Theatre and Culture from Scotland, starring The List's Theatre Editor, his performance persona and occasional guest stars. Experimental writings, cod-academic critiques and all his opinions, stolen or original.
Seriously, if you looked like that, you'd want to wear a mask, too. This blog uses a variety of identities to explore the possibility that criticism can be a form of fiction. The masks that are worn - the performed persona, if you will - enable a mimetic process of critique, rather than a diagetic. Mad Cyril The most gangster of all the personae, Mad Cyril was discovered in a brief cut-scene of the film Performance. He gets to say the stuff that The Vile Arts find simultaneously unacceptable, true (as far as truth has any value, natch) and funny. Hence the casual sexism and so on. Cyril, when reviewing, uses a rating of 'dustbins', based on his habit of throwing them through the windows of bookies who owe his bosses money. Criticulous The first mask ever worn, Criticulous exists both on the page and the stage: he performed at Buzzcut, The Traverse and The Arches. Conceived as a demonic guardian, like the pictures on the walls of Tibetan tombs, he reverts to a compassionate stance when faced with human beings. He is the clown of the gang, heavily influenced by the 'drunken style' of Ol' Dirty Bastard (hence his other name, Wee Dirty Bastard - given to him by dramaturge Elliot Roberts). Ghost Faced Critic Another Wu-Tang steak, GFC is a new addition to the team. Still in
development, he believes but knows nothing, and is likely to become the religious member of the group. Gareth K Vile Remember: personality is performance. I can never be trusted. Real People When he remembers, GKV is a member of the Tempo House collective. References to Lorna Irvine and Elliot Roberts actually describe two of the people he actually listens to. Lorna is a critic of international standing, Elliot is a dramaturge.
In good
weather, it was his habit to arrive at the club around five o'clock in the evening. I’d see him there, sitting with his back facing the bar, always alone,
wrapt in thought. He was discussing with himself – and anyone who caught his
attention – politics, love, art, philosophy.
I’m indulging my mind, he says, in whatever it fancies,
letting it follow the first thought, daft or wise that it comes across...
Like
the regulars, who follow the dancer with a carefree look, a welcoming face and
a lively eye, then leaving her for another? His thoughts are his whores,
obviously. Although the term preferred now is sex workers (a reminder that his
revolutionary mind did not quite extend to the liberation of women...)
And do those
thought ever follow to actually having a
dance while you are here?
I was accosted by one of the most extraordinary characters
that this country possesses – and God knows we are not short of them! She’s a
mixture of the noble and the base, intelligence and madness.
It’s
very charming of you to describe me so, Mr...?
Diderot. I am the irresistible Diderot.
I’ve
seen you here often, Diderot. But don’t you ever have a dance?
I don’t care for oddities like you. Once a year is enough
for me.
Ah,
Mister Philosopher! What are you doing among this group of scoundrels, then?
Are you wasting time pushing the wood around?
I enjoy watching the dancers work the room, when I have
nothing better to do.
An
observational philosopher, are we? Not a bold anthropologist who mixes with the
culture he would understand?
As long as things are in our understanding only, they are
just opinions: it’s only by observing external objects, and linking them to our
understanding, that we can know whether they be true or false.
You say
that, yet you know that there is a multitude of phenomena that happen beyond
the limitations of your understanding... for example, what happens behind the
black curtain, Mr Diderot?
It is easier and quicker to consult my own mind than
investigate it in the world.
I think
perhaps you’ll be astonished if you had a dance?
Then my work as a philosopher would be to dissipate that
astonishment.
Then
let me remind you that you are in the club, and here a certain set of rules
abide. ‘Take the dress of the country you are going to...’
And in reply, let me remind you that your dance is merely
the end of a process whereby the most solemn desires, a noble and innocent
pleasure, has been converted into a source of depravity and evil. To be clear,
in a better society, where no laws bound the natural passions, where women are
not trapped in matrimony, where social status can be no barrier to shared
delights, this corrupted merchantile exchange, this commodification of the very
body itself, would be an unnecessary transaction.
