Noticeboard NewsGossipOpinion Mark Ravenhill has written a short play in response to the cuts
A cut above UK playwrights bite back over Government cuts Words: Anna Millar
S cotland’s art scene seldom stands on ceremony and next month looks set to be just as impressive as Bedlam Theatre hosts a day of theatre, music and talk, as part of a nationwide stand against the government spending review. Playwrights including Mark Ravenhill, David Greig, Lucy Kirkwood and Jack Thorne have all written special short plays in response to the cuts, the pearls of which will be showcased at various events and shows up and down the UK, as part of this special Theatre Uncut collective.
The idea was inspired by artistic director of Reclaim Productions, Hannah Price, who having seen footage of the cuts on television was keen to fight back. Support came quickly, Price tells The List: ‘It’s that extraordinary thing where you hope that people are going to be as passionate as you are but there’s no way of knowing if others feel it too.’ Price needn’t have worried: eight playwrights have written pieces and people will interpret them across the UK on 19 March,
National Debt Day.
‘I’ve been overwhelmed by the response,’ Price says. ‘It’s about being part of a bigger voice, and people have really come from across the country to be part of that. It’s not just about art cuts; it’s about cuts to education, health, all of it: things that affect every single one of us.’ In Edinburgh, administrator Alex Cory was keen to pick up the gauntlet, and Bedlam will host events from noon, throughout the day, showcasing the short plays, live music and debate. Says Cory: ‘It feels amazing to be part of something so exciting. Students have been dragged through the mud of late with all the coverage on the marches in London, so it feels important to lend our voice to this in a productive way, and hopefully people will come along and have a great day.’
Theatre Uncut, Bedlam Theatre, Sat 19 Mar. See www.theatreuncut.co.uk for more.
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CAGE SEASON REVEALED ■ The List is particularly chuffed this fortnight to announce a John Cage double banger. Work by the composer, writer and artist can be seen as part of a special Cage season, which includes a lunchtime concert by the wonderful Hebrides Ensemble on 24 Feb, at the Glasgow University Concert Hall. The Ensemble will
play Cage’s ‘Water Music’, as well as James MacMillan’s ‘14 Little Pictures’. Elsewhere, fans of Cage’s visual art can enjoy the extraordinary selection of Cage artworks also available to see at the Hunterian Art Gallery, as part of their Every Day is a Good Day exhibition of the American’s work, running from 19 Feb–2 Apr. The exhibition will include 50 works on paper that span Cage’s entire visual art career. See www.gla.ac.uk/concerts for more.
5 Things. . . OSCAR NOMS The frontrunners in this year’s awards race, digested.
1 The King's Speech (five
nominations) Colin the Firth plays stuttering George the
sixth. Geoffrey Rush looks out for the next Pirates ship.
2 The Fighter (five
nominations) Christian Bale acts aggressively. Then
stars in a film with Mark Wahlberg. Ba-dom tss!
3 Black Swan (four
nominations) Dramatic make-up, figure-hugging Lycra and psychotic episodes. It's either ballet or a KISS reunion tour . . .
4 True Grit (four
nominations) Wee lassie enlists Jeff Bridges to help find her lost rug. It really tied the room together.
5 The Social Network
(three nominations) OMG LOL ROFL LMAO WTF THIS
MOVIE IS LIKE SOO TOTALY AWSUM!!1! :) xoxo *poke* WWW.LIST.CO.UK Visit us daily for arts & entertainment news
CHANGES TO LIST PUBLISHING CALENDAR
As of next issue The List magazine will be changing its publishing calendar. Currently published every two weeks, the magazine will instead be published every four weeks for the majority of issues. As in previous years, there will be weekly issues of The List during the Edinburgh Festival in August. The magazine will provide more than it ever has done in each issue, covering 29 days worth of events for a cover price of £2.50. For more see www.list.co.uk/newschedule.
17 Feb–3 Mar 2011THE LIST 7