This RD Laing character Is it a defect in my education or cultural awareness that before the Festival I had no idea who R.D. Laing is? For those similarly ignorant, he is a psychoanalyst who has inspired no less than 3 Fringe productions. I'm not sure if there's a particular vogue for his work, or if more performers are having psychoanalysis, but I consider it a slightly weird coincidence that so many shows feature either his work or his theories. The only one that I've seen is an Irish dance-theatre piece called "Knots," and if it's anything to judge by, I'm not interested in what he has to say. Maybe it just doesn't translate well, but the play's attitude toward relations between the sexes (which is the general subject of "Knots," as in tying them) is pretty superficial.

But maybe this is just like what happens in Hollywood, when suddenly there are three WW2 movies in one year, or thirteen films about Steve Prefontaine--suddenly an enthusiasm becomes contagious and inescapable. If you're a Laing fan, this is your year.  ¶ 5:28 PM