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Hogmanay TITBITS
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay offers a variety of ways to bring in the bells. But if you’re looking for entertainment that’s farther afield Citylink are providing late-night bus services to Glasgow, Dundee, Perth and beyond. Call Citylink on 0871 266 3333 or see citylink.co.uk for more. For those within Edinburgh,
Lothian Buses are providing free services between 12.15am and 4am on the morning of 1 Jan. There are also buses running out to South Queensferry from Waterloo Place on the morning of 1 Jan for those looking to partake in, or just spectate, at The Loony Dook – the annual New Year’s Day dip under the shadow of the Forth Bridge, will take place at 11am.
Those looking to indulge in some home comforts while simultaneously enjoying the mighty Edinburgh’s Hogmanay line-up can do just that, as this year’s music events will be streamed live online. You’ll be able to hear songs from headliners Primal Scream and Friendly Fires, as well as getting a glimpse of the all-important fireworks. Register at edinburghs hogmanay.com for one of the 20,000 free allocations and tune in to the one-hour-long programme, which starts at 11.30pm. ■ See feature page 14 for more information on this year’s line-up.
O P I N I O N Bard work ahead
As Scotland goes Shakespeare crazy, Mark Fisher says the pressure’s on to make the Bard more relevant than ever
I n 1964, the Polish critic Jan Kott published Shakespeare, our Contemporary. The book caused a stir for framing a long-dead playwright through the lens of 20th century totalitarianism. Director Peter Brook was delighted to find a commentator who could relate ‘these works to our lives’.
Another man who relates Shakespeare to his own life is Alan Cumming. Speaking after the announcement of his one-man Macbeth, which will be staged by the National Theatre of Scotland in June, the actor said he was born near Birnam, grew up near Glamis and had family from Cawdor. ‘I have this really strong connection to the story,’ he said. ‘The person I will be playing is someone who is obsessed with the story of Macbeth and those characters.’ Cumming’s Macbeth is not the only high-profile Shakespeare coming up. In April, at Glasgow’s Citizens, David Hayman will star in King Lear. Soon after, Jemima Levick will direct The Tempest at
Dundee Rep.
There’s a Polish Macbeth and a Russian A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Edinburgh International Festival and one venue manager is contemplating a ‘festival of Polish Macbeths’ on the Edinburgh Fringe. All this, and we’ve still to mention Glasgow’s Bard in the Botanics season. Beyond Macbeth, the current exhibition at the National Library of Scotland, introduces us to Scottish collectors of Shakespeare all the way back to William Drummond. He was literally Shakespeare’s contemporary, being in his 30s when the playwright died. The glut of productions in 2012 puts more pressure than ever on directors to communicate the urgency that inspired Drummond and obsessed Cumming.
Staging pretty period pieces is no good. If Shakespeare is to remain our contemporary, he must be staged with vigour and purpose. The abundance of productions in 2012 means audiences should accept nothing less.
ReviewofReviews
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN ON GENERAL RELEASE
10 THE LIST 15 Dec 2011-5 Jan 2012
‘It’s pedestrian in most ways, but Williams . . . lends it a touch of magic amid the nonsense.’ TIME OUT
‘The problem isn’t Williams or the serviceable work of the director Simon Curtis, but a script by Adrian Hodges that hews faithfully to Clark’s clichés.’ NEW YORK TIMES ‘[Th]is is light fare: it doesn’t pretend to offer any great insight, but it offers a great deal of pleasure and fun.’ THE GUARDIAN
‘Michelle Williams lights up the screen as a radiant, vulnerable Marilyn; rising star Eddie Redmayne is a gauche delight as Colin Clark and there are splendid turns from Kenneth Branagh.’ THE TELEGRAPH ‘Monroe’s beauty was one of a kind. No one, not even Williams, can act it. What Williams does, with fierce artistry and feeling, is illuminate Monroe’s insights and insecurities about herself at the height of her fame.’ ROLLING STONE