INSIDE
wish list WE’VE GOT CHRISTMAS COVERED
GLASGOW & EDINBURGH EVENTS GUIDE 1 NOV 2019–31 JAN 2020 | ISSUE 756 LIST.CO.UK
FREE
SUPPORTED BY
FESTIVAL CLUB
New for Burns&Beyond with Johnnie Walker 2020, the ‘Festival Club’ at the famous Assembly Rooms, presents a packed 4-night programme of live music, dancin’ and whisky. Tickets On-Sale Now!
THURSDAY 23 JANUARY OPENING NIGHT CONCERT:
Rachel Sermanni Chris Stout & Catriona McKay
Rachel Sermanni
Assembly Rooms – Ballroom / 7pm – 8.30pm Tickets £17.50 (Inc. booking fees)
Edwyn Collins
Assembly Rooms – Music hall / 9pm – 10.30pm Tickets £27 (Inc. booking fees)
FRIDAY 24 JANUARY TEA-TIME CEILIDH WITH...
Edwyn Collins
Fergie MacDonald ‘The Ceilidh King’ Assembly Rooms – Ballroom / 6pm – 8pm Tickets £12.50 (Inc. booking fees)
TIDE LINES Assembly Rooms – Music hall / 9pm – 10.30pm Tickets £22 (Inc. booking fees)
SATURDAY 25 JANUARY
Burns&Beyond Culture Crawl Tea-Time Ceilidh
Explore venues throughout Old & New Town / 6.30pm – 10.30pm Tickets £25 (Inc. booking fees)
THU 23 – SUN 26 JANUARY
Festival Club Aftershows
DJ Davie Miller & Paradise Palms Records Assembly Rooms – Ballroom / 10.30pm – Late / Free entry
MORE INFO AND FULL PROGRAMME AT Tide Lines
burnsandbeyond.com
CONTENTS 1 NOV 2019–31 JAN 2020 | LIST.CO.UK
I
t's been a pretty cracking 12 months in the world of arts and culture in Scotland and, once again, we're thrilled to be celebrating the folks that have made the greatest impact with our annual Hot 100 list. But 2019's Hot 100 has a twist; equality! Or in other words, there's no set ranking this year, with the exception of our Top 19 for 2019. Intrigued? Turn to page 21 to find out who we've listed as our favourites of the year in each genre and then for that all-important number one spot, head on over to page 44. It's a good one! Make sure you also follow the discussion online using #ListHot100. In other news, it's our last issue of the year but we've made sure to pack in plenty of recommendations for the festive period and beyond. We speak to Mark Ronson about Hogmanay on page 56, Songhoy Blues, who play Glasgow's Great Western festival, on page 53, the legend that is Danny Elfman on page 53 and Knives Out / Star Wars director Rian Johnson on page 60. Plus, don't forget to flick through this year's Wish List for all that Christmassy goodness, including some excellent shopping tips. Elsewhere, you'll find chats with Ardal O'Hanlon (page 54), Bat for Lashes (page 103) and Metronomy (page 104) and we also take a dive into the Dundee V&A's latest exhibition, Hello, Robot (page 132). And for an extra special treat, turn over to see some of team List's best pals, personal heroes and all-time faves.
FRONT Realist
6
News
15
Celtic Connections
17
FEATURES Hot 100
COVER STORY
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wish list WE’VE GOT CHRISTMAS COVERED
GLASGOW & EDINBURGH EVENTS GUIDE 1 NOV 2019–31 JAN 2020 | ISSUE 756 LIST.CO.UK
FREE
SUPPORTED BY
HOT 100
It's that time of year again when thoughts float back to all the great cultural events and artists that have kept us enthralled and entertained in Scotland throughout 2019. It's been another groundbreaking year across the genres, but who (or what) has reached the top of our tree in the much-anticipated Hot 100? Plus, we look at some of the best festivals and top venues across our nation, as well as taking a walk through the Hall of Fame to recall who has been there and done that in previous Hot 100s.
49
Edinburgh's Hogmanay
56
FOOD & DRINK
65
Dunnet Bay Distillers
65
Brett
66
AROUND TOWN MagicFest
BOOKS
Forget the new film and maybe don't even bother with the old movie: if you haven't seen The Lion King on stage before, get down to the Edinburgh Playhouse as it's transformed into the savanna for a musical treat. Don't forget the tissues.
A brand spanking new one-day music fest hits Glasgow's West End featuring a clutch of stars from our Hot 100, plus the likes of Songhoy Blues, Cass McCombs, Warmduscher (pictured), Malcolm Middleton, Chuchoter and Big Joanie.
GREAT OFFERS
THE GREAT WESTERN
12 Win 12 free drop-in classes at Dance Base
12 Win a bottle of Ardbeg An Oa; the best Islay Malt of 2019
12 Win full festival tickets to Burns&Beyond with Johnnie Walker 2020
12 Win a family experience at Beecraigs Festive Forest
13 Win Festively Flavoured Gin Baubles from Pickering’s Gin
13 Win tickets to A Christmas Fairy Trail at Archerfield Walled Garden
13 Win a pair of Johnnie Walker A Song of Ice and Fire bottles
80 80
83
The Big Scottish Book Club
83
Book Week Scotland
84
Samra Habib
84
COMEDY
87
Tim Minchin
87
Rob Beckett
88
Maisie Adam
89
91
The Aeronauts
91
The Irishman
92
Marriage Story
93
Jojo Rabbit
96
KIDS A Christmas Fairy Trail
99 99
Atlantis Banal: Beneath the Surface 100
MUSIC
103
Bat for Lashes
103
Metronomy
104
Ghost
108
THEATRE & DANCE
THE LION KING
21 53
Sudan Archives
52
21
The Nightmare Before Christmas
FILM
Editor
4
110
121
Scottish Ballet: The Snow Queen
121
Barber Shop Chronicles
122
thick skin, elastic heart
124
Acosta Danza
126
TELEVISION
128
The Crown
128
Podcasts
129
VISUAL ART
131
Hello, Robot
132
Alberta Whittle & Hardeep Pandhal
133
FIRST & LAST Eddi Reader
136 136
GRAPHIC CONTENT
CONTRIBUTORS PUBLISHING Editor Arusa Qureshi Subeditors Brian Donaldson, Paul McLean
What we’ve been talking about We’re a nation of animal-lovers, right? So, we thought it was high time to mark Graphic Content’s territory with an assemblage of The List’s most esteemed pets, from teabag-chewing cats to peanut-loving hamsters. Cuties, one and all . . . This is Alan. He’s two and a Sprocker X human spaniel. He began life on a farm, his doggo parents and grandparents were trained hunt dogs, gathering up the grouse. Alan, however, was not made for such arduous tasks. The only time he’ll peel himself off his human of choice is to chase a ball.
Here’s my friend Kacper’s dog, Piper. She’s three, loves leaves, cuddles and always wants to play. No toy that advertises itself as indestructible has bested her yet. As someone who used to be really scared of dogs, she’s taught me a lot.
Willow is my sassy lil’ chubby queen. Named after Catherine Willows from CSI when I was nine years old (best show ever, am I right?). Fun fact: she’s partial to licking a Sensations sweet chilli crisp.
Rita Gold, Queen of Cats! She’s ten, loves Dreamies, tandoori chicken and mayonnaise. Her favourite pastimes are sleeping, climbing doors and meowing (badly). She’s an idiot but I love her.
Here’s Popcorn, my plump ginger cat who likes to chew peppermint teabags and attack humans who don’t give him food . . . he’s lovely.
This is Rosie, an 11-year-old Sussex spaniel, often found on the floor at List HQ being hugged by half the office. Loves almonds, buses and men singing in high-pitched voices. Not fond of big hair or greyhounds.
This is Bramble with her pal Ben who’s always got her back. Bramble is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and quite regal in that she does very little, loves fine dining (well, cooked broccoli) and totally leeches off the state (aka her ‘mum’ and ‘dad’).
Teddy is not impressed with much, and is a total diva. He’s gone viral on Facebook on dogspotting, but hasn’t let it go to his head. He has been said to ‘look Scottish’: it may be the frown he often seems to have.
Kálmán is my sister’s adorable black skinny guinea pig who is a girl with a boy’s name and whose favourite thing in the entire world is to chill in her comfy Poke ball. Sadly she recently lost her eyesight but definitely not her appetite and famous ambulance sirenresembling sound.
This is Bella; one of our two Russian Dwarf hamsters. Bella loves apple slices, sesame seeds, peanuts and all of the human cuddles she can get.
This is Eddie, the sweetest dog in the world. He’s my friend’s miniature goldendoodle who I formed a special bond with. Eddie loves long walks and curling up on the couch beside you afterwards. He’s still back home in Canada and I miss his puppy dog eyes and cuddles every single day.
We switched litter brands recently and Begbie decided to protest by weeing directly outside his litter box while staring me down in a ‘look what you made me do’ fashion. Still, he’s my best pal in the world.
Meet Udon, a one-year old African Pygmy hedgehog. Udon likes late nights, custom Etsy bedding, mealworms and her own company. She is prickly to hold, not very sociable and a super picky eater, but is incredibly adorable.
4 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
Senior Designer Lucy Munro Designers Stuart Polson, Seonaid Rafferty Head of Development, Publishing Andy Carmichael Section Editors: Books Lynsey May, Comedy / Front / TV Brian Donaldson, Dance / Kids Kelly Apter, Film Reviews Emma Simmonds, Food & Drink Donald Reid, Music Arusa Qureshi, News Katharine Gemmell, Theatre Gareth K Vile, Visual Art Rachael Cloughton Advertising & Events: Head of Account Management: Jakob Van den Berg, Senior Events and Promotions Manager Rachel Cree, Senior Account Managers Ross Foley, Debbie Thomson, Account Manager Kyle Summers, Ad Ops Executive Victoria Parker, Events Development Executive Amy Clark Publishing Director Sheri Friers
DATA AND CONTENT SERVICES Content Manager Murray Robertson, Senior Content Producer Alex Johnston, Content Producers Deborah Chu, Megan Forsyth, Julia Kajdi, Sofia Matias, Affiliate Content Executive Becki Crossley, Business Development Manager: Data Claire Hutton, Head of Data Development Andy Bowles Data Developers Alan Miller, Stuart Moir Director Data and Content Brendan Miles
THE LIST Head of Accounting & HR Sarah Reddie Director Robin Hodge CEO Simon Dessain
Published by The List Ltd HEAD OFFICE: 14 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TE Tel: 0131 550 3050 editor@list.co.uk GLASGOW OFFICE: at the CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3JD Tel: 0141 332 9929, glasgow@list.co.uk; list.co.uk ISSN: 0959 - 1915 © 2019 The List Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without the written permission of the publishers. The List does not accept responsibility for unsolicited material. The List provides this content in good faith but no guarantee or representation is given that the content is accurate, complete or up-to-date. Use of magazine content is at your own risk. Printed by Acorn Web Offset Ltd, W.Yorkshire.
