(2017) with the Permission of the Surviving Editors, Rob La Frenais and Gray Watson

JAZZ. TOURS Autumn 1982 ·

PIANO FORTY STEVE LACEY SEXTET - KEITH TIPPETT - four great improvising pianists Steve Lacey soprano saxophone, Steve Potts alto JAKI BYARD (USA) saxophone, Irene Aebi voice, violin, cello; Jean ALEX VON SCHUPPENBACH (W. Germany) Jacques Avenel bass, Bobby Few piano, Oliver IRENE SCHWEIZER (Switzerland) Johnson drums. HOWARD RILEY (UK) November October Sun 7 LONDON, Round House 7.30pm Sun 24 LONDON, Round House 7.30pm Thu 11 LEICESTER, Phoenix Arts 8pm Thu 28 MANCHESTER, Band on the Wall 9pm Fri 12 LLANTWIT MAJOR, St Donat's Arts Centre Fri 29 BIRMINGHAM, B'ham and Midland Institute 8pm 7.45pm Sat 13 BRISTOL , Arnolfini 8pm November Sun 14 SHEFFIELD , Crucible Theatre 7.30pm Mon 1 COVENTRY, WarwickU .ArtsCentre7.45pm Tue 16 NEWCASTLE, Corner House Hotel, Heaton Tue 2 LEICESTER , Phoenix Arts 8pm 8pm Thu 4 LLANTWIT MAJOR, St Donat's Arts Centre Wed 17 DARLINGTON, Arts Centre 8pm 8pm Thu 18 MANCHESTER , Band on the Wall 9pm Fri 19 LEEDS, Playhouse 11.15pm Sat 20 KENDAL, Brewery Arts Centre 8.30pm Further information on both tours from the venues or Sun 21 BIRMINGHAM , Strathallan Hotel 8pm from the Music Department, Arts Council of G.B. Mon 22 COVENTRY , Warwick U. Arts Centre 9 Long Acre, London WC2 Tel: 01-379 7717 7.30pm

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Editors Rob La Frenais Lynn ·MacRitchie Luke Dixon Associate Editors Pete Shelton Margurite McLaughlin Bruce Bayley Music Paul Burwell David lllic Contributors John Roberts Roger Ely Phil Hyde Gillian Clark Diana Simmonds Andrea Hill Liz Stolls Neil Hornick Meira Eilash Guest Contributors Roberta Graham Catherine Elwes Lindsay Cooper Chrissie lies David Derby John Ashford Production Rob La Frenais

Distribution Full Time Distribution J F Ansell Moore Harness Typesetting Windhorse Photosetters Printing Vineyard Press, Colchester Features Publisher Perfonnance Magazine Ltd Is Performance Art Dead? ...... 4 Copyright @ 1982 Neo-Naturism ...... 5 ISSN no 0144 5901 Italian Performance ...... 8 Art On The Run ...... 14 SUBSIDIS ED BY THE A Firm Undertaking ...... 21 Arts c.ouncil New York Live ... -...... 25 OF GREAT BRITAI N Interview Cathy Bereberian ...... 10

Performance Magazine welcomes Reviews articles , or ideas for articles, from new contributors. Please remember that we London Roundup, Hood Fair, Sonia Knox, Cameron and only print material on radical or experi Miller, Selwa Rajaa, Marty St James/ Anne Wilson ...... 27 mental areas in visual art, theatre and music, which we pull together under the Books general label of Perfonnance . Real life Final Academy/Hereto Go ...... 31 too; a perfonnance can happen anywhere. We 'd also like your correspondence on Listings ...... 32 anything in our pages. Feedback means support!

The Mid.land Group's third Performance brates the posit.ive, "genuinely creative et Jes anartistes" which was published in Art Platform will this year be incorp artists", whose work attempts to deal with 1969. orated into an expanded four days of "the basic problems of contemporary "Displaying of excrements, all sorts of events covering a wide range of art and human existence" . He mentions in this clownish or fanciful gestures, even all the performances that come under the context (alongside Grotowski' s 'Theatre of noisy Happenings which provided the general description of Performance Art. Sources' ) - "all the street theatres setting for the Paris May 1968, are Since holding a position at the fore drawing chance spectators into a spectacle according to H . Parmelin, a manifestation front of experimentation in the visual arts o( vital resolutions". Characteristics of of artistic independence as fruitless and in the 1960's the concept of performance performance art in Europe that most spurious as Vasarely's geometric-and art has had to expand and diversify to identify it with a 'dead' neo avant-garde illusionistic tricks or N. Schoffer' s light cover an ever widening range of experi (according to Morawski's definitions ) are, towers. Creative self-consciousness of the mental performers from all areas of per I think, both parasitic and narcissistic . neo avant -garde - concludes the writer - formance including theatre, music, Performances that are essentially no more is either a reflection of the attitudes preval dance, popular entertainment and now than masochistic self-punishment echo the ent in a society of plenty and fever on the video. experiments of the earliest Dada-ists, (man threshold of the post-industrial era ... or a The thin lines of distinction drawn throws himself from window) or attempt, 'magic lantern' or a childish tomfoolery in between these various areas and the in shockingly, to reproduce 'real' suffering which is expressed the impotence of creasing evidence of a crossing over without comment. Deliberate obfuscation individuals unfit for a bureaucratic world between art and popular culture have (through endless repeuuon, obscure and their longing for another social both served to raise many questions theoreticising, trivial references ) also reality ." about the nature of performance in exists in contemporary performanc e art . In other words, the avant-garde, the neo relation to all the art forms. If , and it is hypothesis, we accept avant-garde, had both become impotent From surreal cabaret comedy to New Morawski's definition of genuinely new spectacle by the end of the sixties, and the Wave video to 'performing' sculpture and inventive contemporary art 'new' art of performance will surely 'die' these four days of events will provide an "creative self-consciousness" - an art that along with them, unless ... exhilirating mix of performances that will concerns itself with individual creativity in Unle ss in our performances we demon serve to illustrate just some of the ground everyone, with the concerns of people in strate some of Morawski 's 'creative self covered by performance artists today. their daily lives, with the basic probl ems of consciousness ' in its new, hopeful form . The following is a document submitted human existence, then we should ask To do thi s, I believe, we should examine by Roland Miller, who will be leading the whether these qualities or not in perfor our own selves, our circumstances, and the Performance Platform discussion this mance art, as we know and use it. problems of our existence; and our perfor year. One of the most useful distin ction s I mance work should deal with this . We The Polish author, Stefan Morawski, know can be drawn between art/theatr e/ should make this examination not as has written recently of a "creative self film/literature thai is spectacle and that exceptional individuals, not as 'artists', but consciousness" which may be regarded as which is a form os scenario for the altera as sexed human beings, living in post art. He describes a "considerable section of tion of the status quo. industrial , class and race divided Europe, the world's neo avant-garde " which is This distinction was drawn, perhaps not threatened by immediate nuclear destruc characterised either by a parasitic con originally, by Lee Baxendale in an Ameri tion. And out of this, should come our sciousness - "marauders and rnannerists can collection of essays entitled 'Radical living artform. who have joined the pioneers of (this) Perspectives in the Arts' , published in the Roland Miller movement and imitate them piteously ; or early seventies (?). Ten or fifteen years ago by a narcissistic consciousness, which "is the avant-garde - including performance sometimes accompanied by unbearable art - was under pressure. The 'democrat * Stefan Morawski 'Art as a form of self gibberish or a trivial dullness of communi isation ' and 'anarchism' of the sixties consciousness' published in 'Art and cated "revelations". might have become politically potent, but Thought ' catalogue of the 2nd Internation In declaring the ,sterility and decadence notoriously did not. Morawski quotes al Drawing Trienniile, Wroclaw, Poland, of the neo avant-garde, Morawski adum- from an essay by Helene Parmelin, "L'art 1981. 4 Station House Opera: Sex and Death to be performed at Midland Group Performance Festival

This summer a new performance venue emerged in Wapping, London. - B2 gallery, attracting a new wave of younger New Image performance and experimental artists, as well as hosting exhibitions of rock graphics and 'new image' painting. One of the more radical events was the week and Neo long takeover of the space by the Neo Naturist movement. David Dawson, the director and programmer, in conversa tion with Rob La Frenais, describes the events of that week, and throws out a few Naturism challenges to the art world. Rob La Frenais: Who exactly are the.., Neo-Naturists? David Dawson : The Neo-Naturists are a group formed around two women, Miss Binnie and Wilma and their striving for an honest revival of true sixties spirit- which involves living ones life more or less naked and occasionally manifesting it into a per formance for which the main theme is body paint. Since they formed, around eighteen months, two years ago they've now gathered a remarkable entourage which, at its height of their season reached numbers of about 18-20. In the gallery they had a whole week to themselves and built en vironments and they made a huge bed where they slept in long lines and were occasionally visited by people as various as Mike De Ath, Bruce Lacey, Jimmie Trindie, now known as Trindie Gonk Aurora, and inmates of the Cha Cha Club including Scarlet, its hostess. - RL: When I came up to see the Neo Naturists, they'd just been walking around the streets. What actually happened then? DD: Which day? RL: The second day, I think. DD: So that day was Macbeth day. Well they'd been out to collect Dunsanay Woods, and they brought it into the gallery for their evenings performance, and they'd been generally trying to recruit an audience from the local population, both indigenous, and the Art community . RL: How did the art community react to the Neo-Naturists walking around with no clothes and their bodies painted with gaudy colours? DD: Yeah, well excepting a few very positive responses, they largely either resented them or loathed them ; reviled them ... RL : Why do you think this was? DD: Their particular ... ah .. .I just think that their approach to art is just so alien to the painterly, gestural orthodoxy 'that you get in Wapping Studios. They were also in the middle of their open studio-week so ... RL : What sort of reaction from perfor mance people - people who were used to wider forms? DD: Generally they either enjoyed it or were amused. It was fairly unanimous, the response. From people who didn't have a prior conditioning in art it was fairly favourable as well. RL: What did you think about all of it? I mean, how did you come to the point of wanting to put it on in your gallery? What attracted you to it? Some people could say Neo-Naturist in Soho 5

This issue of Performance Magazine has been reproduced as part of Performance Magazine Online (2017) with the permission of the surviving Editors, Rob La Frenais and Gray Watson. Copyright remains with Performance Magazine and/or the original creators of the work. The project has been produced in association with the Live Art Development Agency. Feature that you were looking for something really DD: Yes, they enjoyed it really. Their in formance, wasn't it? It seemed to be the sensational to kick off your season, like vitations to take my clothes off or join in main running joke. There was no way that 'We'll get all these nude women in and get for the evening were always made in a it could become together. I'm interested to them to paint their bodies.' What actually slightly joking way. know whether in fact they were even was it that got you interested? RL: Would it have changed the relation trying. Or was it one of those things like, in DD: Well, I'd known a few of them for ship had you done so? the days of people like the Portsmouth quite a long time , so it wasn't as though I'd DD: I imagine it would have done, But ... Sinfonia, where to some extent you have sought them out, in fact I think somebody yes it was quite valuable to have art attually chaos, but you're trying deliberately not to quite independent had probably suggested living in there all the time, and they were be chaotic , because otherwise it would it in the first place . I think they probably there with the same status as a painting ora seem phony. cooked up the idea before I did. Really, sculpture, but with rather more presence DD: Yes I think probably if they hadn't when I was programming the performance than most paintings or sculptures. And been stoned... probably the concept ' season it seemed to be that it was very easy demands as well. behind the production was very similar to a to end up with a period entirely booked RL: For example? Portsmouth Sinfonia production. with people who'd seen a lot before and DD: Well, rather, impos1t1ons would ProbabJy if they had handled it with a little had been given an opportunity to work perhaps be the expression, in terms of say more presence of mind it would have with different environments and different the noise level, and degrees of deteriora seemed more like Macbeth than it did, spaces and this particular group of perfor tion imposed on bathroom facilities, things since all the formal elements had been mers really are the new generation, for like that. decided in the morning. Specific things want of a better expression, and they RL: On what? like having the electric oven on stage so hadn 't really had much of an opportunity DD: Bathroom facilities (Laughter) . that they could cook Macbeth's Scottish outside their particular social scene to try RL: Who exactly was in the group? pancakes for him live. Particular lines that things out. they were going to read ... and there'd been RL: So where would you place this, if you quite a big row about the casting earlier, were trying to put it into conventional art since all of them wanted to be witches and historical ideas of ... the latter part of the there could only be three. twentieth century ... where would you put RL: And this all happened while the this, and the kind of activity you've been public was wandering round the gallery? programming this summer? DD: Yes, these sort of decisions were all DD: I suppose Neo-Naturists would made in front of the general public . become New Image performance or some RL: One walked in, and there were sort of thing. domestic scenes of the Neo-Naturists RL: New Image performance? going on. Cooking, and obviously they DD: Well I can't really think of a parallel spent a lot of time painting their bodies . outside of painting, for them particularly. I Did you get anyone who came to the ex mean there' s a lot of historicist content, the hibition voluntarily who expressed dissen sixties revival which is partially ironic and sion from the motif? partially genuine. DD: I didn 't really. A lot of people came RL: Does this interface with any new from having read Time Out or something movements in music? like that were captivated by the whole DD: Well , the kind of superficial tribal thing - just sat down and watched it, for a aspec of it, the ethnic dirtiness of it might couple of hours sometimes . be parallel to ... jungle lvrics. RL: Did the Neo-Naturists come round RL: Bowwowwow and Hazy Fantazy? to any sort of objective discussion of what DD: Yes, I think they identify with those their aims were, out of uniform so to people, they 're very much their genera speak? tion, but I think they see themselves as DD: Well, the last couple of days were being something a little less accessible, I rather traumatic for them - they began to mean you can't dance to them. DD: Binnie , Wilma, Hell Hell, Nico, say this was going to be the end of Neo RL: Have any of them done any perfor thats all the christian names I can Naturism (laughter ). But I haven't heard mance work before of a different kind? remember ... oh Grayson, but Grayson was anything of it•since, and after they looked DD: Yes, I think some of them have banished for one day. at the videotape of it they resolved to carry worked with people like Bruce Lacey, and RL: What had he done to become on, possible under another name. they've performed in different friends' banished? RL: Have they attempted to engage in any various films, John Maybury films, things DD: He sulked too much, as far as I can analysis of what they're trying to do? like that . Trindie, who appeared on their make out . DD: I think analysis would be peripheral punk evening and various times during the RL: Exactly what crimes can one commit, to, let's say their concern about their art. week has performed extensively as a trans if you're a neo-naturist? RL: · It would be. vestite cabaret star ... DD: -Binnie had made a policy decision, I DD: I don't think they see analysis as a RL: How, in the ordinary sense of think, on Macbeth Day that they shouldn't useful diversion. running a gallery, can events like the Neo get stoned for the whole day, before the RL: So it is just a matter for action in a Naturists be assimilated? The way they performance, so that Macbeth wouldn 't situation? decided to really take the place over 24 suffer. Apparently all day they'd been DD: Yes, and being artistic. hours. sneaking out, getting stoned without her RL: How do you feel about that. DD: Yes. Well it was assimilated eventu knowledge, and she caught them. DD: Well , I thought they were very ally! RL: Macbeth was a fairly chaotic event arti stic. RL: It assimilated you . anyway. , RL: You don 't find it frustrating having DD: All but. DD : I think Binnie thought it could prob to interpret for the casual observer? Or RL: Did you take your clothes off? ably have been rather more polished if they GLAA (the funders )? DD: No , never. I thought it was always an weren't .. . (laughter). DD: No, I quite enjoy the opportunity to important aspect of the gallery/artist RL: How can you consider such a thing as be oblique. relationship that I should seem to be slight ever being polished? I mean the whole RL: What did GLAA think of it? ly more objective . thing was completely entropic. The thing DD : I don't think they dared venture RL: Did they accept this? of it falling apart was surely part of the per- down. They were certainly aware of it.

