F E S T I V A L Noticeboard NewsGossipOpinion
Visit list.co.uk/festival for daily arts & entertainment news
FESTIVAL INFO August in Edinburgh can be rather disorientating. Here’s the essential info on the major festivals taking place
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL Fri 13 Aug–Sun 5 Sep, 0131 473 2000, www.eif.co.uk High-quality opera, dance, theatre and classical music from internationally- renowned companies. FESTIVAL FRINGE Fri 6–Mon 30 Aug, 0131 226 0000, www.edfringe.com Theatre, comedy, dance, kids’ events, musicals, opera, events and exhibitions. Full of underground gems.
MELA FESTIVAL Fri 6–Sun 8 Aug, 0131 332 2888, www.edinburgh-mela.co.uk A weekend event with music, food, dance and theatre, all with a multicultural flavour.
ART FESTIVAL Thu 29 Jul–Sun 5 Sep, www.edinburghartfestival.com Visual art, children’s storytelling, performances, events and exhibitions at various venues across the city. INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL Sat 14–Mon 30 Aug, 0845 373 5888, www.edbookfest.co.uk Book readings, signings, kids’ activities and workshops based around Charlotte Square in the city centre.
FESTIVAL OF POLITICS Tue 17–Sat 21 Aug, 0131 348 5200, www.festivalofpolitics.org.uk Debates and discussions on a variety of topics including comedy, sport and the environment.
FOREST FRINGE Mon 9–Sat 21 Aug, www.forestfringe.co.uk Artist-led mini-festival that produces experimental theatre, performative art and music in a warm, relaxing space.
On song
From Armando Iannucci releasing a single to the unveiling of the autumn theatre season, we take a peek at life beyond the Edinburgh festivals Words: Anna Millar
W hile he may be best known for penning satirical telly hit The Thick of It, Armando Iannucci has revealed another unlikely talent as he releases a single for charity. Two works the In the Loop scribe had written for his Radio 4 series Facts and Fancies have been set to music, and released on iTunes – and they aren’t half bad either. Having been approached by musical comedian Tommy Mackay, Iannucci allowed his lyrics to be set to music, with profits going towards saving a specialist maternity unit in Oxford under threat of closure. Check out our favourite, ‘Shoplifting Girl’, now.
In other news, BBC Scotland has commissioned two new dramas, Case Histories, a six-part series adapted from Kate Atkinson’s mystery novel and Young
James, a three-part dramatisation of vet James Herriot’s student days in Scotland. One will be set in Glasgow and the other in Edinburgh; look out for them hitting your screens in 2011. Scotland’s autumn theatre landscape is also shaping up nicely, with Dundee Rep announcing a revival of their Proclaimers-penned hit Sunshine on Leith as well as a short run of three monologues from Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads series at the end of September, and A Doll’s House in October. Over at Glasgow’s Tron, meanwhile, the season will kick off with RSAMD students performing new plays by Peter Arnott, Chris Hannan and Nicola McCartney, as well as the Tron’s own productions of Dirty Paradise, based on a short story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Sea & Land & Sky by Abigail Docherty.
TAKE5 OUR GUIDE TO SEEING IT ALL WITHOUT MISSING A MEAL
Big Bite-Size Breakfast Croissants, coffee and strawberries get your day off to a fine start as you watch a buffet selection of ten-minute plays at The Assembly on George Street. The plays are chosen from a rotating selection of theatrical morsels, including pieces from past and present, grown at home and imported from abroad.
Naked Brunch All those early(ish) rises are going to take their toll; happily, Naked Brunch at C Central is offering a one-off food event on Sun 22 Aug where you get to sleep in a bit, and don’t even have to put on your Sunday best. For those of a shy disposition, be warned: apparently the nudity is non- negotiable.
Al Murray: The Pub Landlord’s Compete For The Meat Lunchtime, and time for a spot of pub-quizzery at the Pleasance Dome. Gather your mates around, grab a pint and enjoy a comedy-flavoured pub quiz, courtesy of Britain’s best known publican. First prize is a frozen chicken, so you’ve got dinner sorted as well.
Chopin/Mendelssohn After Lunch If you’re still feeling a bit peckish in the afternoon, head to the Royal Over-Seas League on Princes Street and enjoy some live classical music while nibbling on shortbread and sipping some tea or coffee. An ever-changing set list and cast of musicians supply the tunes from Chopin and Mendelssohn. Hardeep Singh Kohli: Chat Masala For dinner, head along to the Gilded Balloon at Teviot for Celebrity Masterchef finalist Hardeep Singh Kohli’s live chat show. Aside from nattering with festival guests and showcasing some live bands, Kohli will cook up an audience-voted curry throughout each hour-long performance.
10 THE LIST 5–12 Aug 2010