Asylum. Immigration and Women - Edinburgh reviews 1

Yesterday, the Morning Star published my reviews of four shows I've seen at this year's festivals. It is available here and covers Henry Naylor's new play - Borders (*****), and a new play by a Lebanese writer - Ghalia's Miles (***). Both these plays deal with the asylum crisis in the Middle East. The reviews also cover PJ Harvey's concert - the Hope Six Demolition Project (*****) and Sajeela Kershi's guest show Immigrant Diaries (****).

Of these reviews, only one (Borders) continues on a run (till the 28 Aug). There will be another couple of compilation reviews in the Star to come, but I thought it might be of use if I put other continuing shows here so you can decide if you'd like to see them (or not)!

Cathy Owen as Cathy. pic Pamela Raith photography

One I would clearly recommend is Cathy (*****) Pleasance Dome until the 26. Updating a classic performance often loses something but Cathy, a reimagining of Ken Loach’s Cathy Come Home, does no such thing. Written by Ali Taylor and staged by Cardboard Citizens who work with homeless and other marginalised people, this updating places the full horror of homelessness in front of us.  Cathy and her daughter – now 15 and taking GCSEs – experience the trauma - zero-hours work, low wages, eviction, uprooting, family breakup. The performances by all the cast are spot on, believable and affecting in equal measure. The audience were angry – the best result that could be achieved. See it if you can.

On the other hand, there is - The Girl who loved Stalin (*) The Space @ Jury's Inn until the 26. Sometimes it seems that some fringe shows are there only to get the cast a free pass to the festival social life. This would be one of them. The play seems to have no point, the performers have neither ability nor timing, but worst of all – they seem aware of this and don’t care. Occasional asides are the only signs of life in this unfunny and amateurish production. 50 minutes of my life I won’t get back.

Kate Donnelly and Keira Lucchesi

At times poignant, angry, joyous and an unusual way to approach the Caterpillar Occupation of 30 years ago, Out of the Bad (****) New Town Theatre until the 25, is a short two-hander between a mother (who was part of the occupation) and her daughter. Kate Donnelly and Keira Lucchesi deliver the characters with humour and life. Produced by FairPley, and directed by Sarah McCardie it is a short play (50 mins) and leaves us wanting more – which in fact there is in Butterfly (not playing here). A great taster about the impact of major industrial events on the workers. 

Finally, The Remains of Tom Lehrer (****) Gilded Balloon Teviot until 28.  Adam Kay, writer, comedian and performer takes a trip around the history and songs of Tom Lehrer. A child prodigy and maths lecturer, Lehrer started writing blackly comic (and often political) songs to entertain colleagues. While they were never played on the radio, they spread by word of mouth after he issued a self-produced album in 1953. How he got away with songs like We will all go together when we go about nuclear annihilation, or I wanna go back to Dixie  - “where the laws are mediaeval” during the period of McCarthy is unknown, but Kay does them justice. Interwoven with stories about Lehrer’s life (he is still alive) and careers the show is a worthy – if short – tribute.

 

Returning to the roots of MayDay's Cabarets

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Glasgow Friends of MayDay (GFoMD) have announced another stellar line-up for the sixth annual Great May Day cabaret celebrating International Workers’ Day (May Day). This annual event at Oran Mor takes place this year on MayDay itself - Monday May 1 – this year’s public holiday.

The Cabaret returns to its roots after a couple of years inclusion of drama into the celebrations, and appropriately this year’s headliners are the acclaimed and award-winning Edinburgh-based roots collective Southern Tenant Folk Union. They are ably supported by Leicester singer-songwriter and activist Grace Petrie, the welcome return of Marxist magician Ian Saville (wonder what he's got to say about Jeremy?), folk legend Arthur Johnstone, godfather of Scottish stand-up Bruce Morton, Ayrshire’s second-best ever poet Jim Monagahan, plus Fraser Speirs, Stephen Wright, and Gavin Paterson.  All hosted by Dave Anderson and supported by Thompsons Solicitors. it promises to be a great night. Tickets available (£14) from the Bar in Oran Mor or (+bf) via the facebook page or website

It’s great that the cabaret has attracted major talents like Southern Tenant Folk Union, and that Grace Petrie can come up and spend some time letting Scotland hear her fresh new style. It is especially good that there are a number of cabarets across Scotland this year.

