Theatre
BINTOU North Edinburgh Arts Centre. Fll 7- Sat 8 Jul
Edgar Allan Poe
WMHH lill AYHE SCOTTISH YOUTH THEATRE FESTIVAL Citizens‘ Theatre. Glasgow, 28 Jul—5 Aug. then touring.
Scottish Youth Theatre have represented a breeding ground for new talent for more than a generation, something about which we might be reminded with a real jamboree of a summer festival this year. To celebrate 30 years of work, three pieces will be produced this year, and tour to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Mary McCluskey’s outfit, long the place to go to spot the famous before they‘ve even left school, will be including new work in this year's programme.
One of our most distinguished and undervalued writers, Peter Arnott will see a new work produced in the festival, to be directed by former Citz stalwart Kenny Miller, adding his trademark and famously stylish design to the production. The show, The Man of the Crowd focuses on the last three days in the life of Edgar Allan Poe, the great American writer of the macabre, whose last days are still shrouded in mystery. Alcohol and the American man of letters are so closely connected that many a critical study has been devoted to the subject, and Poe often forms the first chapter of such works. Quite whether Poe was a man as tortured
86 THE LIST 19-9.? 3..
not to the Strength, of .jf‘d'dfl‘féi" 4‘ f"»:;’;: ' y I 1.0ng practitioners, "r" f I:' .
l r? - \ l‘llllllli\\‘~‘\\\\
by visions of dark and grotesque horror, and, ultimately, driven to self destruction is still a matter of some debate, though many of those who cherish a romantic view of the artist still maintain this. I'm reminded of John Steinbeck’s comment that the great jazz musician Bix Beiderbecke, who ‘died of everything‘ at the age of 28 was tortured by the quest for the perfect note. Fellow musician Eddie Condon drily commented on this that the only thing he was aware of that Bix quested was ‘a skinful of gin.‘
Yet Poe’s demise, discovered drunk and soundly beaten in an alleyway of Baltimore three days before his death might be a more perplexing affair. Was grief over the loss of his wife a factor? Were drugs involved? Arnott will have his own take, and it should be well worth seeing.
In addition to this piece, JJ Bell‘s Wee MacGregor, the much beloved Weegie cartoon character, will be revived in an adaptation by McCluskey. This offers some old fashioned Glasgow sentiment and couthy entertainment for those with a taste for it. So too Gerry Mulgrew, forever the unorthodox and creative entertainer, revives his adaptation of Tales from the Arabian Nights in a package which looks like it has something for everyone. (Steve Cramer)
NE ‘.'. ‘.‘.’()E3l< BUILDING SKYSCRAPERS The Arches, Glasgow, Thu 13-Sat 15 Jul
Them is; m‘ <:x:‘t<:i' :va flux: natty-1‘ is. t' r,- ' :"-l Tzw' “.mth {HM} Hos. f::ii"i>;ir‘:»y-é; °."-.il'. " .1"‘<»‘."‘ ° 1 '
griiitm .'.’(:f.f Fwy! liti’llirf'Yl52f")'l‘ 1.6' 3.1' ' : (mi my». Sat" .1 ’kfr-hu" ; *).‘.-:l T'
utfio .'..".:i»:: {an '\ .-..t" H, [a]: W Te.”‘.'\"gi'. i: Txl: w: "Tu-r ‘-
(NM) (1027"... i mi... u: t>1."‘>l,"
Afl.‘.,'/i,t . .1.
,‘ (\J,,,, ,\.z ,J ,‘o' ‘ . . ‘0', 0....4.0‘ r"