''Some of the more interestingtwo-dimensional work is by people who are otherwise making films or doing performances.''

RL: Can you just remind me of what event. other media. happened when they all went out to the RL: It 's interesting because there 's really RL: You 're talking about people who've pub ? quite a lot of antipathy to third area work. I worked in performance and installation DD: Yes. They went down to two pubs, notice there's in some cases quite serious and they've decided to go back into two in fact , one of which they were banned for rivalry which climaxed with Peter Fuller dimensional work? life from, the other, the Prospect of writing his diatribe against performance DD: I think some of the more interesting Whitby that is, the manager became quite art and installation work . In Wapping two dimensional work is by people who are enamoured, particularly of Wilma and he Studios there 's a sign someone written up otherwise making films or doing perfor gave them free drinks and food and even saying 'Marcel Duchamp is dead: Long mances as well. bought lunch for them. He became quite a live painting!' You get a sort of resent RL: We seem to be fanning the flames of fan and brought quite a lot of his clients ment from some painters that performance this particular little difference here. along to see the performances . Many of the work has been getting too much attention, DD: Well, I don't mind that. I don't mind other local residents took offence to them , and incidents like the one you described being printed as upholding that particular resulting in three police visits, in the last tend to almost be symptomatic of that. end of the argument. two days; largely, I think, out of curiosity They felt that there were these RL: At the last Midland Group Perfor than anything else. The police advised us performance artists barging into their mance Platform, Marty St James stood up that it was better not to make a naked event. and said that Picasso should have been display in public. Since they were planning DD: Yes. I think the Neo-Naturists to a forced to perform in front of his paintings. an open air picnic that evening they were good degree cut across the preciousness of The thing is we are bringing this (resent somewhat chagrined at this. They arrived the occasion and I'm sure a lot of the ment ) upon ourselves , by taking this at a compromise, which was that they painters are aware of the tenuous level at extreme, those of us involved in perfor would be allowed to have their picnic which they operate in that particular mance work? naked on the beach, which was technically circumstance, and so its bound to precipi DD: No, I think the extreme is imposed within the jurisdiction of the river police , tate a good deal of anxiousness to say· the upon us , rather than on the people working but could arguably be classified as land, so least . That's quite an interesting point. in the traditional media. They require us to the land police would turn a blind eye to it . I've found that the difficulty I have as an seem extreme so that their work seems RL: And then there was the incident at the administrator and programmer is finding central, and I think it's that kind of shifting Wapping Open Studios . two dimensional work that I don't mind of the piece on the board. Irthink perfor DD: Yes. Trindie Gonk and some of his attaching my name to, rather than the mance art is only seen as radical because it associates were guest appearing with the reverse. From my point of view; this is hasn't really been as visible as it might have Neo-Naturists that day, and they went subjective I suppose, but its more and been. It's been in existence certainly since along to the Wapping Artists opening and more evident that the interesting contem the turn of the century, and happily it were received rather badly. Trindie porary work, which is actually somehow seems to be re-emerging after quite a long himself was assaulted, receiving a punch investigative as well, is not the first two period of having assumed a low profile. on the nose, and there was quite a lot of bad areas, is not painting and sculpture. Often feeling. The Wapping artists weren't really the most interesting static work emanates disposed to displays of nakedness at their from people who are actually working in

Neo Naturists at Fairy Fair, Norfolk.

~ Nuova Spettacolorita !

olverigi is a little town on a hill in the full days - but in the end it was OK, they which to argue about it constructively. Pmiddle of the Italian countryside, would come back later in the week and that They vie with each other to spot the new some six miles from the Adriatic night the weather would be kind . Hesitate tendencies, to give the definitive name to coast. The Italian Tourist Board hasn 't and Demonstrate's hearts may have sank the newest wave as it rolls towards the heard of it. There 's one cafe, a couple of when they found that their 'theatre' was a beach of public enthusiasm. Right now, bars, a cinema, two schools, a dominating gym equipped only with wall-bars - but it's the 'post-moderns' or, more accurate church at its centre; and there's a ramb by fair means and foul they converted it ly, 'nuova spettacolarita' . And it is spec ling, elegant but rough-hewn villa on the into a near-perfect playing space for Good tacular. Much of it makes our performance crest of the hill, once the property of the night Ladies and became the hit of the work positively middle-aged. local land owner. The nearest hotel is in the festival. Relations between the festival Riding the crest of the latest wave is the next town, Agugliano, and no-one has organisers and Magazzini Criminali may group Falso Movimento with their hit show heard of that either. have strained to breaking point - but the Tango Glaciate. The director is 23 years But once a year Polverigi has a theatre group managed to produce the most old, and the work has a brash self festival. It's an international festival of the extraordinary cinemascope spectacle in a assurance borne of the company's youth. avant -garde, supported by the curiosity nearby quarry. The Theatre of the Moon, a Projected, reconsidered pop art and archi and enthusiasm of the local people. Every spontaneous climactic one-off brought tectural graphics blend with an unerring, space is pressed into service: the villa together by the technicians of a variety of spare use of costume and objects, together becomes the festival's centre, and the two companies, finally couldn't happen since with hard-edged choreographic movement major stages are in the open air. rain stopped play again- but at least those - the whole bound up by an insistent, This is its sixth year, and for the . first people had the unique opportunity of clear, loud , wholly musical sound track time it has rained. Roberto Cimetta, its in working together. Theatre practitioners which the group regard as their text. Stills defatigable dire ctor, passes us on the pic may have turned against the professors from the show would look more comfort turesque hill of the main street. He turns who dominated the series of formal able within the pages of The Face than with a smile and a shrug of benign anxiety : meetings - but their presence provoked a Plays and Players (or even Performance 'My poor festival' he says, and hurries on. debate about performance which was Magazine ). Tango Glaciate was a Mickery He need not have been so worried. better informed and more articulate than co-production; · and when I saw it in There is a magic about Polverigi which could be had anywhere else in Europe. Amsterdam, I feared only that it hit a conquers the weather, conquers impos For in Italy the avant-garde is taken moment of fashion so accurately that it sible performance spaces, conquers seriously. It is not marginal ised. Acad wouldn 't survive the summer. I was wrecked schedules. Ariadone's Italian emics and critics bother to see the work, wrong. It 'll last the winter . And then premier e may have been rained off after and they have developed the analytical they'll do another one, even better. they had worked round the clock for two tools and theoretical vocabulary with There's sterner stuff here than mere Magazini Criminali 8

"I t's my artistic schizophrenia - part of me likes the bad taste - part of me comments on it." Interview By Lindsay Cooper

A hugely influential singer, Cathy Berberian pioneered many of many quirks which still exist in singing that one would generally the vocal techniques which are now commonplace not just in the associate with a past generation - and that's why it comes off as classical/contemporary field in which she works, but also among gentle iron y. If all that were completely gone then it would seem like improvising and rock singers. A number of composers have a completely outrageous comic performance . written works for her, notably Luciano Berio, with whom she LC: In fact at that time, contradictory though it was, salon music collaborated for many years. was one of the few areas where women were acknowledged as having Although best known as an interpreter, she also composes, musical skills and taken a bit seriously as performer s - even though and includes some of her pieces in her 'From Monteverdi to the it was in that very upper class context. Beatles' programme. Her current selection of 'recitals', some on CB: I'm not quite sure if that's completely true . Possibly toward the particular themes, actually use a much wider variety of vocal and end, but certainly not in the middle of the nineteenth century - theatrical styles than either her reputation as the doyenne of the because women who were in the operatic and concert field were avant garde or the traditions of the classical vocal recital would considered only one notch above prostitutes. They were obliged to suggest . It was two of these programmes which she brought to the do a lot of horizontal auditioning and many of them, for protection So und of Women festival at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London, in like movie stars today marrying their produ cers - would marry the August. impressarii to save themselve s from being shuttled from one person · LC: How often do you do the salon programme you performed here to another . And if it were true that women were more emancipated last week? because of their profession , it's basically the luck of having a pro CB: I do it a lot- mostly in Italy and France; this is the second time fession that a man can't take over. After all, during the period when in London in the space of about ten years. the castrati were dominant , the women were taking a back seat. With LC : How much do you vary the programme? the lack of castrati, women could not be substitut ed by men. CB: The group of Frenc h songs is almost permanent. The second Whenever a man can take over something successful a woman is group can change - in Italy I'll do Italian instead of Russian songs. doing, you can bet they're going to do it. I'm making an anthology of The German group is pretty stable and the English group is also women composers and in my research I've discovered that the permanent, but the encores can change - the encore I did here is a Kabuki theatre was invented by a woman in the 1500s. For a year and new one. It depends - sometimes on how I feel, sometimes on the a half they had such enormous success that the men got together, audience, on reactions. declared it to be immoral , closed the Kabuki theatre and guess what! LC: What made you go for that partic ular style, that historical . . . I leave it up to you. There are examples of that all through period, that particular character you're playing? histor y ... and then the men will say with a completely bland face CB: The chara cter created herself. It starte d out basically because 'how come there are no women geniuses?' I'm interested in Art Nouveau - it's g,een my passion now for about Composition is something where it's not enough to write things fifteen years. I collect bric a brae, I don't collect big items - I've got on paper . It has to be performed , it has to be appreciated. You have a few that I was able to find in Italy where I live, but I mean I don 't go to be able to hear the music to work on it, to develope yourself. If you round sending huge things home. And I have costumes, real can't hear it very often, if it has a limited audience and limited costumes from the period. I thought it would be nice to have a reaction , it's stultifying - it's like writing a book and leaving it in nostalgic evening that would give me an opportunity to make people your drawer , it doesn't make any sense. But that basically is the laugh. Well, it was meant to be a mixed bag, it still is - there are situation of all women comp osers, even the very best - and there some serious things, which I consider to be necessary because you were for example some very very wonderful ones in the 1600s. Th e cannot be funny continuously - the audience needs a respite becau se reason why for a long time they came from families of the intelli order to appreciate the next comic thing; like a rubber band, if you gentsia or aristro crats was that they were the only ones who would keep on stretching it without letting go it loses its elasticity. I think give musi cal education to women - it was considered necessary for originally my programming was a bit more serious. There were more them in order to hold a court and meet cultured people. But if it serious items in it because I have this mission which combines wasn't for that kind of cultur al necessity, they would still be there wanting to be slightly didactic as well as being entertaining , so the with their embroidery hoops and playing silly songs on harps. first version was a little bit more informative. Then she just sort of -LC: How do you see your own composing in relation to that histor y bloomed. of women composers? LC: It seems now that she's become rather ironic, a fairly light CB: Oh ... No. Basically I don 't consider myself a serious composer. irony, but there is this sort of ironic distance to the material. The In both senses- because what I do are usually comic pieces. Though didacticism - what remains of it - is coming over through the I have to have a parenthesis here . It 's one of those things - you irony. How did that grow? know, you hit on something and it's a lucky hit . Now this comic strip CB: The fact is that the irony comes from the materi al itself. It' s my piece I invented ; about five or six years ago a very very intellectual artisitc schizophrenia - part of me likes the bad taste, part of me - but, you know, the hermeti c type of intellectual - magazine in comments on it. Whereas I find the two Russian songs are realfy very France called Communication came out with a 33 page analysis of my beautiful; I just cannot send them up . I'm very glad you say gentle compo sition of which I understood only two word s: the and and. I irony because that's the feedback I've been getting - everyone says don't know what it's all about - I mean, if he says so then I'm sure 'you never go beyond the limits of taste.' Where I'm standing I think it's true, but I have no conception of how I composed it. Certainly I'm going way overboard - it's totally outrageous because my own reading it I think 'I did? It is?' You know - I can't believe it. personal feelings on how one should sing are completely different. But no , I don 't really take myself seriously. I like to be in the But you see there are still some singers today who are very close to catalogue of women composers, and I was terribl y flattered when the what I'm doing. There is the wife of Shostakovitch, Vishnevskya, international vocal contest they have every three years in Washing who is a hundred times what I do. When we saw her at a recital, the ton for American mu sic included my work in the catalogue. That's a musician I was with said 'my god, she's a caricature of your nice feeling - it doesn 't have Leonard Bernstein for example - but caricature.' And she was serious you see, she was doing the Songs and I certai nly don' t take myself seriously. Dances of Death of Mussorgsky, and that's real serious . T here are LC: But isn't that the way women often feel about themselves? 11