This year, Mayday cabarets are also taking place in Irvine (Celtic SC – Fr1 28/4), West Lothian (Loganlea Miners Welfare – Sat 29/4), and Blantyre (Miners Welfare – Sun 30/4). Playing all four cabarets are core acts Ian Saville, Bruce Morton, Jim Monaghan, Fraser Speirs and Stephen Wright. They will be joined by Grace Petrie in Glasgow, Blantyre and Loganlea, rising star Maeve Mackinnon in Irvine and Blantyre, Arthur Johnstone in Irvine, Loganlea and Glasgow, and talented singer Calum Baird in Loganlea

This year’s Mayday marches will take place on different days around Scotland, with the

largest on Sunday April 30 in Glasgow, forming at George Square at 11.00 and marching to Kelvingrove Park Bandstand. Others will be on Sat April 29 (Aberdeen, Dundee and Fife) and Sat May 6 (Edinburgh and Irvine). Both Glasgow and Edinburgh’s marches feature Paul Laverty, screenwriter of  I, Daniel Blake as a keynote speaker. Details here - http://www.stuc.org.uk/campaigns-and-external-events/mayday-2017.

Other events around the MayDay weekend also include events at the Tron as part of its Mayfesto season, and a short tour of a one-man play about the miners’ strike. Undermined by Danny Mellor, touring with the backing of Unite Community, will play Aberdeen (The Blue Lamp – 26 April); Dundee ( Arthurstone Comm Lib - 27); Edinburgh (Out of the Blue Drill Hall- 28); and Glasgow (STUC-29).

Rab Noakes

Women Hold up Half the Sky

Our old friend (and MU activist) Rab Noakes has a welcome concert in Cottiers Theatre on May 7. In his 70th year and 50 years since his first paid gig, the 'songwriter-performer on top of his game' will be joined by Kathleen MacInnes and Innes Watson.And there is the prospect of a fascinating exhibition in the Glasgow Women's Library (Landressy Street). Sisterhood is Powerful - posters from the GWL museum collection is on from 11 May - 17 June.

These and many other events will be featured in the programme which is available via the GFoMD website.

Culture and the labour movement - a key role for Trades Councils

Last Tuesday,  Jamie Caldwell – Unite Community Co-ordinator for Scotland – penned a piece in the ‘Voices from Scotland’ section of the Morning Star arguing the importance of arts, music and culture in bringing people to politics and inspiring them to join the movement for change.

It is a timely reminder of the importance of the labour movement’s involvement in the arts and cultural scene – an involvement that goes back at least as far as the Rose Schneiderman quote from 1911/2 - "The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too." It was a prominent part of socialist and labour movement work in thirties and forties Glasgow with the Unity Theatre, Left Book Club groups and the Trades Council’s Film Society. Similar organisations existed in other cities.

In more contemporary times the TU movement was key to the formation of  Glasgow’s MayFest, - as were left theatre groups such as Dave MacLennan’s Wildcat -  and it is good to see increasing arts and musical input more recently around the International Workers’ Day celebrations. Glasgow’s own Friends of MayDay programme is one of these developments.

The role of Trades Councils can be crucial in the success of this co-ordination, and it is good to see a recent increase in such activities by Trades Union Councils (the new name for Trades Councils) in and around Glasgow.

Jane McAlevey

Glasgow Trades Council itself starts the list this week with their hosting of the book launch by American union organizer and author, Jane McAlevey. Entitled No Shortcuts, Organising for Power, it’s on tonight at the Lighthouse and while it has been sold out, there might be some returns available via the FB page.

Jamie’s article mentions the Ken Loach film I, Daniel Blake, and the work of Unite and the People’s Assembly in promoting it. One of these screenings is being hosted in Clydebank Town Hall, by Clydebank Trades Council with support from the Morning Star and a multitude of TUs, on Thursday this week at 7.00pm. Tickets here.

Clydebank TC are also prominent in a mini tour of the play Dare Devil Rides to Jarama. A play about motorcycling and the Spanish Civil War, it is produced by Townsend Productions – who gave you The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropist and the Shrewsbury pickets play United We Stand. It is also playing Clydebank Town Hall (on 6 March), tickets here. If you can’t make this showing, there is also one organised by South Lanarkshire TC in the Blantyre Miners Welfare two days previously (4 Mar). Tickets from UNISON South Lanarkshire 01698 454690 or from the Blantyre Miners Welfare itself.

