Theatre

free-lions that Vicky We and her crew at

itia'tive in its initial announced yesterday. the sweep between _ classics, youth w: and new pieces that it’s V, (cult to find a starting point, is particularly ‘_ j to see two pieces by , n'y Neilson in the first ;_way in which the Festival and Tron produCtiOn of Neilson’s The Wonderful World of Dissocia was by the English theatre quite belief. A special raspberry be reserved for the Royal in this regard. To see the revived, as well as the "-"éOrhmissioning of a new, as yet untitled piece by the same writer might give Scottish audiences a particular treat. 80 too should the appearance of a new piece by Grid iron titled Roam. Anyone who has 'such site-specific lmasterworks as Fermentation, {Gargantua and, at the last fringe Larder will need no i enticement towards the of Ben Harrison and Judith Docherty. liked-production with the ,f‘VEngli‘sh company Improbable also looks set to excite, Wiparticularly if you’re a fan of f;'i;_g’r'aphic novels. The Wolves in Walls is an adaptation of "Neil Gaiman’s work, and with design of Julian (Shock Peter) Crouch, improbable’s long-term designer involved, you can be _ of a visual feast to the performances. This a new play by ['iigiijegory'Burke, Black Watch, like adding plenty of to the program of new

vr' ther an adaptation of John

TV classic Tutti Frutti could new work might be

but what is not is the populist touch this adds to program. Directed by Tony

1: one of Scotland’s most .‘consiStently under-rated talents as performer and director, this like reaching beyond USUal theatre audiences with -' and nostalgic humour. On

it all looks pretty splendid. ' tapers wishes the program well

NH'.’ MUSIC/\l THALIDOMIDE! A MUSICAL

Traverse Theatre, Thu 17—Sat 19 Nov

You may not know his; narno. hut you'll (:ortainl‘, know his; taco. ()r. rathor. hit; ohytnguo. Mat l rasor is; ono oi tho country's; highost or'olilo disablorl l)()ll()llll()l'f3. (ill(l through his ‘.'./ork at; a writor. riorlorrnor (llltl lV prosontor has: brought l535§tlt2f3 (:onnor:to(i to living wrth tho olloott; oi lhalr<lornr<lo to tho lor'ofiont oi ouhlrr: a‘.'./ar'orr(:-5;t;. Nov: Frasor giwot; hit; (iraahiliti. tho ()anroron Mackintosh troalrnont ikinrlai. in this; {ill-SSIllglllt}, all (lanoing llltl53l(2£ll low,- story t'oaturing 53()litlf;f§tl(1ll as; Ia/k to tho Hrpoo/ anti It's; Hard to / {itch DOV-{ll trio's; H!(}/.“.'.'(il' 3.'.”hor: '. ( >:.' (But No [ho/nos.

As; ono of thousands; of {Illll(ll'(}l‘i horn to ll‘.()tll(}lf; '-.'.iho '-.'.oro r)ros;(:rii)o(l lhalr<loniitlo (luring l)l'(}(lll£lll(3\ to combat tho olioots; of morning :;i(:knos;s;. l rasor <loos;n't sot iiiint;oll up as; a (lo lacto {ltlll7().'lt‘.' or s;pokos;por5;on tor othort; who sharo his; (tortrlitron. Instoarl. much of hit. i.'.’()l'kltil()(ll(}(l.ll.£1ll(l!ilt;l)ll(?(ll)\.lllf; own l)(}l'f;()ll£ll ltftklllltlfs ari<l oxporronoosa. anrl If; hurtalirig ‘.‘.’|tll lais; own ‘.'.’ll {llitl urtollrgonoo. lori1ling it an intontsoly frank anrl iirlivrtato tool which (:an otlon sooni kicking ;r‘ tho '.'.'()ll\’ ot othor nioro agnossuxo or llilii'ti'ill’. (liiaahlotl poriornroi‘a ll j.ou hano'i't onroyoo' liaisor's; r:<>riir>a:r,. oiinor or‘ :stago or lV. l)(:i()lt: 'l(>'.'.’. catch turn at his; most un l’() ll‘. flit; frank {llltl

insightful look at i:.t;tio:; of lhalirlornirlt:

an<l Pliocoiiio'ia. t(‘iaroth [Janios'n

(X )N ll lvll ’( )l Ml t‘r/ i)/\N( It

RICHARD ALSTON DANCE COMPANY Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Tue 15 Nov