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REALIST PHOTO: JASON PERRY © ANOUK WIPPRECHT
N
PHOTO: SILVIA GRAV
R E B M OVE
2 HELLO, ROBOT VISUAL ART
The future is pretty much here as robots take an ever more active part in all our lives. This exhibition tries to pick apart the science and the fiction of the world today. Plus, there’s R2-D2. See feature, page 132. V&A Dundee, Sat 2 Nov–Sun 9 Feb.
PHOTO: MARC BRENNER
1 THE GREAT WESTERN MUSIC
Proving that great music festivals don’t have to occur in Scotland’s ‘balmy’ summer months, this exciting addition to the Glasgow calendar looks set to make a big impression. Among the acts on a sweet-looking one-dayer are a strong selection of our Hot 100 folk including Free Love, Sacred Paws and Heir of the Cursed while the event also welcomes Songhoy Blues, Cass McCombs (pictured), the Pastels and Malcolm Middleton. See feature, page 52. Various venues, Glasgow, Sat 23 Nov. 6 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
3 BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES THEATRE
Penned by Inua Ellams, this play (making its Scottish debut) is set in the venue where African men traditionally gather to examine issues around family, identity and politics. See preview, page 122. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 9 Nov.
So much culture, so little time. PHOTO: MARK NIXON
4 ARDAL O’HANLON
5 BOOK WEEK SCOTLAND
Still trying to break free of his Father Dougal shadow, this fine Irish stand-up might just be about to say a final farewell to the dim priest with a show that tackles the big questions of today. See feature, page 54. Tramway, Glasgow, Wed 13 Nov; Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 15 Nov.
This annual countrywide exploration of all things related to literature has another raft of top names (such as Frank Quitely and the pictured Jack Monroe) and events which aim to keep everyone thinking about books and ideas. See preview, page 84. Various venues, nationwide, Mon 18–Sun 24 Nov.
6 ATLANTIS BANAL
7 ACOSTA DANZA
8 KNIVES OUT
9 THE CROWN
Shona Reppe unleashes a ferocious imagination on her audience with more scintillating designs and ideas as she brings us props, costumes and a story that are all impossible to take your eyes and ears off. See review, page 100. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 21–Sat 23 Nov.
A diverse and energising pair of nights is assured as Carlos Acosta brings his Cuban company to the capital for Evolution, a stirring set of four works, including Christopher Bruce’s beloved ‘Rooster’. See preview, page 126. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 1 & Sat 2 Nov.
A star-studded whodunnit directed by Rian Johnson, with the likes of Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon and Daniel Craig all having a blast. See feature, page 61, and review, page 94. General release from Wed 27 Nov.
With this new third season, the Royals are deep in a tumultuous era of modern British history, as the Queen and her husband try coming to terms with the late 60s and early 70s. Olivia Colman takes on the role of Elizabeth this time around. See preview, page 128. Netflix, Sun 17 Nov.
COMEDY
KIDS
BOOKS
DANCE
FILM
TV
PHOTO: MIKAEL ERIKSSON
10 GHOST
CHOSEN BY COMEDIAN MARJOLEIN ROBERTSON
Ghost’s fourth studio album, Prequelle, was a musical highlight of my 2018. Now, fresh from supporting Metallica over the summer, Ghost continue with The Ultimate Tour Named Death. This Swedish rock band are known for their range of musical styles (from some of the heaviest metal riffs to psychedelic melodies) but now there’s added saxophone: there genuinely is something for everyone. They’re also famous for their attire, disguised as The Nameless Ghouls, with a lead singer now known as Cardinal Copia. Mystery and intrigue as to who the members are has surrounded the band since their inception. Although some identities are now known, they still take to the stage in full character with their costumes and theatrics adding a whole other level to the show. Albeit a level straight from the bowels of hell. Not to be missed. Marjolein Robertson, The Stand, Edinburgh, Thu 7–Sat 9 Nov; The Stand, Glasgow, Thu 14 Sat–16 Nov; Ghost, SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Mon 18 Nov; see preview, page 108. 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 7
R E B M ECE
BALLET: 1 SCOTTISH THE SNOW QUEEN DANCE
D
With typically stylish aplomb, Christopher Hampson choreographs a fresh take on the Hans Christian Andersen folk-tale, dubbing it as ‘Hansel and Gretel in the snow’. The eponymous character might still be a mean piece of work, but in this production we’re given an empathic glimpse into what might have made her that way. And, of course, it looks amazing, thanks to Lez Brotherston’s set and costume design. See preview, page 121. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 7– Sun 29 Dec; Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Fri 3–Sat 18 Jan.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF GLASGOW LIFE
2 COUNTERFLOWS
3 HAL FISCHER
Glasgow will still host this important underground festival next April, but Edinburgh gets a taste of the Counterflows action with three separate gigs led by Beatrice Dillon (pictured), Usurper, and Joe McPhee with Decoy. See preview, page 108. Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 2 Nov, Fri 20 Dec, Fri 31 Jan.
Documenting the gay culture of 1970s San Francisco, photographer Hal Fischer was embedded in that scene, which gave his lens a truthful, sharing power as he embarked on a semiotic study. See preview, page 133. Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, Fri 15 Nov–Sat 30 May.
MUSIC
8 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
VISUAL ART
The
REALIST PHOTO: MIHAELA BODLOVIC
4 THE LION KING
5 EDINBURGH’S HOGMANAY
6 I CAN GO ANYWHERE
The Disney spectacular created by Julie Taymor shows little sign of letting its grip go on the global consciousness, with Simba and co back for another musical extravaganza. See feature, page 49. Edinburgh Playhouse, Thu 5 Dec–Sun 29 Mar.
Another year is about to dawn and that means celebrating like there’s no tomorrow. In Edinburgh, this includes seeing a galaxy of stars such as Marc Almond, Mark Ronson and Dick & Dom (pictured). See feature, page 56. Various venues, Edinburgh, Tue 31 Dec.
Directed by Eve Nicol (pictured) and written by Douglas Maxwell, this bold drama focuses on the relationship between an ageing academic and a troubled asylum seeker with an intriguing backdrop of mod culture. See preview, page 124. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 7–21 Dec.
7 MARRIAGE STORY
8 THE MACKINNON COLLECTION
9 MAGICFEST
Noah Baumbach majestically directs Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver in an emotional piledriver which pulls no punches on the messy and traumatic business of divorce. See review, page 93. Selected release from Fri 15 Nov, Netflix from Fri 6 Dec.
Scottish life and identity from the 1840s all the way through to the 1940s is represented in an evocative collection of photography. See preview, page 133. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, Sat 16 Nov–Sun 16 Feb.
The tenth instalment of the conjuring event formerly known as the Edinburgh International Magic Festival promises many tricks up sleeves including an opening gala with Colin Cloud, Chloe Crawford and Kevin Quantum (pictured). See preview, page 80. Various venues, Edinburgh, Fri 27 Dec–Sun 5 Jan.
THEATRE
AROUND TOWN
THEATRE
PHOTO: COLIN HATTERSLEY
FILM
VISUAL ART
AROUND TOWN
10 NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS IN CONCERT CHOSEN BY ACTOR AND PLAYWRIGHT JOHNNY MCKNIGHT
OK, how can this not be a hot ticket? It’s got literally everything going for it to be the ideal Christmas treat. An award-winning score by Danny Elfman played by our very own RSNO? Check. A live reading from comedy great Catherine O’Hara (I’ve my fingers crossed she’s got a selection of her wigs from Schitt’s Creek to wear throughout the show)? Check. A Monday night performance: the one day off I have from panto? CHECK! And with only two shows in the whole of the UK (London being the other date) it makes it a rare treat in Glasgow. Aye, it might be strange singing ‘This Is Halloween’ after Halloween but that’s just yet another reason to make this show absolutely unmissable. Cinderfella, Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 27 Nov–5 Jan; The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert, SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Mon 2 Dec; see feature, page 53. 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 9
The
REALIST
Y R A JANU
2 CELTIC CONNECTIONS MUSIC
For 18 days, over 300 events will put the roots, world and Celtic focus upon Glasgow, with a strong line-up of international acts alongside homegrown talent such as Eddi Reader, Rachel Sermanni (pictured), RURA and Fergus McCreadie. See Big Picture, page 17, and First & Last, page 136. Various venues, Glasgow, Thu 16 Jan–Sun 2 Feb. PHOTO: RYAN JOHNSTON
1 JOJO RABBIT FILM
Taika Waititi dips his directorial toes into weighty political satire with an excellent cast featuring Scarlett Johansson, Rebel Wilson, Sam Rockwell, Alfie Allen and Stephen Merchant. Based on the Christine Leunens book Caging Skies, it revolves around a brainwashed Nazi Youth member who is appalled to discover that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Perhaps not obvious source material for a comedy movie, but it contains startling moments of hilarity and humanity. See review, page 96. General release from Fri 3 Jan.
PHOTO: ALICIA BRUCE
3 MAISIE ADAM
4 STAR TREK: PICARD
5 MOVE~GLUASAD
The 2017 So You Think You’re Funny champion takes her second solo show on tour, with Hang Fire asking people to calm down when it comes to online behaviour. See My Comedy Hero, page 89. Gilded Balloon Basement at Rose Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 21 Jan; The Stand, Glasgow, Wed 22 Jan.
The Starship Enterprise keeps on floating through space with Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Jean-Luc Picard, the beloved captain having been enticed out of retirement for one last mission. See preview, page 129. Amazon Prime Video, Fri 24 Jan.