This issue of Performance Magazine has been reproduced as part of Performance Magazine Online (2017) with the permission of the surviving Editors, Rob La Frenais and Gray Watson. Copyright remains with Performance Magazine and/or the original creators of the work. The project has been produced in association with the Live Art Development Agency. ....------Interview ------. CB: No. There are lost of serious women composers and I know say but she would never have said them. All the things I say have them; for example, there are two in America who've been accepted come out spontaneously - and then I've though 'Ok, that goes', so it into the American Academy. There's Germaine Taillefaire, who was stays. one of Les Six with Auric and Milhaud and Poulenc- she's still alive LC: That's a sort of improvisation- do you do much improvisation incidentally - and Nadia Boulanger ; she was very important in with your voice, with singing? forming many composers, American particularly. Unfortunately, CB: Not really, not any more. I used to with the kind of things that because she was extremely conservative, very strict and very were required of me in contemporary music. I do a very little when r rigorous they all sound like they came out of the same mould. do Monteverdi , which is necessary - it's important to be able to do But because I don't consider myself seriously, that doesn't mean those little embelishements . Of course, in 'Sequenza' by Berio there that women composers don't and shouldn't. It's very hard for us - I are moments when ther e is controlled improvisation, but I don't do it mean we have token women composers just the way companies have much now. I feel as if I've done my bit for contemporary music - token women executives. But by god those token women composers I've actually begun a new style of singing in a way, using the voice in don't get to the Scala, they don't get to Covent Garden, they don't get a different way that even pop singers are using . But it's time for the to the Metropolitan Opera and they don't get to the Philharmonic younger people to come out and do their own things and do the music orchestra except maybe once every six years - the same as token of their own generation of composers - of which there are unfortu women executives never get beyond 'C' category . I mean, I'm not a nately not many interesting ones at the moment. cudgel-bearer , I just hate all kinds of injustice no matter who the LC: What sort of vocal developments interest you - of any style? victim is, especially when they're helpless and innocent ... naturally, CB: I'm always open to listening to new things . when it comes to women, since I have in my own life suffered for I find that there are many who are inventing new uses of the being a woman, I know what their problems are and identify with voice, particularly Americans , but these same American women - them. I'm more liberated because of my profession, that's obvious, they're mostly women - can't do any other singing but that . They and also because being now a bachelor.,.oman I can do what the hell I can't do Mozart, they can't do Handel, they're stuck on their own want . Whereas when you are involved with a man - even a so-called particular kind of singing so I don't consider that valid. intelligent and open man who with his tongue will profess compre But being as busy as I am there are handicaps because I'm not hension of the feminist movement - when it comes to the nitty able to hear the amount of performers. that I would be interested in. I gritty, you know, it's the woman who's got to knuckle under. In my have these little rituals which I've established which I find protect anthology of women composers there's an item which my editor my voice - I don't go out the night before a performance and the day wanted to cut out but which I was very adamant about. I started out of a performance I speak as little as possible. With that kind of thing, by saying that in the dawn of civilisation there was a matriarchy even if I'm at a festival, the chances of my hearing someone that I'm because of the mystery of birth. Men thought it was the wind that did really interested in are pretty low. it, or gods, .. The minute they found out, that was it. And of course LC: Have you ever heard the British singer Maggie Nicols, who also he said 'What has that todo with music?' I said it has everything to do probably couldn't do Mozart, but who has a long history in jazz and with it because that sets the basis for the treatment of women. The improvisation, and out of that tradition - which is of course equally persecution, the masculine persecution of women in music, starts skilled - does a lot of experimental vocal work, and is actually early . I mean , a woman can be very talented, she'll go to conserva sometimes quite close to what people who come from the classical tory _:_ and now she is accepted in composition classes. But by the end of music are doing? most insidious treatment - giving her all sorts of silly assignments, CB: I haven't, but I admire Cleo Laine enormously. A jazz singer not giving her the right kind of attention then naturally giving her doesn 't have to justify herself to me. I think Streisand has the most low marks - she is weeded out very early. Even if there were three wonderful voice - though it's unfortunate she does such dreadful women in the first year of composition class, by the third year there songs - and I'm a great Sarah Vaughan fan. I have a daughter by are none. And that doesn't mean that they're worse than the worst of Berio who played small percussion for Sarah Vaughan's group- she the men. It's just this natural inclination to get rid of them because also sings and composes. She lives in Brazil now with her husband they don't know what to do with them. Whereas with the men and three children. I visit her about every two years. students , they can tell dirty jokes ... and after all he's a man he's got to LC: Do you listen to much music in Brazil? support a family - of course the fact that a woman might have to CB: How can you not! Every store has a loudspeaker with a batu support a family is not important. And I don 't know what that's got cada group playing. I mean, one batucada is very fascinating, but by to do with whether a person is talented or not. I mean we have Jousy the third I start to become hysterical. Actually you know what I women composers and they 're better than some lousy men think, I think it's really a political plot. They keep these people really composers. We haven't even had a chance to be lousy on our own insensible , numbed by music so they don't think. They're in the terms. direst poverty and their whole lives are based on the carnival. They LC: As a performer, do you see yourself primarily as an entertainer? finish one carnival and they've already begun the costume designs, CB: Well... no , thank god. But that's because of the information saving money to buy all those spangles, and working on the floats for part. the next one . It's just not to be believed, it's brainwashing on the LC: But does that take it away from being entertainment? highest level. CB: No. As a matter of fact that 's not it. The word entertainment LC: But don't you think that happens to a greater or lesser extent has come to mean just light entertainment (of which I'm actually a everywhere, that there's a kind of political dimension to how music is propagator ":Jecause I do a programme of American popular music played or listened to? which ha& been an absolute smash in Italy ). f don't consider :ight CB: No, I think it's mostly commercial. Everywhere else it's music to be insignificant - my conception ofmusic is good ar.d bad, commercial, down there I think it's political. It 's like the church not serious and light. So the word entertainment for me is all in the used to brainwash the poor people by telling them 'never mind - so eye of the beholder . Even serious music should bring joy, and if you you're starving, you're unhappy, you've got twenty kids - your enjoy something it's entertaining, whether it's serious or funny. happiness is not of this earth .. .' Naturally, my nature is to be funny. First of all because it helps me to LC: Are you happier with what you're doing now than when you be healthy - the more you laugh the fewer tensions you carry. were seen much more as a specialist experimental vocalist? Secondly, the more you make people laugh the more you're giving CB: Oh yes. Because I found that very stifling- there I was always them the contagion of health and joy - and the satisfaction of being labelled as the high priestess of contemporary music when I making people laugh is really hundredfold. But I think people really had a lot more - as we say in Italian - a lot more arrows to shoot need entertainment at the moment - not bread and circuses so much than just that. it was infariating - it still is; people always precede as something for the inner self. reviews , particularly in England, by saying 'Cathy Berberian is LC: When 'you're doing your other shows, do you have as much of a mostly well-known .. .' - shit! I mean, I've done, I think, several strongly developed sense of character as you do in the salon show? remarkable performances of Monteverdi - Orfeo, The Coronation CB: No, this is the only show where she is a character - in all the of Popea and so on - and I do a lot of things that aren't contempor other things I do it's me. It's more difficult actually when it's in ary any more. Actually the only contemporary music I do now is character because there are so many things I would have wanted to Berio - he's the only one that I find congenial to my particular

Cathy the Great

s others worship at the shrine s of ings of works written for her by Luciano section in 'Ulysses'. These works - you A Marlene Dietrich and Judy Berio: 'Sequenza III ', a nine-minute un could classify them as 'Berberio ' scores - Garland, so, years ago, was I capti accompani ed solo going throu gh virtuoso were influential trib utaries in a current of vated by Cathy Berberian. It all started in extr emes of vocalisation and rapid stacatto vocal experiment that also included the 1965 when I happened to see on television speech ; 'Visage ', the voice strugg ling out work of the Living Theatre, La Mama and an extraord inary appari tion: a gaunt hook of some guttural primordial condition , Open Theatre; Frank Zappa and the nosed lady with a mass of (dyed?) blonde modulating through cycles of laughter and Mothers oflnvent ion in their 'Freak Out! ' hair was singing a Beatles song in the pain , birth and rebirth , amorous , croak phas e, and Stomo Yamash'ta 's 'Red mann er of Mozart. An exquisite bizarrely ingly witch-like, tragically wailing, a kind Buddha Theatre' . funny performance fusion. Who was this of compendium of female vocal archtypes; In du course I acquired her Baroque garish-looking harridan with the voice of and 'Thema ', a homma ge to James Joyce Beatles LP , still one of my all-time faves, an angel? Then I came across her record- based on the musically stru ctured 'Sirens' and a sure test of mutual musical taste 13

This issue of Performance Magazine has been reproduced as part of Performance Magazine Online (2017) with the permission of the surviving Editors, Rob La Frenais and Gray Watson. Copyright remains with Performance Magazine and/or the original creators of the work. The project has been produced in association with the Live Art Development Agency. (anyone who doesn't like it is refused happily, given live, and remains one of her Feature · admission to my Desert Island Disco and most dynamic pieces. banished forever to the Asylum for the But for me the real bonus of the Musically Insane ). evening is Berberian's own composition, So it was a real treat to catch up with 'Stripsody' which I've wanted to hear ever Ms. Berberian in the flesh, at long last, at since I saw the wildly idiosyncratic printed the Bloomsbury Theatre, in her Recital, score. 'Stripsody', a 'divertimento ' dating 'From Monteverdi to the Beatles'. Well, from 1966, is a collage of comic-strip ARTON it's called 'A Recital' in the programme onomatopoeia interspersed with well but, perhaps in deference to her avant known comic-strip quotations and shot garde pedigree, Ms. Berberian makes a scenes consisting only of vocal sound point of denying it during the perfor effects . Wowie-zowie, it's great stuff! mance. Nevertheless, that's what it is: a The mode changes yet again for her friendly but formal Recital, accompanied encore, a bluesy rendering of Gershwin's by a suitably intent young man at piano 'Summertime ' which really does wonders THE RUN forte and harpsichord, of music by Monte for this over-familiar standard. Is there verdi, Debussy, Weill, Stravinsky, Berio, anything she can't sing? John Cage and, of course, Lennon and But long before this final ear-opener McCartney . The programme's sub-title, the truth has become blatantly obvious. 'A Panorama of Revolutions in Music' is Cathy Berberian is not simply a brilliant also a shade misleading. Because, although interpretive singer. She is a mimic of Ms. Berberian provides some informative genius. The strain of satire in her 'act' links introductions, the programme is less about her with such performers as Joan Turner radical innovation in vocal composition and Anna Russell who, also possessing an than a discreetl y served panorama of the unusual vocal range, went in for tongue It is said that the British countryside glorious musicality, versatility and in-cheek lecture formats parodying various provokes the most dramatic number of humour of Cathy Berberian. song styles . But whereas Anna Russell's apparent changes of character per square She is stouter now and the hair looks humorous style comes over today (on mile than any other in the world. To see it naturally white , but Berberian has lost recordings ) as rather obvious and is to believe it when you happen to cycle nothing in vocal purit y, serenity and wit, laboured, Berberian is less concerned to be down the backbone of this island, parti as, feet planted sturdily apart (before funny at all costs than - a Cagier impulse cularly if any coherent vision of the land beginning a number she seems to earth - to broaden the base of acceptable Recital scape is being subtly contorted, themati herself) , she demonstrates her amazing practice by restoring humour as a proper cally supplemented and occasionally range in what Berio calls 'the new vocality' . and positive dimension . In this, her totally transformed by a team of environ She begins with Monteverdi and declared aim, her present bulk and profile mental performers called Art On The Debu ssy, work s to be heard in any con work to great comic advantage. When Run, a working alias of Natural Theatre vention al repertoire and, for my taste, a adopting the stances of the traditional from Bath. little on the tedious side. But, by establish operatic Diva she looks uncannily like one A crocodile of tired cyclists ing Berberian 's total command of classical of Ronald Searle's melancholy cartoon grindingly perspire up Garsdale Tor in idiom s, they serve a useful function in contraltos. Not that she needs to rely on North Yorkshire. Overtaking a well setting off the jewels of the more wayward humour and contrasting musical styles to dressed lady proceeding on all fours from pieces that follow. Four sprightly musical hold her audience - I could happily have John O' Groats to Lands End, they con cartoon s, 'Children 's Stories ', reveal listened to her singing Kurt Weill all tinue up to what must count as one of the Stravinsky in enjoyably playful spirits. evening. loneliest spots in England. Awaiting Equally unfamiliar are John Cage's 'A Cathy Berberian's virtuoso technique them is a man with a working wash-basin Flower ' and 'Wonderful Widow of 18 and eclectic taste, then, are bewitching. strapped to his front, a towel machine to Spring s'. Comes 'Yesterday ' and 'Ticket to It's only afterwards, when the pleasure has his back, and a mirror dangling from his Ride ' and she explain s that she first sang subsided, that you start to wonder: what is neck; who obsequiously enquires 'Wash these arrangements at partly to win over she sharpening her teeth on these days? and Brush, Sir? Madam?' And they get those mu sic-lovers who couldn't see any Her performance is so self-assured , so one. Approaching the fastness's of the merit in the Beatles. It's good to hear the0m well-oiled, that it almost comes as a relief Scottish Highlands from the dreamlike sung live, and it's also interesting to notice when she forgets the words of 'Surabaya peninsulars of Caithness two statuesque that her interpretation of 'Yesterday' has Johnny ' in mid-performance and has to figures wearing suits the colour of the changed since the missionary days of 1965. take a few moments to recall them . It distant rock they adorn mask their faces Of all the Beatles songs of that period, humanizes her formidable gift, introduce s with plastic flowers . As the cyclists pass 'Yesterday ' was the one least transformed a welcome whiff of danger in a perfor they turn slowly, like accusing gargoyles. by the Baroque treatment, since mance otherwise notable for its smooth Descending into Northumberland, a McCartney 's original , with its chamber facility. My earlier comparison with quagmire of literary references, stone like string accompaniment, is already dis Marlene Dietrich was not entirely whimsi churches and fast-flowing streams tinctly classical in style. Now Berberian cal. Towards the end of her Concert career , through darkgreen valleys, a jilted bride sends it up something awful, adding Dietrich was functioning like an Ikon , dis constantly tries to throw herself off a another stylistic layer by giving it the flat playing herself and her personal repertoire bridge. nasal twang of Joan Baez. like a Holy Relic before her adoring fans. If Pagans sternly demand roadside Her versions of 'Le Grand Lustucru' Berberian is not to become a Holy Relic of worship, fairies hang from trees, angry and 'Surabaya Johnny' reveal her to be a Modern Music - however adorable - motorists hold up placards, streakers are consummate interpreter of Kurt Weill, maybe she should be exploring further , pursued by policemen, absurdist perfor perhaps the best after Lotte Lenya herself. ditching the Recital format, for instance, mance art rules the hedgerow as the Berberian' s personal creative touch is for something a little less cosy, explaining a Great British Bike Ride continues its especially evident in 'Surabaya Johnny ' - little less, applying her unqiue sensibility progress along the B roads and C roads it 's her own translation, tougher and to some of the music that 's emerging now, and even totally unmarked roads that grittier than any I've heard. Berio is well in the eighties. Who, one wonder s, is com lead from John O' Groats to Land End. represented. She begins her second half posing for that matchles s voice today? A Can a three week performance for the with a reading from 'Ulysses ', then plays singer so at home in any style and any same 200 people with perfidious Albion us the recording of 'Thema' (it has a special period should have many a hey-day still to as the main inspiration and backdrop electronic accompaniment ). 'Sequenza come. really work? First, a look at the whole III ', that unsettling vocal collage, is, Neil Hornick venture, then a PC?rsonalreminiscence. 14