Mimic anti (larr<;o ha.'o (ll‘.'/£l\,’f3 ‘.'.’;lil<(?(l harirl !ll hanrl. out four (:horoogiar)lrors; tool tho (:orrrior:tiori as; aoulol‘s. at; l-li(:iiar<l Alston. ‘Munrr: if; anthoro (:‘.'(}l\,’tll|ll(] starts. its

what |llf§l)ll(,‘f; rno to niako <lan<:o:;.'

liingo fioin ono goni‘r: oi iriti:;i<, to :;oiriolliiiig at; {lilioront (if; oossrhlof

l or tho (;()llll)£lll\, '5; annual ‘.'lf‘i|t to l (lllll)til(_lll. Alston hat; a:;r;oinlilo(l a prograrrirno l'ltlll With rnut;i<:al (:hoirtots. from tho pounding orgar‘. oi (‘iyorgy l igoti through tho niarlrigalf; ol (Ilaurlio M()l‘-l(}\.’(3l(ll anrl poignant piano of (Iliorrin. lilo lattor l)(:lf<)llll(}(l Irvohy ()llti-hl/\|t§l()ll'1;l(l\.«’()lllltt}lllll?;i(3l£lllfi. L-ll yoar olrl [)léllllf‘iL Jason Hl(l(}‘.'.’£l\,’. '.Ja:;orr (:att inako rrio hoar fltlllltflllllltl now in tho rriut;i<:.' says Alston. ‘Arirl on stago ho rnanagoé; to play Wit/l tho -:lari(:ort;, making a roal

<;onno<:tion ‘.'.‘ltll .'/hat tho; (it;

(;()ritorrir)or.’ir‘,i (lari<:(: a goorl nanio. llit; niut;i<:al <:hoii:o:‘.. sumptuous; anti a(:<;o5;§;iiilo <;hor'r,-ograrilr~, anrl talorrlorl (létlltlt:.'f; <:ornl>:rr(- to tiroalo l)(l‘.'."(,‘llll| <lan<:o which l()tl(;ll(,‘i; anti i:><<;ito:;. /\l:;tori't; (:iiiront uror, oi (l'llltitrlf; hato lioon wrti‘. hirri lor tour yoar‘s. a koy factor: 'lhoy sharo a roal fooling ol onsornhlo anti :;orr:;iti\./ity to what my work noorlo. anrl frankly I (:an't valuo that too highny tKolly Aritorl

fSil‘,’f; Alston. ‘\.‘i."tii (saith not); prooo. l tonrl to

iliat'énaro' C‘ i‘ [ <~ » r " \r 1()(i.‘ \ "<‘ \'./I 1k ; i t' \r t \)Hl(,(, l()lll!”l(} l|.>(,()ill[)t”l, Ill i. . ‘. mu,” Hit.» ..\). (.( lttHi t()t]|.‘,

NE ‘.'.' \.‘i.'< )ltK I WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY Traverse theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 8— Wed 19 Nov

There’s a kind of tragedy to a map. It, like language itself, can only represent in abstract what might be tangibly felt in experience. Ordinance Survey maps are more tragic still, for in their absolute and scientific precision, their very accumulation of intricate detail, they only expose their inability to contact the prerational and sublime that we might glimpse on the landscape they illustrate. They are a logical and geometric gesture of loss in the late modernist world.

This contact with a prelapserian vista is what Dan (lain Macrae) a former soldier, traumatised by the first Gulf War, has found in his illustrations of the ancient myths of the landscape of his home on a small Western Isle of Scotland. He’s long separated from this, a voluntary patient, living a desperately ordered, soldierly life in an urban mental home, where he’s pestered by the comically unstable wise fool Lube (John Kazek), an unwelcome but ultimately endearing self-declared friend. This relationship is strained by the arrival of an outsider, Anne (Lesley Hart), a marginalised cartographer for Ordinance Survey currently researching Dan’s hometown. His tales intrigue her, and a troubled kind of kinship is established. But things at the home are changing...

Philip Howard’s production for the Traverse shows a certainty and confidence with the text that allows lain F MacLeod’s language, rich with a wild and abstract poetry which, like Dan’s illustrations, tell a truth far beyond simple reality, to breathe and play. In front of Mary Robson’s Caligari-like design, which also plays to the language, there’s an entrancing and pithy humour to this piece, tempering its the many silent darknesses of the characters’ past. There’s some tremendous ensemble performances from the three cast, to a point where it feels invidious to pick one out, though Kazek’s bouncing, overpowering nutjob will live long in the memory. A quietly beautiful piece about the struggle for place and lost innocence, this comes warmly recommended. (Steve Cramer)