The REALIST
So much culture, so little time. We boil it down to ten of the best events
2 AROUND TOWN Scot:Lands
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations always reward those who actually manage to haul themselves out of bed on New Year’s Day and are faced with a vibrant programme of events. This year, the schedule of gigs, readings and performances of all stripes are divided among nine different ‘Lands’. See Hogmanay feature, page 13. Various venues, Edinburgh, Wed 1 Jan.
1 FILM 12 Years a Slave
3 STAYING IN Sherlock
Steve McQueen cements his reputation as one of Britain’s finest working directors with his third feature, an adaptation of Solomon Northup’s memoirs. Born as a free man in 1841, Northup was kidnapped and forced to work as a slave for 12 years before securing his freedom. He’s played in this stunning drama by Chiwetel Ejiofor, with Brad Pitt and McQueen regular Michael Fassbender filling out the stellar support. See our five-star review, page 80. General release from Fri 10 Jan. It’s a fruitful time of year for Mr Cumberbatch: as well as roles in 12 Years a Slave and the Hobbit sequel, he’s also returning to our television screens as the country’s favourite super-sleuth. See feature, page 44. BBC One, Wed 1 Jan.
4 THE LIST 12 Dec 2013–23 Jan 2014