The Front
News, gossip and opinion
Frin e swe Is in all the fight places
£500,000 ticket deal. Words: Mark Fisher Photo: Ewan Myles
told, it's what you do wrth it.
But the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe scores on both counts. Not only does it have a Wide girth — just a few shows shy of the record-breaking 50th anniversary year in 1997 — but it's in all the right places. The event. running 5—27 August. is 800 bigger than last year and the growth area is in theatre. Drama lovers will have 692 shows to choose from. an increase of 120 companies and most of them professional.
More good news is that the Fringe is giving away £500,000 of tickets. On 5 and 6 August. virtually every show on the Fringe — over 160.000 seats — will be available on a two-for-one basis (see www.edfringe.com/2forf ).
Shows swelling the theatre programme include a Polish outdoor production of Shakespeare's Corie/anus. Susannah York in Shakespeare's l”;- Women and a co-production between Paines Plough and Frantic Assembly called Tiny Dynamite. The Traverse Theatre's “sued. lineup includes premieres of Wipmg My Also plenty to choose from elsewhere in the Mother's Arse by Iain Heggie (as previously 1462'3h0W Programme T 0“ the Fringe ‘5 revealed in The List). Gagarin Way by first-time baCk With SUPerQFaSS. Ne” Fim- the writer Gregory Burke and AM Came/at Supernaturals and Starsailor, while fans of rock directed by Gerry Muigrew. Elsewhere there is writing will want to catch Collins, Maconie and the return or several Scottish favourites Quantick at the Pleasance. Comedians include including Tam Dean Burn in Fi/th. Suspect Alan DaViesi Mark Thomas“ Rhona cameron culture's Casanova. Grid iron's Becky Does A and Trevor & Simon (with a show called Circus Bronco and Theatre Babe|'s Medea. Of EV”). And celebrity spotters won't want to
At the Assembly Rooms the highlights miss J08“ Rivers include The Man In The Flying Lawnchair, the true stOry of an American truck driver who launched himself 16.000 feet with the help of 50 weather balloons. The Matchmaker. a hit show from Dublin, and Elvis! On My Mind. a
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Tickets go on sale on Monday 18 June. Order a programme at www.edfringe.com or 0907 159 2001 (calls cost approximately £2).
Coming quite soon . . .
Hitchcock’s suspicions are confirmed
Pierce Brosnan and Renee Russo arrive at the 1999 Film Festival
Film Fest job announced Director promises teamwork
Shane Danielsen is to he the next illiliiilf‘ fliieiti it NY the Edinburgh International Film Festixal, lhe fr lll‘tff features writer and columnist for The Australia/r newspaper Will take up the post in the early autumn from current artistic director 1 l/.’l(? liancke.
With plans to encourage cross pollination between film. book and mUSlC festivals and to iilake the International Film Festival a regular presence throughout the year, Danielsen told The List: 'lt's not going to be a radically different festival but hopefully it will be better. I see my ioh as perpetuating the legaCy that Lizzie Francke has left' (Catherine Bromley)
Anti-M74 lobby mobilises
Sheridan calls for alternatives
Grassroots opposition to the M74 motOrway extertsion planned to plough through Glasgow is taking forrn. At a public meeting organised by JAM74 (Joint Action against M74) in Govanhill. reSIdents — already angry over the closure of their community pool — heard how the $3245m motorway w0uld not only destroy homes and businesses but add to local traffic congestion.
Tommy Sheridan of the Scottish Socialists. the only leading party against the motorway. told the group that the anti-M74 movement could make this an election issue in 2003 but must propose alternatives as well. for example a much cheaper lightrail scheme to bring reliable public transport across Glasgow. (Barry Shelbyi
door-mat tltuinper set
Hot on the heels of producing one of this year's finest albums so far. Sparklehorse are bringing the video album for It 's A Wonderful Life to the Edinburgh Film Festival. Each short film has been produced by different artists with the idiosyncratic likes of Tom Waits. Will
‘ Oldham and the
4 THE LIST 7—21 Jun 2001
Quay Brothers getting involved . . . If you enjoyed last year’s BBC show Black Cab. a series of shert films all revolving around antics going on in the back or front of London taxis. yOu'll be delighted to note that the creators are back with Table 72. These films revolve around antics going on in restaurants. Among
those hoping to act their way to a free lunch are Daniela Nardini. Sophie Okonedo and Phyllida Law . . . Graham Norton will be hosting the final of Channel 4'3 80 You Think You're Funny to be held at Edinburgh's Gilded Balloon on Sunday 26 August. So far, the entrants have ranged from a lay
preacher to male lap dancer, while the oldest would-be comic so far is 71 years old... Whitbread-nominated author Michel Faber is a busy man. His new novella The 799 Steps is out in late June while expectations are very high for his next full— lengther entitled Crimson Peta/. Due for publication around August 2002. it‘s a
in Victorian England
. . . After the decidedly mixed reaction to Gus Van Sant's re—inake of Psycho. the Hitchcock canon is set to be plundered again. This time. the Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine murder/ milk/mystery Suspicion is next for updating. Much turning in graves can be expected.