30 years ago elsewhere in South Lanarkshire (in Uddingston actually) workers at the Caterpillar factory occupied their workplace to prevent it being closed. The occupation lasted 103 days. Our friends at FairPley – other valuable contributors to the increase in cultural activity on the left – have commissioned two, one-act plays from Anne Hogg on the aftermath of the occupation. Out of the Bad and Butterfly are premiering at Motherwell Civic Theatre on February 25. Tickets from Culture NL here..

Not a bad contribution to Jamie’s important call for the use of cultural events in socialist and labour movement organizing. I have no doubt that there are other Trades Union Council’s across Scotland who are organising similar events. If so, it would be good to support them and to promote them using social contacts, both digital and otherwise. And if they are not – what about getting them to do so?

As a wee add-on, while I was in London on a break, the Morning Star published my final round-up

Shirley Collins, pic Eva Vermandel

review of Celtic Connections. Concentrating on the CC theme of Women of Song it can be found here.  And while we’re on the topic of the Star and Arts/Music coverage, there’s a nice interview by Mike Quille with a former star of  Celtic Connections, Chris Wood, in the weekend’s edition. He is a great example of how contemporary folk music is being created right across these islands.

An embarrassment of riches - Celtic Connections '17 Preview

This is a preview piece for this year's Celtic Connections, that was printed in the Morning Star on Thursday (19 Jan). The link to the article on line doesn't seem to be working, so here (with a little updating) is the article as written. Updating as well, prompts me to mention that fact that the Lions of Lisbon, has not only had to have an extra performance scheduled, but both are now sold out! Never mind, it will appear later in the year. Watch - as they say - this space! 

Rab Noakes

Having an embarrassment of riches is sometimes a mixed blessing. Imagine being a concert scheduler with Celtic Connections – the very successful music festival that started in Glasgow on Thursday. With the acts attending, clashes must be a perennial concern. This year on one night (2 Feb) you could see Orchestre Baobab, Eliza Carthy, Rab Noakes and Martin Green’s impressive collaboration, Flit, except you couldn’t of course, because they’re all on at the same time.

Still, there are plenty of other shows that are worth seeing, in particular the re-emergence of Shirley

Shirley Collins (photo Eva Vermandel)

Collins (4 Feb), who has released her first new album for 38 years. She leads a strong female presence at this year’s festival. Highlights include Mary Chapin Carpenter (30 Jan), Martha Wainwright (3 Feb), Sharon Shannon (3 Feb), rising star Siobhan Miller (26 Jan) and the ubiquitous Karine Polwart - her Wind Resistance performance spreads over four days (24-28 Jan) at the Tron. Even the Roaming Roots Review this year concentrates on Women of Song (28 Jan).

This year also has a sense of ‘back to traditional folk’, not just the reappearance of Shirley Collins after 35 years, but a concert from Tom Paxton (25 Jan) and both Fairport Convention (24 Jan) and Rab Noakes (2 Feb) celebrating 50 years performing.

Having said that, there is also plenty of new talent performing at this year’s festival. CDuncan (26 Jan) has already created a stir, and I’m looking forward to seeing the Southern Tenant Folk Union (30 Jan). It is often the ‘outside’ venues that break these new acts, and this year brings a couple of new venues to Celtic Connections in South Glasgow’s Glad Café and the West End’s Hug and Pint.

Finally, if you are ‘all folked out’ and fancy something a little different, two important British composers feature this year. Eclectic composer, singer and clarinettist, Anna Meredith is on 4 Feb, and Craig Armstrong and Calum Martin present the outcome of their collaboration to write new music inspired by Hebridean psalm singing (3 Feb).

Too much music? How about a day at the footie? FairPley are reviving The Lions of Lisbon, the play by Willy Maley and Ian Auld about Celtic’s triumph in the European Cup 50 years ago! (29 Jan - two performances). Get tickets on line at www.celticconnections.com

Edinburgh Festivals - 1 - Countrybile, Communist Spies and Joan littlewood too!

Well, the extravaganza that is Edinburgh during the festivals is now in full swing, and trying to sort out the wheat from the chaff is (mostly) what I'm here to do.

I have posted (below) a couple of reviews compiled for the Morning Star (the first one appeared in yesterday's edition, here.). One performance works, one doesn't (quite) yet. I have also seen a number of other shows, and I would recommend Mark Steel's show Who do I think I am? (Assembly, George Square) about his investigations into his birth parents (he was adopted at birth). A review is pending, but suffice it to say, you'll hardly believe his findings!

Another great show (if you have kids of a pre-teen age) is FairPley's The Periodic Fable (Assembly Rooms) It is a panto-style romp through some child-friendly science, and seems to grab the interest and enjoyment of small boys, and (more importantly) girls.