The John O'Groats - Lands End ride so, it was a radical move for Natural tlie train there is an .a.tmosphere of setting (to raise money for Friends of the Earth) is Theatre, with normally heavy summer off on a thirties ocean cruise. Everyone is the second organised by Bike Events, a touring commitments, to devote an entire looking at each other curiously and realis Bath-based organisation originally formed three weeks to travelling with and per ing that they've got to spend the next three to organise the London - Brighton Bike forming to 200 cyclists. In fact, the whole weeks with this or that person. Immedi Ride, a yearly celebration of the bicycle ride became a performance, in a wider ately overawed by the host of sleek, well which now attracts tens of thousands of sense, as 200 cyclists plus performance des equipped machines, I wonder if it was such riders. The antecents to Bike Events, and cending on a small community, invading a good idea to bring my rusty old single indeed the London to Brighton, date less pubs , shops and cafes, meant that Natural speed. I settle in a compartment with a pair to sportive milk racers than to community Theatre was able to work up one of those of silent Boy Racers, a community worker and performance artists with a campaign ridiculously massive audience figures that and a silversmith. A bearded Australian ing bent. The London to Brighton, first are useful to throw at the Arts Council. hippie blunders in asking to borrow a run in 1976 by maverick poet, performer (Their figure is 53 performances to an 'Karrymat', whatever that is. More doubts and instigator of European Theatre of approximate audience total of 24,350.) It about the next three weeks ensue." War, Robert Stredder ; had always been was an interesting laboratory situation for a " The journey up is hell. Now I under 'started' by Bath Arts Workshop s Smart team of performers, ip that they were stand why John Potter found my rejection Party, a performing group of all-purpose giving d~ily attention to a group of people, of his sleeper so amusing. A brace of train functioning, semi-alcoholic·aristocrats and many of whom had not seen-experimental spotters spend the entire night pacing up industrialists, who formed the base of what or outdoor work of this kind, and were and down the corridor bawling out diesel became Natural Theatre, now an Arts undergoing the various pressures involved engine numbers 'and arcane details of Council funded touring company in its in sharing elementary camping facilities rolling stock. The only way to beat them is own right. When the ride itself started with 199 people, many of whom had little to join them, so I lean out of the window getting out of hand, the organisation was more in common than the shared ordeal of and try to engage ancient railwaymen in taken on John Potter of Johns Bikes, 80 miles of stiff, hilly, cycling a day. conversation about the weather. (The last himself an ex-Bath Arts workshop Perhaps the best way to describe the three weeks have been marvellous but its member . The Arts workshop has, accord three weeks of performances would be to about to take a turn for the worse, natu ing to Natural Theatre's Ralph Oswick, give a rough personal sketch of the three rally). At Thurso I gingerly mount my bike has spawned at least 30 different spin-offs weeks, from the cyclists point of view. and nearly collide with a Scottish wedding since its formation in 1971. So the develop procession, bagpipes and all. Up the road ment of participatory cycle events like the John Potter is leading a party of cyclists London-Brighton and the John O'Groats - "Arriving at Euston Station I am met into a cafe to engage in Bacon Sandwiches, Lands End has naturally gone hand in by a relaxed, almost whimsical John an item of food he never seems to stop hand with environmental and street per Potter, who enquires whether I want a referring to, unusually, considering the formance, from the grass roots level up sleeper. I decline, in the spirit of one who diet to be provided on the ride is entirely wards, the performance not being simply is, initially at least, determined to dwell at vegetarian. Food will occupy a large space icing to an event, but a basic premise. Even the rough end of things . Loading bikes on in the psyche in the days to follow." ' 16

brown ale. In the morning 7 one of most cyles. The Can I Help You team later go devoted acts of environmental art I have into a cafe crowded with cyclists and whiz ever witnessed. At approximately 7. 15 around cleaning tables and collecting cups. AM, Natural Theatre serve all of us tea in To the total amazement of the staff, who our tents. Semi dazed, I and several others try to offer them money for it. They then cannot believe this is happening, but spend the morning doing all the washing indeed , several elderly retainers and a up." bored teaboy, perfectly done by Joe "Into Coldstream, a rough, boozy Hobbs, go from tent to tent armed with border town, where the cyclists and the teapots and milk, and provide early theatre company take part in the local morning tea for 200 cyclists. This act carnival. I am late for this, and wander certainly wins over any previous cynics and around the debris of papier mache critics as followers, and in the words of the dinosaurs, dragons and ocean liners trying slightly bemused Guardian review of the to get a drink among jostling inebriated event "The cyclists clearly have a great Scotsmen in coloured tights and chain affection for the theatre company. They mail. Next morning we are piped across tell of dying on hills and being given the the border by burly townsmen in full high kiss of life by some daft stunt dreamed up land dress. 'Awright lads - Scotland the by this inventive bunch of dedicated Brave' shouts one and they all march theatre anarchists' (Allen Sadc.iler21/8/82) threateningly across the border in battle On to the Forth Bridge where we encoun formation towards the grup of smocked; ter the crawling team, well on the way. Co bowler-hatted English who are carrying incidentally, the previous day I had passed large banners with pictures of cups of tea a man pushing a pram on a deserted stretch and brown ale bearing the mottos 'Ad of highland road. He was a real one! He Nauseum' etc. The local Scots cheer as the had pushed it to Land End thirteen times performance artists are driven back across previously, for charity. He kept going day the border, and are reduced to dancing the and night, taking the odd nap by the road Morris and shouting 'Ye old bugger, side. It might seem cliched to say it, but its m'dear' in broad west country accents. incongruity certainly eclipsed anything There were no English about, but it would Art on the Run had done, (though several have been interesting to have seen local cyclists were seriously convinced it was Art reaction to this self-administered national not Life.)" insult by the Bath company." "Into elegantly dour pre-festival Edin "The next few days are lost in a haze of burgh where, horror of horrors, the camp punctures, getting lost, and late arrivals on s"J.Cleis at the airport, in a field surrounded to site, but tales involving jilted brides , by barbed wire and a blockhouse at the end nuns, streakers, policemen and vicars tea with showers of the tepid variety. After parties filter through until finally, in York five days on the road, we all feel like dis shire I am faced by the wash-basin man placed persons, refugees hounded from (tower donated by the Initial Tower pillar to post. An escape committee is Company ) and beyond him (Pete Aller j quickly formed, and we go and haunt the hamd ) the 'Cylists Rest', essentially a I city, like lost souls in shorts, nervously parody of all those cafes and pubs on the .ffi lighting up at the sight of other cyclists, route where they 'don't know what's -s scuttling in and out of launderettes and happening, there's been hundred of -, feeding an insatiable desire for food. That cyclists through already: we've run out of evening at the disco organised by Scottish tea/food/beer and what's it all in aid of Friends of the Earth, Natural Theatre anyway?' Ralph Oswick presides over an provide sweaty bouncers , ageing, Rock and establishment where the wind howls in 18

"Across Dartmoor in a hailstorm to a and Give Up . Further along there is a war And that's that!" tea stop where two characters from a late time recruiting post. The images flash The Oberammagau Passion, the Forties radio play emerge - a large past; we are too, tired to perceive them as Magical Mystery Tour, The Ghost Train, woman, no doubt on the way to a country art any more . Spirits wildly veer from low the Paperchase; moving spectacle is a house-party, is walking across the middle to high as we begin to realise it's nearly whole area of performance that ought to of the moors followed by a perspiring, over. Water can be seen on both sides, and get proper consideration somewhere along railway porter, who, though it is miles we all feel a bit crazy at the thought of the line. Art on the Run gave Natural from the nearest station, cannot simply put waking up in the morning and having Theatre a considerable chance to explore down her voluminous luggage. 'I only nowhere to cycle. Half a mile away, a last the genre, and they did it pretty thorough asked you for your ticket,' he protests drink and regroup for mass run down to ly, and with a lot of confidence. It is quite feebly. Meanwhile, Joe Hobbs, in his spiv the spot where Dr Barbara Moore, the important that experiments like this role, is giving the man from the Guardian a celebrated walker, and thousands of other should be taken seriously, and not written run around in his 'motor'. Further along eccentrics and enthusiasts have arrived off as an oddity. Though glances at the the road there is· a police landrover brist using a million and one zany modes of work might have been fleeting, though ling with equipment and in it a uniformed travel, (usually to be told by smart-alee absorption in cycling from time to time policewoman urgently speaking into a locals that it's been done before). I'm asked overshadowed the art, though participants radio telephone. Opposite, a smartly to take part in a streak, but before I have attitudes varied from seeing it as a giant turned out young woman in a black a chance to decide, my lunch arrives. prank to a damned nuisance, though some business suit, raincoat and sunglasses is Agonising pangs of hunger take images were rather fresher than others, the pretending to read a newspaper' and occa precedence over any desire to be in the whole thing was clearly vital to an sionally glancing furtively at her opposite News of the World. Of course the crawlers essential, pioneering mainstream of per number. It is very near the prison. More have beaten us to it, and continue down the formance activity. It is important that landrovers appear in the distance. I keep rocks to the sea. Friends of the Earth Natural Theatre, who might have been going, not wanting to feel obliged to sparkling wine is thrown around and there accused in the past of resting on their explain about theatre, art, and life to is much making of whoopee. We have our laurels as one of the pioneers of subversive passing police persons." photos taken by the famous signpost,have street performance, should keep up such "Soon the land starts to run out. The cream teas in a replica motorway cafe only forays into the difficult and extreme, and end is near, and our suspicions are con feet away from the rocks, fall about and be supported for it. The Art must keep firmed by a group of roadside prophets of generally go through the motions of Running. doom who urge us to lay down our bicycles ecstatic self-satisfied heroic achievement. Rob La Frenais

