er‘tar‘g er: " a ' r confusion of iristaker‘ rte"? t e: a“ 1 hidden agendas

W,” the cheating politiciar‘ t, : in the act? Will the slept n‘i.sih finally spiil the beans” Biirstir‘g .-..tr‘ relevance and resonances not.“ political and social. The Empe'or Opera marks a return to bencht’; its roots. .‘Jllll plenty of buffooner‘, arv: farce. in the company's uniriuei. playful style and trademark delight n the Surreal. With live music and a talented cast. Whether or not r.ou' .e had the benchtoiirs experience before. catch this world renowned company on its latest tour Unlike thr: emperor's opera. this is one compan, that doesn't boast style over substance. iGareth Daviesl

NEW WORK THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE awoken

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Botox: the quick way to rid yourself of expression and functioning sweat glands. (Ladies. if it's not coming out your armpits. it's JUSl gOing to leak out elsewhere.) And it's not rust celebs. Programmes like Extreme Makeover and Ten Years Younger show us prevrously normal-looking people pumped. Sucked and tucked. maniacally baring their perfect set of gleaming porcelain veneers. It's really quite unsettling.

Let us turn then. to this piece from Scottish playwright Rona Munro. written for the Msfits. the company

she created With actor Fiona Knowles.

It's just a regular day at the salon. Beryl's in for an overhaul, Hayley's the one doing it and Etta's in for a rinse when an old client comes back With revenge in mind. Munro and Knowles have carved a niche in creating funny, accessrble drama. taking a comical and poignant look at everyday folk. This play will mark the 20th anniversary of this award-Winning partnership. (Louise Mee)

NEW ADAPTATION MANCUB

Traverse Theatre, Thu 5—Sat 7 May, then touring

Such books as Salinger's Catcher in the Rye have great power ‘.‘.’llr:l‘ read at 13 Or so. I certainly felt strongly about the book.

Douglas Maxwell didn't. He took an obscwe route and. in doing so. furnished us. many years later, With what looks a promising little ffléill‘fi irx teenagers and their elders abOut a boy who believes he. and those armor him. are turning into animals. And the stOry of his adaptation of a no.0 ,or. probably don't know is as fascmating as the tale he's produced for Matthew Lenton's Vanishing POint. 'The novel's called The Flight of the Gasser. :,. John LeVert. and Who knows how. but it turned up in Gin'an iliflét", in whaf was called the teenage section. which was abOut eight books bet.'.'ee.'t tw; childrens’ and adults' sections. I read it again and again.' he says.

And it affected his education. 'I thought everyone would know the S“, when I went to university I remember describing Catcher in the Re as a man's Fight of the Cassowary.' he says. ‘Years later Matthew asked we arx, .‘ writing for Vanishing Point and I told him about the book, But I conirin't for: a copy anywhere. I finally found it on the internet in a second-hand DOCK‘J‘Cp " Flonda.‘ But this waSn't the end of the story. ‘We had to get periiwssirm the author. But the publisher had been taken over. and it was his Cl“, nobody knew anything ab0ut him. In the end Matthew phoned up oer/re With that Surname in his hometown until we got his mother. who put l‘; r‘ IOUCh With him.“ After all that. one hopes the story is wonh catering. arr: tr‘ this artistic combination. it should be. iSte\.e Crameri

Theatre

ONE Mer Slli’ CUL-DE-SAC Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Thu 5—Sat 7 May

While the banalities and abnormalities of suburban life are explored frequently in American film, TV and theatre, it is more rare to see the suburban dream exposed in a live drama performed by one man from Canada. And more interestingly, by one man from Canada who has a sharp awareness of his neighbouring countrymen’s culture of consumerism.

‘Anyone who has ever spent any time watching American television will understand ideas of suburbia and meaningless existences,‘ says actor and co-writer Daniel Mclvor. ‘And I’m not talking about the programming necessarily, just watch the commercials. I don’t believe any life is meaningless, but I think we are led to believe such, so that we will buy more air fresheners, low fat yoghurt and soap.‘

In this dark comedy set in a suburban street, Mclvor plays 15 different characters whose lives are inextricably linked. So why bring the show to Glasgow? ‘Because I love it,’ he says. ‘I come from a working-class city in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Glasgow is a more cultured version of my own home town. I've been to Glasgow a few times before with solo plays House, Here Lies Henry and two-hander In On It. It's a great city, real people, smart art.’

Cue, Glaswegian readership, to pat themselves on the back, which, according to Mclvor, is more than can be said for the US government. ‘There are greater differences between Canadian and American audiences than there are between Canadian and Scottish audiences. American democracy bears no resemblance to what is viewed as democracy in the rest of the world, other than the countries where America is paying for the politics. And that changes everybody's view on everything.‘

We could be in for a treat when CuI-de-sac visits the Tron next month, but I suspect any revolutionary message will be firmly tongue on cheek. ‘Come and see the play and be happy forever,’ says Mclvor. ‘Never buy soap again! Revel in your own smell!’ (Meg Watson)

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