Julia Taudevin and Kieran Hurley have created a show delivered by five women about migration, loss and humanity, featuring multi-lingual storytelling, choral soundscape and Gaelic song. See feature, page 50. Various venues, Isle of Lewis, Mon 27–Fri 31 Jan.
COMEDY
10 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
TV
THEATRE
WED 23 OCT – SUN 17 NOV 2019
BOOK NOW! LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE UNTIL SUN 17 NOV ILLUMINIGHT.CO.UK DCCPIlluminight
READER OFFERS WIN A FAMILY EXPERIENCE AT BEECRAIGS FESTIVE FOREST The List are teaming up with Beecraigs Festive Forest to offer readers the chance to win a family experience at their Festive Forest this year. This winter, Beecraigs Country Park will transform into a magical new Christmas attraction, creating a quality exciting winter experience for all the family. Take a stroll through the stunning woodland in the Illuminated Trail before heading to Santa’s Grotto to meet Santa and his Elves. Children can also post their letters to the North Pole in their exciting Storytelling Experience. With additional activities such as a Festive Silent Disco, Vintage Style Fun Fair Rides, live acts such as carol singers, orchestras and brass bands and a traditional Christmas Market with delicious winter food and drink, Beecraigs Festive Forest is the place to be this festive season. To be in with a chance of winning, simply log onto list.co.uk/offers and tell us:
Who can you meet at Beecraigs Festive Forest?
WIN 12 FREE DROP-IN CLASSES AT DANCE BASE The List are teaming up with Dance Base to offer you the chance to win 12 free drop-in classes that can be used during the 2020 spring/summer term. Turn it up in 2020 and try a new class or get involved in a new project at Edinburgh’s home of dance! Make the first move and treat yourself to 12 free dance classes that you or your children have always wanted to try or brush up on. Whether you fancy jazz, Cuban salsa, breakdance or a movement and sensory class with the little ones, Dance Base have got it all. Don’t forget they also run a number of partnership projects including Dance for Parkinson’s Scotland and Intercultural Youth Scotland that you might wish to engage with as well as classes! To be in with a chance of winning, simply log onto list.co.uk/offers and tell us:
Name two partnerships that Dance Base are currently involved with.
Beecraigs Festive Forest Thu 5–Tue 24 Dec Beecraigs Country Park Linlithgow EH49 6PL
Dance Base 14–16 Grassmarket Edinburgh EH1 2JU
beecraigsfestiveforest.buzz
dancebase.co.uk
TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Mon 2 Dec 2019. Offer is for a family ticket (two adults and two children) to a day of your choosing. The List’s usual rules apply.
WIN FULL FESTIVAL TICKETS TO BURNS&BEYOND WITH JOHNNIE WALKER 2020
TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Fri 29 Nov 2019. Offer is for 12 drop-in classes, to be used for the 2020 spring/summer season. The List’s usual rules apply.
WIN A BOTTLE OF ARDBEG AN OA; THE BEST ISLAY MALT OF 2019
The List are partnering up with Burns&Beyond with Johnnie Walker to offer you the chance to win a pair of full festival tickets to their 2020 Festival. This year, Burns&Beyond with Johnnie Walker will run from Wed 22 Jan to Sat 1 Feb with a packed programme of free and ticketed events celebrating art and culture from across Scottish and beyond, from Burns to now. With these full festival tickets, enjoy music from Scottish legends Edwyn Collins and Tide Lines, the stunning Chinese Lanterns at St Giles’ Cathedral, Whisky Tasting sessions with sponsors Johnnie Walker, comedy on the Red Red Rose Street, and the return of event favourites Burns&Beyond Culture Trail and the ‘Not-So-Traditional’ Burns Supper. You can find full programme and event details on their website. To be in with a chance of winning, simply log onto list.co.uk/offers and tell us:
What delicious Scottish food is traditionally eaten on Burns Night? Haggis, Porridge or Pizza Crunch? Burns&Beyond Wed 22 Jan–Sat 1 Feb Various locations in Edinburgh’s New Town and Old Town
burnsandbeyond.com TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Fri 3 Jan 2020. Entrants must be over 18. The List’s usual rules apply.
12 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
The List are teaming up with Ardbeg to offer readers the chance to win a bottle of their award-winning Ardbeg An Oa. A new addition to the Ultimate range, Ardbeg An Oa is singularly rounded, due to its time spent in the newly established bespoke oak Gathering Vat. As the home to previous whiskies from several cask types including; sweet Pedro Ximenez; spicy virgin charred oak; and intense ex-bourbon casks, amongst others, the result is a dram with smoky power, mellowed by a delectable, smooth sweetness. Hallmark Ardbeg peat, dark chocolate and aniseed are wrapped in smooth, silky butterscotch, black pepper and clove, before rising to an intense crescendo of flavour. A perfect accompaniment this Christmas. To be in with a chance of winning, simply log onto list.co.uk/offers and tell us:
What are the key flavours in Ardbeg An Oa? Ardbeg An Oa
ardbeg.com Competition closes Mon 2 Dec 2019. Entrants must be 18 and over. The List’s usual rules apply.
WIN FESTIVELY FLAVOURED GIN BAUBLES FROM PICKERING’S GIN
The List are partnering up with Pickering’s Gin to offer you a chance to win two packs of their Festively Flavoured Gin Baubles. Win the ultimate Festive Gin Tasting and Christmas Tree upgrade! Each bauble (50ml each) contains a brand new, brightly coloured, fabulously festive flavour including Christmas Clementine, Festive Cranberry, Spiced Pear & Cinnamon, Figgy Pudding, Plum & Ginger and love them or loathe them, Brussels Sprout Gin. To be in with a chance of winning, simply log onto list.co.uk/offers and tell us:
Pickering’s Gin have created a world first this year distilling a festive flavour we all either love or loathe, but what is it?
Pickering’s Gin
pickeringsgin.com TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Mon 2 Dec 2019. Entrants must be over the age of 18. Prize cannot be exchanged for any other products. The List’s usual rules apply.
WIN TICKETS TO A CHRISTMAS FAIRY TRAIL AT ARCHERFIELD WALLED GARDEN The List are partnering up with Archerfield Walled Garden and Rogue Village to offer readers the chance to win a family evening out at their A Christmas Fairy Trail with tickets and hot drinks included. Enter Archerfield Walled Garden’s enchanting fairy trail and get lost in a world of forest folk and fairies. This immersive light and theatrical extravaganza is now in its third year. New for 2019, magic has taken grip of the woodland and there are illusions, magic, lighting and lasers around every corner. The event even has its own Director of Magic this year – Magical Bones! He has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry and was selected as the closing act at the BBC Baftas. To be in with a chance of winning, simply log onto list.co.uk/offers and tell us:
What is the name of the Director of Magic on A Christmas Fairy Trail? A Christmas Fairy Trail Fri 6–Tue 24 Dec (exc. Mon 9, 16 and Tue 10, 17 Dec) Archerfield Walled Garden North Berwick EH39 5HQ
achristmasfairytrail.com TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Mon 2 Dec 2019. The List’s usual rules apply.
WIN A PAIR OF JOHNNIE WALKER A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE BOTTLES The List are teaming up with Johnnie Walker to offer readers the chance to win bottles of their Game of Thrones-themed whiskies. Winter is coming – and Game of Thrones fans are in for a treat. Inspired by the iconic and powerful houses of Westeros, Johnnie Walker and HBO have introduced two brand new Scotch whiskies to the realm. From House Stark comes Johnnie Walker A Song of Ice and from House Targaryen comes Johnnie Walker A Song of Fire – and to celebrate, we’re giving you the chance to win the two bottles. Featuring single malts from Clynelish, one of Scotland’s most northern distilleries, A Song of Ice exudes a crisp, clean taste like the unforgiving force of ice that shapes mountains and stops rivers. A Song of Fire, on the other hand, encapsulates the Mother of Dragons herself, boasting flavours of subtle smoke from the peated malts of the Caol Ila distillery in Islay to create a rich and spicy whisky. Together, the two whiskies celebrate the dynamic relationship between the houses. To be in with a chance of winning, simply log into list.co.uk/offers and tell us:
A Song of Ice features single malts from which northern distillery?
Johnnie Walker; A Song of Ice and Fire
johnniewalker.com TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Mon 9 Dec 2019. Entrants must be 18 and over. One winner will win both bottles. The List’s usual rules apply.
1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 13
— Collection in aid of
JOSEPH SWENSEN CONDUCTS
NEW YEAR GALA CONCERT INCLUDING MUSIC BY J STRAUSS II, GRIEG, NIELSEN and LUMBYE HARRIET EYLEY – Soprano
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Announcements, line-ups and opinion QUEEN’S HALL BAG MICHAEL BEGG The Queen’s Hall has announced its first ever associate artist in residence will be experimental musician and composer Michael Begg. Throughout 2020, Michael will be working at the venue to develop the LIMINAL programme, a series of performances and events that will explore the crossover between classical and experimental music. Evan Henderson, chief executive of the Queen’s Hall, said: ‘As we look towards the next phase of the Hall’s life, we’re expanding our horizons through new artistic directions to encourage new audiences to engage with us, whilst continuing to programme across all musical genres for our existing audiences.’
Cirque du Soleil
NIGHTWAVE AMAZON FUNDRAISER Glasgow’s newest club Room 2 and DJ Nightwave are teaming up for a fundraising edition of Nightrave to raise money for the Amazon rainforest on Friday 8 Nov. Maya Medvesek, aka Nightwave, said: ‘This fundraiser is a way of saying thank you from us all and a political act of solidarity during these times of extreme crisis for the forest and its peoples.’ Joining the line-up will be Anna Gram and Bonzai Bonner, aka Lezzer Quest, Liam Doc, Lisaloof, and more to be announced. Tickets costs £10 and 100 per cent will be donated to the Huni Kuin tribe.
BOWHOUSE LAUNCHES MUSIC PROGRAMME
Michael Begg
Bowhouse in St Monans, Fife, has launched a programme of live music at its Futtle brewery taproom. The taproom doubles as a bar and a performance hub, as well as a vinyl store for their resident record label, Triassic Tusk Records. Open Fri–Sun from noon, there will be regular live performances. King Creosote and Mairearad Green will launch the next instalment of their Buoy Gull collaboration (10 Nov); Moman Studio One has a book launch and DJ set (30 Nov); plus Glasgowbased band Hank Tree are set to play (7 Dec).