Photos by various cyclists 20

n Chingford Mount Cemetery on the Ieleventh of August, London saw one of the last classic gangland farewells take place . The mother of the notorious Kray twins, Violet, seventy three years old, was laid to rest witnessed by some three hundred mourners and many more hundreds of spectators. It was not simply the public wanting a glimpse of Ronnie and Reggie Kray. Violet was a popular and well loved woman in Shoreditch and a shining example of the East End's most prized virtue - loyalty. Violet was much admired for her steadfast and unflinching devotion as a mother, having continued to support her sons throughout their lives; no less through the last fourteen years, during which she has travelled an estimated 50000 miles to visit them (Ronnie in Broadmoor, Reggie in prison on the Isle of Wight) than when she brought them up in Vallance Road and Hoxton. 'A mother in a million', A Firm Undertaking. said Charlie Kray in his autobiography. The event was about as dignified as By Roberta M. Graham funerals can be, but definitely had a theatrical flavour about it. In viewing the procession of mourners I had difficulty in r ' distinguishing between former business r colleagues, some of whom were obvious members of the Kray 'Firm' come to pay their last respects to the family; and the plain clothes police in their regulation C.I.A. style dark suits and sunglasses, there to 'protect' the twins from possible attack . The tough guy images are impos sibly confused . Another group of coffin bearers/undertakers wearing the black leather gloves that have replaced the tall hats of their profession looked as if they were 'on the job' too, no fingerprints thank you ... Although the twins did arrive and were permitted to take part in the service at All Saint's Church, they were not allowed to attend the actual burial to the disappoint ment of a flock of photographers who had to content themselves with shots of the other celebrities including Diana Dors, Terry Downes and John Mc Vicar- other more infamous names were legion. On arrival at the plot several hours before the party was due, there had just been a deep, oblong hole in the appropriate place and excavated earth piled up in a heap next to it. Violet occupies the space next to Reggie's late wife, Frances . She also was buried by family friend, Father Richard Hethrington. A strange method of softening the hard realities of internment was employed by the gravediggers before the commence ment of the actual burial. Sheets of fake grass were laid around the edges of the hole in the ground and on top of the mound of soil so a carpet of green plastic covered the 'earth' to earth etc. and remained there until the service was over and the last journalist and cameraman had retreated. It seemed a rather sad and impotent gesture of disguise and taste when at funerals, what we are faced with is having to accom modate the bare facts of mortality. The social function of the funeral is to acknowledge the meaning of the 'past life of 21

the individual and to help to bring home Ronnie in particular would have enjoyed influenced their powers of persuasiveness. the reality of the death of a loved one to the his excursions to hot baths in Japan and a The condition still inspires a superstitious bereaved. But somehow in the perfor volcano 'for suicides'. distrust and wariness in many people. mance of this rite the sincerity often gets 'Creating is not a somewhat frivolous Pearson has embroidered them with a lost and the futility of pillow shaped game. The creator has committed himself flambo . yant and eccentric behaviour and wreaths; wreaths of flowers in the forms of to the fearful adventure of taking upon the David Bailey portrait of them from the chairs, horseshoes, hearts and open books himself, to the very end, the perils risked. early 60's has the unnerving sensation of lend a black humour to the event. by his creatures. Every creator must thus 'Seeing double' . To quote Joe Orton's 'Loot'- shoulder - the expression seems feeble - 'How does one analyse it, this presence McEA VY ENTERS CARRYING A must make his own, to the point of of theirs? Was it simply that they were LARGE WREATH MARKED INTO knowing it to be his very substance, circu identical twins - one person in two NUMBERED SQUARES. McEAVY: lating in his arteries, the evil given by him, bodies, which is what in a sense they were. 'The friends of Bingo have sent a wreath, which his heroes must choose freely.' With their telepathy and uncanny the blooms are breathtaking'. (Genet). similarity their effect was quite literally At Violet's funeral the most touching Fleming, unable to maintain the pace double that of a normal individual and this was a single rose thrown down onto the he set his own hero, propelled himself certainly explains part of their effective coffin . Genet writes in 'Funeral Rites ' toward death . ness'. 'I bought armfuls of flowers ... they had Pearson suggests that a self destructive Pearson does take liberties with a been stuck in a roll of straw and formed, mechanism seems to go hand in hand with rather too brief description of some out- those who try to realise their fantasy. His elaborate version of the Kray twins fuels their mythology but did not invent it; they themselves chose their own image and manipulated their own destiny. They modelled themselves on the cinematic image of the gangster in the style of George Raft, Cagney and their real life equivalent - Al Capone. Their gaming clubs and billiard halls were never far from the dark, smoky interiors that were familiar, filmic stereotypes . The twins wore the classic uniform of the gangster - dark double breated suits; gold bracelets and cufflinks - a style with an authority of it's own. This glamorous image was difficult to maintain and often with the oak or ivy leaves that had been inconsistent- the failure of a gun to fire at dated theories on criminal twins and the added, ridiculous wreaths. I had got my a critical, dramatic entrance or some laws of heredity. In using this as the intro money's worth but the fervou~ with which murderous gadget concealed in a briefcase duction to the whole Kray story he I myself would have strewn the roses was not injecting it s poison in the right spot provides a convenient explanation for lacking.' ( these never fail in James Bond novels) but deviant behaviour as something mystical 'It was indeed roses I had wanted for they usually found some way of turning the - the speaking of inner voices. In refuting their petals are sensitive enough to register situation to their advantage and instilling the choice of the individual to shape his every sorrow and then convey them to the enough fear to remain in control. It is diffi own world and future, he misunderstands corpse, which is aware of everything.' cult to gauge how much their twinship, their systematic exploitation of circum There has been much written on the this projection of their 'mirror image' stances to manu facture and make career of the Kray twins but to put the concrete their dream. Twins do have the performance of the funeral into perspec advantage of being able to be in two places tive it may be useful to examine some of the at one time and therefore possess the reasons why the subject of the Kray family ability to cause confusion and provide each is still of very much interest and why the other with an alibi. ~onnie and Reggie brothers themselves have become in many used this technique many times including ways a legend of our times. one successful escape from a prison The first book of importance to appear hospital. There is much information and and by far the most popular is John speculation on criminal twins, but apart Pearson's 'The Profession of Violence'. Al from the fact that they seem slightly more though not published until 1972, the twins prone to deviation than a normal had collaborated with Pearson on their un- ~ · individual, little of the proof appears con realised 'official' biography in 1967. The clusive. choice of Pearson to chronicle their · Of the other books concerned with the activities explains itself on reference to his ,_ twins, Charlie Kray's 'Me and My earlier book - 'The Life of Ian Fleming', · Brothers' lends the most insight into their published ·in l 966. Fleming was another · attitudes and character. Written in man, living beyond his means; pushing his - A cockney 'Minder' speak, it's humour does fantasy as far into reality as he could per- . 'ij' .. _ · .1 n.ot. disguise the_i~activities but lends a suade it to go. In his creation of the James · T -._ '.'::.'.:J"".''~t\£s1ms~e~ edge by It s very presence. Of the Bond character, many of the more believe- -,- / , ffl ·,JJ,i hom1c1des of George Cornell, shot in the able adventures and descriptions of exotic "' 1••~-..,,_ ' Blind Beggar pub; Jack 'the Hat' McVitie, locations and events come from Fleming's stabbed in a basement in Evering Road, own search for more extreme variety of ex Stoke Newington or the 'white shotgun' perience. A companion of his noted, murder of Frank Mitchell, we learn little. 'There was something desperate in his According to Charlie, 'Cornell was well eagerness to feel and understand every known to the twins as flash and loud thing through the eyes of James Bond. mouthed and had threatened to usher 22

Ronnie into the next world as soon as together. It was grief that showed on the a possible opportunity presented itself. faces of two of the toughest men the East McVitie is down as 'a drunken bum who End had ever known'. They also printed had lost his bottle years ago ... a fetcher and Reggie's own specially penned tribute, carrier who rated for nothing more than a littered with showbiz names. To mention mixture of pity and contempt'. but a few - 'Charles Boyer kissed her Charlie is vague and non commital hand when he met her backstage, she dined when it comes to the disposal of McVitie's with George Raft, Eddie Calvert and Billy body and considering he had seven years to Daniels. She drank with Lord Effingham think about it in Chelmsford and the Top and Tom Driberg. M.P ... Judy Garland Security wing on the Isle of Wight. was among her friends.' What more can Pearson and 'Nipper ' Read, the detective you say? A great lady ... . who finally bagged the Krays , speculate on Father Hethrington showed the usual a range of methods - an additional body flexible face of Christianity, whilst hinting being slipped into an occupied coffin the twins may have been some cause for before the lid was screwed down; being fed concern to Violet over the years - 'I have to pigs or alternatively built into the no doubt that she is finding a greater rest concrete support of a flyover. Charlie, in than she has known for a long time' , he also an interview in 1976 on the Russell Hart pointed out on television that evening, that show states - McVitie 's body was put in a they only killed their own kind . sack and dropped from an aeroplane into That much for the Krays themselves . the English Channel - probably '. But, apart from their actual story, they So where did the dream go wrong? have had another, greater effect on our Charlie writes 'My brothers in their mythology. From it's first coherent airing early manhood selected the stage on which in the film 'Performance', with it's com to play out their roles. I've no doubt they plexity of Kray references, a new screen R eferences and further reading - were aware that their day of retribution image of the Cockney Criminal was with us . The Profession of Violence - John Pearson would come but power comes with money, No longer the cosy venality of the world of The L ife of Ian Fleming - John Pearson. and power breeds a reckless disregard of the Tea Leaf, theFenceand theCatBurglar M e and My Brothers - Charlie Kray. consequences . Both Ronnie and Reggie that Constable Dixon and Inspector The Thiefs Journal - J ean Genet. had reached a point when they FIRMLY Lockhart had plodded their way through, Funeral Rites - Jean Genet. believed nobody and nothing could touch Ron and Reg had shown it could be done , Soft City - Jonathan Raban . them, which is a dangerous state of mind.' Britain had it's own home brewed Loot -Joe Orton. It did seem as if they had exhausted the Gangsters and the age of the Villain was Interview with Nipper Read - Radio 4 possibilities and the need for constant with us. (1977) stimulation proved too difficult to fulfil - Throughout the seventies this image Interview with Charlie Kray - Russell reality would not submit to the fantasy. In was refined and recycled in the likes of Harty Show ( 1976) a recent interview with fellow legend 'The Sweeney', 'Hazell' and 'Out' and 'Hit and Myth ' -Bob Graham Four. Audio turned journalist, McVicar, Ronnie's Je came to a turning point perhaps in the Arts 'Live to Air' cassettevol.3 Nos. 3 & 4. Ne Regrete Rien was worthy of the central gangster character of 'The Long Funeral photographs - John Stewart & Penguin book of Quotations. 'You've got Good Friday'. He (Reg without the exces R .M. Graham, with thanks to Patrick to take the good with the bad in life, John, sive influence of Ron's madness?- ) is Christopher. ain't you? And we had a good long run and shown as an anachronism, unable to come it had to come to an end sometime. Things to terms with either a mafia run by could have been a lot worse for us you accountants or an I.R.A. which does not know . There are kids born crippled and play murder by the book. The ironic cul things like that.' It is unlikely that another mination is in 'Minder'; the background is gang could ever take up the position there - the boxing, the nightclubs , the vacated by the Krays Firm . More modern rackets - but basically ... e's alright. With types of crime consist of smaller special the screen myth defused the process can ized gangs working in such areas as kid come full reverse and the models them napping and fraud. As Nipper Read says selves have the same treatment. 'A Spent 'It 's easier to open a bank account than a Force' Mc Vicar tells us of the twins, en bank' . couraging the lobby for a premature Violet now too is about to take her place release (less than the recommended 30 in the legend. Rumours were rife in the years ) for them, or at least for Reg. But in press after the funeral that Diana Dors had some places the name still means some been asked as someone who knew Violet thing . While making a piece of work about well and a sympathetic family friend, to the twins a few years ago, I became a play the part of the twins mother in a forth regular of one particular East End bar coming film. which suffered repeated burglari es and There was predictable contrast in the raids on the till. As the manager had been press coverage of the funeral. The Sun, in kind enough to let me use the bar for at the deep end as ever - 'a sickening photographs, I gave him an old print of the exercise in vulgarity ... a million rose petals twins in their boxing days, with a forged could never hide the stench of perversion affectionate greet ing from Ron and Reg, to murder and cruelty that surrounded the put among the glass poodles and Guinness borthers from the moment they realised lamps at the back of the bar , He never had muscle could make money from the weak'. another break -in. A noticeably different tune whistled 'And now in book and film and song by The East London Advertiser - Their tale is told today 'KRA YS BURY DEAR MUM - It was Hackneyed villain hero lords the first time they had been reunited as a Whose dreams were locked away' family and it was grief that brought them Roberta M. Graham 23

