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Festival Theatre
little lengthy but otherwise this is entertaining stuff from a highly talented company. (David Laing) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 668 I633. until 27 Aug. 3.45pm. £9—£10(£8—£9).
Arnold Weeker'a The Mistress .0. We are all capable of turning a blind eye to the painful or immoral acts that happen all around us. Amold Wesker‘s tale of a lover's guilt finds fashion designer Sam (Martha Lott) transposing facets of her personality onto her dressmaking dummies as she relentlessly psychoanalyses herself . easing her conscience by making seemingly random donations to charity. Martha Lott's captivating performance carries this occasionally thought- provoking one~woman show towards an emotional climax. (David Laing) Assembly Rooms. 623 3030, until 27 Aug. llam. [IO—[ll ([9410).
Canadian Bartender at Butlina O” If the basic purpose of theatre is to tell a story (and an entertaining one at that). then T] Dawe has it covered. Recounting the experiences of a summer working at a holiday camp. this monologue has the feel of a fireside ghost story. interspersed with philosophical musings. anecdotes. and a transatlantic perspective on British life. language and custom. It might simply be a Iikeable foreigner telling a story. but it‘s a good one. and he tells it well.
(David Laing) Underbelly '3 Baby Belly. 0870 745 3083. until 26 Aug. 6.10pm. £9—£10(£8—£9).
Certified Male ooo The mini- career resurrection of Les Dennis continues in this comic caper. which asks just what it means to be a modem man. as a terminally ill company executive. with a new perspective on life. takes three of his employees on a think-tank holiday. Examining the relationships men form as fathers. husbands. and sons. this occasionally touching and frequently funny mix of reality and fiction is sure to provide a pleasant aftemoon with its surprisingly catchy and enjoyable musical numbers. (David Laing) Assembly@St George '3 West. 623 3030. until 27 Aug. l.30pm, [ll—[12(I9—1'10). Best Western .0. Although listed under comedy and written/directed by Fringe favourite. comedian Rich Hall. Best Westem is far from a light-hearted romp. It looks at two interlinking families in a middle America Motel. where the owners are being forced to sell and the only guest is dealing with his own troubled relatives. Both families anive at a crossroads in their stagnant lives. Unfortunately. those lives make stagnant viewing at times. with often uninspired direction in an otherwise gently appealing story. (Greer Ogston) Assembly Rooms. 623 3030. until 27 Aug. 6.05pm. £l3—[l4 (HZ-£13).
The Importance of Shoes
ooo A story of obsession, infidelity and wondrous shoes. this piece uncovers the bad situations people can get into. With sharp. snappy dialogue exchanges the play stylishly skips along. light- heanedly exploring our faults and vices. Shoes become the common denominator of these four young lives. but a pair of new shoes does not mean a new lease of life no matter how much these characters delude themselves. Shoes say a lot about a person and this play says a lot about
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people‘s imperfections. (Greer ()gston) The Green Room, 220 0885. until 26 Aug. 4.30pm. £7~£8 (£6—£7). Superpatriots and Morons and Pregnant With Emotion oo
This bill features two plays performed in rep. highlighting the current political situation in Zimbabwe. The first depicts Mugabe and his response to those who oppose him and the second a woman whose baby refuses to be born under the current administration. The second is certainly the stronger. conveying ideas through traditional African techniques. while the first identifies the facts but lacks a suitable vehicle to express them. The world should discover more about the plight of Zimbabweans but not from watching these plays. (Nicola Husband) Assembly Hill Street. 623 3030. until 27 Aug, 7.45pm. £9.5(L£10.50 (£8.50—£9.50).
Can of Worms ooo When a govemment minister is pictured committing an act he‘d rather keep under wraps. can he keep the evidence hidden? And will his aide keep quiet? Dealing with torture. scandal and govemment cover-ups. all through the unlikely medium of slapstick. the cast manically fling themselves and the set around the stage in what. at first. seems like two separate sketches. The ideas and the humour are there; you just need to look beyond the chaos to find them.
