Behaviour @ The Arches, 12-25 Apr

Theatre is not a word that necessarily conjures up images of youth, experimentation and activity, more a sense of age and tradition; and, dare we say, sometimes an impression of stagnant ideas. For this reason alone, Jackie Wylie’s decision to rebrand the Arches Theatre Festival as 'Behaviour' makes a clear statement about the direction the Arches is taking under their new Artistic Director.

Wylie explains, “removing the words of theatre from the festival made me think a lot about theatre and how […] it’s about finding new ways of developing and being exciting to a young audience”; a marked difference from how theatre has traditionally been represented. “It’s about being engaged and having a dialogue within each of the works, and with the audience”

Wylie also places heavy emphasis upon the space at the Arches, saying “there’s a meaning that’s embedded within the building because it’s informal. If you’re putting theatre on in a space that’s just been used for a club night, the audience are going to feel relaxed and celebratory in the way that they wouldn’t in a more traditional theatre – we’re very lucky.” These factors combine with a programme crammed with exciting and engaging performance and a cross-over between clubbing and theatre-going audiences of the Arches. “There’s an ecology of the arts, and an ecology of clubbing […] and they bash off each other”.

These ideas of a sense of dialogue, and indeed bringing youth into the theatre, is a premise which is clearly represented through Sacha Kyle and Nic Green, the two winners of the joint National Theatre of Scotland and Traverse Theatre award for “most dangerous and brave” projects, as recognised by Wylie. Not only do these two passionate award winners have youth on their side, but they both strongly believe in dialogue between theatre, the audience and their collaborators.

Green, presenting Trilogy: Part Two – Town Bloody Hall, explains that "there’s not a lot of dialogue happening" in theatre in general. She complains that there is simply "lots of conversing". The distinction she draws is that "actual dialogue [is] where different ideas are allowed to sit safely in the same space together, and for their difference to be celebrated"; and that this "is how we discover new things”. This is an idea which she is keen to push as part of her work, “trying to adopt the practice of having a dialogue”. This piece, a recreation of the raucous 1971 feminist panel discussion involving most big name feminists of the 70s and Norman Mailer, provides her with the chance to look at “the role of masculinity and the male” whilst attempting to recreate “the passion of that time”. “We’ve been trying to understand what came before it [the 1971 panel] and what came after it, and why in this moment they were there together saying what they said”.

Whereas Kyle’s collaborative project The Library (an exploration into her fascination with libraries as a place of “refuge, knowledge and escape” and their link with people) extends this idea of a dialogue in the theatre, melding well with the mindset of the Arches and 'Behaviour' as a whole. By working in a collaborative way, they all “have to keep contact and form a dialogue back and forth, which is exciting as I don’t know what it’s going to be […] But together it’ll go somewhere”. The physical element is also strong in Kyle’s work: using 5 physical performers on that element alone creates what looks to be a piece strongly influenced by “human connection, people and relationships”. Ultimately, Kyle seeks to “get more people involved in theatre, so it’s less one-way; it challenges people and brings more people to the theatre”.

Another fascinating work, fresh from last year's Fringe and part of a movement in Czech contemporary dance, is Dot 504's Holdin' Fast. Based on Milan Kundera, this ballad of sexual dependancy is a stunning explanation of how dance expresses truths about relationships and desire in a direct, moving manner. Sensual and evocative, it captures the joy and anguish of sex: a splendid addition to the programme that echoes Wylie's intention to capture new audiences.

The overarching idea of the Arches of today is that it is for the audience. “If you’re not doing it for them, then do it in your own room” maintains Kyle, with Wylie agreeing that Behaviour (and work at the Arches in general) should create a form of dialogue between the audience, the performer and also the space. In doing this, 'Behaviour' displays emerging young artists such as Kyle and Green, who look to pull in the kinds of audience the Arches want to maintain a dialogue with. Edinburgh based audiences need not fear, however: both these pieces are moving to the Traverse shortly after their Glasgow performances, which is very good 'Behaviour' indeed.