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Theatre listings >
Vernon God Little. -
Part of the Citizen's A Little Bit Of Ruff Season in
The Citizens' Circle Studio.
Written by – DBC Pierre. By arrangement with – Conville
and Walsh Ltd.
Adapted by – Andrea Hart.
Director and Designer – Kenny Miller.
Lighting Designer – Stuart Jenkins.
Fight Director – Carter Ferguson..
Casts - here.
A Little Bit Of Ruff Season's Designer - Kenny Miller.
Company - Citizens' Company.
Venue - Citizens' Theatre www.citz.co.uk
for internet booking 0141 429 0022.
119 Gorbals St .
Dates - Pay
what you can preview 24 Sept at 7:30pm.
25, 28 Sept and 2, 8, 9, 14, 15, 20, 22, 23 Oct at 7:30pm.
Run Time - 2 hrs 30 mins including 15 minute interval.
Reviewer - Marisa Farrell
A gamble that pays off.
![Anne Maire Noche smokes a cigarette, listening and looking quietly strong.]()
Vernon God Little - Citizens' Theatre Company Production.
Image to come.
© Richard Campbell 2004.
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I was in the middle of reading DBC Pierre’s novel when the
opportunity of reviewing the world premiere of Vernon God Little came
up; I jumped at the chance and was far from disappointed. Andrea Hart
and Kenny Miller have done an excellent job of bringing Pierre’s
piercing invective to life onstage. The Circle Studio is the perfect venue
for the arcane and darkly comic undertakings of Vernon and his ‘co-stars’
in the Marterio trial alike. Vernon God Little is a tour de force and
its staging is an astute move from the Citizens'.
The circle space becomes sticky with the heat of the show’s atmospheric
lighting and the close proximity of the audience to the action. The stage
design is imaginative. On entering the theatre, the audience meets Vernon
sitting bent over a table in underpants and Jordan New Jack trainers surrounded
by table fan, telephone, overhanging lightbulb and swathed in red light
- in the corner a television monitor emits a dormant, yet oddly threatening
blue light. Vernon God Little is a satire on our fascination with and
corruptness of TV culture, fast food, legal systems; and Miller includes
interesting little references, such as the facetious representation of
the judge dressed in a Ku Klux hood. The book has a strong element of
the Southern grotesque in it, and Hart and Miller stay faithful to this
with their parody of contemporary American culture, which is often definitively
trailer trash in mode.
Pete Ashmore gets to grips with the wonderfully idiomatic poetry
of Pierre’s protagonist, Vernon Gregory Little and marries it with
very convincing acting. In truth, the entire cast is strong throughout.This
is a gamble from the Citizens, but one that pays off. They bravely take
a no holds barred approach and with scenes of simulated masturbation and
the like, it’s not for the light hearted, but for those who like
their drama stronger served, I urge you to enter the world of Marterio
and see, sadly, a little bit of ourselves onstage.
©Marisa Farrell 27th September 2004 – Published on EdinburghGuide.com.
Cast of Citizen's Production of Vernon God Little
Vernon – Pete Ashmore.
Mom, Judge - Julie Austin.
Sheriff Porkorney, Lally, barber, Mr Abidini, Doctor Goosens, Mr Deutschman,
Pelayo, Jonesy, Lasalle – Andrew Clark.
Vaine Gurie, Palmyra, Taylor Figueroa, Mrs Lechuga – Lorna McDevitt.
Leona, Emile Lozano, Elle Bouchard, Lucas, Lawyer – Vivien Reid.
Voice overs and news reports – Candida Benson.
Theatre Editor, Thelma
Good's e-mail is thelma@edinburghguide.com
Although every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the
information presented in these pages, no responsibility can be accepted
for any errors or omissions.
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