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL TAKES TO THE ICE The internationally renowned Cirque du Soleil are bringing their newest show, Crystal, to Glasgow’s Intu Braehead from Wed 11–Sun 15 Mar. For the first time, the circus performers will take to the ice to mix acrobatics and ice-skating skills. It tells the story of a young, misunderstood woman who falls through the ice and suddenly finds herself in an upside-down world.
MELTING POT AT GLASGOW’S RIVERSIDE MUSEUM
Nightwave
Melting Pot is serving up disco decadence at Glasgow’s Riverside Museum with their One Night at the Museum event (30 Nov). The team behind this summer’s series of sold-out Queen’s Park parties have taken inspiration from the New York 70s and 80s clubbing scene to transform the museum into a Studio 54-era party. 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 15
NEWS Bridging the gap
COMING UP
PHOTO: KISS PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN
PHOTO: THE WILD SEEDS
Katharine Gemmell checks out a new scheme helping people in the creative industries get their heads around the business and tech knowledge they need to thrive
Social SONICA Bite first Cutting-edge started in 2012 performance by established as one sandwich shop on international artists, crossing the Edinburgh’s Rose Street. It has boundaries of music, theatre, now mushroomed to include visual and electronic art. Produced 5 shops across Scotland, two by Cryptic, the in Glasgow-based staff canteens the capital, a producing house. productionart kitchen inVarious Livingston venues, Glasgow,catering until Sun 10 Nov, and a corporate output. sonic-a.co.uk
T
o work in the creative industries today, you will almost certainly need to skill-up outside the realm of the arts. Whether it’s knowing how to make a sustainable income from your craft, how to run your own business or how to use data to understand your market, these skills are now the backbone of a creative career. The Creative Bridge programme, a creative industries accelerator run by Edinburgh-based technology incubator CodeBase, firmly recognises this. They realised that to help creative people thrive, business and tech knowledge needed to be more accessible. Running over ten consecutive weeks, the programme is designed for people working in the creative industries in Edinburgh and south-east Scotland who want to learn start-up best practice and how to take an idea for a digital product and get it off the ground . For one afternoon a week, participants take part in a combination of theory and storytelling sessions, where they hear from successful entrepreneurs about what’s gone well for them – and what hasn’t. Theory sessions cover understanding markets, funding and how to create a minimum viable product, among other useful tools they don’t teach you at art school. Essentially, they hope participants will gain ‘valuable insights into both what defines success for them and how to get there’. Creative Bridge is part of Creative Informatics, a partnership between the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University, Creative Edinburgh and CodeBase. It nurtures local talent through five key funding programmes and regular events that support Edinburgh’s creative industries to do inspiring things 16 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
A quarter of Social Bite’s staff are HAVANA FILM homelessGLASGOW and the organisation is FESTIVAL celebration the largest A distributor of of free fresh the Glasgowinand foodculture to the of homeless the UK. Havana with a programme of film, dance, music, social events and discussions across the city. Various venues, Glasgow, Wed 13– Sat 16 Nov, hgfilmfest.com
with data. Places on Creative Bridge are fully funded by the initiative, so successful applicants don’t have to pay to attend. One recent participant, Fiona Luing, is a designer and maker with her own business, Luing Smith Jewellery. ‘Creative Bridge gave me the rare opportunity to step away from the day-to-day running of my jewellery business for a few hours a week to think about where I would like my company to be in five years time and what I could do to make that happen,’ she says. Luing had no tech background before starting the course and she learned that thinking bigger and integrating software into her business was the ideal way to grow and stay relevant. ‘The course gave me a clear framework for streamlining my idea and making a confident start on the necessary market research,’ explains Luing. Yasmin Sulaiman, programme lead for Creative Bridge, says: ‘The programme will run every few months until the end of 2021 and two cohorts have graduated from the scheme already. We’ve seen a range of ideas and businesses progress since then, including Delic, an asset management tool for musicians and record labels; Scottie, an off-the-shelf platform for theatre websites; and Catch Up Social, a new network to enable easy, private sharing for family photos. The next cohort runs from January to March 2020 and applications re-open on Monday 4 November – so if you’re interested in applying, do get in touch to find out more and ask us questions.’ codebase.com/creative-bridge; creativeinformatics.org
EDINBURGH INDEPENDENT RADICAL BOOK FAIR A showcase of publishers and speakers with a programme of 20 events organised by Edinburgh’s radical bookshop, the Lighthouse. It shines a light on radical histories and the 2019 theme is ‘radical hope’. Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh, Thu 14–Sun 17 Nov, lighthousebookshop.com WORLD’S BIG SLEEP OUT Join the fight to end homelessness by taking part in this global event, which will see 50,000 people sleep outside in 50 cities around the world. The Scottish leg of the movement will be hosted by Social Bite in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens. Worldwide, Sat 7 Dec. bigsleepout.com EDINBURGH’S HOGMANAY Edinburgh’s world-famous Hogmanay celebration ushers the new year in with a bang. Expect a torchlight procession, a massive street party with music from Mark Ronson, midnight fireworks and a Loony Dook (in the Firth of Forth) for the brave ones on 1 Jan. Various venues, Edinburgh, Mon 30 Dec–Wed 1 Jan, edinburghshogmanay.com
PHOTO: FREDERICO MARTINS
BIG PICTURE
CELTIC CONNECTIONS More than 2000 musicians from across the globe converge upon Glasgow for yet another excellent chapter of the Celtic Connections story. During 18 days of gigs, workshops, talks and exhibitions, there are appearances from the diverse likes of Peggy Seeger, Nitin Sawhney, Anais Mitchell, Breabach, Mourathe (pictured), For the fifth yearAna running, Ocean Film the Rezillos, James aGrant, Fatoumata Festival makes stop-off in Edinburgh Diawara, Dave Milligan, Sturgill of Simpson, bringing along a showcase evocative Robyn Iris DeMent and by Tessa andHitchcock, dramatic films connected their Lark. There are also some anniversaries water-based adventures, featuring intrepid to be honoured: opening concert rowers, boldthe surfers and night spectacular is a depths. symphonic celebration from The Among the highlights are Kiwi GRITBreeze Orchestra marking 700 years since about a man building a yacht the Declaration of back Arbroath, while Bruce in his London garden ahead of Springsteen’s 70th birthday is honoured voyaging home to New Zealand, while by the Roaming Roots Revue, and Phil Touched by the Ocean features Latvian Cunningham puts ontoa row special show pals attempting across thefor South his 60th. Atlantic Ocean, and The Big Wave Project ■ Various Glasgow, Thu 16 Jan– tracksvenues, a crew of surfers seeking that next Sunwatery 2 Feb. thrill.
OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL
■ Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Sat 15 Sep.
1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 17
GLEN’S G GET YOUR COAT. FRANK SKINNER: SHOWBIZ EDINBURGH Festival Theatre, Tue 12 Nov, 8pm, £29.25 The funny man is back on the comedy stage after a four year break from touring. Also at Theatre Royal (Glasgow), Wed 20 Nov, 8pm, £29.15.
ROMESH RANGANATHAN: THE CYNIC’S MIXTAPE EDINBURGH Edinburgh Playhouse, Thu 21– Fri 22 Nov, 8pm, £27.15–73.15 You’ve seen him in League Of Their Own and Judge Romesh, now prepare to laugh at all the things Romesh Ranganathan has found unacceptable since his last comedy tour.
HANNAH GADSBY: DOUGLAS
THE DIVINE COMEDY SHOW PART 1
GLASGOW Theatre Royal, Thu 21 Nov, 7.30pm, £27.40 The comedian you probably know from Nanette is back on tour with her eleventh solo show.
EDINBURGH The Banshee Labyrinth, Thu 31 Oct–Sun 3 Nov, 5.45pm, £5 A woman falls in love with a man who made a deal with the devil.
TIM MINCHIN: BACK
THE CHRISTMAS PARTY ONE Grab a glass. (Any will do. If you’re feeling a bit fancy, go for a flute!) Pour half a shot of Glen’s Platinum. Add a generous helping of smooth orange juice. Top with fizz of your choice. Garnish with a fresh raspberry! Please enjoy responsibly
18 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 18
EDINBURGH Edinburgh Playhouse, Tue 19–Sat 23 Nov, 7.30pm, £33.65–144.65 The piano man of comedy returns to the stage with a new show, bringing together old and fresh material. Also at SEC (Glasgow), Fri 22 Nov, 7.30pm, £29.50–39.50.
THE COMEDY SHOW EDINBURGH Gilded Balloon Basement, every Fri & Sat, 8pm, £13.20 (£11) Bi-weekly comedy show mixing up-and-coming comedy talent with Fringe favourites, with a varying lineup of acts and headliners.
THE BIG SHOW SATURDAY EDINBURGH Monkey Barrel Comedy, every Sat, 8pm, £14.50 Edinburgh’s award-winning comedy club brings you a weekly night filled with laughter and quality stand-up.
S GUIDE
ADVERTISING FEATURE
YOU’RE GOING OUT OUT! Dig out your dancing shoes. Throw on that sparkly number. Rally the troops. You’re going out out. We’ve joined forces with The List to bring you Glen’s Guide — our pick of the very best events happening across Scotland this festive season. Christmas night out? Sorted. Fancy a tipple beforehand? Channel your inner mixologist and get creative with Glen’s Platinum — the (kinda) fancy one. Festive tip: you’d probably get away with gifting this one... DARREN HARRIOTT: GOOD HEART YUTE EDINBURGH The Stand, Sat 9 Nov, 4pm, £12.50 The London-based comedian questions why he’s never been in love in his Dave’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2019 Best Show nominee. Also at The Stand (Glasgow), Sun 17 Nov, 5pm, £12.50.
ROB BECKETT: WALLOP GLASGOW King’s Theatre, Tue 19 Nov, 8pm, £27.15 The host of BBC One’s All Together Now and star of Would I Lie To You?, Channel 4’s 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown and BBC Two’s Mock The Week is back on the road with his brand new hour.
JIM JEFFERIES: NIGHT TALKER GLASGOW SSE Hydro, Thu 12 Dec, 6.30pm, £39–160 The popular comedian hailing from Down Under brings his controversial brand of comedy to the UK.
