´óÏó´«Ã½

´óÏó´«Ã½ BLOGS - View from the South Bank

Archives for April 2010

Arty party

Pauline McLean | 17:17 UK time, Friday, 30 April 2010

This election campaign has been strangely devoid of cultural input.

Perhaps that's because the politicians themselves are doing a fine job of acting as though they're in a forthcoming episode of "The Thick Of It" and real actors are keeping their distance.

Or perhaps, since responsibility for most art and culture in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish government, artists don't feel the need to chip in their tuppence worth.

Strange, because I know many artists are concerned about how the political landscape will affect their work.

Anyway, better late than never, the website Central Station has put out a call for Arty Political Broadcasts - a chance for anyone involved in the arts to have their say on whatever they want.

So far, that's included everything from a call to save ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 6 Music to a campaign to renationalise the railways of Great Britain.

Angus Farquar of NVA - who recently let loose 50 white bicycles around Glasgow in a recreation of a famous Dutch environmental art project - says he intends to have his say.

Which is apt, given NVA stands for Nacionale Vitae Activa - which loosely translated is the right to influence public affairs.

The broadcasts are .

Meanwhile, Glasgow's Tron Theatre say they'll let their work do the talking.

Mayfesto - a new season of theatre, performance and writing will feature David Greig, Cora Bissett, James MacPherson and others.

The point, says director Andy Arnold, is to make drama out of events and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, civil partnerships, single mums and the torture of terrorist suspects are all fair game.

The title is a nod to Mayfest - that much lauded, and much missed Glasgow festival - but it also refers to the fact that it'll all begin on 7 May, giving politicians barely time to take their coats off!

National Theatre goes Neverland

Pauline McLean | 12:45 UK time, Wednesday, 28 April 2010

Those who suggested the National Theatre of Scotland wasn't fulfilling the Scottish part of its title might be silenced by their latest production.

Not only is their new version of Peter Pan by one of Scotland's best loved writers (whose 150th anniversary will be marked in just over a week's time) but it's been given a distinctly Scottish setting by a modern day Scots writer.

David Greig envisages the Darlings' house in the shadow of the part-built Forth Bridge - Mr Darling himself is overseeing the project - and it's from that iconic steel frame that Peter pan first flies down.

When I say fly, it's more a case of leaps and bounds with the young performers creeping, climbing and clambering round the stage.

The staging not only sets up nicely the notion of being on the cusp of two centuries, and on worlds changing, but is physically stunning.

When the Forth Bridge spins around to become pirate ships on the high seas, it's almost like a moody Turner seascape.

The stagecraft is excellent too. In particular Tinkerbell, a pulsating fireball who makes even the most cynical adult believe.

And the final scenes where children emerge from apparently empty beds is worthy of any magic show.

The soundtrack is probably the strongest element of the show - composed by Davey Anderson , who previously collaborated with director John Tiffany on Black Watch.

It's a clever mixture of haunting lullabies and rousing sea shanties, played live in the thick of the action.

But is that enough to justify the retelling of an old tale told so many times before?

And does it say anything not already said in the countless plays, books, films, prequels, sequels and animations.

True, it brings the adult themes of death and betrayal very much to the fore.

This is a play about childhood, but not necessarily one for children (and not for the tinies who may find the show just a little too dark and unsettling).

Which does leave you wondering just who exactly the show is aimed at?

Baby love

Pauline McLean | 21:10 UK time, Tuesday, 20 April 2010

There are people who believe opera to be a somewhat stuffy artform -I'm not one of them- but there was no hint of stuffiness in the front row for Scottish Opera's latest production.

Indeed, someone was peeling his clothes off, another was eating a banana and one poor soul simply burst into tears.

It's an occupational hazard for performers in as young as six months old.

Scottish opera has been working with children for more than 30 years but even jane Davidson, its head of education raised a few eyebrows when she first suggested the idea last year.

"They did think I was mad," she says. "Absolutely mad. Lots of laughter about four hours of Wagner and babies crying throughout.