The
philosopher speaks again of ideals, some utopia of authentic experience. I can
see the conflict in your eyes, the gestures, the way you writhe upon the seat:
the natural man, with natural curiosity and honest passions, longs to know what
is behind the curtain. Yet the other man, the artificial moral man, strives to
chain this natural inquisitiveness with rules and codes. You want...
We both want... you want my money... you are made ill by the
tyranny of man, who has made you into
property.
In
want, a man has no remorse. In sickness, a woman has no shame... now, do you
want to discover how shameless I can be?
And so
he agrees, knowing that pleasure and pain are the only foundations for action,
and that those educated men who lock themselves away from life for the benefit
of study are not driven by their desire for women but thinking, only thinking
(and that was never his desire).
Glasgow, February 12, 2015 00:00 — The Vile Arts published the following joint slogans on Feb. 11 on the occasion of the 7th anniversaries of the liberation of the mindand the founding of the Radical Subjectivists:
On the road of grandiose advance for ushering in a new era of the Critical revolution under the leadership of the great Criticulous, our service personnel and people will be greeting the 7th anniversaries of the liberation of the country and the founding of the Blog.
Let us uphold the great Comrades Gareth K Vile and Lorna Irvine as the eternal leaders of our Party and people and as the sun of Jordanhill!
The great Comrades Gareth K Vile and Lorna Irvine will always be with us!
Let us glorify the Citizens' rehearsal room as the supreme sanctuary of Dramaturgy, as a grand monument to the immortality of the leaders!
Let us arm ourselves firmly with the revolutionary ideas of the great Comrades Gareth K Vile and Lorna Irvine!
Long live the great Radical Subjectivism!
Let us model the whole Theatre and all society on Radical Subjectivity!
Let us advance vigorously united firmly with one mind and one will as befit the young critics of Comrade Gareth K Vile and the soldiers and followers of Comrade Lorna Irvine!
Let us cherish the ties of kinship with Comrade Lorna Irvine as our lifeline!
Let us glorify the noble revolutionary careers and undying exploits of the great Comrades Gareth K Vile and Lorna Irvine for all generations to come!
Let us glorify the achievement of national liberation by Generalissimo Gareth K Vile, hero of critical resurrection and legendary hero of the anti-churnalism war, for all eternity!
Long live the great victory in the war against The Guardian!
Let us glorify the great Generalissimo Lorna Irvine's ideas of and achievements in the Critical revolution down through the generations!
Let us brilliantly inherit and develop the glorious revolutionary traditions of our blogs!
Let us accomplish the Critical revolution in the revolutionary spirit of Tynan, the spirit of the blizzards of Tynan!
The lines and policies advanced by the great Comrades Gareth K Vile and Lorna Irvine and their instructions are textbooks for quality criticism.
Let us carry out the lifetime instructions of the great Comrades Gareth K Vile and Lorna Irvine whatever the conditions without an inch of deflection and without a step of compromise!
Let us advance straight along the road of independence, criticism and confusion opened by the great Comrades Gareth K Vile and Lorna Irvine!
Let us build our blog into the most powerful one in the world, into a people's fairyland, as wished by the great Comrades Gareth K Vile and Lorna Irvine!
Do everything the way the great Comrades Gareth K Vile and Lorna Irvine did!
Let us step up the building of a prosperous critical cohort by applying Lorna Irvine's literacy!
Let us exalt the brilliance of the great Gareth K Vile's country, General Lorna Irvine's country, following the leadership of Comrade Tynan!
Let us stoutly continue, following the respected Comrade Mark Fisher, the march that started on Tynan!
The single-hearted unity is the greatest foundation and the most powerful weapon of our revolution.
Let us defend with our very lives the Vile Arts RadioHour headed by the great Comrade Criticulous!
Let us defend the single-hearted unity of the Vile Blog and revolutionary ranks around the respected Comrade Mad Cyril in a thoroughgoing way and having it rock-solid!
Let all the co-hosts and guests form rings and rings of fortress around the respected Comrade Criticulous!
Long live the glorious Vile Blog, which organizes and guides all victories of our people!
Let us strengthen and develop the The Vile Blog for all ages to come into a glorious party of Comrades Gareth K Vile and Lorna Irvine!
Let us set up a new milestone in improving the Blog's leadership ability and fighting efficiency in this year, which marks its 7th founding anniversary!