1 New York Live

he ICA in October hosts a host of preserve of artists are now being recog Kerouac colla ;:,se into reaction CJew Tperformers , artists, musicians, nised to exist for others and in equally self hating, Vietnam war supporting) ... here is filmmakers , television productions determined forms (graffiti, music, a parable , a parable, a parable for the and much more from the essential city of dancing, play). Schechner wants a children of the eighties - know th yself. New York , where the ultimate urban ex monopoly on wisdom and culture. Wants But how to find out? ... perience . is the fabric of everyday life. his work and the work of those he regards Schechner talks of theatre as having a Part of the season will include a confer as peers to be wisdom "and culture. The responsibility to the people, the polis, ence about performance. Richard impossibility of achieving such a desire in which he claims can only be fully met in Schechner 's papers 'The Decline and emerges in the language of disappoint - ensemble work . Solo performers he claims Fall of the America Avant-Garde' pub ment. cannot meet this necessity for accounta lished in two parts in Performance Art Laurie . Anderson was not top of the bility . The work of Laurie Anderson is Journal issues 14 and 15 forms the charts when Schechner wrote his articles. surely the most obvious contradiction to theoretical basis for part of the · confer The fact that she now has been is signifi this criticism. Deeply grounded m ence. The papers were contraversial, cant of his inability to see how the wind was individual experience as well as the tenets and answering papers by Matthew blowing. It is also indicative of the ability of the avant garde - reliance on the Maguire, Ruth Maleczeth, Elizabeth Le of peoples to accept, empathise with, meaning of a moment, the validity of the Compte, Bonnie Marranca were subse desire complex ideas if the initial presen most banal, mundane experience or object quently printed by PAJ as 'Backtalk.' tation is sufficiently familiar to allow - she transforms these by her own The debate is perhaps the first time further steps to be. taken. contribution of grace and care into that the considerable body of Theatre is often cited as one of the parables of our time. Her work is presen performance work of the sixties and early original impulses of mankind (sic). It has ted through an amalgam of the sophistica seventies has been looked back on, its thus a sort of sacred aura for many of its ted and the home made which is most strengths and failings assessed. Lynn practitioners - the place where things are peoples experience of technology . McRitchie's paper was originally going allowed, where things can be spoken and What do you do with all that equip to be two parts - a history of works and explored in a way that no other space ment when you get it home? And you can't performers and an outline of Schechner's allows. But theatre has conventions of its afford to buy a new one every year, points. It has emerged rather as her own own and it is these that performance:_ also anyway ... ) We live surrounded by electro contribution to the polemic, not stopping seeking that space where all becomes avail nic obsolescence. to look for contexts, but plunging in and able - denies, distrust, wants no truck We also live surrounded by a spectacle trying through her own reactions to the with . Schechner accepts and described this of death greater because universal, differ Schechner paper to pinpoint areas of the well. He talks of the movement away from ent from the experience of those Vietnam debate that his text tends to subsume in direction of actors . First, directors such as vets or dropouts who so informed the its concern for a particular historicity, a himself Grotowski, others allowed their political consciousness of the period in particular set of circumstance. We hope actors to 'remove the masks of charal:ter' theatre Schechner is concerned with . But it will provide a stimulating appetiser for and appear as 'themselves'. Then, and this theirs too was a contribution of individual the conference date. he records with some chagrin, the actors experience. The notion of the collective, moved a step further and ceased to be the group endeavour is after all no less than The avant garde has been with us now actors, but became performers, rejecting the combination of the individual experi for a hund red years and still its existence is ensemble playing - in which the excel ence of the many . controver sial. The avant garde is the place lence of each individual becomes the Anderson is a good example of how where art ists go when they want to be seen excellence of the whole - in favour of a individuals can become universal because as sincere, emot ional, committed to singular exploration of personal obsession . of her own admission that she loves to tell chang e. The formulas of change change . This he dismisses : while it may allow for stories. She recognises that language, the Thi s is what we need to recognise. the display of particular performance skills instrument of our betrayal is also the Richard Schechner 's two articles in (Leeny Sack, Spalding Gray) he argues instrument of our salvation, and acts PAJ which will form the basis for the that it is somehow not 'sufficient'. But he accordingl y. She becomes once more the debate on perfor mance held on 20 Novem does not look in any detail at why it came teller of tales, her own and other peoples. ber as part of the ILA's New York season, about, at why 'actors' found such a process Schechner recognises the importance caused controversy . The language he uses essential. of language. But he laments the distrust of to talk abou t performan ce is useful , but the The notions of political involvement words which led actors and directors to do tone is one of disappo intment . He is dis and action that were the climate in which away with scripts , to improvise , to 'work appointed, in the way a father is inevitably sixties and seventies theatre/performance shop' (in that American way of making a disappo inted in his children - sad that work was developed were grounded in a verb of a noun ) ... Real experience - lived they did not take up 'his' ideas, he is also belief that there was a last a place for experience in real time - became inclu afraid that if they do, they may be better personal liberation in a world with ded in the repertory of performance . These than he was. The advances he chronicles in resources enough to give to each accord inovations were revolutionary, important, performan ce work in America in the sixties ing to his (sic) needs. The trouble was that and I believe, understood. They now and seventies works only were real enough, the nature of those needs was not examined inform the work of others , rather than just as the work today is inevitably of them. carefully. Rather, it was assumed , some being vaunted, flaunted for themselves. Thi s-is what he cannot see. Why? Because pioneers of the movement (Burroughs, They are there, unspoken in a performance the concerns of the children are necessarily Kerouac ) recognised this. They spent their memory which does exist, not just for its different from the concerns of the parents . whole time engaged in the struggle to professional practitioners but for those The doctrin es of liberation (for such they recognise, meet and fulfill desire ... who watch with interest . What about became ) of the late sixties and seventies following it through drink, drugs, travel, watching a man spim;iingP,lates on a pole or have become questionable to a new gener sex. The end result was for Burroughs a balancing on a wire. How long? then ation. The ways of perceiving the world kind of wisdom and wonderful writing, becomes a vital criteria for the audience - previously regarded as somehow the now widely recognised as such, for their experience of real time is almost 24

Keith Haring. Time s Square Show.

What about watchinga man spinningplates on a pole or balancingon a wire? unbearably enhanced. Real time does not theatre dealt with in the sixties and seven choices because we do not know what we have to be long or laboured to be there . ties were those of form - and relation- want. Individual performers by making Lumbered with professionalism and ships . The relation of company to script, of memory and experience the basis of their professional concerns - with funding, actors to directors , of artists to gallery, of work are not shirking their duty to the grants, teaching - Schechner fails to con- art to politics . In exploring those and fore populace - Rather they are reminding us sider the audience. Locked in the specific grounding them as much of the content of of our duty, too, to understand the self, problems of his set - for all artistic work, the question became paramount. ourselves. Other notions of liberation and activity takes place in groupings who come Finding answers was much more difficult . communality showed up just how far we together as much for practical as aesthetic Schechner writes like a man who cannot are from being able to let each other live. ends - he forgets the audience . Remem- believe that answers have not been found. The battle against structured politics in bering and criticising the critics for not I believe they have been found- but in street confrontation showed how easy it is bothering to find out specific histories of the form of a change in the questions . to be locked into form, a ritualised conflict performance groups or individuals, he , Points ~bout form are useful, they open up which merely states a case rather than takes forgets the punter , the bum on the seat. Is possibilities of new ways of seeing, a a step forward . If we are in our 'mu' period the audience too expected to come to the question the fixed parameters of experi - of quiet, germination, pregnancy - as theatre informed? Is the audience then to ence. But ultimately when the questions Schechner suggests, it is certainly not a be issued with the necessary historical have been raised, the -next step remains to quiet stretch of contemplation. Rather the information before being permitted to the be taken. And that step has to do with the artists now working and preoccupied with speqacle . Why not ask rather what it is self. memory and desire are bringing forth dis that theatre has to say? What can perfor- We cannot take part in a 'global turbing images of self and the world which mance offer people? How can it be of use? culture' Schechner's wish for the future of challenge us to face up to ourselves. Some of the questions performance and choice if we do not know how to make Lynn MacRitchie 25

A strange quie t descends on London But of all the places that bloom into · ployment Agency, and at the home of her during the summer months . While the little summer festivals none does so with estranged family, took its audience on the West End has long ceased to have anything quite the determination of Theatrespace. sort of switchback ride between hilarity remotely resembling a 'season' life on the The Windmill Theatre of alternative per and the agonies of emotional truth that fringes is as much dictated by seasonality formance, even down to the tastefully lit again I can only parallel with Altman. as that of Shaftesbury Avenue ever was. nipples when occasion demands. Theatre Upstairs at the Court 'Salonika' by Cavernous theatres echo to the sounds of space never closes. A last refuge for those Louise Page was a no less enthralling musicals opening and closing, armies turned away elsewhere, a valuable forcing affair. Ghosts rose from the sand which troup across the stages of the Barbican and ground of new talent, a wierd under covered the performance area. Nakedness, the South Bank , but in the hinterland an ground labyrinth that, around the clock, pathos and geriatric sex all made their unusual calm descends. Edinburgh is the houses some of the most exciting, interest appearances in this tale of an elderly big excuse, though these days with the ing, extreme, even it must be said boring woman taking her naturally even more Scottish beanfeast a shadow, if a growing and incompetent of performances. elderly mother back to the beach in Greece shadow, of what it once was, it is far from Theatrespace is, as it always has been, where the father of the one and the being the cause. The great outdoors is also invaluable to London. For some few husband of the other was killed in the first a factor . The fairs and bike rides have summers now the venue has crawled out world war. The encounters with his found new life this year out in the sticks into the sunshine for festivities in assoc ghostly form, with an indolent youth of and there are still big binges in Europe that iation with the nearby church of St Martin similar age living by selling his own blood attract those British performers eager for in the Fields on Trafalgar Square. This and spunk, and the discovery of the true some street work without the vagaries of year the religious connection seems to have nature of the soldier's death, made for an the weather. And of course some been severed and Theatrespace came out extraordinary evening. Chris Fulford's all performers simply up and away on 'Cruising' - as it named its jamboree. too corporeal shad was surely the stuff of holiday . There were a couple of other events of which awards are made. So the performance scene left behind note during August and both were at the But that the summer is now over, what by those who have legged it to Edinburgh, Royal Court. Caryl Churchill's 'Top Girls' ever the weather might say, is all too Hood Fair, the Vienna Street Theatre in the main house was one of the most obvious from the wretched phalanx of sur Festival, Bridlington or Butlins, is unlike assured and brilliant pieces of writing seen vivors of the festivities in the Scottish anything the capital sees outside of on a London stage for many a long month capital that has already begun to limp August. And often more interesting . With and with a stunningly performed produc home as if from the Falklands, to parade the pressure off, the venues that do remain tion to match. Its opening scene, where a before the admiring gaze of the London open can be a little more daring in what successful businesswoman invites six public. Given that London is, for much of they offer without being seen to disrupt famous women from history out to lunch the year, one long Edinburgh Festival all their normal programming too much. The was directed in bravura fashion with all the its own, most will be lost to view. But a few ICA is busy reshaping policy for its theatre disregard for vocal coherence of an Altman no doubt will be worth the seeking out and and in the interim had a series of musical movie and the scenes which followed, with of these more next issue. offerings that read like an index to the Per the hostess at work in her Top Girls Em- Luke Dixon formance Magazine: lvor Cutler, the Penguin Cafe Orchestra and Lindsay Cooper were all there . The Soho Poly, that sedate little theatre in a basement of what is hardly Soho is under new directorship and attracted some attention for itself by climbing out of the obscurity of being London's oldest surviv ing lunchtime theatre, to burst into the street with a galimurphury of events and festivities in and around the theatre. It was even cheeky enough to manifest itself in Edinburgh at the same time with a new play by Tony Marchant. Of great interest there were The Deluxe Puppet Company ('luxury you can afford' ) making their debut with a short piece by Tony Allen, 'See it all come down', which made up for the repetitive weaknesses of its script, with some brilliant life size puppetry amidst a setting of broken lavatory pans and patch work sheeting that would not have dis graced the most imaginative of perfor mance art groups . Puppetry for adults is a rarity in Britain and this company with their shrewd mix of theatricality and traditional puppet technique is to be watched . 26

H~od Fair is unusual among the country/ would be interesting to see what they had have the most stimulating touring art craft/medieval/post-hippie fairs in that it cooked up. In the event it was a mixture of spectacle of the vear. has developed into an almost exclusively powerful effect and damp squib , between The other big event was IOU, and I performance-oriented format. Without peculiar fascination and longeur. Partly, must confess to extremely mixed teelmgs shaking off the trappings, it has meant that this was due to the performance/workshop I about them. The first night was the first there is a unique opportunity for artists to method they choose to use, but also it I time I had ever seen them, and I was work with a broad section of the rural comes from an inability to initially hold impressed. They had chosen a perfect public without the problems of dealing and maintain a concentrated atmosphere in environment ... an island in the middle of with temperamental rock groups, their the context they chose to use - in this case the fast-flowing River Dart, and had stragglers, and the usual over-indulgence the development of games in medieval erected a decrepit shack in the middle, in dope and early seventies festival Spain. The initial procession, a party of swaying unsteadily on stilts, with a live nostalgia disease. Not that it isn't a healthy courtiers, appropriately attired in harle television inside. A procession of strongly lesson for performance artists to come up quinade, playing-card regality and inquis rustic images associated with hunting and against these trifles once in a while, it is just torial cloaks, bearing the miniature fishing, life and death struggles on the edge good to see at least one step in the right Alphonso on a palaquin, was stunning, as of civilisation were played out with a visual direction. This step has been taken by the was the following explosion of the dwarf intensity that was at the same time so Hood Fair committee at the urging of one causing a giant version to loom menacingly directly anthropomorphic as to be cartoon Mike Freeman, and this year there was an behind the screen . A spectacular effect of like, such as a man with a fish for a head; a ambitious programme of spectaular, enter correct proportions was obtained and the hunter and his semi human dog. The taining, bizarre and generally provocative crowd waited expectantly for more . The mus1c1ans manipulated the sound live work. Centrepiece of the festival, at moment the performers opened their skilfully, capturing the mood of the image least visually, was the veteran but recently mouths, the effect was lost: they sounded perfectly, and using the aural resonance of shaken-up touring visual arts team Action like playleaders or teachers . So what 's the wooded space ... but I could not help Space Mobile. Years of searching for an needed here? I but feel uneasy about it ... a feeling which identity through pneumatics, rigorous Not acting skills - they would just was compounded the next night when I touring, a big London venue (now sound like any other street theatre I started to realise that they were relying operated by another wing) and an Arts company. What they have not developed very much on 'stock IOU effects and Council cut have brought them to this, sufficiently is the ability to code their visual images. Even though I had not seen their their new performance/participation event images with appropriate words - and less I work before, the feeling was quite strong 'Alphonso's Games', which take place in a -of them! However they regained control of that they were using very much 'tried and large arena at the top of the field, a focus of the aituation and the workshops took off, tested' material , at the end of their final attention with brightly coloured flags, revealing the immense fascination for a show, the reaction of some of the many totems, towers and pinnacles, most of I subject that this company can develop. other working performers there seemed to which managed to stay up throughout the They have researched their subject to the be universal. .. that there was a clear case of weekend. They had clearly done a lot of um , ana contrnued for up to three hours free-wheeling - even backpedalling from research, as well as physical preparation playing obscure games, dancing round- I a company that had secured easily the for this, as well they might, as it was the dances , arranging battles , tests of skill and I largest budget in the festival. However, I start of a national tour which would take strength, torturing, terrifying and I was glad to see their work at last, and I them from festival to tough urban play generally drawing the public into a spell I particularly appreciated the music. ground and vice versa all summer. that they momentarily lost in the initial I Some of the best events were the Definitely in the front line of action performance . And if they get that bit right I simplest. .. like British events venturing between the visual arts and the public, it (they may have done so by now) they will ! down an appallingly muddy field m 27