Looking forward next week to Elvis McGonagall's arrival at the Stand on the Square, with his new show Countrybile. More later!


An Englishman Abroad meets Harry Lime

The Communist Threat.  ZOO Southside until Aug 31.  4/5
That this doesn't slide into the John Le Carre/Cold War cliche is down to two things. The quality of the acting by the two protagonists, Kip (David Holmes) and Albert (Kieran O’Rourke, who make up the company, Rusted Dust, and the sheer number of layers on which the plot idea works.

A play set in a post war Vienna basement, and involving spies almost automatically invokes the spirit

Class, as always, is key. Are all communist defectors upper class, cricket loving, Cambridge graduates?  Mr Nightingale's working class Northern rooted character says no (a first class performance by Kieran O'Rourke). Who is the interrogator, and who the interrogated? The layers keep swapping our view. In fact, they all appear to be communists, albeit for a variety of reasons.

The ending comes rather too soon, and provides us with the only unchallenged cliche - the loaded gun in the locked room. But overall the play provides us with an entertaining and impressive exercise in the personal and the political. No more separated here than in real life.
of The Third Man, and the suits, trilbies and accents do nothing to disabuse us. But gradually our perspective shifts. Yes, it's about betrayal, yes it's about politics, yes it's about sexuality but do all these things point in the one direction?

Joan Littlewood

A difficult show, about a difficult woman.

Joan, Babs and Shelagh too.  ZOO Southside until Aug 31. 3/5
Attempting to do justice to one of British political theatre's most important creators in a one-woman show of around 50 minutes was always going to be an enormous task. That it happens at all is thanks to the prodigious performance of gemskii - the one-woman!

What she tries to do is to tell the life of Joan Littlewood, founder of Theatre Workshop and Theatre Union along with Ewan McColl, producer of Oh, What a Lovely War! and mother of British political theatre. And she tries it in Joan's own, improvised, physical, musical style. It doesn't quite succeed, but it has good fun trying!

Minus points include the overuse of documentary comments that tend to intrude instead of enlighten, and the music which tends to overpower the actor's voice. The introduction of individuals who were important to Joan's life works well, and might be more used - Shelagh Delaney in particular, has a very short cameo.

However, this is a difficult piece to bring off - especially in the time allowed for a standard fringe performance - but the larger than life portrait of Joan that shines from the performance means it succeeds in its main aim. Time to continue the 'constantly changing form'?

Box Office for both performances - (0131) 662-6892 or here

Post-referendum, but not post-political!

Here is my piece in the Morning Star on the things I am looking forward to in this year's Edinburgh Festivals. This year the Star will have four of us providing reviews of various events, and my other colleagues (Gordon Parsons, Mike Quille, and Jody Porter) have also their highlights here. I've also added some events in the Book Festival and this and word limitations of the print media mean that the piece below is not a comprehensive survey. I've tried to add additional planned shows at the end (par 8 ff).

AFTER last year’s referendum-related material, this year’s festivals look much lighter politically on the surface. A closer look though reveals that there is plenty to tempt the radical political animal.
Last year’s successes used referendum fever to look deeper into “Scottishness” and this year’s most intriguing material ploughs the same furrow.

Confessions - what levels do we read it?

Paul Bright’s Confessions of a Justified Sinner is a complex treatment of James Hogg’s 18th-century novel, an early focus on Scotland’s “split personalities.” The novel ranges between family feud and psychological fable and this production by Untitled Projects and the National Theatre of Scotland adds a further layer by telling it as a “metafiction” in which the failed performance never took place — or did it?

This year’s fringe has some political topics, mainly in theatre productions which deal with themes as disparate as the miners’ strike (Undermined); the cold war (The Communist Threat); and Joan Littlewood (Joan, Babs and Shelagh Too).

Mark Steel

This year’s Assembly Rooms (AR) shows concentrate more on the spoken word, with well-known stand ups Jo Brand, Alexei Sayle and Mark Thomas discussing their work in the Talking Comedy series. Both Brand and Thomas also have their own shows elsewhere as does Mark Steel, who makes a welcome return to the fringe after 19 years away. I’m looking forward particularly to Countrybile, the new show from Elvis McGonagall.

Fair Pley’s innovative Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas, also returns to the Stand in the Square with some more controversial proposals from academics — ban students from Edinburgh, anyone? This The Periodic Fable, a scientific panto for young and old.