#GlenKnows #GoodTimes #GlensPlatinum #KindaFancy @GlensVodkaLLG
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@glensvodkaLLG Nov 2019–31 2019–31 Jan Jan 2020 2020 THE THE LIST LIST 19 19 11 Nov
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It's safe to say that 2019 has been a mammoth year for creativity and innovation in Scotland. From award-winning albums to groundbreaking theatrical works, we cover it all in our annual countdown of the figures who we feel have made the greatest impact on arts and culture in the country throughout the year. But The List's Hot 100 has a twist this time: we've got a Top 19 for 2019, though beyond that we're celebrating everyone equally because as we head towards 2020 and reect back on the past decade, we feel that the Scottish cultural landscape is as healthy, bold and exciting as it's ever been. Read on to find out who we've named in the Top 19, as well as those we consider to be worthy of that much-coveted top spot . . .
WRITERS: Craig Angus, Kelly Apter, Anahit Behrooz, Deborah Chu, Rachael Cloughton, Neil Cooper, Becki Crossley, Brian Donaldson, Megan Forsyth, Katharine Gemmell, Lorna Irvine, Julia Kajdi, Sofia Matias, Lynsey May, Henry Northmore, David Pollock, Arusa Qureshi, Donald Reid, Murray Robertson, Stewart Smith, Jay Thundercliffe, Gareth K Vile, Kate Walker ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM: Sean Greenhorn, Eddie Harrison, Jo Laidlaw, Carol Main, Kenza Marland, Rowena McIntosh
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HALL O F FAM E Here at List HQ, we take our Hot 100 duties very seriously. Every entry and position is carefully considered to decipher who has made a significant impact on Scotland’s arts and culture scene. With this in mind, we think it would be a disservice to our talented past winners not to give them the shoutout they deserve and recognise the qualities that earned them that top position. So, here’s a Hot 100 hall of fame, to make it clear that these individuals and institutions will always be number one in our eyes
PHOTO: EOIN CAREY
PHOTO: SUZANNE HEFFRON
PHOTO: COURTESY OF GLASGOW WOMEN'S LIBRARY
2018
2017
2016
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The Glasgow Women’s Library had ‘quietly been going about their business for nearly 30 years’, when a deserved spotlight was shone on their work resulting in an Art Fund Museum of the Year Award nomination. As the only accredited UK museum dedicated to women’s history, the library is for anyone interested in heritage, culture and inclusion. It holds an archive of 20,000 books, 3000 artefacts and 400,000 donated items, while also running a diverse programme of events. Sue John, GWL’s enterprise development manager, said their work was ‘trying to be part of solutions, and not part of problems’.
Independent publishing house 404 Ink was ‘inspired more by independent record labels than traditional publishing houses’ said co-founders Laura Jones and Heather McDaid in 2016. With this spirit in mind, the punk publishers sought out new writers through social media, collecting essays about sexism, racism and other social issues. From this, initial success was found with an essay collection titled Nasty Women, which even featured a contribution by Booker co-winner Margaret Atwood. Since then, they have continued to nurture the careers of some of our best new writing talents such as Chris McQueer, Nadine Aisha Jassat and Helen McClory.
Described as ‘a jack of all trades and a master of many’, when Anna Meredith topped the 2016 Hot 100, it was clear that the singer-songwriter was ‘not so much a rising talent as an established star’. Meredith’s work (including Scottish Album of the Year winner Varmints) crosses the boundary of classical and electronica ‘to capture both atmosphere and emotion’. She also made number two in the Hot 100 list of 2018 for a solid year of creative endeavours that included producing the soundtrack to Bo Burnham’s excellent coming-of-age indie film Eighth Grade. This year, her commitment and services to music were further recognised by being awarded an MBE.
Fergus Linehan took the reins as director of the Edinburgh International Festival in 2014 after previous tenures at Dublin Theatre Festival and Sydney Festival. The next 12 months for the institution were said to be ‘transformative’, thanks to his creative vision anchored in refreshing and modernising the programme. His bold perspective introduced a new contemporary music strand which he described as ‘about filling out a festival across people’s general tastes’. His success continues after a well-received 2019 EIF that included an inspired opening event from LA’s Philharmonic at Tynecastle Park.
He's been Malcolm Tucker and Doctor Who, scooping numerous prestigious awards along the way, making Peter Capaldi a firm fixture on our Hot 100 lists over the years. The Glaswegian favourite first topped the poll in 2009 for his ‘acerbic portrayal’ as the government's chief spin doctor in Armando Iannucci’s The Thick of It, and then again in 2014 for his ‘critically revered’ turn as the Time Lord. In 2014, fans were eager to see where he’d venture afterwards, and to his credit he’s continued to grace our screens with skill. Plus, you can’t forget this year’s tear-jerking appearance in the music video for ‘Someone You Loved’ by his distant relative Lewis Capaldi.
GLASGOW WOMEN’S LIBRARY
22 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
404 INK
ANNA MEREDITH
FERGUS LINEHAN AND THE EIF
PETER CAPALDI
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BOO KS PHOTO: SIMONE FALK
CYMERA FESTIVAL Ann Landmann saw a gap in the book festival scene and took it upon herself to fill it with Cymera, the first Scottish literary event dedicated to sci-fi, horror and fantasy literature. 2019’s guests included VE Schwab, Ben Aaronovitch and RF Kuang. (SM)
BHP COMICS This year BHP received SICBA’s Outstanding Contribution to Comics award and a commendation from the British Book Awards. Alongside independently publishing an impressive list of titles, founder Sha Nazir also launched the UK’s first literary agency dedicated to graphic novelists. (BC)
ERIS YOUNG Eris Young is a queer, non-binary trans writer and editor currently celebrating the release of their first book. They/Them/Their shares what life is like as a non-binary or gender-queer person, providing advice and support for nonbinary people and their loved ones. (LM)
JENNI FAGAN Novelist, playwright and poet Jenni Fagan is a force to be reckoned with. She recently adapted her debut novel, The Panopticon, to create a powerful stage play for National Theatre of Scotland. Her third novel will be smashing hearts in 2020. (LM)
They also launched their first ever three-day book festival across five Edinburgh venues. (BC)
NOOR HEMANI Noor Hemani has played a fundamental role in curating Lighthouse Books’ exceptionally diverse collection and annual Radical Book Fair. Winner of the Individual Bookseller of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards, Hemani embodies the necessity of local and political bookselling. (AB)
CHRIS MCQUEER
KIRSTY LOGAN One of Scotland’s most distinctive writers, Kirsty Logan’s unique mix of lyrical prose, feminist themes and supernatural eeriness has manifested once more in her new short story collection. Things We Say in the Dark is an unsettling and evocative investigation of women’s fears. (AB)
GOLDEN HARE
Described by The Guardian as like ‘Charlie Brooker on Buckfast’, this young Glaswegian writes funny and darkly poignant works in the Scots language. So far he’s released two collections of short stories, Hings and HWFG, with the former adapted into a BBC series. (KG)
KERRY HUDSON In March, novelist Kerry Hudson published Lowborn, an unflinching memoir detailing a working-class childhood beset by upheaval, dislocation and traumatic events. The telling is gentle but firm, offering insights into UK poverty that we all need to know. (LM)
This Stockbridge-based treasure was crowned Independent Bookshop of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards and continues to programme diverse events and workshops.
CATEGORY IS Fiercely independent and proudly queer, this new bookshop in Glasgow’s Southside not only stocks a range of literature by and for LGBTQIA+ people, but also functions as an important events hub for the city’s queer community and beyond. (DC)
CAT HEPBURN The spoken-word artist adapted her poetry book #GIRLHOOD into a celebrated solo show at this year’s Fringe, and her role as co-producer of the monthly literary rave Sonnet Youth extended this year to its first touring theatre show, thick skin, elastic heart. (DC)
Cat Hepburn 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 23
CO ME DY Limmy
GARY MEIKLE
JANEY GODLEY
LIMMY
Discovering that a third of his social media audience is from the US has opened up new avenues for the Glasgow comic who played his iBrow Guy show this year in venues such as the Usher Hall and Royal Concert Hall. (BD)
The undisputed ‘godmother of Scottish comedy’, Janey Godley beat stand-up giants Frankie Boyle and Kevin Bridges (as well as her rising-star daughter Ashley Storrie) to win the main comedy prize at The Herald’s Scottish Culture Awards. She also embarked on her Soup Pot tour across Scotland before it heads down south early next year. (BD)
The Glaswegian’s raw and uncompromising autobiography, in which he discussed his mental-health battles candidly, flew off the shelves. Who’d have thought Truck Simulator could be used for comedic purposes? Streaming karaoke duets on Twitch? No one does daft like this national treasure. (CA)
SUSIE MCCABE
PHOTO: PAUL CHAPPELLS
A big year for the Glasgow stand-up as she signed to one of the heavyweight UK comedy agents, scooped two prizes at the Scottish Comedy Awards, and gained plenty plaudits for her latest Fringe show, Domestic Disaster. (BD)
AMY MATTHEWS On the back of being named Best Newcomer at the Scottish Comedy Awards, Amy Matthews laid on a 30-minute taster of her observational whimsy at Monkey Barrel in August, swifty proving she’s one to watch in the coming years. (BD)
STEPHEN BUCHANAN Enjoying the past 12 months as the Scottish Comedian of the Year has lifted this Glasgow comic above the competition, and he made a solid Pleasance Courtyard Fringe debut with Baby Dove, the funny and moving story of his mum offering space in their home to a Vietnamese refugee. (BD)
ASHLEY STORRIE Ashley Storrie’s ascent into the pantheon of Scottish comedy continues apace. This year’s Fringe show, Hysterical, demonstrated a burgeoning maturity as the comedian tackled depression and the crippling apathy she battled before finding her calling as one of the country’s most promising stand-ups. (MR)
24 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
STILL GAME Craiglang’s most popular residents said their final goodbye to audiences with a stint at The Hydro after 17 years of hilarious Scottish banter. One of Scotland’s greatest comedies came to an end but, as Victor (Greg Hemphill) himself would say, ‘that’s plenty, Jack’. (SM)
AN EXHIBITION BY THE VITRA DESIGN MUSEUM, MAK VIENNA AND DESIGN MUSEUM GENT
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Design between Human and Machine
V&A Dundee
2 November 2019 – 9 February 2020 Book now. Members go free. vam.ac.uk/dundee/hellorobot
Musio K © AKA, LLC
From the robots we know and love, to the robot in your pocket, explore the blurring boundaries between human and machine.