produce an erotic air. Wilson reaches for a pink felt square on The title 'Perfect Moments' comes The different dances in Rajaa's pro the floor; a pas de deux of St. James from a quote by Sartre in 'Nausea'. The gramme evoke moods mainly then of stepping on and off the piece of material as artists were attracted by the existential idea festivity or eroticism. One dance was Wilson attempts to remove it. St. James of time and the idea that one can never have rather different, Bedouin Eyes (Oyoun El drops an apple on to the floor, which a 'Perfect Moment'. Locked in time, Badawia). The dance, a very strong, smashes into many pieces. On the video, a trying to make sense of it, that experience compulsive, almost wild expression of two figure tableau, including a soundless of time on ones own and the first step ritual trance practised to drive away evil ripping of newspaper; unreal, disguised. beyond it - communication with another spirits, indicates and hints at one of the A series of close sculptural actions person and thence between both the per other faces of Middle East societies - the occur between the two performers, passing formers and the audience. St. James and tribal culture with its pagan roots. faces, missing eyes, lips apart, never Wilson's working relationship is an M'eira Eliash meeting, around and across. On the video, important element within the perfor close up figures mouth words noiselessly. mance, feeling as they do that by speaking Finally, a physical encounter. St. James is about their own situation they can dragged slowly across the floor clinging to hoepfully talk about other peoples and Perfect Moments Wilson's ankles, she in turn is lifted off her illustrate wider, universal concerns~ feet and thrown across his back. Weight on Words are rarely used, when tliey do Waterloo Gallery weight, figure on figure, expressionless occur they are isolated ·and pertinent and stares, the performance ends with the two never within a particular narrative context. artists amongst the audience. At its best this piece is to be experienced Despite its strong structure, each per and notunderstood. It is this directness Marty St. James and Anne Wilson stand by formance of the piece is different, and which reaches the spectator and is the key the door, dressed formally in black, involves a risk. It could collapse every to the piece 's success. greeting members of the audience as they time, yet it is not so much a question of Chrissy Iles arrive and offering each one a glass of wine. success and failure as the fact that the per This unexpected and disarming contact formance has occurred. Without that risk, with the performers only minutes before the activity would be futile. they move into their positions to begin the piece is a deliberate attempt by the artists to create a relationship between the per former and spectator . The artists have said that 'Perfect Moments' is to do with relationships and that it was initially inspired by 'Mills & Boon' pulp romance novels along with the ideas that we create about ourselves and. each other; fact/fictional, ideal/archetypal, media orientated/personal. The piece contains a strong formal structure within which improvisation is allowed to occur. This structure could be seen in terms of a series of tableaux, similar to the construction of a 'Mills & Boon' romance . The performers sustain an ex pressionless stare throughout never achieving eye contact. All the actions which take place and the objects, for example the' glass of wine, the roses and the garish green apple - (forbidden fruit) - are linked to images occurring on the video screen and therefore occur in both real and unreal planes of time. The piece begins; Anne Wilson stands in front of the video screen, responding to a female body moving from side to side by 'echoing her movements slowly, both in and out of time. A pair of staring eyes appears on the screen, watching Wilson's movements. Moments later St. James appears, glass of wine in hand, walking pensively around a vase of black roses. Eye to object contact follows; focus on a glass of wine placed on the plinth, circular actions by both performers around it, retreating and advancing. Then - the biting of the glossy painted green apple, the crushing of grapes into the wine glass and the drinking of the wine; a polite cough from St. James taking up a blue felt square - a marking of territory (blue for a boy), coughs into it and places it over the video screen then coughs into each rose in the vase. 30

Brion Gysin interviewed by Terry Wilson. Published by Re/Search publica tions. On sale at Compendium Bookshop Camden, Pan Bookshop Fulham Road, Duck Soup Shop Holbom, and many other bookshops. First a little history .... 1965 and Brion Gysin assembled a book with William Burroughs in New York called 'The Third Mind' . A series of interviews, essays, texts, strange gridlike cabalistic drawings from Gysin incorpor ating bits of newspaper and photographs, pages from Burrough's famous notebooks, all intended as a statement of the collabora tion between the two since 1958, the days of the Beat Hotel in Paris, where they had applied Gysin 's ideas of Cut Ups and permutations on everything written they could lay their hands in (especially Brion Gysin and Terry Wilson Burroughs's vast and mouldy manuscript out of which he had already culled 'The collaborate on a new book called 'Here To 'Interzone', for instance , an extract trom a Naked Lunch ' and which would provide Go: Planet R-101' . very early version of 'The Naked Lunch' material for several more novels). As Terry Wilson says: 'It seemed to me filmscript, plus an intriduction from But 'The Third Mind' was really too that if Brion wasn't going to write another Burroughs himself. innovative a book . It fitted none of the book he could speak one and it would be 'Here To Go: Planet R 101' is very usual categories - being a sort of painting presented as tape transcriptions in the much designed as a companion volume to or spell, in places - and it was another 13 same manner as 'The Process', setting 'The Third Mind ' and 'The Process' (also years before John Calder published it in down first the voice of one, and then the 'Bardo Hotel', I am told, which is Gysin's English. Meanwhile , 1967, Gysin had voice of the other, as the dervishes forthcoming novel). And why not? as the returned to his Morocco, a place he has desired ... ' man himself would say. All these books fit lived in for over a third of his life, where he And that 's exactly what the book is - a neatly into their own tradition, the took Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones up long and fluent discourse about life in tradition of Gysin' s voice speaking directly into the hills ·of Jajouka, and generally Morocco, magic, psychic acquaintances, off the page, urging the reader not just to indulged his penchant for Magic. meeting Burroughs, amongst many other be a reader, but listen to his 'special It was in Tangiers , about this time, that fascinating subjects and opinions on Life knowledge' and learn how to Rub Out The he started a novel called 'The Process', one and what Art is for. Cut into the book are Word. of the two really brilliant novels about hundreds of photos and cabbalistic It's a hard thing to explain, especially North Africa and the Sahara (the other drawings by Gysin, many directly when he does it so well. Read this book and being Paul Bowles's 'The Sheltering Sky', designed as spells. (You can see one in the you'll see what I mean yourself. published 1949). photo of Terry Wilson ). Also included are David Darby 'The Process' is largely presented in the various rare and unpublished texts : form of taperecorded voices, each chara cter speaking his or her version of the The Final Academy story into the main character' s Uher tape recorder and he playing little bits back when he feels stoned enough to like it. The whole book is about Rubbing Out The Word - all the uses for tape recorders described by Gysin in 'The Third Mind' . Maybe it was because the book didn't sell too well- Burrough s said 'Few books I•' I 1(; tu have sold fewer copies and been more • • l enthu siastically read. Perhaps the basic ~ ~ 1 message of the book is too disquieting to I receive wide acceptance as yet ... ' Anyway, ' Gysin dried up. He spent the next few I years wandering from city to city, working on a film scenari o of 'The Naked Lun ch' and start ing a new novel - then called 'Beat Hotel ' - which didn't go too well. Finall y Burrough s suggested that Terry Wilson - a young British writer friend who had just finished a novel called 'Dr eams of Green Base' - should visit Gysin at home in Paris where he had retreated after a near disastrous cance1 As we go to press the Final Academy is taking place, centred around a rare visit by · operation. This was 1976 and the two Burroughs (above) and will include performances and readings by Brion Gysin, · writers - both exhausted - decided to John Giorno, Terry Wilson, ·Psychic TV, etc. etc. To .be· reviewed in tlie next issue . 31

Bristol 1983. Works should not have been Dance Umbrella collages, drawings, photographs Arnolfini shown in London before. Info 01 437 2616 and sound sculptures. Info: 0272 299191 Proposals by November 1. At venues all over London and New York Live: Until October 16: Prophecy and Apples and Snakes nationally. From USA: Nina October 26-27: Split Bitches (Ex Vision. Expressions of the Spirit Info 01 223 7031 Wiener and Dancers, Steve Spiderwoman) Ellen Fisher in in Contemporary An (exhibition). New poetry cabaret on Saturdays Paxton, Ellen Kogan, Rosalind Figurines. October 8: Mychael Nyman Band at the Adams Arms, Conway St, Newman and Dancers, Jim Self, October 28-27: Eric Bogosian in October 28: Nexus London Wl. Performances in Tim Miller, Kei Takei's Moving Men Inside and Voices of November 13: Steve Lacy Sextet October include Attila the Stock- Earth, Laura Glenn and Gary America. November 30: Uroboros broker, Fran Landesman, Staunch Lund. From Germany: Susanne October 30: Rhys Chatham and Dance Umbrella events until Poets and Players, Controlled Linke. From France: Francois Band plus Tuxedomoon Event November 11: Steve Paxton, Sally Attack and many others . Verret and Company. From with Winston Tong. Barnes, Tim Miller, Jim Self, Almeida Belgium: Anne Teresa de Keers- Video: October 26-31: Advanced Freelancers, Laurie Booth, Anne Info 01 359 4404 maeker. From Canada: Dance- Television - New Wave, New Therese. October 5-10: Meredith Monk, a makers. From Britain : Spiral Music, New Video, New York. pioneer of multi media perfor- Dance Company, Nin Dance The Kitchen: Video/Music. Cardiff mance, with Music Concert with Company, Sue Maclennan and November 16-28: The TV-Teria, Chapter Arts Centre film. Kirstie Simson, Mary Fulkerson, 5 NY Breakfast TV stations Info 0222 396061 October 12-18: Dance Umbrella Ilana Snyder, British lndepen - simultaneously relayed in the October 9: Civilisation 11: Music, events. dents, Laurie Booth, Extemporary friendly setting of a soda fountain. Fashion and cabaret from Auto October 19-31: Peter Brook's Dance, Rosemary Butcher Also New York Cable TV selected tone Afrique, John Silva, Janek International Centre with 2 per- company, Julyen Hamilton, Janet by Advanced Television. Also a Alexander . formances, The Bone by Birag Smith and Dancers, Stewart Video Jukebox in the bar. Our October 15-16: Flying Pickets Diop and A Dybuck For Two Arnold and Paul Henry, Tamara own little global village in the with Howard Jones People, by Bruce Myers. McLorg, Inge Lonroth, Richard Mall! October 22-30: Dance Umbrella October 24: Philip Glass. (At Sikes, Michael Clark, Mantis Oval House events, Tim Miller, Jim Self and Sadlers Wells). Dance Company, Basic Space. Info O1 735 2786 Dance Wales. November 8: Stephen Montague, Eccentric Enterprises October 6-10: The Farndale October 31: Eric Bogosian Philip Mead and Maedee Dupres. Info 01 969 2019 Housing Estate Townswomen's November 12-20: Grotowski's B2 October 25: Bob Cobbing, Ian Guild in Chase Me Up The Theatre Laboratorium, including Info 01 481 2574 Hinchliffe, John Dowie, Silly Boy Garden S'Il Vous Plait. a series of intensive workshops. Until October 24: The Final Lemon, Ruxton Hayward, in A October 7-10: Archway Theatre November 9-13: Lumiere and Son Academy, the first exhibition to Tribute to Robert Forrest Mckay, Company in The Real King - Son of Circus Lumiere. concentrate on the visual work of winner of 1982 William Kong. William Burroughs, plus exhibits McGonagle prize, at the Colonel's October 13-17: Leslie Felbain in London from Brion Gysin including the Room, Tuscott Arms, London Gullibles Travels. Air Gallery legendary kinetic sculpture the W9. Also: Fay Prendergast in Magic. Info 01 278 7751 Dream Machine. (See book review ICA October 20-24: That's Not It in October 6: Peter Lloyd Jones and etc this issue, and interview in Info OI 930 0493 By George. First performance of Michael Upton in Dialogue 2 Performance 11). Arte ltaliana 1960-82. (See article new piece about George Sand, October 13: Mino Ayagushi in October 30: Witches Fly South. this issue). Nuova Spettacolorita 19th century novelist, Here-Now and Space All night Halloween Ball Party (post-modern) performance. philosopher, mother, puppeteer, October 20: Janet Davis in The plus, Silvia liranek, Sonia Knox, October 12-14: Tango Glaciale by and onetime spokeswoman of the Native at the Target Organ Pro Event Group, The Original Flying Falso Movimento. French Revolution. duces Fragments Such As These. Lizards etc., organised by October 16-17: Gli Insetti Prefer- October 21-31: Split Britches in October 30: Stephen Cochrane Waldemar Januszczak, Richard iscono Le Ortiche by Gaia Beauty and the Beast. and Loi Coxhill. Strange and Janetta Loretta . Scienza. October 27-31: Fair Stage in The LVA at Air. London Video Arts Date unconfirmed: The Yellow october 19-20: Interference by Bridle Path. have now taken over the running Door, performance by Sharon Taroni/Cividin. November 3-6: The Brome of the Air performance basement Kirland and Maureen O'Paley. October 21-22: Mi Chiamo Pearl Brothers. as a regular venue for video and Battersea Arts Centre by Dai Bosco/Varesco. November 6-7: Centre Ocean other time-based media. Info 01 223 8413 October 23-24: Famiglia Horror Stream in Theatre of Colour. October 30: Kevin Atherton's October 24: Cornique Cabaret, by Antonio Syxty. Imagine November 10-21: Women's 'Monitor Minder'. (new concept with Sharon Landau, Andy De La Sonora (Sound Poetry). Theatre Group in Double Vision. in TV and video viewing) with Tour, Lynn Thomas, Roy October 16: Arrigo Lora Totino, November 24-28: Red Shift in tapes by Penny Dedman, David Hutchins, Simon Fanshawe. Guiliano Zosi, Giuseppe Chiari, Duchess of Malfi (Red Shift Hall , Tom Hickmore and Ian October 21-22: Staunch Poets and Adriano Spatola. style). Breakwell. Players. October 17: Giuseppe Chiari, London Musicians Collective October 12: 'Air Your Views'. October 27-30: Black Theam Adriano Spatola, Arrigo Lora Info 01 722 0456 Seminar. Co-op in Fingers Only. Totino, Guiliano Zossi. Regular events: October 14: Video/Music collab Cockpit Theatre All week: videotapes of the New Fridays: The Early Club (Uncon oration, Chris Rushton and Tony Info O1 402 5081 Italian Theatre, including firmed). Mono. Performance, Denzil Until october 9: The Silver Veil - Magazzini Criminali, introduced Sundays: Communication Club. Everett. by Aspazija, Latvian feminist, by Guiseppe Bartolucci and 'Thursdays: The famous LMC October 19: Installation/Perfor poetess and politician, and In The Georgio Veronese. Also: Artists Club Club Night, featuring mance by Polish Artist Janusz. Jungle of Cities by Brecht. 1982 Film and Video from Italy, various performance artists, October 21: Video/Performance Company. · selected by Vittorio Fagone. musicians, theatre shows: variety by Tom Castle, formerly of Event October 12-23: Optik in Short New York Season: guara~teed every week. Group. Performance, Denzil Sighted. New performance by October 14-November 21. 2 October 2 and 23: Benefits for Everett . visual company. exhibitions. Urban Kisses - John hostel to help victims of racial october 28: LVA Group Show. Drill Hall Ahearn, Mike Glier, Ken Good- attacks in East London. November 4: Performance, Info 01 637 8270 man, Keith Haring, Robert October 9: Kang (Chris and Andy Arnaud-Labelle Rojoux. November 9-27: Alisons House, Longo, Judy Rifka, Cindy Sher- Davies). L VA and Air are accepting prop by Mrs Worthingtons Daughters. man. Laurie Anderson Artworks. October 16: Greenham Common osals for a three week video in Based on the story of Emily First ever British show of Laurie Peace Camp Benefit. stallation exhibition in January Dickinson. Anderson's gallery works includes October 30: Animal Aid Benefit.