The Periodic Fable

year the producers also target the younger element with

After last year’s Israeli company controversy, this year features at least two Palestinian events. Playwright David Greig has crowdfunded 12 Palestinian artists to visit the festival and perform in an all-day programme. And at the AR Mark Thomas and Mark Steel, along with Daniel Kitson and Ivor Dembina, get together for a Free Gaza fundraiser to provide front-line medical support for people in Gaza.

At the Book festival too, Ghada Karmi (How Does it Feel When You Can’t Go Home?) and Avi Shlaim (Why Israel's Problems Remain Real) deal with aspects of the Palestinian tragedy. It is heartening that these two are already sold out. My other favourite Spurs fan, John Crace is speaking on his parliamentary sketchwriting in Coalition Confidential. Marcus O'Dair discusses his biography of music legend, Robert Wyatt in From Soft Machine to Shipbuilding. A series of talks on the future of libraries promises some interesting speculations and Elvis McGonagall reappears in the Comic Verse session.


Elsewhere on the Fringe one of the most unlikely tribute bands of all time line up to rekindle the Captain! Orange Claw Hammer present - Beefheart and Cheeze!

Programmes with booking links are; Fringe - https://www.edfringe.com/visit-the-fringe/programme
International - http://www.eif.co.uk/festival-2015#.Vb5fFkUwHIohttp://www.eif.co.uk/festival-2015#.Vb5fFkUwHIo and Book - https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/events

Experience of International Brigader sells out local venue

The revival of Willy and John Maley's play From the Calton to Catalonia has sold out its launch performance in the Calton Heritage Centre this Friday. The play, which deals with the experiences of their father as a volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, is being produced as a rehearsed reading as part of the MayDay celebrations organised by Glasgow Friends of MayDay. After the launch it will go on a small tour.

The play was originally written in 1990 and first played at Glasgow's MayFest that year. It was notable for showcasing  a very early appearance of Gary Lewis, later known for Billy Elliot, Gangs of New York and currently starring in Outlander. Lewis has also been involved in the development of this performance.

The rehearsed reading is directed by Martin McCardie, and features Bruce Morton, Maureen Carr, Davie Mackay, Erin McCardie, Matthew Gallacher and Claire Gray.

Martin explained:  “This play was a product of community theatre that was vibrant in Glasgow in 1990 and through the Mayfest years. The subject matter is one that is rarely taught in schools but is part of Scottish history that should never be forgotten. Some younger members of the cast knew nothing about the Scottish involvement in the Spanish Civil War. They do now!”

The launch takes place in the new Calton Heritage Centre, this Friday (1 May). An entirely appropriate venue, both from the title of the play, and from the publishers, Calton Books, an independent radical bookshop in Glasgow's London Road.  Local residents have responded making this first performance a sell-out.

Tickets are still available for the rest of the small tour - Irvine on the 2 May, Glasgow's Oran Mor on the 3, Bo'ness on the 8, and Greenock on the 10. Details of booking from http://www.fairpley.com.

Rent strikers' centenary marks MayDay celebrations

100 years after the success of the Glasgow Rent strikers' in changing the law, their struggles are taking centre stage amongst the range of events announced around this year's MayDay celebrations. 

The First World War women's fight against the exploitative attempts by private landlords to hike up rents came to an end after court cases against 18 rent strikers were abandoned in 1915 and the law was changed by the enactment of the Rent Restriction Act. Glasgow Film Theatre is marking the centenary by showing the 1984 film on the struggle - Red Skirts on Clydeside - on Saturday 2 May. The film will be introduced by Maria Fyfe, former MP for Maryhill and chair of the Remember Mary Barbour Association. Maria said. "As we look forward to a tangible memorial for the rent strikers with a statue of Mary Barbour, it is good to be able to say how much we have managed to move the recognition fight on since the film was made."

In addition, a walk organised by Glasgow Friends of MayDay (GFoMD), will

Rent Strike demo

visit the old court were the case was due to be heard, the prison in which many women were held and sites of many of the demonstrations and rallies. 'Women, the War and the Rent strikes' will take place on Saturday 25 April. Chris Bartter, Chair of GFoMD said "The women involved in the rent strikes were often also involved in the peace campaigns and before that in the struggles for women's suffrage. Their lives are an example to today's activists, and it makes a good walk!"

