RI RIT
LIST BLOOMING ALE
. Edinburgh Fringe, and you might have i
thought that Michael Dale would have
had enough of huge administrative headaches. Not so. In Decemberthis
. year Dale will be leaving the Fringe to
take on the job of Director of Events for
the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival.
‘I was just contacted out otthe blue and asked il I wanted to do it, and I thought— why not? It is nice to do . something creative; I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to do something diiierent.’
The new job is certainly a challenge, ~
oitering Dale the scope to choose events, ratherthan purely administrate them, and presenting him with the prospect oi coordinating something even largerthan the Fringe: he will spend the next three years deciding upon and arranging the huge array oi daily events that are to take place during the live month Festival. And events can include everything — as Date points out, ‘il you want a Lego exhibition, you‘ll get a Lego exhibition.’
The Garden Festival, working to a Central Government financed budget of
235,000,000, is the third oi its kind, the idea having lirst been thought or alter the inner city troubles oi 1981 and based on similar programmes in Germany. Most people will remember the Liverpool Festival, and others like it are planned tor Stoke and Gateshead — butwhat ol the objections raised by some people that such Festivals just thinly paper over very deep social cracks? Dale points out that the site or g the Liverpool Festival is still being made use oi, the area having been turned into a housing development, and that the Glasgow site will also continue to be used, creating a great manyjobs in the process. ‘li you like it is a gesture - but quite a clever gesture.‘ He also ieels that Glasgow diiters in i many respects irom Liverpool ‘Liverpool is a city with a past, but no iuture. Whereas Glasgow is a self-made city constantly trying to better itseli. Ithink Glasgow’s really going places, and i'm very impressed at all that it’s achieved in recent years. it’s got that kind oi edge to it that Edinburgh doesn’t have.’
And when it comes to Edinburgh, might it not be the case that the Garden Festival could entice a few visitors away irom the Edinburgh Festival — (The Garden Festival runs during August and September and hopes to attract 4 million visitors.) He's not averse to playing devil’s advocate: ‘i certainly hope so. I think I should pinch some visitors from the Edinburgh Festival! But seriously, I’d like to see the two cities working together in this respect.’
But the Garden Festival is a one-oii event—what does he see himseli doing
next? ‘Well, lwon’t be quite thirty-nine when it’s over, so I can still try and linally get a properjob! i don’t know what I’ll do. But i don’t want anyone phoning me and asking me why their apple trees aren’t blooming or anything like that. I don’t know anything about gardening...’
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
On Monday 18 November, iour days alter Norman MacCaig’s 75th birthday, a unique party is being held in his honour at the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh. Poets and musicians, including Seamus Heaney, Liz Lochhead, Sorley McLean, Adam McNaughton, Edwin Morgan and Alexander Scott are MacCaig's performing ‘buddies’ in alive hour long event organised by the iriends 01 Norman MacCaig. An audience oi over 350 is expected to join in the celebrations.
The poet's career has stretched over iour decades beginning with Far Cry in 1943, which he has since disowned, and culminating in the publication oi his Collected Poems earlier this year.
Born and raised in Edinburgh MacCalg is a paciilst who literally would not harm a ilea and who, during the war, did time as a conscientious objector in Wormwood Scrubs. He eschews religion though he once coniessed to being a ‘Zen Calvinist’.
Aitertaking a degree in Classics at
Edinburgh he taught in numerous primary schools and then became the lirst writer-ln-resldence in Scotland.
Though he does not write in Scots or Gaelic MacCaig’s verse has an unmistakeably Scottish intonation; lucid, witty and mischievous it rejoices in the vigour and absurdity ot nature. His best poems are located in the vicinity or his ‘but and ben’ in Sutherland, to which he and his wile lsabel, herseli a noted linguist, elope each summer. There he walks, tishes, imbibes, and thinks. Lately his poetry has had an added poignancy alter the deaths oi close iriends like Macoiarmid, Sydney Goodsir Smith and Angus McLeod. Any thoughts however that this most engaging and hospitable or men is running out oi iriends will be dispelled on Monday.
Thin’s and Waterstone’s bookshops in Edinburgh and John Smith's in Glasgow have tickets lor Norman MacCalg's 75th Birthday Party on sale now. But hurry, there are only a lew Iett.
; ofA Visual Primer— a celebration of
An interview with Ben Elton. author
"fi_i 2 Greta Scacchi: star of The Defence of the Realm which receives its Royal Command Performance this month. 4 Kathleen Jamie talks to Ian Hamilton Finlay on the publication
his work.
of Happy Families currently on tour with Rik Mayall. 9 Mary Evelyn. choreographer of Dipping Wings — soon to be premiered by Ballet Rambert. 11 As Kenny Dalglish approaches his hundredth cap. Graham Caldwell assesses the career of Scotland‘s first soccer centurian. i 13 Listings: Theatre 14. Music 17, Film 25. Art 30. Dance 34. Kids 36. Time Out 37. Media 38. Sport 40. Late 42. Open 43. Books 44. Classified 45.
46 Style: Deco. Design and Dufer Coats. 48 Backlist: Men and Health by Lucy Ash.
CONTRIBUTORS
Publisher Robin Hodge. Editors Nigel Billen. Sarah Hemming. Glasgow 4 Editors Graham Caldwell. Lucy Ash. Design Simon Esterson. Advertising Manager(Edinburgh)Joanna Watson. . Advertising Assistant Fiona Murray. Advertising (Glasgow) Chris Banks. Typesetting Jo Kennedy and Hewer Text. Publications ManagerSally
Anne Kinnes. Circulation Mark Ellis. Jane Ellis. Production EditOrJohn R. MacWilliam. Production Assistants Toby Porter. Paul Keir. Trevor Johnston. Art Alice Bain. Lucy Ash. Books Alan Taylor. Classical Music Carol Main. Film Alan Hunter.
Trevor Johnston. Folk/Jazz Norman Chalmers. Kids Sally Anne Kinnes. Late-Night section Alastair Scott.
Media Allan Hunter. Graham Caldwell. Open Richard Norris. Rock (Edinburgh) Alastair Mabbott. Flock (Glasgow) Andrea Miller. Sport Mark Ellis. Janet MacLean. Theatre Sarah Hemming. Time Out George Duff. Jane Ellis. Photos Clare Stephen.
Chris Hill. Marius Alexander. Liam Woon. Anita Corbin. Stephen Morley. Alastair D. M. McDonald. Graphics Paul Gray. Brian Cairns.
Thanks to Lorraine Brown. John Hewer. Cover: Ben Elton. Rik Mayall. Cover Photo Liam Woon. Cover Design Simon Esterson.
Published by The List Ltd. 14 High Street, Edinburgh.558 1191 and
13 Bath Street. Glasgow 332 3393. Subscriptions; £15 per year. £8 for 6 months payable to The List Ltd.
i ,,,_ J The List 15—28 November 1
Printed by Dunfermline Press Ltd.