Theatre
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‘THIS CHARACTER ISN'T MEANT TO BE PERFECT '
Steve Cramer talks to Tam Dean Burn, sole actor in an adaptation of Luke Sutherland’s Venus as a Boy, about love, sex, childhood and forgiveness
ow does one pitch the story ol a dying
transsexual prostitttte to the relatively
conservative attdiences one might expect in a place like ()rkney'.’ lt tnust have been a conundrttm pondered long and hard by the folks at the National Theatre of Scotland before the opening ol' this adaptation of author and musician l.uke Sutherland‘s Venus as a Boy. soon to appear at the lidinhurgh l‘ringe.
As it transpired. they had little to tear. Sutherland's account ol’ the brief lil'e til a male prostitute. which appeared as a novella in 2004. detailing a trouhled childhood in ()rkney followed by me as a prostitute on the streets ol London. seems to have gone down a storm. Tam l)ean Burn. the pieces single actor. modestly attributes much of this to Sutherland himsell. who accompanies the live perl‘ormance with music. but conl'esses to being struck by just how well it all went in ()rkney.
‘We couldn't have asked Tor more Trom the audiences so l'ar. The response was l‘antastic >- its material that might slightly upset sortie. but there wasn‘t a single walk out l‘rom young or old.‘ he says.
Part of the secret. Burn maintains. is Sutherland's ingenious structure. ‘I think the introduction we do helps. With the childhood part of the story that we begin with. lots of people understand and can relate to the kind ol' childish hullying that goes on.’ he says. But he adds that the secret ol this is not sentimentality. bill a realistic creation ol‘ a character. ‘There‘s a kind of honesty about it. This character isn‘t meant to be perfect. lle participates in racism
78 THE LIST m it! y mi; year
and bullying himsell’. lie is able to forgive and l'orget. but he's also been exhilarated by other people's misery.~
He adds that l'or all the talk of various sexual practices that might ol’l'end. the piece doesn't attempt to shock. htit to explore the prejudices we have ahottt other people. ‘lt explores areas like sex. but also how l‘ascism can he allowed to operate.’ Burn explains. ‘l.ondon is a very grungy place in the story. but there‘s also this idea of real magicism. as Luke calls it. rather than magical realism - extraordinary things come from the ordinary. incidents and events that don’t really have any explanation. But ordinary things like tailing in love l’or the lirst time as a teenager is something everybody goes through.‘
There is. in the story’s telling. a certain mysticism that links us to a spiritual world often neglected in secular society. ‘He explores the tnost basic sensual t‘eelings about sex. and ties them to the divine sex is something to he enjoyed. but it‘s a link to the spiritual] Burn says.
'This idea that traditional morality is based on vengeance and punishment rather than l'orgiveness is central. The idea ol' (‘hristianity is to conquer hy forgiveness. I‘ve spent some time reading William Blake. who‘s an inspiration l'or Luke. in Orkney. and this idea that il‘ we hased things on l’orgiveness the world would he a very dill‘erent place than it is now is really powerl'ul. It certainly has tnade tne think.‘
Traverse Theatre, Fri 3—Tue 21 Aug. Preview Thu 2 Aug
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THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE
=l= Damascus There’s a special preview of David Greig‘s new play, a Traverse company flagship, at the theatre before the run begins in earnest. The story of cultural cross purposes and international strife takes place when a Scottish man visits the city of the title to sell school text books. Traverse Theatre. Edinburgh, Fri 27 Jul—Sat 4 Aug.
31‘ Long Time Dead Roxana Silbert‘s production of Rona Munro’s play for Paines Plough is also available in the form of a Traverse preview. The story of two mountain climbers and the friendships they find difficult to build. the piece promises acute observations of people used to exposure to extremes. and the nature of friendship. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 31 Jul.
* Wind in the Willows & Much Ado About Nothing lllyria theatre presents its open-air production of a Shakespeare classic on love, and Graham‘s timeless children’s story. Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling, Fri 20 Jul.
* Othello As part of the Bard in the Botanics season, Gordon Barr presents his Othello at the Kibble Palace in the Botanical Gardens. John MacAuIey leads in this stOry, but is it a tale of simple jealousy, or a commentary on the intersection of race, politics and the personal? You be the judge. Botanical Gardens, Glasgow, Wed 18 Jul—Sat 4 Aug.
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