The two events are just part of the programme launched to mark the International Workers' Festival in Glasgow and around. Other events include a Clarion Cycle Club ride out and a Love Music, Hate Racism Gig - both on May 1 - afternoon and evening respectively. The now-famous Great MayDay Cabaret will again be in Oran Mor on the 4 May - this year it stars Tommy Sands - and a short tour of John and Willy Maley's play - From The Calton to Catalonia - starts on the 1 May in the Calton starring, well-known Scottish actor, Gary Lewis. The full programme is available from the Friends of MayDay website - may1st.org.uk.

Tickets for the GFT film go on sale on 23 April at £5 from http://www.glasgowfilm.org/ Signing up for the walk costs £7.50, contact Chris Bartter on 07715 583 729.

 

Tickets for both The (Third) Great Mayday Cabaret and the May 3 performance of From the Calton to Catalonia are available from Oran Mor (over the bar) or via their website - http://oran-mor.co.uk/whats-on/ (booking fee). Tickets for other performances of From the Calton to Catalonia see the FairPley website at http://www.fairpley.com/

Justice at Work Campaign gets entertaining boost

Is it a concert? Is it a campaign? Unite Scotland is staging an event today as part of its

Justice at Work campaign that blurs such distinctions. Headlined by anti-blacklist

Ricky Tomlinson

campaigner, Shrewsbury picket and actor, Ricky Tomlinson, the event also stars victimised INEOS stewards Stevie Deans and Mark Lyons.

Providing the music, singer-songwriter, Rab Noakes leads a stellar cast including Arthur Johnstone, moothie maestro Fraser Speirs, Stephen Wright and rap artist NRNXPO Qyeens. Unite's General Secretary, Len McCluskey will also

Rab Noakes

speak as will Stevie Deans' daughter Ailis  and the whole event is compered by comedian, Susan Morrison.

Unite's Scottish Secretary, Pat Rafferty said

“Tonight’s gig will be an unabashed celebration of working-class achievement and struggle and also a display of solidarity to argue that decent jobs and decent lives go hand-in-hand with decent employment rights and safe, secure workplaces.”

Doors for the free show open at 7PM for a 7:30PM start and a limited number of tickets are available on a first come first served basis from info@fairpley.com.

The trade union movement will be watching this innovative approach to campaigning closely. It is a welcome development in engaging a broader section of people in campaigns, like the Anti-Blacklist Campaign. Associate producers, Fair Pley, continue to work with the Labour Movement and are busy planning an event in tribute to Tony Benn taking place in Glasgow on Sunday 30 November. Their versatility knows no bounds!

Tony Benn’s life and work to be celebrated in Glasgow

The release below went out to a wide range of media yesterday. The Herald picked up the story and

Tony Benn at 2011's UCS 40 anniversary

printed it here. This is the full release. Watch out for further announcements as other guests are added to the list!

A major Scottish celebration of the life of Tony Benn was announced today (Monday 22). Taking place in Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on November 30 this year, the plan is for a series of events through the afternoon culminating in a substantial concert in the evening.

Rab Noakes

Singer songwriter Rab Noakes has agreed to curate the concert which will also feature Chris Difford of Squeeze, folk legend Roy Bailey, Karen Matheson, Donald Shaw, James Grant, Arthur Johnstone, and Alastair McDonald . Also planned is a spoken word event in the afternoon, along with discussion workshops on topics close to Tony’s heart

Neil Findlay MSP from the group set up to support and promote this event, said  “A number of our major trade unions felt it was important that a campaigner like Tony, who had strong links with Scotland, from UCS up to the present day, should be recognised and remembered here. We’re delighted to have the support of the Benn family for the event.”

The day is being supported by Aslef, GMB, UNISON and Unite in Scotland, who have commissioned FairPley – the people who organised Tony Benn’s sellout appearance at Celtic Connections in 2013 – to produce the show.

Stephen Wright, one of the directors of FairPley, said  “It was a real privilege to organise Tony’s appearances in Scotland over the last few years, at the Fringe, Celtic Connections and the UCS 40^th anniversary celebrations. We’re delighted to be involved in this major event to mark Tony’s life and legacy.”

Further addition to the line-up will be announced as they happen, but advance tickets have now gone on sale at - http://www.glasgowconcerthalls.com/events/tony-benn-a-celebration-concert/

Who's Afraid of the Big Bar-L?

On Sunday an interesting new play has its public premiere at Oran Mor as part of Glasgow’s WestEnd Festival. Who’s Afraid of the Big Bar-L is a humorous look at the history of Glasgow’s most famous ‘Big Hoose’, written by well-known writer and director, Philip Differ, and commissioned by retiring Barlinnie Governor, Derek McGill

He has seized the opportunity created by a major turning point in the big prison’s history to commission the play to mark the prominent place Barlinnie has played in the folklore of Glasgow and Scotland over the last 100 plus years!

