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Theatre listings > Ubu The King. - Tour. First performed in 1896 in France although this production was performed by actors, several of the first productions were performed by puppets. Playwright - Alfred Jarry. This Version by David Greg. Production Details - Here. Companies - Dundee Rep, Tron Theatre, Bite:05, Barbican and Young Vic as part of Young Genius. Cast - here . 2005 Tour Dates and Times - here . Seen to review at Tron Theatre, Glasgow 4 November 2005.. Run Time - 2hours 10mins including one Interval. Reviewer - Thelma Good. More comic delusional than political satire. Alfred Jarry's Ubu The King play attracts all sorts of theatre makers. It caused a riot the first time it was played. Even now it retains the possibility of being a very subversive play as coarse Dad Ubu, spurred on by Mum Ubu who resembles a debased Lady Macbeth, usurps the King and starts laying about himself terminating the lives of others and destroying order. Ubu is crude, with weak bowels and at first sight, setting Jarry's play in an old peoples' home works to its advantage. Here a gloriously talented troupe of older actors dodder around, with the vacant unfocused gazed of those left in death's waiting room or old peoples' home. Decorated with unfestive Christmas decorations, its institutional chill is exuded by Tom Piper's design, with a row of doors behind which the ever needed toilets lurk. The six oldies get swept up by Ubu's ambitions or misused by him and dispatched depending on where in the story we are. Gerry Mulgrew plays him with a vicious zest, and Ann Louise Ross jabs and pushes on him with equally sharply homed desire to control him. Sometimes restoring some order is the low paid, but still caring assistant in the home Emun Elliot also plays the part of the Ubu's son or Mum Ubu's very eager lover. As the only actor on the stage near 20 Elliot's youth provides much needed contrasting vigour. His presence counters the feeling these are old crocks playing a make-believe game, he reminds us this is an activity generations inflicted on themselves and those coming after again and again. Early on there is a scene with the Ubus sitting in next door toilets, it's too static and not gross enough. Indeed the impact of the play is diminished by the production's setting. We look on as the old inhabitants scramble, sometimes they become frightening as when they kick repeatedly a man on the floor. Mum Ubu's like a malevolent spider whose hormones still work but Dad Ubu never terrifies. Frequently and increasingly Dominic Hill's production and David Greg's text goes towards the overblown Pantomime rather than using the Grand-Guignol turn-on/revulsion charge to provoke arousal, laughter and disturbance in the audience. But the quality chorus keep the production from veering irrevocably to too empty mirth. Their bewildered, bemused faces eerily remind us of our own need to not notice the mess we let ourselves live in. But the overall result of the production is as if the aged man in home had attempted to put on a Christmas show to entertain himself and some dark moments had intruded as the demented moved to his bidding. What's shocking about Ubu normally is he does things normal middle aged adults don't do. Here by making him old he only does what we fear all old people do, dirty their pants, bully others, make terrible things happpen cause they've lost the abitlity to care. By making Ubu demented and in a home it can't deliver what some Ubus have, an increasingly terrifying journey into our dark side as our conscience is subverted. It is though a diverting way to do Ubu if you can't hack its full on nasties and prefer it to be more comic delusional than political. © Thelma Good 4 November 2005 - Published on EdinburghGuide.com EdinburghGuide review of another production of this Jarry play here. Cast - Dad Ubu - Gerry Mulgrew, Mum Ubu - Ann Louise Ross, The Carer - Emun Elliot. The Chorus - Thane Bettany, Matthew Boyd, Kay Gallie, Ruth McGhie, Pamela Kelly and Bill Murdoch. Production Details - Director - Dominic Hill (co Artistic Director of Dundee Rep). Assistant Director - Tim Licata. Designer - Tom Piper Lighting Designer - Bruno Pope. Composer - Paddy Cunneen. Movement Director - Janet Smith. 2005 Tour Details of Dundee Rep, Tron Theatre, Bite:05, Barbican and Young Vic's production of Ubu The King. Tour begins 3 - 12 Nov Tues to Sat at 8pm Glasgow Tron Theatre 0141 552 4267. 15 - 26 Nov Tues to Sat at 7:45pm also mat on 19 Nov at 2:30pm 01382 223530. 1, 3, 6, 8 and 10 Dec at 7:45pm at The Barbican 020 7638 8891 (booking charge applies). Tour ends. 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. Theatre listings >
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