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In the Traverse without
the Scenery - Monday Lizards, Rehearsed Readings and Public Workshops.
Monday Lizards | Rehearsed Readings
| Public Workshops .
The Traverse Theatre Company's
public offerings aren't just their full productions of new plays which
they premiere at their theatre spaces in Cambridge St, Edinburgh. There
are also nearly monthly Monday Lizards held in the bar (and new this year
Lizard Debates held in Trav 2), performed readings in Traverse 2 or occasionally
Traverse 1 and Public Workshops with playwrights.
The Tarverse is now in its third home previously it was in the Lawnmarket
as a private club, moved to the Grassmarket where it be came a "regular
" theatre and now it's in swish underground spaces at Cambridge St.
Look for the Neon Chameleon on the circular building next to the left
handside of the Usher Hall.
Monday Lizards
They started last century, ie pre 2000! Ella Wilderidge the then Traverse
Dramaturg set up the Monday Lizard some years after the Traverse moved
into its present underground home. In previous years Lizards have been
a chance to see new local writers, actors and directors as they cutting
and honing their teeth on short pieces along side more experienced colleagues.
They took the form of short 3 - 5 minute scenes performed in the Traverse
Bar. The scenes were submitted by writers and e performed by actors scripts
in hand after a 15 minute rehearsal with a director just before the Lizard
. They introduced new talent to their first audiences with a dash of good
music to add to the mix. It also spawned creative friendships and partnerships
making it easy for everyone to mingle around tables and at the bar in
the relaxed atmosphere.
In this, the Traverse's 40th year since open in the Lawnmarket they are
trying out new forms. Debates are going to be sometimes the Lizard form
in Trav 2 instead of preformed readings in the Bar. Monday Lizard organizer
Kate Nelson has kicked the season off with a selection fast short scenes
culled from the Traverse's amazing, challenging and ground breaking plays
in translation.
In 2003 the January Monday Lizard took the opportunity to do short
excerpts from international plays which had their British Premieres
at the Traverse including a whole Ionesco, The Motor Show. It was
fascinating to hear the mix of voices from Europe and the Americas. In
40 years the Traverse has given many productions and/ or readings to playwrights
from all the continents apart from Antarctica.
Starting with the first play premiered at the Traverse in its first permanent
home in the Royal Mile's Lawnmarket Orison by Fernando Arrabal
(Trans Babara Wright) on 2 January 1963, we had Ubu Roi by Jarry
(Trans Babara Wright) (1963), The Motor Show by Ionesco
(Trans Donald Watson) (1964), Kathie and the Hippopotamus by
Mario Vargas Llosa (Trans Kerry McKenney) (1986) and Man to Man
by Manfred Karge (Trans Anthony Vivis) (1987) in the first
half. The second half kicked off with Moscow Stations by Stephen
Mulrine (1992) from Yerofeev's novel, Marisol by Jose Rivera
(1995), Solemn Mass for a Full Moon in Summer by Michel Tremblay
(Trans Martin Bowman and Bill Finlay) (2000) and Death Variations by
Jon Fosse (Trans May-Brit Akerholt). (2001). many of these plays have
been published though you may have to scour 2nd hand bookshops to find
some of them.
The Monday Lizards following were
on 24 February at 8pm in Traverse 2 The first Monday Lizard debate
with a panel of experts -
How far should science go in the name of medical research?
on 31 March at 8pm in the bar Outside The Belt highlights
from the Traverse writers groups in the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway
and the Highlands.
Next Monday Lizards are
28 April at 8pm in the bar Nine from The Nineties - Scenes
from some of the most popular plays produced at the Traverse in the 1990s.
26 May Monday
Lizard at Valvona And Crolla, the wonderful Italian deli and restaurant
at Elm Row at top of Leith Walk, hosts The Scottish and Italian flavoured
Monday Lizard which pairs translated excerpts of Italian plays with new
writting by Monday Lizards writers also involving RSAMD, Strathclyde Uni
and The Italian Insitutue. 26 May NOT at Traverse but at Valvona
and Crolla's in Elm Row , door opens for unticketed event at
7pm, it starts at 8pm, so arrive early.
23 June at 8pm.Monday
Lizard - Young Guns. Rehearsed readings of short pieces from the Traverse
Young Writers Group. Come and hear the playwrights of tomorrow today.