November 4: LMC Amenities South Hill Park Scotland . October 14-16: Split Britches in Fund Benefit. Info 0344 27272 October i9-23: Dog Company in Beauty and the Beast. November 6: Roger Turner, Alan September 25: Voyages and The Secret Life of Cartoons. October 30: Forkbeard Fantasy Tomplinson , Tony Wren and Somersaults of the Pilgrim October 18-November 16: Temba. and Ian Dagger in An Eccentric friends . Monkey . A synoptic-realist perfor Evening. November 20: The Paramedic mance by David Medalla. Manchester November 11-13: Publick Spirit in Squad etc. Theatre Space Radiator-Amazing Tales The Munster Play. Riverside Studios Info 01 836 2035 Info 061 224 0020 November 26: Theatre Exchange Info 01 748 3354 October 11-16: Epiglottis Theatre Various venues in Manchester. in No Waiting. October I I-November 14: Dance Co. in We$esday Matinee Plus October 7-9: Spare Tyre in On November 27: Prett y Disgusting Umbrella events. Lorna McDoone in A Taste of The Shelf. Things in Trust Me.

Six issues annually post and packing paid: £5.50 SUBSCRIBE(individuals) , £9.00 (institutions and overseas) . Back issues : No 4 Academia Ruchu. Mary Longford , The Masterwork. Gay No 13 Gay Culture and Performance , Synoptic Realists , Mitz i Sweatshop . Wildebeeste , Theatre of the Eighth Day , Provisorium , Gilbert and George , No 5 Cardiff, Stuart Brisley , Silvia Ziranek. Sonia Knox . Charlie Drake Roland Muldoon (Interview) , Lyon Performance Festival. (interview) . No -14 Interview wrth Laurie Anderson , Jonathan Borofsky , Perfor · No 6 Midlands. Naked Art, Drag , Steve Cripps, Point Blank Dartington mance Art Platform , Tate Performance . The Acme 1976-81, Miranda Dance . Tufnell. No 7 John Cage (Interview) . Merce Cunningham , Street Perfonnance , No 15 Magic and Performance , Yoshi Oida, The Art of Social Change , Tadeusz Kantor, Lumiere and Son , Forkbeard Fantasy . Station House Opera , Dance Umbrella . No 8 About Time . I Giselle . Tom Saodington . Stefan Brecht , Pip No 1f. Disband , Video libraries , Bruce Maclean , Andre Stitt , Lumiere and Simmons (Interview) . Son, Forkbeard Fantasy . No 9 Entertainment Special , (Showbiz , TV, Tourism . Bingo . Waxworks . No 17 Irish Performance, Women and Jazz , Geraldine Pilgrim , Discothque1), lvor Cutler (Interview) . Hesitate and Demonstrate, Londons Dance Crisis. No 1O Chris Burden , Station House Opera, Cameron and Miller No 18 Radical Americans, Laurie Anderson , Video Festival, Robyn (Interview), Video Festival , Belgian Perfonnance . Archer , Vivien Lisle, IOU, Japan Report . No 11 Lizzie Cox, Brion Gysin (Interview), Stuart Brisley . Artworks. Please Note new address for subscriptions: send to Theatre Despatch , 31 Riverside Dance, European Theatre of War . Shelton Street . London WC2H 9HT. No 12 State Performance (Analysis of Royal Wedding) British Events . Make cheques payable to Performance Magazine . Richard u,yzell . Critics and Doormats Show Trial , Cabaret Futura .

I would like to subscribe to Performance Magazine starting with No. (please ring) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 I enclose cheque/postal order for payable to Performance Magazine. Name -~ - - Address _____ ---·---· -- 33

Dear Peter, is the ideal behind a lot of Performance Artists work, that the I've been trying to think of a way of writing about myself and th experience of doing the action or just feeling the moment, is the work I've been doing at art school. I have written about my work reason why it should be performed as opposed to painted or many times for myself and I am used to stating my thoughts. drawn, but what I wanted to do was extend this idea to the notion Indeed, the thoughts are usually what I call my work anyway. The of recording a performance. I felt that the experience of looking at trouble is, I can never find words and labels that I ever want to use the photographs of a performance should be as important as the twice and the only constant thing that I can find to say about the experience of the performance itself. The reaction I got from the work I do, is that my ideas are always changing, and remaining the photographs was generally just one of amusement, in varying same, which, admittedly, is a little vague. The point of nearly degrees, at either the ludicrousness of the actions or the everything I become involved in doing, is an experience of 'new', situations. Some fellow students would be more deeply interested basically, the philosophy of living for the moment, and trying to in my reasons and intentions, and some were not really interested communicate this to others. Up until fairly recently, at the art at all. In fact, the range of reacions of everybody that looked at the school, all my projects have really been about communicating this photographs was the same as the reactions I would have got to a 'new' idea directly to people, personally. Recently, however, for public performance, and, indeed, the same as the range of the purposes of assessment at the end of my course, I have been reactions I have received to anything I have done. making an attempt to record these 'new' moments with the aid of photography, so that people might still witness the ex-:rience after At the moment I am sitting in the sun, with my shirt off, and my the event. I only started to manage this quite successfully when I belly-button is sticky with sweat. I do not want you to try and feel realised that it was impossible. What I mean is, that my earlier what it is like for me to sit here in this situation or even what it theories about the experience being impossible to record were might be like for you to sit in the sun, with your shirt off, and a correct and that the thing I could do was distill a new, different sticky belly-button. What I want you to try and imagine is why I experience from the original one, so that, the experience was now felt I had to write the first sentence in this paragraph of this letter. looking at a photograph, a composed picture, of a man and his If not, go and sit in the sun, with your shirt off, until your belly plinth doing various things together, instead of being there at the button is sticky and forget I ever wrote you a letter, until I meet time, experiencing the cold, the embarrassment, the togetherness you in a pub somewhere. and the uniqueness of any of the moments I recorded. I know this Yours 'now ' Tim Dailing

Newcastle Touring Basement Group Dave Stephens ... everbiting he Info 0632 614527 rips into the raw material of October 2-16: : Live to Air and existence and turns it into a world Revlutions Per Minute - an that despite remaining exhibition of sound works by 60 recognisable also has the hilarious international artists. absurdity of a dream land that From October 6: Film by mixes Salvador Dali with cocoa. American Artists. October 13: Swansea Fringe October 16: New York Video. Festvial, October 9 St Donats Wednesday 6th October at 7.30pm Arts Centre, Wales. Peter Lloyd Jones Nottingham November 4: Leeds Polytechnic, Michael Upton November 5 Basement Group, "Dialogue II" Midland Group November 6 Darlington Arts Admission£ 1 Info 0602 582636 Centre . November 8-19 Plymouth Performance Art Festival and College of Art. Platform October 21-24. Major Info 0788 84 6233. event on performance calendar. Optik ... Second Spectacle. See 'Is Performance Art Dead' October 6 Hull University, article this issue. October 8 Brewery Arts, Kendal, October 21: Marty St. James and October 12-23 Cockpit, London, Wednesday 13th October at 7.30pm Anne Wilson in Perfect Moments. October 27-29 Alsager Arts Mineo Aayamaguchi October 21-22: Eric Bogosian Centre, November 11 West End "Here-Now" & "Space" performs Men Inside. Centre, Aldershot, November 20 Admission£ 1 October 22: Jim Whiting will be Newbury Arts Centre. performing the final stages of Info 01 582 5105 Purgatory culminating in the stru Forkbeard Fantasy ... October 1-8 structure being set in motion until Cinema City, Norwich November 12. (Film-Night of the Gnat), October Also: Six short performances by 11-21 Matlock College, October the Basement Group, Newcastle. 22-23 Milton Keynes Open Wednesday 20th October at 7.30pm October 23: Platform Perfor University, October 24 Midland Group, November 12-13 Tower Janet Davies mances: from a selection of open "The native at the target organ submissions. London Video Arts Centre, Winchester, (Special showings, plus Sex and Death by Event). produces fragments such as these" Station House Opera. Info Droxford 605 Admission£ 1 October 24: Platform perfor Centre Ocean Stream ... Theatre mances, discusson chaired by of Colour. October 15 Dirrlington Roland Miller, and The Cold Arts Centre, October 16 Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, October 18 Frame by Forkbeard Fantasy. 6 & 8 Rosebery Avenue , London EC1R4TD . Tel: 01-278 7751 November 5-6: Bill T. Jones and Dovecote Arts Centre, Stockton, Chancery Lane and Farringdon Tubes ; 19, 38 and 171 buses Amie Zane in Rotary Action. October 19, Sunderland Poly November 11-13: TNT in Oops. technic, October 21 Cumbria November 26-27: Impact Theatre College of Art, October 22 1.~.~ 1 in Useful Vices. Biddick Farm Arts Centre. Info 0962 714367

52-54 Kennongton Ov.il Lontlon SE 11 01-735 2786 VWJRKSHOPPROGRAMME September Decermer

TAP UAK.t . KEfP FIT . •JAZZ DM«.r:. ACOOBATICS. WEEKENDI\OIIKSlk:PS SCI FI . CINBIA . .UANCE. WIUTll'li FOR STREET nD'11T!lli. PEHR'.llMiVO!:. PF.JIFORtdAt«1·:. f IY. FOIi UETAIu; PIONE 735 2786 ~IC A<.1'1t«i. vo1a:- ~1ME. JAZZ PLAY.

URBAN KISSES• SEVEN ARTISTS FROM NY 14 October -21 November ICA Main & Concourse Galleries JOHN AHEARN, MIKE GLIER, KEN GOODMAN, KEITH HARING, ROBERT LONGO, JUDY RIFKA, CINDY SHERMAN LAURIE ANDERSON ARTWORKS 14 October - 21 November ICA Upper Gallery NEW YORK LIVE 26 - 31 October ICA Theatre Performance: SPLIT BRITCHES 26 & 27 October ELLEN FISHER 26 & 27 October ERIC BOGOSIAN 28 - 30 October New Music : RHYS CHATCHAM & BAND 30 October TUXEDOMOON 30 October PETER GORDON 31 October DANCE UMBRELLA 82 2 - 11 November ICA Theatre JIM SELF 2 - 4 November TIM MILLER 5 - 7 November KEI TAKEI 9 - 11 November NEW YORK WRITES 13 November ICA Day Conference NEW YORK VIDEO 26 October-14 November ICA Cinematheque NEW YORK TELEVISION 16 - 28 November ICA Cinematheque NEW YORK NEW YORK• THE THEATRICAL AVANT-GARDE : DEAD OR ALIVE? 20 November Performance Debate, ICA Day Conference A day conference on the politics, poetics and state of performance: with key New York practitioners and critics LEE BREUER, RICHARD FOREMAN, BONNIE MARRANCA and RICHARD SCHECHNER BRAND NEW YORK• MAGAZINE A special edition of the Literary Review published 1 October to accompany ICA:NY LAURIE ANDERSON• UNITED STATES 16 - 19 February 1983 Dominion Theatre ICA:NY Leaflet with full details available from the ICA

NUOVA SPETTACOLARITA 12 - 24 October Arte Italian ICA THEATRE & ICA CINEMATHEQUE Italian avant-garde performance. film and video 1960-1982 Painting and sculpture opens at the Hayward Gallery 20 October ICATHEMALL· SW1 · 9303647