Barlinnie's Derek McGill

While this may seem unusual, it is entirely appropriate now for two reasons according to Derek, who has been a long-term promoter of arts, music and drama as alternative therapies and interventions to help prisoners desist from crime and change their ways..

“I have spent my time in the prison system investing in creative methods to help prisoners address their offending.” He said, “There is a lot of evidence especially from Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands, that this approach can reduce re-offending.”

In addition, the future of Barlinnie is currently under discussion. Reports have highlighted that the prison, built in 1882, is no longer fit for purpose. It would need significant expenditure to meet modern demands on prison life. The two options being discussed are major refurbishment, or closure and building a new prison on a different site.

“There is much debate over Barlinnie’s future.“ Derek said,  “Closure or major refurbishment are both possible outcomes, so I thought that now was a good time to look at the Bar-L and its place in Glasgow’s popular culture.”

Not content with just commissioning a play, he asked leading Glasgow-based arts production company, FairPley, to produce the play and they got well-known Scottish comedy writer and producer, Philip Differ - famous for Naked Video and Watson’s Wind-up - to write and direct it!

You can hear both Derek and Philip discuss the play and Sunday’s performance on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland - here. The interview is 2hr and 36 mins in (at the end).

Philip said “My main concern - and the cast's too - was that the play would be authentic, that the

Philip Differ

prisoners would connect with it. After every performance we held a Q and A session with the audience and every time we were asked if any of us had 'done time'. The prisoners seemed genuinely surprised none of us had because the play was, as they put it, 'bang on'. That told us we'd hit the mark and was as rewarding for all of us as the laughs throughout the performances”.

The play is set in the future – in the London offices of Gin ‘n Tonic productions – where a former inmate of the now defunct Barlinnie, and a former prison officer, meet to discuss its history. Is G‘nT the best choice to produce the history of the Bar-L? As you might expect with a writer of Philip Differ’s pedigree, the play crackles with humour.

After a successful tour of its 'captive audience' in four of Scotland's toughest jails, it is now showing to the general public in a one-off performance in Glasgow's Oran Mor on Sunday June 1 at 7.30pm. Tickets over the bar or via this link.

Ending where we started

Scotland's cultural highlights started early with The Happy Lands - an uncompromising film portraying life in a Fife pit village during the General Strike. Developed by Edinburgh-based theatre workshop using local people both to source stories and portray characters, it premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival and toured throughout the UK looking for a general release. Unsuccessful, despite enthusiastic reviews, it is now available on DVD. Go to http://distrify.com/films/6990-the-happy-lands 

January's Celtic Connections festival had a strong left-leaning programme. The ubiquitous FairPley productions served up not only another sellout Songs of Struggle, but packed the huge Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow with a crowd anxious to see Tony Benn promoting his forthcoming film biography, Will and Testament. Other concerts included Songs of the Spanish Civil War, and a tribute concert to Scottish folk singer songwriter, Alistair Hulett, headlined by doyen of the folk scene, Roy Bailey.

Mark Thomas headlined the first sellout Great MayDay Cabaret, the centrepiece of Glasgow's MayDay festival celebrations. A bill including the Co-operative Funeralcare Brass Band, and Marxist magician, Ian Saville kept the Oran Mor audience rocking with songs and laughter. The finale where Mark grabbed a tambourine to join folk's political leader, Arthur Johnstone, and master of the moothie* Fraser Speirs in a rendition of Bandiera Rossa had everyone standing.

Other gems sparkled in an impressive MayDay programme, including a reprise of The Morning Star's own Our Class, Our Culture event that brought composer, Bill Sweeney to talk about Music and the Working Class Movement. 

FairPley also programmed a major part of Edinburgh's Assembly Rooms' Edinburgh Fringe, successfully mixing music, theatre and spoken word events. The Fringe showed an increase in left shows this year, although the low number of shows dealing with the upcoming independence referendum excited some comment. Notwithstanding, a conference on the future of political theatre concluded that it was in fact, in rude health

Assembly Rooms highlights included a return for Tony Benn and for a Songs of Struggle concert, and a couple of interesting short plays in God Bless Liz Lochhead, and Hindsight, the latter the first play from new writer, Keir McAllister. Elsewhere,  an intelligent look at the pressures of politics and the failures of the last Labour administration made The Confessions of Gordon Brown stand out, and the already high level of standup was boosted by the return to the stage of Alexi Sayle and another in the series of Mark Thomas's 100 Minor Acts of Dissent.

