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There's No V In Gaelic, Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow |
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Sgrìobhte le Carole
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Dimàirt, 01 Dùbhlachd 2009 09:33 |
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NEIL COOPER Published on 29 Jan 2007
Gaelic theatre has had little platform of late, as grail-seeking aficionados favoured gurus from more exotic climes. In such a melee of discovery, work on our own doorstep has been left to rot. This is something Tag's new co-production with the An Lochran Art Agency attempts to address in this part-professional, part-community exploration of feminism among a sector of society barely renowned for talking dirty, about life, love and the whole darn fishing smack.
Gaelic theatre has had little platform of late, as grail-seeking aficionados favoured gurus from more exotic climes. In such a melee of discovery, work on our own doorstep has been left to rot. This is something Tag's new co-production with the An Lochran Art Agency attempts to address in this part-professional, part-community exploration of feminism among a sector of society barely renowned for talking dirty, about life, love and the whole darn fishing smack.
At its centre are nine monologues, performed and, under the guidance of director Guy Hollands, fleshed out into ensemble pieces by the six women who penned them. From the teacher reduced to using pet words for sexual organs, through bite-sized portrayals of single motherhood, infidelity, flirtation, the offloading of gender stereotypes via the hard sell of a perfect doll, and the quest for 21st-century identity in an isolated world, all life is contained in a series of mature performances.
Framing this is an extending gag portrayed by Margaret Bennett, Kathleen MacInnes and Cathy Ann MacPhee as a trio of theatregoers sharing sorority-style intimacies involving sex, smear tests and the ultimate orgasm. Performed mainly in her native tongue, playwright Seonag Monk and community drama leaders Catriona Lexy Campbell and Elly Goodman have created a platform that attempts to tap into the pan-generational anxieties of women today.
While there are no great insights, the company's cheery presentation, without recourse to subtitles some might say are necessary, is nevertheless a breezy getting of wisdom which may yet bear fruit.
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