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SCOTTISH BALLET Three diverse works from our national ballet company, all of which will put these increasingly powerful dancers to the test. Reportedly his own personal favourite, Sir Frederick Ashton’s Scenes de Ballet opens the night with style and sophistication. William Forsythe’s extremely fast and precise Workwithinwork supplies the filling, with a brand new production of Petrushka by Ian Spink to close. Once a 19th century tale of tragic puppets on tour, Spink’s version updates the Russian classic to something far more real and contemporary. Prepare to be impressed. ■ Edinburgh Playhouse, 473 2000, 4 Sep, 7.30pm; 5 Sep, 2.30pm & 7.30pm, £10–£42.
EVERYTHING MUST GO (OR THE VOLUNTARY ATTEMPT TO OVERCOME UNNECESSARY OBSTACLES) Dad, in drag, in memoriam ●●●●●
Kristin Fredricksson’s father Karl was a hurdler, a ballet dancer, a drag enthusiast, a comic, a creator of characters, and a hoarder. He died of cancer in June this year; and rather than go into mourning, Fredricksson has distilled his spirit into this utterly remarkable piece of performance. Using his notebooks, junk from his house, home movies and
gigantic cardboard cutouts, she creates a ramshackle, carnivalesque and heartbreaking tribute to her father. As he was not a conventional man, Fredricksson does not attempt to tell his story in any conventional way. She jumps hurdles, bounces on a trampoline, and dresses up in drag to create comic characters, just like her father did. She works a small puppet tenderly to reproduce the infirmaties of old age, creates movement pieces out of songs and gestures, and from this shambolic patchwork, something raw, touching and almost painfully intimate emerges. The audience, and this reviewer, were weeping by the end. This is more live art than dance or even physical theatre and there will be people who find its strangenesses difficult. But, knowing Karl as we feel we do by the end, it’s difficult to see how a more conventional tribute could have summed him up. (Kirstin Innes) ■ Augustine’s, 510 0022, until 31 Aug, 5.45pm, £8–£9 (£6–£7).
Hitlist FESTIVAL DANCE *
✽✽ Michael Clark Company Scotland’s most famous, and infamous, dance son returns to the fold with an exciting new piece commissioned by the Edinburgh International Festival. Inspired by the music of David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, Clark’s full-on choreography is sure to blow your socks off. See feature. Edinburgh Playhouse, 473 2000, Fri 28–Mon 31 Aug, 8pm, £8–£28. ✽✽ Scottish Ballet Back at the Edinburgh International Festival for the fourth time in five years, Scottish Ballet presents an impressive triple- bill featuring works from 1948, 1973 and a world premier for 2009. See Big Pic, left. Edinburgh Playhouse, 473 2000, 4 Sep, 7.30pm; 5 Sep, 2.30 & 7.30pm, £10–£42. ✽✽ Everything Must Go Not dance per se, but a cracking show from the Dance & Physical Theatre section of the Fringe programme that’s well worth checking out. A daughter pays tribute to her father, and there’s not a dry eye in the house. See review. Augustine’s, 51 0022, until 31 Aug, 5.45, £8–£9 (£6–£7). ✽✽ Flhip Flhop: Everything Happens on the Break Great comic timing, top tunes and funky hip hop moves from Rannel theatre company, as two bored decorators find ways to pass the time. Zoo Southside, 662 6892, until 31 Aug, 12.50pm, £10 (£8). ✽✽ Zeitgeist Butoh meets performance art, picking up burlesque and cabaret along the way. One of those unique Fringe gems. C Chambers Street, 0845 260 1234, until 31 Aug, 10.55pm, £9.50–£11.50 (£8.50–£10.50). For venue addresses see index page 112.
27 Aug–10 Sep 2009 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 81