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AROUND TOWN Something of a Christmas institution, Glasgow’s IRN-BRU Carnival this year celebrates its 90th birthday with a showcase of over sixty attractions, including the Superbowl, Waltzer, Toboggan Coaster and the Dodgems. Little-uns can enjoy Wacky Racer Car Track, Mini Wheel and Chairoplanes, while rides new to the funfair include a revamped Ghost Train, Bungee Trampolines and Frisbee ride. Over in Edinburgh International Science Festival has launched a new online discovery centre in the run up to next 2011’s festival. Check at www.sciencefestival.co.uk it out
the capital,
BOOKS Scotland’s architectural heritage will come under the spotlight in a new book to be launched by Historic Scotland: Building up our Health: the architecture of Scotland’s historic hospitals will show how hospital architecture has evolved over the years in response to medical advances and changing philosophies. FESTIVAL Tickets for 2011’s Wickerman Festival (22 & 23 Jul) are now on sale and can be snapped up at www.thewickermanfestival.co.uk. An adult weekend pass costs £90, including camping and car parking.
FILM The line-up for February’s Glasgow Youth Film Festival has been announced, with Paul, the comedy sci-fi flick, starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Sigourney Weaver revealed as the opening film. The programme further boasts 30 feature films, including Make Believe, a documentary about street magic and Wasted on the Young, about the pitfalls of 8 THE LIST 6–20 Jan 2011
THEATRE After a stunning 2010 line-up, theatre collective Cryptic have announced plans for 2011. They include plans for a double bill staging of composer David Lang’s work: World to Come and The Little Match Girl Passion at the Tron Theatre. February will bring laser installation VectorSpace to the city centre. In other Tron news, the theatre has announced that Abigail Docherty, winner of the Tron’s Open Stage Playwriting Competition earlier this year, has been awarded a Pearson Playwrights’ Bursary. Elsewhere, Dundee Rep have announced a Spring season that includes musical drama The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, children’s show The Firebird and a reworking of Tolstoy’s mighty Anna Karenina. VISUAL ART Lastly, the RSA has been secured £47,000 to fund this year’s RSA Residencies for Scotland programme, allowing artists to apply for individual grants of up to £5000. See www.royalscottishacademy.org for more.
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ARTS AND CULTURE NEWS COVERED IN TWO MINUTES
SMHAFF is accepting entries for its annual open film submission
social networking. Look out too for the world premiere of Beastie, a dynamic short film inspired by William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies as part of a collaboration between Theatre Royal Glasgow and leading dance company New Adventures. In other film festival news, The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival (SMHAFF) is now accepting entries for its annual open submission. See www.mhfestival.com for more. Last year’s competition welcomed over 100 independent entries from the US, Canada and Europe as well as community groups, students and industry professionals based in Scotland. film
Channel Hopper
Dispatches from the sofa, with Brian Donaldson
■ Here comes one of those ‘wonder why no one had thought of that before?’ ideas. The ever- increasing number of British comedies (from The Office to Shameless starring William H Macy) flying their way Stateside for a transatlantic overhaul is a scenario rife with sitcom possibilities. We are, so it keeps being said, two nations separated by a common language, which makes for much fish-out-of-water potential. Being a comedy about a comedy, Episodes (BBC2, Mon 10 Jan, 10pm) could have overplayed every hand that’s dealt to it, but thanks to deliciously funny performances and pinsharp writing, it’s already embossed with the stamp of a hit that could run for a decade. The big surprise is that even
though it’s defiantly a show coming from the British viewpoint, it’s actually written by Americans, including David Crane, he of Bright/Kauffman /Crane Friends fame. Less of a shocker is that we get pitch- perfect displays from Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan as a husband-and-wife scripting team whose award-winning show about a stuffy headmaster at a public school gets virtually snatched by a US studio. As soon as the pair land in LA, their problems truly begin as the execs insist on substantial changes, the biggest of which is dumping a Shakespearean Brit for Matt LeBlanc. Yes, you can probably see where all this is headed already, but going along for the ride turns out to be an irresistible treat.
Friends reunited?