Richard Madden
JACK LOWDEN After a decade of critically appraised groundwork in theatre and TV, Edinburgh actor Jack Lowden’s star has risen exponentially in recent years thanks to sterling work in Mary Queen of Scots and 2019’s Fighting with My Family, starring alongside The Rock. (MR)
HANNAH CURRIE
FIL M & TV had starry names such as Kate Dickie and Eddie Izzard, but this trippy Highland adventure featured promising young acting talent. (BD)
KAREN GILLAN Karen Gillan returned as Nebula in the Avengers superhero mash-up that overtook Avatar to become the highest grossing movie ever (taking a staggering $2.796 billion globally). Not only did it earn megabucks, Endgame was also the perfect conclusion to Marvel’s cine-saga. (HN)
DAVID TENNANT The West Lothian native has had a busy year, launching a successful podcast, continuing his voiceover work and bringing to life the demonic Crowley in the incredibly popular TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens. (SM)
RICHARD MADDEN Former Games of Thrones star Richard Madden continues to amaze in cinema with his critically acclaimed Rocketman performance while his role in 2018 BBC drama Bodyguard earned him a Golden Globe Award. He also appears early next year in war movie 1917. (JK)
NINIAN DOFF Ninian Doff was better known as a commercials director and pop promo-maker before realising his lifelong dream by opening the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Boyz in the Wood
26 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
Mark Bonnar
A hugely popular DJ and music promoter, Hannah Currie’s adventures in documentary filmmaking produced Lumo: Too Young to Die and That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore which picked up a well-earned a nomination for Best Short Film at the Scottish BAFTAs. (CA)
MARK BONNAR It was hard to escape Mark Bonnar on TV this year with major roles in high-end drama (including Shetland and Stephen Poliakoff’s Summer of Rockets) as well as proving himself a deft comic actor (Catastrophe/Defending the Guilty) while hitting the big screen in The Kid Who Would Be King. (HN)
DARREN MCGARVEY After Poverty Safari won 2018’s Orwell Prize, Darren McGarvey (aka Loki the Scottish rapper) has become a champion for social justice, writing a regular column for the Daily Record alongside the launch of insightful BBC documentary series, Darren McGarvey’s Scotland. (HN)
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FO OD & DRINK CAIL BRUICH Opened by brothers chef Chris and manager Paul Charalambous in 2008, Cail Bruich does top-end cooking that tracks Scotland’s seasons. Recent offshoots (Mad Lab and Brett) didn’t detract from it earning a spot in The Good Food Guide’s top 50 restaurants list. (JT)
REUBEN CHESTERS We need to listen to what Reuben Chesters has been saying for years. His Locavore CIC has expanded to three farm sites within ten miles of the city with new office and nursery space in Bellahouston. Plus a bigger shop and great café all help to reshape our food chain. (JT)
THE COMPANY BAKERY Small-scale, artisan baking is enjoying a surge in Scotland. Company, set up by a dream-team Andrew Fairlie
collaboration between Edinburgh Food Studio, lovecrumbs and Smith & Gertrude, are firing out some of the best sourdough loaves around, made with special East Lothian-grown wheat. (DR)
RESTAURANT ANDREW FAIRLIE The death in January of Scotland’s most respected chef led to some questioning the future of the Gleneagles Hotel restaurant bearing his name. Happily, vision and talent
were long embedded there and it powers forward as a beacon of fine dining in Scotland, its two Michelin stars firmly in place. (DR)
EAST COAST CURED
Leith-based charcuterie proving that the skills of curing meats, sausages, salamis and prosciutto can both celebrate local meats and rival the familiar continental styles. A welcome addition to local menus, platters, and wine and beer pairings. (DR)
Cail Bruich
1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 27
TINY CHANGES A year after the passing of Scott Hutchison, the Frightened Rabbit frontman’s family founded Tiny Changes, a charity aimed at supporting young people affected by mental-health issues, while encouraging everyone to (in Scott’s own words) ‘make tiny changes to earth’. (MF)
THE VEGAN LEATHER
MUSIC
Paisley’s perennial pop grafters the Vegan Leather have been knocking on the door for a while now, and with Radio 1-approved new single ‘The Hit’ and debut album Poor Girls/ Broken Boys, it appears ready to swing open for them. (DP)
COMFORT Comfort’s Not Passing takes on anti-trans toxicity in an exhilarating blast of electronic punk defiance. Live, the sibling duo of Natalie and Sean are more exciting still, as barbed vocals ring out over demented synths and propulsive drums. (SS)
HEIR OF THE CURSED Beldina Odenyo Onassis has had another productive year, starting with a stunning headline set during Celtic Connections before stealing the show at Kelburn Garden Party and Doune the Rabbit Hole. Plus she’s made strides in theatre, writing music for Leonie Rae Gasson’s Death Becomes Us. (CA)
BLANCK MASS Now that Benjamin John Power, formerly part of Fuck Buttons, lives in Edinburgh these days, we get to claim him as our own. Which is lucky, because his fourth album Animated Violence Mild was a fierce collision of rave, trap and electro which conjured the spirit of these times. (DP)
SHEARS She may have played her debut show this year at Wide Days, but Rebecca Shearing is anything but a newcomer, having amassed an early following and sold out her first headline show in June. As one of the most exciting young voices about, SHEARS is ready for her dark pop to be unleashed onto the world. (AQ)
SIOBHAN WILSON
Blanck Mass
28 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
Possessor of a sublimely ethereal voice and a profound talent for songwriting, Siobhan Wilson followed up her 2018 Scottish Album of the Year nomination with The Departure, a beautifully haunting and atmospheric record inspired by the singer’s nomadic tendencies. (MR)
Raymond Gubbay presents
CHRISTMAS at GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL Friday 20 December at 7.30pm
Monday 30 December at 7.30pm
The biggest selling festive album of all time - LIVE ON STAGE I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday All I Want For Christmas Is You Merry Christmas Everyone Wonderful Christmas Time Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and many more… Kerry Ellis and John Owen-Jones guest singers Robert Emery conductor Capital Voices Live 15-Piece Show Band
THE GREATEST SHOW TUNES
A show-stopping concert packed full of the greatest show tunes of all time.
The Greatest Showman • Mamma Mia! Dreamgirls • Jesus Christ Superstar Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat The Phantom of the Opera • 9 to 5 • La La Land With guest singers Sophie Evans Ben Forster Marisha Wallace Ricardo Afonso Richard Balcombe conductor Scottish Concert Chorus Scottish Concert Orchestra
Monday 23 December at 7.30pm
Tuesday 31 December at 7.30pm
CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR
HOGMANAY WITH THE R.S.N.O
MUSIC • SONG • DANCE • SPECTACLE
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree • Sleigh Ride • Last Christmas • Winter Wonderland All I Want For Christmas Is You • White Christmas • The Twelve Days of Christmas Laura Tebbutt & Tim Howar guest singers The Jingle Belles® dancers Freddie Tapner conductor Scottish Concert Chorus Scottish Concert Orchestra
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra return with a stirring evening of music. Rossini Thieving Magpie Overture Strauss Champagne Polka Tchaikovsky Sleeping Beauty Waltz Handel Zadok the Priest A RED, RED ROSE AULD LANG SYNE SCOTLAND THE BRAVE ENJOY A GLASS OF PROSECCO
Terms and conditions apply. Contact Box Office for details.