Let us establish the Blog's monolithic leadership system more thoroughly across the Blog and society!
Let the whole theatrical community share the ideas, breathe the same air and keep pace with the VileBlog!
Let us establish across the theatrical community rigorous discipline by which it moves as one under the unified leadership of Mad Cyril!
Let us defend the prestige of Mad Cyril in every way possible through the struggle to implement the Blog's ideas and champion its policies!
Turn your units and areas into places that adjoin the yard of the office of the CCA, places where the Vile call, breath and pulse run high!
Keep up with the implementation of the Vile's lines and policies as the major line of critical work!
We serve the people!
Let us make the principle of holding the masses dearest run through critical work as a whole!
Let us make the climate of respecting, loving and relying on the Vile Arts prevail across the Theatre Community!
Focus the major effort in theatre work on improving Gareth's standard of living!
Let theatrical organizations and officials work devotedly for the people to live up to their highest expectations!
Let the whole theatrical community direct its main effort to the work with the people!
Raise all people into ones strong in idea and faith with the affection and the feeling of kinship as befits a motherly arts council!
Even though a company may have 99 per cent of onestar reviews and only one per cent of three star reviews, boldly trust them and lead them to start with a clean slate!
Regard giving play to the spiritual strength of dramaturgy as the main thing, compulsory path, of theatre work!
Let arts officials learn the Vile Arts' methods of work with the people and become skilful in remoulding them and giving play to their spiritual strength!
Thoroughly get rid of abuse of authority and bureaucratism!
Regard reviewing as an important link in the whole chain of theatre work!
Let critical cells become death-defying corps and pioneers in implementing the Blog's policies!
Let us hasten final victory through a revolutionary ideological preview!
Hold fast to critical work as the top priority!
Let us raise a strong wind of studying the great Radical Subjectivity!
Concentrate on education in the greatness of the leaders, Lorna Irvine's literacy, faith, anti-imperialist and class consciousness, and morality!
Keep the revolutionary faith to the death!
Fight death-defyingly for our country and right to reviews!
Let us bear deep in mind the lessons from the class struggle of 7:84 and its truth!
Let the Critical information officials work as the buglers of the anti-realism guerrilla army did!
Make all well-informed of the Vile Opinions policies as they are of their own family affairs!
Fire an opening salvo of an ideological campaign and make our fire concentrated, regular and accurate!
Plugging into the fashion for both site-responsive and intimate theatre, Lapdancing is yet another experience that juggles multiple platforms in an attempt to question the nature of theatre and the audience's complicity. It throws about questions about the fundamental nature of gender relations and commodification of the body, even as it maintains an almost Buddhist suspension of judgement.
The Western Bar itself is evocative of a decaying past, a proletarian decadence far from the bohemian stereotypes of Nietzsche and Wilde. Its rich history has seeped into the wooden panels, conjuring a vision of hidden pleasures lost and forgotten moralities. Within this, the rotating cast eschew narrative for monologues that threaten to become dialogues, a steady stream of questions that literally ask the audience what they want. Lacking narrative, Lapdancing has a circular structure, returning to the themes of the male gaze and erotic connection.
Where liberal theatre identifies consumerism as a negative force within sexual relations, Lapdancing bravely refuses to make judgements. In a critique of art that relies on state funding, the performance continues until the money runs out, at which point, the nature of audience-performer relationship is made explicit. The short one-to-ones happening in the small booths reflect The Arches' famous Spend a Penny season, where expectation is denied by giving the punter exactly what they expected.
Lapdancing has a provocative approach to the left's assumption that consumerism is destructive: it also stresses that, despite feminism and post-modernism, it is impossible to explain away desire. It asks whether male-female heteronormative relations have ever changed, explores the boundaries of where theatre is located, and collides into theories about the fourth wall with a direct physicality. Ultimately, however, it challenges ideas of objectivity and morality, insisting, in the manner of St Paul, that perception defines an experience: to the pure of heart, all things seem pure.