Other key events this year have included a cracking satire from a group of writers as part of the always worth watching A Play, a Pie and a Pint series. The Deficit Show took us swiftly back to the days of Wildcat in a sharp, entertaining attack on austerity economics. 

A superb performance of Shostakovich's First Violin Concerto from Canadian violinist, James Ehnes backed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, drew plaudits from audience and reviewers alike.

Finally the year ended with a TV outing for The Happy Lands, when BBC Scotland gave the film a showing (last Sunday 15 Dec) to counter the lack of a cinema release.

*Mouth organ, for those uninitiated! 

Radical Shifts on the Fringe - Fringe Blog no 2

The Morning Star website is currently being revamped and unavailable, so here is my article published in this weekend's edition. It is a summary of my thoughts on this year's Edinburgh Fringe shows.

If politics is show business for ugly people, then show business should be aware of political attempts to move into their territory more comprehensively!

Before this year's Edinburgh Fringe. some commentators (including this one) identified an increase in the number of political shows. Even with a surprisingly low level of shows dealing with Scotland's referendum, especially from Scottish writers.

After three weeks viewing, I can a) confirm that there was a large amount of both overtly political shows and shows with a political angle, and b) while the referendum was covered, especially in spoken word events, it did not form a major theme. Even in a wide-ranging seminar on political theatre it only got one mention in a uplifting discussion that identified political theatre as still very prominent.

Partly because, as respected commentator, Joyce MacMillan, points out, the constitutional debate has been part of the cultural background in Scotland for years, and many writers have moved on. They deal with wider overarching political and human issues - like David Greig in The Events, which deals with our reaction to atrocity. Inspired by (but not directly dealing with) the Anders Breivik murders, this will become a very important play.

Other productions dealt with political history - like Unite-sponsored, We will be Free, Townsend’s Tolpuddle Martyrs' play, or particular issues, like Northern Stage's How to Occupy an Oil Rig - an entertaining training session on direct action in climate change campaigning.

Many productions deal with non-political topics, but allow political issues to feature. An effective
example, is FairPley's production of God Bless Liz Lochhead! in which a struggling group of thesps attempt to re-create a 12 character play with 3 actors! While the convolutions this entails deliver a very funny play, it also makes a comment on the politics of cultural funding in Scotland.

Of course, there is more to the Fringe than drama. Comedy has always been a strongpoint, and this year the return of many 'Alternative Comedy' legends brought that political edge. Mark Thomas crammed a hugely busy schedule with shows on Extreme Rambling along the Israeli apartheid wall; debates on the efficacy of some of his previous Manifesto pledges; and his new 100 Acts of Minor Dissent project. He reached 26 by organising a stand-up demo outside the Russian Consulate against their anti-gay laws! Alexei Sayle, too, came from stand-up exile to prove he was as ascerbic as ever. After 17 years away, he can be forgiven some slight rustiness!

Vladimir McTavish and Keir McAllister's The State of Britain was one show that took the independence debate head-on, but did seem to be unsure of its audiences, possibly for a similar reason to Steve Richards. The political columnist said in the Guardian that he had had to tailor his act to Scottish or other UK audiences on a show-by-show basis.

A further reason for more politics this year is the massive increase in spoken word events. Once the province of the Book Festival, the Fringe started listing these separately a few years ago. This year has seen an explosion in such shows.

Driven by demand (The Book Festival resolutely refuses to move anywhere bigger), the need for promoters to fill venues during the day, and the relative ease of staging this type of show, debates, discussions, Q&As, demonstrations etc. sprang up all over. Most of all, there is an audience for these shows, which is good news for political debate. Almost all major venue complexes featured some spoken word, but the major venue, was the Assembly Rooms/Famous Spiegeltent. FairPley Productions contributed massively, by importing their Verb Garden from the Belladrum festival. The concept - backed by the Co-operative Membership, covered many topics and presented major politicians such as Tony Benn, and George Galloway MP, journalists like BBCs Brian Taylor and Iain Macwhirter, and academics and comedians. Even including the finalist of 2012 Great British Bakeoff, James Morton!

Stephen Wright of FairPley, thinks that spoken word can only increase. "While you need to
programme different topics carefully," he said. "the demand is there for politics. We will be building on that, both in Edinburgh and elsewhere."

God Bless Liz Lochhead!