Rehearsed
Readings.
These are the result of a day or two's rehearsal of a play with professional
actors often already seen on the Traverse stage or soon to be seen there.
They are performed script in hand with actors sitting, moving or standing
as required, with minimal or no scenery. The director or an assistant
reads out relevant stage directions. Despite the lack of a full production
these rehearsed readings can be very vivid - the scenery and imagination
of your mind has no budget.
They are also in the case of new plays or translations a chance to see
a play simply presented. Being the Traverse the play may become an Edinburgh
Festival Fringe Hit and tour the world, it's a thrill to be in near the
birth of plays and maybe spot the ones that are going to take off.
This year the Traverse are doing Anniversary Readings of past Traverse
Hits, where possible with the writer and their play's original director,
actors or other collaborators may well be in attendance and in some cases
on stage. .
40th Anniversary Traverse Readings.
14 Jan 2003 - The Balachites (30 July 1963) by Stanley
Eveling was given a performed reading with the author in attendance
and talking afterwards. Eveling's most recent play One Four Seven was
given a rehearsed reading at the Traverse in December 2001. The Balachites
was the first new play produced by the Traverse in the Lawnmarket in .
Russell Hunter as Albert, Tam Dean Burn as Benjamin, John Kazek as the
Corporal, Colin McCredie as George and Helen McAlpine as Miriam were the
top notch actors involved. Albert, Benjamin and the Corporal are in a
room where three balachites (stones) stand at the back . Checking out
a possible home, George and Miriam, a young innocent couple flat hunting
step through into a world where Albert, Benjamin and the Coropral have
been waiting in the shadows.
17 Feb 2003 at 7:30pm Walter: Getting By. (19 July 1977)
by C P Taylor. Peter Kelly who was the original Walter is taking
the role again.
25 March at 7:30pm Losing Venice (1 August 1985) by John
Clifford. This play is one of the 60+ plays Clifford has written.
They include Ines De Castra, A Light in the Village, The
Queen of Spades and The
Haunted Man.
21 April at
7:30pm The Local Stigmatic - Heathcote Williams's play premiered
by Traverse on 1 Mar 1965 and directed by Peter Gill is given a Traverse
40th Anniversary Reading and afterwards a panel of Actors, directors
and writers with audience discuss key moments in the last 4 decades of
Scottish Theatre.
20 May at 7:30pm
Rents - Michael Wilcox's play about Edinburgh rent boys premiered
by Traverse on 8 Mar 1979 and directed by Chris Parr is given a Traverse
40th Anniversary Reading and afterwards Michael Wilcox will speak
about the effect of the play..
23 May at 8pm Wire Garden - Rehearsed reading of Peter Arnott's
new play, concerning Stalin's son who was captures by the Nazis in 1942.
Will his harsh childhood led him to co-operate? Arnott's The Breathing
House was on nearly next door at Royal LyceumTheatre 26 April - 17 May
2003 see Edinburgh listings for details.
24 June at 7:30pm. Elizabeth Gordon Quinn - Chris Hannan's
play set in the Glasgow rent strikes of WW1 premiered by Traverse on 27
Jan 1985 and directed by Stephan Unwin is given a Traverse Anniversary
Reading and afterwards Chris will speak about his life as a writer
and the Traverse past and present.
Workshops.
During the year the Traverse runs a few Public Playwriting Workshops
and sometimes outside companies run them.
The Traverse Company has already run two in 2003.
The next one is being run by an outside company.
Workshop with Bill
Hopkinson, From Wales Sgript Cymru's English language dramaturg looking
at making monologues. Contact Neil
Coull for details and to book.
14 June at 1pm.
The Traverse also runs two Writers groups one Young Writers
Group for 15 - 25 year olds and one for 55+, membership is free and
includes regular workshops with professional playwrights. For more info
contact Hannah Rye.
And Frontier Voices have a new initiative to nurture playwriting
which reflects Scotland Racial diversity. Making contact with writers
who have come from their native country either voluntarily or in forced
exile. For more info contact Hannah
Rye.
Contact details for Scotland's New Writing Theatre are -.
The Traverse Theatre Box
Office 0131 228 1404 Office 0131 228 3223.
Their address is Cambridge St, Edinburgh, Scotland.
© Thelma Good 17 Feb 2003. - Published on EdinburghGuide.com
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