Although the "Golden Age" of the jukebox musical ended in 2015, when a disgruntled gang of rock fans attacked the stage during the climax of Rape Me: The Kurt Cobain Story, it has never entirely bee displaced by the satirical musical theatre that now rules Broadway and London's West End. Alongside the record-breaking runs of Tony Blair: You've Got To Be Joking and Like A Salmond Up The Stream, the occasional nostalgia outing will play a limited run to half-filled auditoriums.
Welcome To The Terrordome is still an anomaly. Made up of tracks spanning hip-hop's evolution from a minority enthusiasm to a world-conquering genre, it takes a story that would not be out of place on a 1990s' concept album - Snoop Dog and Tupac fiddled about with the album as fictional autobiography, before Kanye West did it best - and threads in numbers that act as a partial history of the form. From the high-school hi-jinx of Bust A Move to the finale of Public Enemy numbers, Terrordome reinvents the jukebox musical as a consciousness-raising session.
The core narrative - young man is bullied at school, enters into a gangster's lifestyle only to become politicised after seeing a break-dance crew - is suggested by the musical choices and does not necessarily follow the untidy development of hip-hop: Public Enemy's style was largely eclipsed by gangster bragging. But the basic framework is enough to allow the musical to get down to business: the desecration of hip-hop classics, chewed up by an eighteen piece orchestra (none of that untidy turntablism here) and sung by an uncomfortable chorus of triple-threat performers.
There are moments of genuine humour: The Pharcyde's Oh Shit! is a skit on sexual misadventure, culminating in a wild satyr dance, false genitals and all; Bust A Move captures the anxiety of the school disco while the medley of NWA tunes balances on the fine line between stupidity and intensity. Fuck Tha Police is not best illustrated by a trio of scantily clad women brandishing handcuffs at the protagonist. It is the more serious themes that are most undermined, as the fierce rage of Chuck D is subliminated into a more palatable, socially acceptable political engagement.
Equally, the plundering of hip-hop culture is partial and unconvincing. The only scene where genuine hip-hop moves are used is in the disco, where a mild crumping contest fizzles out: the dramatic conversion is supposedly a breakin' contest, but is actually performed by a circus acrobat. It's unsurprising that the jukebox musical died: it shows a lack of respect for its sources, under-estimates the audience's intelligence (Burn Hollywood Burn does not need a firework display to clarify its message) and is so eager to please that it replaces any heart with supposedly spectacular set-pieces.
Being from Glasgow, the idea of a Wild West End conjures up visions of middle-class parents strolling their prams past Oran Mor at top speed, before blocking the entrance to the Oxfam Book Store. But for Paulden Hall, who rocked the Fringe with Fresher, The Musical last year, the WWE is more about the parody behind the hit musical. A new book from Adam Paulden and Matt Leventhall, with lyrics By Andrew Doyle and Ed Clarke (holder of the 2010Leicester Square New Comedian of the Year Award and a touring maestro from the East Midlands, respectively), WWE follows a struggling musical theatre writer in a razor-witted satire of some of the greatest musicals of all time, deconstructing the hits and the characters.
"The fringe will always be a regular thing for us," explains Matt Leventhall. "We started as fringe producers and we love the festival. Having looked at the fringe programme this year, we're without a doubt the only show offering a satirical take on the world of musical theatre."
The rise of jukebox musicals - where existing songs are shoe-horned into a vague narrative - might have devalued the worth of the genre, but Leventhall insists that WWE is something original. "Whilst others in the past may have rewritten songs, we are unique in presenting a whole story in itself, with famous music from the great shows, but which is a no-holes-barred parody of the genre and its big names."
Equally fortunate for Live Art enthusiasts like me, this isn't just a series of in-jokes. "It is fun and accessible to all. You don't have to be a musical theatre expert to get our jokes - all you need to know is that musical theatre exits," he continues. "And perhaps have been exposed to a little of it. We feature the music of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Les Miserables, Oliver!, The Wizard of Oz, The Lion King, meaning it's very unlikely you wont have come across at least one of them!"
"We as a company decided to hold up a mirror to our world as musical theatre producers and found that artists we'd worked with in the past all loved the idea and each contributed huge amounts to the book. We drafted in two superb comedic writers to create the lyrics - one is Andrew Doyle - with his own stand up show on the fringe this year!"