(Nicola Husband) Underbelly it Baby Belly. 0870 745 3083. until 26 Aug. 2.15pm. £8—£9 (£7—f8).
Mantra ooo Does everything happen for a reason or are some things just tragic. inexplicable accidents? This age-old conundrum is explored by Katy Wix in Mantra. which examines the long-term effects of one such tragic accident on her relationship. and almost drives her to breaking point. It‘s a gentle and touching story. earnestly performed.
Superpatriots and Morons Pregnant with Emotion
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but which never quite manages to gain momentum and reach its full potential. (Greer ()gston ) Underbelly 's‘ Baby Belly. 0870 745 3083. until 26 Aug. I/mt. [8-19 ( [7 [8).
Mouse ooo Proctor finds hiding behind his computer screen and solving problems from afar the best way to get through life. so how will he respond when he is forced to step up to the mark? A man in a black suit on a bare stage will struggle to hold an audience‘s attention. but Paul Trussell. through his intense performance. makes an admirable attempt. ( N icola Husband) Underbelly. 0870 745 3083. until 26 Aug, 3.45pm. £8. 50—f9. 50 (£7.50—[8.5()). Sheepskin ooo As sheep farmer Jeremy struggles to protect his flock from a foot and mouth outbreak. god comes to him in a Moses-like moment and promises to protect the sheep if he is obeyed. It's a relatively dry subject that transformed here into ajoumey into the psyche of a man forced into a crumbling industry that's topical. imaginative and strangely beautiful. (Nicola Husband) Pleasanr'e Courtyard, 556 6550. until 27 Aug. ll.45am. 17.501850 (Hr-[7). The Swingers ooo This inventive mix of film and live performance is a comical romp about one
couple's foray into the seductive world of
swinging. Film sequences are used to hilarious effect with perfect timing and some brilliant character acting. The German pomo is a particular highlight. The whole audience were nodding along with the familiarity of the modem day couple stereotype: sex-obsessed man and bored woman who puts up with him. Sound familiar? (Greer Ogston) Underbelly 's Baby Belly. 0870 745 3083. until 26 Aug. 4.45pm. £9—£l() (£8—i9). Touch by Bill Dare ooo Touch is a charmingly sweet play. though not sickeningly so. it‘s about a meeting
between two lonely souls in unusual circumstances. Their quirks and foibles somehow fit together in a case of opposites attract. The two characters. limma (Lucinda Millward) and Vernon (Rupert llolliday liyans). are sensitively portrayed. 'l'heir warmth and vulnerability is what draws you to this piece about an unlikely friendship. loneliness and grief, ((ireer ()gston) I’leasam'e ( ‘ourtyard. 556 6550, until 27 Aug. 3.]5pm. £9 [Illlfb' [9). Planting the Dunk Botanic Gardens “0 David Malikolf's monologue amounts to a brief exposition of the history of Dunk Island near the great Barrier reef. followed by the story. told in the form of a prose poem by Mark O'Connor. of ()'(‘onnor's struggle to create a garden in the jungle adjacent to the island's tourist resort. lnterspcrsed with multimedia. the piece goes on to document with loving detail the plant life of the island. which seems immeasurably superior to many of its vividly described human inhabitants. This is an engaging little story told with the minimum of physical business. though its interests are perhaps a bit specialised for the Fringe. (Steve Cramer) Quaker Meeting House. 220 6109. tutti] 25 Aug. 11.30am. [5—-[7. Funeral Games oo Not to be confused with the Joe Orton play. this friendly little physical theatre piece focuses on a young undertaker forced to look after his demanding father. His brother. a wee bovver boy comes on a visit. and various fakings of death. and real deaths ensue. There‘s no shortage of playful energy from the two-man cast. and good use is made of two filing cabinets as props. But beyond its amusing callisthenics. the piece hasn't much to say. (Steve Cramer) Pleasance Courtyard. 556 6550. until 27 Aug, lpm. £7.50—£8.50 (RS—£7).
23 Aug—6 Sep 2007 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 103