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C O L N M C P H E R S O N
P H O T O © J A N B A U E R C O U R T E S Y J O N A T H A N M E E S E
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FILM Mr Turner
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BOOKS Dundee Literary Festival
Director Mike Leigh and actor Timothy Spall are both in the scintillating form of their careers as they make flesh the life and work of JMW Turner, revealing the abundant pain and loss suffered by this now iconic artist. See review, page 64. General release from Fri 31 Oct. Jodi Picoult, James Naughtie, Viv Albertine and Carys Bray (pictured) are among the attractions at this year’s bookish rendezvous in Tayside. Why should Edinburgh and Wigtown have all the fun when talent can head north? See preview, page 50. Various venues, Dundee, Wed 22–Sun 26 Oct.
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STAYING IN The Knick
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COMEDY Sara Pascoe
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THEATRE The Gamblers
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VISUAL ART Jonathan Meese
Steven Soderbergh joins the ranks of Hollywood talent moving to telly and no one will regret it if the first episodes of this 1900 hospital-set drama are any guide. Clive Owen excels as a maverick medic with a dark set of vices. See review, page 22. Sky Atlantic from Thu 16 Oct.
With an Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination now to her name, we can only expect Sara Pascoe to go from here to eternity with her invigorating brand of stand-up. Sara Pascoe vs History should have the masses flocking her way. See preview, page 60. The Stand, Glasgow, Sun 2 Nov.
With its all-female cast, Greyscale, Northern Stage and Stellar Quines regender Gogol’s tale of decadence. This thrilling satire of greed and comic celebration of sly cunning has been adapted by Selma Dimitrijevic and Mikhail Durnenkov. See preview, page 96. See listings for full dates. Tokyo-born but Germany-raised, Meese brings us sculptures, drawings, music and ‘toys of total art’ with the brilliantly named Pump up the Vampire, Pump up the Vampire, Pump up the Vampire, Smell!. See preview, page 105. Glue Factory, Glasgow, until Sun 2 Nov.
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CHOSEN BY FOLK MUSICIAN RACHEL SERMANNI Persian Classic Concert
Driving to an airport, somewhere in Canada, at the cold and pitch black hour of 3am. Taxi driver was ardently trying to teach me the basics of his mother-tongue. He was from Iran, also known as (or once of) Persia. The radio played his country’s music. I suspect, though, the music was not quite true to any regional traditions. I do not remember any of the words he taught me. Let it be a lesson for us all: 3am taxi rides are not primetime schooling hours. But it sparked a curiosity. Now, I see that the true traditional music of Persia is coming to Edinburgh. A man called Mohammad- Reza Shajarian will sing. Persian music is extremely haunting. This man, and the Shahnaz Ensemble, will suspend us in awe whilst preserving and honouring an ancient music of their ancestors, like some beautiful Middle Eastern gherkin. Persian Classic Concert, Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Wed 22 Oct; Rachel Sermanni plays Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, Thu 30 Oct; full tour dates at rachelsermanni.net; her new album, Live in Dawson City, is released on Thu 16 Oct.
16 Oct–13 Nov 2014 THE LIST 5