Thelma on theatre
at the Edinburgh International Festival 2000
ONLY seven plays to choose from in comparison
to the multitude at the Fringe, but is it a question of quality rather
than quantity? Here's my initial reaction.
Meaty, epic theatre of length with a large cast is something festivals
should offer us. This year the Edinburgh International Festival kicks
off with a production promising just that: Abbey Theatre's production
of Frank MacGuinness's adaptation of Ramon del Valle-Incan's Barbaric
Comedies. Opening on the 14th and running with one break to the 28th
of August. MacGuinness has shortened the trilogy of plays into a four
hour play set in Gailicia, the Celtic area in North West Spain, where
human emotions and frailties assault a Spanish noble family.
Calixto Bieito from Catalonia, one of Europe's most interesting directors
who directed the stunning Citizen's production of Life is a Dream by
Calderon in 1998 returns to direct what should be a must-see. Nearly
all of us were far too unconceived to hear Orson Welles's radio play
of H.G. Welles' War of the Worlds first aired in 1938. But for one night
25th August 2000 an EIF audience will see and hear SITI, New York's
theatrical adaptation of this radio classic.
And Orson Wells is the subject of one of the two other plays SITI is
bringing to Edinburgh, called War of the Worlds this play like the third
one, Cabin Fever, was conceived by Anne Bogart and created by the company.
These three performances give us a chance to see this company and various
guises. I am especially keen to see Cabin Pressure which explores the
special spell woven between audiences and actors. It sounds as though
it will be both fun to see and stimulating.
Last year a special stage was created on the stage at the Royal Lyceum
for the disturbing Fireface, this year we have a special space created
backstage in the Festival theatre for a new Spanish play, Mil Quinietos
Metros Sobre El Nivel De Jack (One thousand five hundred metres above
the level of Jack), by Federico Leon.
Set in a family bathroom we are promised a surreal world where Jack
is a deep sea diver and a woman has occupied the bathroom. (Don't they
always? Ed. Actually it's the men in my family. Thelma) Short, and with
a flat rate ticket, this sounds intriguing. It's performed in Spanish
with English supertitles.
The remaining two drama offerings are by Moliere and Shakespeare. Don
Juan by Moliere is a play whose atheistic tone raised eye brows in its
time. It will be interesting to see how this is staged - it certainly
has a more contemporary flavour than the frequently revisited Faust.
Maybe Don Juan suits the Swedes, whereas Faust appeals to the repressed
Scot. Anyway, it's performed in Swedish with English supertitles by
Royal Dramatic Theatre, Stockholm and directed and choreographed by
Martin Ek. Running between the 14th and the 17th at the Royal Lyceum,
this may well be the sexy play of the Official festival.
Finally Hamlet, and that was my thoughts until I realised that the director
was Peter Zadeck and Angela Winkler is playing Hamlet. It is performed
in German with English supertitles. Taking place in the last week of
the Festival when nearly all the Fringe has frayed away it may prove
to be the final icing on the Official Festival Drama Cake.
I could wish that we had some more shows to pick from, but there are
only these seven. However there are some related Festival Insight talks
including an all-dayer on 20th August on Ramon del Valle-Incaln, whose
plays have greatly influenced twentieth century theatre.
My comment on the Drama programme at the Official Festival is as always;
what's going on in Australia? Africa? Far East? And more than seven
plays next time please? And find a non-proscenium arch theatre for some
productions, okay!
Thelma Good