Jamie MacDougall & Sky Ingram guest soloists Jonathan Graham piper Michael Bawtree conductor Glasgow Chamber Choir
glasgowconcerthalls.com | 0141 353 8000
raymondgubbay.co.uk
DRYGATE’S Northern Soul, motown & Disco
HOgmANAY gO gO TWO ROOMS OF SOULFUL MUSIC - 7PM ‘TIL 2AM
Dean Parrish
+ full LIVE BAND
EXCLUSIVE 2019 UK GIG
Northern Soul classics including ‘3 Before 8’ anthem ‘I’m On My Way’
DAVE EVISON
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MUSIC KAPUTT Cal Donnelly’s sextet released their debut LP after being one of the most talked about bands in the country for two years. Inspired by Devo, Talking Heads and cult Manchester band Duds, Carnage Hall is a masterclass. (CA)
THE TWILIGHT SAD
The Minneapolis-born artist made the excellent Impossible Bodies, understated DIY recordings exploring big ideas. It was released on OK Pal Records, which Eliott formed and runs with Hailey Beavis, putting on gigs and events that have a community focus and an emphasis on art as well as music. (CA)
James Graham’s consistently melancholic band released their guitar-heavy fifth album, It Won/t Be Like This All the Time, to widespread critical acclaim, charting at number one on the Scottish Albums Chart. The band also play their biggest-ever headline show at Usher Hall on St Andrew’s Night. (MF)
CARLA J EASTON
KARINE POLWART
Carla J Easton’s second solo album, Impossible Stuff, was a dreamy mix of symphonic pop that made the Scottish Album of the Year shortlist for 2019. Easton and her band also provided the live score to National Theatre of Scotland’s ambitious production of Them! (HN)
Scottish Songbook went Top 40 and found Karine Polwart presenting her own interpretations of Chvrches, Biffy Clyro, Deacon Blue, Big Country, Frightened Rabbit and more. Laws of Motion was nominated for Scottish Album of the Year while she won Best Original Track at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. (HN)
PHOTO: HANNAH BURTON
PHOTO: ALIX MCINTOSH
FAITH ELIOTT
EH-FM Founded in summer 2018 by Jamie Pettinger, Andrea Montalto and Matt Belcher, Edinburgh’s Summerhall-based community radio station has grown to accommodate a roster of 80 shows. Although the programming is varied, the emphasis is on music from local DJs and promoters. (DP)
Still House Plants
STILL HOUSE PLANTS Reimagining song through skewed repetition and free improvisation, Still House Plants are one of Glasgow’s most original bands. Featuring collaborations with dancer Shade Therét and free jazz saxophonist Mette Rasmussen, their February residency at London’s Cafe Oto was a joy. (SS)
CALLUM EASTER Callum Easter released a phenomenal debut album in Here or Nowhere and wowed audiences across the UK with a magnetic live show. He plays solo with the accordion, an instrument he seems to have learned on a whim. Easter gigs a lot, and leaves audiences stunned each time. (CA)
CUCINA POVERA Otherworldly and spare, with echoes of Finnish folk and minimal synth, the music of Cucina Povera – aka Maria Rossi – is a quiet marvel. Rossi followed her second album, Zoom, with a collaborative session for BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction. (SS)
CHLOBOCOP Hailing from Glasgow’s East End, this genreblending rapper’s style amassed major hype with her second EP and tracks like ‘Narcotics’ being performed during her main-stage TRNSMT slot. Chlobocop can now be found on line-ups next to the likes of Skepta and Octavian. (BC)
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Carla J Easton
SUPPORTED BY
PHOTO: KAUPO KIKKAS
Harmonium. The Tae Sup Wi’ a Fifer series, which Yorkston hosts and programmes at Kirkcaldy’s Adam Smith Theatre, is consistently one of Scotland’s most interesting nights out. (CA)
MATTHEW WHITESIDE Composer and sound designer Matthew Whiteside capped a busy year of commissions and collaborations with his second album Entangled, a collection of string quartets. As director of The Night With . . . , Whiteside helps bring new music to informal spaces across Scotland. (SS)
SEAN SHIBE Blending old Scottish lute tunes with the likes of Steve Reich’s ‘Electric Counterpoint’, Sean Shibe’s Scottish Album of the Year-longlisted softLOUD is a beautiful and inventive merging of acoustic and electric guitar. This rich and eclectic fusion proves exactly why he’s
SACRED PAWS Rachel Aggs and Eilidh Rodgers – 2017 Scottish Album of the Year Award winners – returned with Run Around the Sun. Released on Mogwai’s Rock Action label, it consolidated their skill for dreamy indie-pop anthems with a subtle West African influence. (DP)
KATHRYN JOSEPH
considered a rising star in both the classical and contemporary worlds. (AQ)
T H I S MU ST B E T H E P L AC E
After winning the Scottish Album of the Year Award in 2015 and creating the soundtrack to Cora Bissett’s Room, the singer-songwriter’s follow-up album was anxiously anticipated. Thankfully, From When I Wake the Want Is was recognised with another SAY nom nod. (KG)
JAMES YORKSTON After the success of his collaborations with Jon Thorne and Suhail Yusuf Khan, James Yorkston returned as a solo artist with The Route to the
PHOTO: BRIAN SWEENEY
Dundee Contemporary Arts
Murray Robertson takes a look at unique venues we love across the country Formerly the veterinary school of Edinburgh University, Summerhall is a network of halls, galleries and lecture theatres that form a warren of fascinating spaces. As well as a year-round centre for the arts, it has firmly established itself as one of the Fringe’s most significant venues. For more than two decades, The Stand has been hosting comedy every night from its cosy wee basement off Edinburgh’s Queen Street, its famously tiny stage hosting some of the biggest names in stand-up. A relative newcomer to the capital’s comedy scene, Monkey Barrel has quickly established itself as a serious contender for week-round hilarity in a characterful Old Town setting. Stills has been a vital champion of photographic art since 1977 but its position in the Old Town is under threat
after the council elected to hike its rent over the next five years. As the number of live music venues in Edinburgh further dwindles, Leith Depot’s position on the scene is vital. A recent second stay of execution has secured short-term survival, although its landlord developer is determined to demolish the block on which it stands. Another much-loved music venue, Dundee’s Reading Rooms sadly closed after 17 years following pressure from the council’s licensing board, a situation not dissimilar to the fate that befell Glasgow’s Arches in 2015. Elsewhere, the city’s booming cultural renaissance continues: the DCA celebrated its first two decades, while Dundee Rep commemorated 80 years of entertaining audiences. Up in Stornoway, An Lanntair is flourishing, with a diverse programme of entertainment year-round in its stunning harbourside surroundings.
Over in Glasgow, Glad Café opened in 2012 and is a thriving community centre, music venue and café (as suggested in the name) all rolled into one award-winning space. The Sub Club remains a nirvana for electronic music aficionados, more than three decades since it first opened. The Art School offers support for art and music, with profits invested into student projects, while in the Southside, Tramway continues to champion the arts inside its unique building. In the Merchant City, The Tron remains one of Scotland’s leading mid-scale producing and presenting theatres. So central is the CCA to Glasgow’s cultural scene, that not even two devastating fires at its Glasgow School of Art neighbour could bring it down. This arts hub is a constantly bubbling cauldron of creativity, as well as being home to a number of the country’s smaller cultural and artistic organisations.
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LEZZER QUEST
PHOTO: TIU MAKKONEN
PROC FISKAL Featuring the collaged beats and colourful samples last heard on his debut album Insula, Joe Powers aka Proc Fiskal’s EP ‘Shleekit Doss’ is another solid release from the Edinburgh producer. Through playful textures, Powers continues to cement his position as one of grime’s most interesting innovators. (AQ)
IDA
MISS WORLD Julia Barbour and Emily Grieve co-founded this all-female DJ collective to give a platform to womxn and queer DJ talent. As well as hosting a range of inclusive and eclectic line-ups, the pair also run a series of DJ workshops for womxn and non-binary folks. (KG)
The Glasgow-based DJ and promoter found a way into music after leaving her hometown in Finland for Aberdeen. Since then, she’s taken the Scottish scene by storm with her Acid Flash parties that spin a modern take on the house and techno genres. (KG)
OPTIMO (ESPACIO) JD Twitch and JG Wilkes’ era-defining club continues to play dates at home and abroad, and celebrated the tenth anniversary of Optimo Music, which this year brought us Free Love’s new album. Twitch’s score for
Beats and the AF (Against Fascism) Trax imprint launch were also clear highlights of 2019. (DP) PHOTO: MARTYN FLYN
One part Bonzai Bonner, one part Anna Gram, this DJing duo promote some of the most diverse and inclusive club nights in Glasgow. Catch them spinning infectious tracks at Sub Club-hosted Doppelbänger plus Shoot Your Shot and Weirdo Warehouse. (BC)
INKKE Glasgow-based producer Russell Patterson, known as Inkke, has been one to watch on LuckyMe’s roster since 2016’s ‘Secret Palace’ EP and his subsequent 2018 release, Lil Plasma. His latest, FWDK Volume II, picks up where Volume I left off, with the 22-track project described as ‘a homage to Memphis rap’. (AQ)
DENIS SULTA With a burgeoning international career as a thrilling cross-genre DJ who curates diverse support line-ups with his Sulta Selects brand, Denis Sulta’s welcome to Ninja Tune with his ‘Aye Spoake Te Sumwuhn & They Listenhd’ EP has opened a door to the production A-list. (DP)
Lezzer Quest
CLUBS
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PHOTO: JANE HOBSON
PHOTO: SUSAN HAY
EVE MUTSO The former Scottish Ballet principal continues to carve out an impressive career. 111, her powerful duet with Joel Brown, wowed audiences at this year’s Fringe while back in her native Estonia, she reprised her stunning role as Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire. (KA)
KALLY LLOYD-JONES Turning her very personal take on grief into something universal, Kally Lloyd-Jones’ The Chosen was a hit with audiences and critics alike. The choreographer has also recently taken up the reins as joint director at St Andrews’ Byre Theatre. (KA)
THEATRE & DANCE
SCOTTISH BALLET Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, Scottish Ballet is having a triumphant year. Following an exciting Digital Season in May with five-star reviews for its adaptation of The Crucible, the company will close 2019 with a brand new Christmas ballet, The Snow Queen. (KA)
ASHLEY JACK
Stellar Quines
Duchess [of Malfi], cementing her position as one of Scotland’s most necessary playwrights. (AB)
The hip hop choreographer’s youth groups have long produced stellar dance talent, but this year Ashley Jack actually excelled herself by providing the ‘Sugar Army’ for Oona Doherty’s show, Hard to Be Soft: A Belfast Prayer at this August's Edinburgh International Festival. (KA)
MEGHAN TYLER As an actor in Pride And Prejudice (*Sort of), irrepressible Glasgow-based Irish theatre minx Meghan Tyler has continued to wow sold-out audiences on tour, while at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Crocodile Fever proved comedy is most effective when providing short sharp shocks. (LI)
ZINNIE HARRIS Zinnie Harris has long played a leading role in the Edinburgh theatre scene, yet this year she reached new heights with a profoundly angry and daring reimagining of John Webster’s The
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Ten years after its debut, Jo Clifford’s The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven returned to the Tron, marking its journey around the world from protested play to open-hearted celebration of faith and human rights. (GKV)
LEYLA JOSEPHINE Glasgow-based Leyla Josephine has continued her rise, with critically acclaimed show Daddy Drag which interrogated masculinity and the roles of unconventional fathers in raising kids. Her no-holds-barred language and tenderness mesh as easily as a pint of Tennent’s, a fish supper and cursing at the telly. (LI)
