BACK then, it was known as the Third Eye Centre; back then, Whoopi Goldberg was not a household name.
Goldberg and her colleague David Schein, photographed here by James Millar, were two of the many names in the Mayfest 1984 programme in Glasgow. Both gave solo performances – the tickets were a mere £2 and £2.50 – at the Third Eye (later, the CCA). Both were well received by the critics.
Goldberg, said Dominic D’Angelo in his Glasgow Herald review, “presents a variety of hauntingly vulnerable characters conjuring up en route delightful images; Aids as a weapon of Reaganomics; an overlengthy visit to Amsterdam; Bonanza in German. What is most poignant is her characters’ credibility”.
Goldberg would make her name the following year in Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel, The Color Purple, and for which she earned an Oscar nomination for best actress and a Golden Globe award.
Each year Mayfest presented a remarkably diverse range of arts, drama and community events. That same day in May 1984 also saw Billy Liar, at the King’s Theatre; Shanghai’d, by the Borderline Theatre Co., at the Mitchell Theatre; Adam McNaughton at the Star Club, and the classical trio, Trio Cannello, at the Winter Gardens at the People’s Palace.
During its long run, Mayfest presented an impressive selection of new and established names across every genre, who sometimes played in novel venues; above (photographed by Edward Jones) are the livewire troupe Pookiesnackenburger, who in May 1983 played two free concerts – both featuring audience participation – at the Govan Shipbuilders’ canteen and the Govan Unemployed Workers’ Centre.
Tomorrow: More from Mayfest
Read more: Herald Diary
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