FEATURE
I Punch a magazine nearly as good as The List but quite a lot older, will reach its 150th anniversary on Wed 17.
I Golf: Scottish Open will take place at Gleneagles from Wed 10, sponsored by Bell’s.
AUGUST
I Edinburgh Festivals Three thrilling weeks for culture vultures everywhere. Lock up your philistines, and look out for four Festival special issues of The List. International Festival (Sun 11—Sat 31) The dual themes of the Pacific and Eastern Europe (especially Czechoslovakia) continue from last year. Expected highlights include the Kirov Orchestra, Dancers and Chorus from Leningrad, Scottish Opera (who will perform something appropriate to Mozart‘s bicentennial), the Czech Philarmonic, the London and Royal Liverpool Philharmonics, the hoped-for return of Ninagawa and Philippe Genty, Kenneth Branagh’s Renaissance Theatre Company, the Berlin Opera Ballet and the National Ballet of Marseilles. More details will be released at the end of January.
Fringe Festival (Sun 11-Sat 31) The largest performance festival in the world, where literally anyone can do (almost) literally anything.
Film Festival (Sat IO—Sun 25) David Robinson’s third year as director, with a theme of Music and Cinema. Last year’s Edinburgh Film Festival was the biggest to date, with around 340 screenings. This year's may be a tad smaller, but the format will be similar, and the quality and variety of films and events should still be vast.
Book Festival (Sat 10—Mon 26) Bi-annual literary gathering in Charlotte Square gardens, which invariably attracts some rather prominent names, although writers being wilful, unreliable creatures,
; the organisers are reluctant to release names or details yet.
Jazz Festival (Sat 17—Sun 25) Up to 100 hours ofjazz in a single day, for those who have ears to listen, with concerts at new city centre venues and a ‘vastly improved’ pub circuit, though the organisers are unable to release names at this stage.
I Royal Lyceum Theatre This month should see the reopening of Edinburgh’s prestigious theatrical venue after a £3 million refurbishment project.
SEPTEMBER
I The Playboy Of The Western World
J .M. Syngefs superb Irish comedy is
revived by the Citizens’ Theatre
Company from Fri 6.
I Antonin Dvorak The Czech
composer was born 150 years ago on
Sun 8. Expect commemorative
concerts.
I Harry Secombe will be 70 the same
day. A special edition of Highway, rhaps?
I Robin Hood - Prince 0i Thieves
Kevin Costner stars in yet another
movie remake, the first of two to be released this year. The second has the slightly less adventurous title The Adventures of Robin Hood, and stars Patrick Bergin.
I Billy Bathgate Dustin Hoffman stars in Robert (Kramer vs Kramer) Benton’s gangster flick, adapted by Tom Stoppard from a novel by E. L. Doctorow and due for British release this month.
OCTOBER
I Chubby Checker The American rock’n’roller was born Ernest Evans 50 years ago on Thurs 3.
I The List reaches its sixth anniversary on Fri 4.
I Hedda Gabbler Uncharacteristically sticking to better-known texts this year, Glasgow’s Citizens’ Theatre presents Ibsen’s tragic vision of Scandinavian angst. From Fri 4.
I Rugby Union World Cup around twenty nations will compete in the first such event to be held in the northern hemisphere, with matches in Britain, Ireland and France. Scotland plays Japan on Sat 5, Zimbabwe on Wed 9 and Ireland on Sat 12.
I The Silver Darlings The collaboration between 7:84 founder John McGrath and 7:84 breakaway group Wildcat Theatre Company continues with this adaptation of Neil Gunn’s story of the highland fishing industry. Touring Scotland. I Spinning A Line The annual season of new writers at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre will take place around the end of October, and promises to offer writers a ‘protected festival format’ in which the pressure to succeed will be reduced.
NOVEMBER
I Design For Living Urbane comedy courtesy of Noel Coward is the year’s final show (apart from the. panto) at Glasgow’s Citizens’ Theatre. From Fri 8.
I Erwin Rommel best known for his leadership of the Afrika Korps during World War II, would have been 100 years old on Fri 15.
_ DECEMBER
I Year 0i Sport Finale The culmination of the year’s competitive endeavours, to be held at Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall on Sun 8. I The Observer Surviving the stormy seas of Fleet Street, Britain’s longest-running Sunday newspaper is 200 years old this month.
I Pearl Harbor In possibly the biggest single mistake of the 20th century, the Japanese persuaded the USA to join World War II , 50 years ago
I Chamber Operas A double-bill of small-scale operas written by John Clifford and Iain Heggie with music by J amesMcMillan and Craig Armstrong will be this year’s unusual Christmas offering at the Traverse Theatre.
I Allen 3 They’re back . . . so’s Ripley. Get out your acid-proof suits and grab hold of that flamethrower.
SCOTTISH INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL
May 28 - June 2 1991
lnverleith Park, Edinburgh
The 1991 Festival Programme is available now from : The Children's Festival, 22 Laurie Street, Edinburgh, EH6 7AB Tel. 031 554 6297
INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE
FESTIVAL, EDINBURGH APRIL 1-14, 1991
Space-sailing, fire-walking, drugs in sport, and pornography are among the scores of diverse topics to be discussed, demonstrated and debated at the world's only Science Festival. Intrigued? Then give your body a break, and come and stretch your mind!
Enquiries to: Edinburgh Science Festival Ltd 20 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh (tel: 031 228 4756)
The List 11— 24 January 19919