THEATRE | Previews & Reviews
G R U B N E G E O M F F O H K N R B I
:
O T O H P
102 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
NEW WORK ONLY SKIN The Poetry Club, Glasgow, Tue 1 Aug
Now in its second year, Only Skin has taken on responsibility for presenting theatre and performance art that was once the domain of the much-lamented Arches. ‘We saw an absence of opportunities for recent graduates and new performers to get their work seen by audiences,’ explains co-founder Ciaran McLaggan, ‘and we wanted to plug that gap a little.’
Although festivals Buzzcut and Take Me Somewhere have
carried on the Arches’ legacy by presenting emerging and established performers, Only Skin’s Scratch night consciously provides an opportunity for works in progress and developing ideas to be presented in front of an enthusiastic audience. With the lineup for the August Scratch still to be confirmed (applications close in July), Only Skin has already played host to developmental works from Glasgow experimentalists the Doing Group, playwright Andy Edwards as well as a bevy of other artists from across the performance spectrum. Fellow founder Bron Nixon emphasises that supporting the artists is at the heart of their project. ‘We’ve always aimed to present a relaxed and welcoming environment for the artists. Once their needs are catered for everything else falls into place.’ This ethos echoes the particular energy of Glasgow
performance, which is eclectic, dynamic and focused on the individual’s creative process: Only Skin falls within the tradition of events like Arches Live! or the CCA’s open-source programme of events. For the third founder, Nicole Rae, the scratch night is a reminder of theatre’s power for public conversations. ‘We’ve had artists discuss a whole range of topics, and audience members always find ways to engage with the work even if they had no prior knowledge of what they’re seeing. It doesn’t mean everything always works, but the conversation can still take place and that’s better than nothing.’ (Gareth K Vile)
BLACK COMEDY THE LYING KIND Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Thu 6–Sat 22 Jul
‘Great joy, laughter, surprise, and shock’, are just some of the emotions Tron artistic director Andy Arnold is promising audiences with his staging of Anthony Neilson’s black comedy The Lying Kind. ‘This piece is in the realm of entertainment and a good night out, albeit in an irreverent and hopefully inventive format.’ The play focuses on the adventures of two policemen, the wonderfully monikered
Constables Blunt and Gobbel, who have the unfortunate task of relaying bad news to two elderly people. It sets off a chain of unlikely events, and the story should resonate with anyone who likes big belly laughs followed by a sharp intake of breath. ‘It fits in with our summer production schedule which has for several years focused on accessible but dark and edgy comedies – from the first one, Cooking with Elvis, to last year’s The Lonesome West,’ adds Arnold.
‘This show will involve very tight staging and stagecraft, with seven actors in a tight
space and a number of set pieces,’ says Arnold who admits he is very excited to bring this production to the Tron. ‘Much of the work has been done by having a script that works and a cast who can deliver the lines to great effect.’ Possibly not recommended for the faint of heart, but for those who like a drop of dark humour with a satirical edge, riffing on modern day issues, this should hit the spot. (Lorna Irvine)
CLASSIC ADAPTATION JANE EYRE Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Mon 5–Sat 10 Jun ●●●●●
Director Sally Cookson’s ambition to draw out Jane Eyre’s proto-feminist energy is reflected in an attention to the detail of her upbringing and adventures beyond that romance with Mr Rochester. Jane’s resistance to religious oppression and willingness to transcend the bitterness of her aunt promises a relevant romanticism. Sadly, the production becomes an exercise in storytelling that exposes the dubious morality of the 19th century without truly addressing it.
Using a style familiar from other large scale adaptations (such as Kneehigh's Rebecca) Jane
Eyre mixes a live musical score and physical theatre interludes, with an ensemble switching between roles. This allows the production to cover large swathes of the narrative, but does not lend itself to either dramatic set-pieces or deeper reflections. Christianity is given a contemporary critique – God, says Jane, is a loving tyrant and his agents are hypocritical or passive-aggressive – and Jane herself is feisty. Yet a key concern – how acceptable is it for a man to lock his mentally ill wife in the attic until she conveniently kills herself – is never questioned. The liveliness of the cast and the moments of invention (such as when the ensemble become
Jane’s interior monologue) are undermined by the number of flaccid scenes and stock characters, as well as the set’s disappointing flat-pack aesthetic. In attempting to broaden Jane’s story, and add to it a modern edge, the National Theatre / Bristol Old Vic collaboration forgets to develop a coherent and dramatic focus. (Gareth K Vile)