"But it made sense. Babies have very poor sight to begin with but their hearing is acute from a very early stage and we started to wonder if they could spot the difference in soprano and baritone and in different notes."

The audience for the first performance in Stockbridge Library in Edinburgh is young but sophisticated.

Most come to regular bounce and rhyme sessions where kids and carers recite nursery rhymes.

But this is different.

Seated round a purpose built grassy arena, they watch three singers parade a variety of objects - silver fish on sticks, welly boots and a washing line - and as they do, they sing.

Not full blown opera arias - but recognisably operatic.

"It is proper singing,"says soprano Gloria Ellis, "Not full strength singing like we'd do in an opera house or they'd disappear but a slightly quieter version of that."

The babies seem to love it - only one cries and a bottle of milk soon settles that.

They're attentive for the full half hour - which is more than you can say for the average audience.

Babies seem to enjoy the physical effects of such intimate singing - the vibrations and the interaction. Carers report it relaxes both them and babies.

The trick now, for Scottish Opera is to keep those little opera fans for a lifetime.

Sun sets on Glasgow's Proms

Pauline McLean | 11:31 UK time, Friday, 9 April 2010

As one of the 20,000 people who sat on Glasgow Green last September as the sun set and the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scottish Symphony Orchestra played at the Scottish proms in the park event, I am disappointed to hear it probably won't be back there this year.

The event was set up six years ago as a way of broadening the appeal of the Last Night of the Proms - and indeed the general Proms season.

This way, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland got to link up with the flag-waving promenaders in the Royal Albert Hall while waving their own flags - literally for those on Glasgow Green, and metaphorically with each area's own orchestras and singers.

True, it's a relatively new event and it's had its teething problems.

An early concert on the site of the new ´óÏó´«Ã½ building had to be scaled down and moved inside because of gale force winds.

But its most recent incarnation on Glasgow Green was proving incredibly popular and when, like last year, you get the weather to boot, there's no better place to be.

The timing is unfortunate. The sponsorship arrangement with the government agency National Savings and Investment ran out last year and new rules make it difficult to secure anything similar.

Meanwhile, Glasgow city council, like every local authority in the country, faces enormous pressure to make savings.

Still, Glasgow's loss is another city's gain.

The ´óÏó´«Ã½ says it will announce a new location shortly - the full proms lineup is due to be announced on 22 April - and Dundee looks like being the likliest venue.

Transport museum on the move

Pauline McLean | 19:24 UK time, Thursday, 1 April 2010

This weekend is traditionally a busy one for Scotland's museums - but Glasgow's Transport Museum is battening down the hatches as visitors prepare to say farewell to the place.

Having been at the back end of the Kelvin Hall for the past 22 years, staff and artefacts are being shipped off to the new Riverside Museum, rapidly taking shape on the Clyde.

While that's still at least a year off, Culture and Sport Glasgow say the tricky nature of the move - with some items weighing several tonnes - mean they need to get started soon.

But there's clearly a lot of people who want to say goodbye to the old place.

Basic, draughty and old fashioned it may be, but it seems still very much loved.

In the two weeks after the announcement that the place would close on April 18th, visitors went up by ten per cent, and over the weekends by over a third.

Expect a similar influx as the final countdown begins, with two weeks worth of events leading up to the closure on April 18th.

Meanwhile, the public appeal for £5m enters a new phase - with Robbie Coltrane the latest celebrity to give his support in a series of spoof internet messages.

They've got £3.2 million so far, with the next phase of the appeal launching on April 18th as the old building officially closes.

As for me, I can't get too emotional about the current museum, which is more than ready for an overhaul.

Besides, I'm old enough to remember the previous transport museum - in the pre-makeover Tramway in Glasgow's Southside.

´óÏó´«Ã½ iD

´óÏó´«Ã½ navigation

´óÏó´«Ã½ © 2014 The ´óÏó´«Ã½ is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.