STELLAR QUINES This loud-and-proud feminist theatre company took a powerful step towards redressing the gender imbalance in the creative design industry with their M*****classes series, and inspired young people to forge their own path in This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing. (DC)
JO CLIFFORD
HANNAH LAVERY
HARRY JOSEPHINE GILES
Hannah Lavery is a young writer whose poetry in The Drift (created with National Theatre of Scotland as part of Black History Month) tackles her complex relationship with Scotland, her father and sense of identity. Her words aim to unknot the history of self and place. (LI)
Co-founder of the Anatomy cabaret scratch night, a vital component of Scotland’s live art scene, Harry Josephine Giles is a spokenword artist who, with this year’s Drone, combined politics, poetry and performance to explore connections between identity, military technology and capitalist oppression. (GKV)
GARY MCNAIR
GROUPWORK
As Square Go, his collaboration with Kieran Hurley, returned for another year of Fringe success, Gary McNair’s adaptation of Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist drew plaudits for its contemporary take on a classic comedy. Meanwhile, his Champipunship event hit six years of competitive wordplay humour. (GKV)
Critically acclaimed during the Edinburgh Fringe, Groupwork’s The Afflicted was created by directors Vicki Manderson and Finn den Hertog, who fused choreography, video and text to startling effect. Their forward-thinking approach is a great example of theatre which skilfully crosses disciplines and genres. (LI)
HANNA TUULIKKI
PHOTO: MJC
No sooner had Hanna Tuulikki’s Edinburgh Art Festival exhibition, Deer Dancer, ended its run at Edinburgh Printmakers than the Glasgow-based composer, performer and artist was shortlisted for the Max Mara Art Prize for Women, acknowledging her increasingly expansive explorations of nature and ritual. (NC)
B EST O F T H E F EST
EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS The first open-access art studio established in Britain, Edinburgh Printmakers are doing their legacy proud with a stunning new studio space, gallery and café that have transformed the Castle Mills factory in Fountainbridge, continuing their mission of making art publicly accessible. (AB)
CATHY WILKES Two years after winning the prestigious Maria Lassnig Prize, Glasgow-based artist Cathy Wilkes has wowed the art world once again, this time at the Venice Biennale, transforming the grandiose British Pavilion into an eerily quiet space, haunted by uncanny, almost human forms. (RC)
ALBERTA WHITTLE With her first major exhibition in a UK institution, How Flexible Can We Make the Mouth, currently running at DCA, Alberta Whittle mixes various forms to question western constructs of history and white privilege from a post-colonial black perspective on oppression, healing and self-liberation. (NC)
KATIE PATERSON The universe has no limit for Katie Paterson, who this year was given her largest UK exhibition at the Turner Contemporary in
Scotland’s festival landscape has changed beyond recognition with large countryside events being accompanied by bespoke boutique affairs both in and away from the city. David Pollock looks at some must-attend music and multi-arts gatherings from 2019
Margate alongside works by Turner himself. A new publication, A place that exists only in moonlight, was published to coincide with the show. (NC)
V&A DUNDEE In V&A Dundee’s first 12 months, 883,000 visitors were welcomed, a significant advance on the pre-opening projection of half a million, while the Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt exhibition was a critical success. Thanks to actor Brian Cox, it also made a cameo in the second season of HBO’s hit show Succession. (DP)
ARPITA SHAH Photographer Arpita Shah’s solo exhibition, Nalini, showed us how histories, memories and physical bodies are entangled and connected to one another, through a powerful and deeply personal collection of new work exploring the artist’s own maternal lineage. (RC)
VIS UAL ART PHOTO: JAMES BOYER SMITH
Edinburgh Printmakers
PHOTO: RYAN BUCHANAN
E
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Located midway between Stirling and Loch Lomond, Doune the Rabbit Hole bore an outstanding line-up this year, courtesy of Glasgow promoters 432 Presents, while Kelburn Garden Party continues to offer a bohemian party amid a forested hillside valley filled with art. With an extra night to accommodate a guest appearance by the Waterboys, Portree’s Skye Live also provided an unlikely but workable blend of club beats and contemporary folk in a beautiful location. The urban club festival has now become the destination of choice for young festivalgoers, with Glasgow’s Riverside Festival expanding to offer a line-up on the banks of the Clyde that’s worthy of the Slam Tent (RIP). Yet for all that Glasgow’s club scene is thriving, Edinburgh leads the way with such shows: FLY Open Air’s spring event at Hopetoun House and autumn party in Princes Street Gardens are big draws, as is the ever-expanding Terminal V at Ingliston. The ghost of T in the Park has been broken up into TRNSMT and August’s Summer Sessions, the latter featuring high-profile acts: the Cure at Bellahouston Park turned out to be one of this year’s most discussed shows. On the more esoteric side of the coin, experimental music is celebrated by Glasgow’s Counterflows, which has branched out to Edinburgh with some winter shows. Plus, there’s Tectonics, a collaboration of the BBC SSO and Counterflows, while also proving its leftfield worth is Sonica, Cryptic’s celebration of sound art. Away from music, Scotland has also been hosting an increasing number of eyecatching multi-arts festivals, like UNFIX, an ‘evolving festival of ecological performance, dance, music, film and discussion’ at Glasgow’s CCA, and the increasingly timely, countrywide Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival. For film lovers, Scotland also hosts the Glasgow Short Film Festival, the social-change and activism-focused Take One Action! and Glasgow’s cult cinema experience, Matchbox Cineclub, which has attracted a lot of attention for its events based on Nicolas Cage and Keanu Reeves. And theatre festivals we’ve enjoyed (which don’t involve visiting Edinburgh in August) include the puppetry-themed Manipulate and the young audiences-focused Imaginate.
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TOP 1 9 FOR 2019 PHOTO: AMY JORDISON
19 WE SHOULD HANG OUT MORE Shortly after the release of their thrilling ‘Tradeston Knights’ EP, Sub Club and Berkeley Suite residents John Markey and Oliver Melling became the unfortunate fall guys for Glasgow’s illicit ‘afters’ scene. Necessary conversations about the city’s over-cautious licensing hours have so far failed to materialise, but fortunately nor has any damage to the potential of two of Glasgow’s finest young DJs. (DP)
18 JULIE LIN MACLEOD The chef behind Glasgow’s Malaysian eatery Julie’s Kopitiam became a finalist for the Scottish Women’s Awards Food Entrepreneur of the Year accolade and rightly so. A second Kopitiam venue opened at SWG3’s vibrant acid bar in August and its parent venue, a Southside favourite, features in the 2019 Michelin Guide. (BC)
17 SARRA WILD An outspoken figure in the white maledominated club scene, Sarra Wild fights the good fight for LGBTQI+ and POC communities. She’s also a brilliant DJ and party organiser, curating the OH141 stage at Jupiter Rising, and rocking crowds from Dundee’s V&A to the Atlas Festival in Marrakech. (SS)
This Emmy-nominated actress and narrator refuses to rest. Besides doing voiceovers for Hollywood animations (How to Train Your Dragon 3 and Lady and the Tramp), she appeared in several TV productions including Ricky Gervais’ After Life and the second season of BBC medical thriller Trust Me. (JK)
13 S-TYPE ‘I wanted to make a record that showcased the sound I’ve been developing over the years: cinematic, bold, colourful music that can be enjoyed at home, on the move or in the club,’ says Bobby Perman, the Glasgow-based producer who goes by the name S-Type. His
PHOTO: MARTYN FLYN
16 ASHLEY JENSEN
Ducks, Newburyport, which delves into the consciousness of an Ohio housewife as she bakes pies in her kitchen. Comparisons to Ulysses and Virginia Woolf immediately followed, as did nominations for the Booker and Goldsmiths prizes. (DC)
15 KAPIL SESHASAYEE Kapil Seshasayee released his debut A Sacred Bore in late 2018. A spiky yet anthemic art-rock album exploring the issue of caste oppression, it won plaudits from Pitchfork and BBC Asian Network, and took him to Glastonbury. He also runs the excellent DesiFuturism website, celebrating forward-looking South Asian culture. (SS)
14 LUCY ELLMANN Edinburgh-based author Lucy Ellmann made waves on the international literary scene with the publication of her 1000-page novel
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S-Type
new EP ‘Beat’ is out on LuckyMe, his first recording since ‘SV8’ in 2015. ‘In between, I’d been doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work, mixing records for artists,’ Perman says, recalling that he mixed Lunice’s debut album, CCCLX, in Montreal, and flew out to LA for writing sessions with Baauer. ‘I was also musical director for fashion designer Astrid Andersen for three years and wrote original music for a series of short films for Cadillac directed by Sam de Jong. Last year I scored my first feature-length movie, Boyz in the Wood: I’ve always wanted to write music for film, so that was a big deal for me.’ Of 'Beat', Perman says ‘it’s serious music that’s not to be taken too seriously. I’m working out dates for a tour just now, but what I’m most excited about is my album. It’s been a long time coming but I’m glad I’ve waited to put it out. I’m in the best place now, creatively and mentally.’ (DP)
12 NADINE AISHA JASSAT During a phenomenal year for Nadine Aisha Jassat, she released her debut poetry collection Let Me Tell You This and was named one of the UK’s top ten BAME authors by Jackie Kay. Deft yet unflinching, Jassat’s writing is a tour-de-force confrontation of intersectional prejudice and a vital voice in the Scottish poetry landscape. (AB)
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TOP 19 FOR 2019 PHOTO: TIU MAKKONEN
11 V/DA Empowering and energised, the work of V/DA (Various Dance Artists) fuses bold choreographic, theatrical, musical and design choices. One of the few UK dance companies giving voice to black stories, pieces such as VOID, Sonic Séance and Grin by dancer/ choreographers Mele Broomes and Claricia Parinussa and costume designer Sabrina Henry should be seen far and wide. (KA)
10 FERN BRADY She once joked on stage about being placed behind a park in our Hot 100, but finally the Bathgate stand-up is gracing its upper echelons. After another blazing month on the Fringe, this time at Monkey Barrel with Power and Chaos, Fern Brady ended the year touring Europe and having a run at London’s prestigious Soho Theatre. (BD)
9 CHARLOTTE PRODGER SaFO5 was the name of Charlotte Prodger’s deeply personal film that represented Scotland at this year’s Venice Biennale. After winning the 2018 Turner Prize with Bridgit, and the Margaret Tait Award before that for Stoneymollan Trail, this film commissioned by Cove Park completed the trilogy with a visual poem that revealed Prodger as an inventive explorer of inner and outer landscapes. (NC)
8 FREE LOVE
7 AUNTIE FLO Brian d’Souza has been a mainstay of electronic music in Glasgow for a decade, so it’s quite an irony that a move to London has coincided with his greatest success yet back home. His Radio Highlife album on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label very deservedly took home this year’s Scottish Album of the Year Award. (DP)
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The Glasgow playwright had another landmark year with Mouthpiece, which was staged to much acclaim at the Traverse and Soho Theatre, as well as with the film adaptation of Beats. The future likewise looks bright with the launch of new production company Disaster Plan with long-time collaborator Julia Taudevin, and their upcoming show Move~Gluasad. (DC)
5 LEWIS CAPALDI PHOTO: RYAN JOHNSTON
Although their recent extended EP Luxury Hits missed out on the Scottish Album of the Year Award, Suzi Rodden and Lewis Cook consolidated their position as one of Scotland’s most eclectic and distinctive electronic groups with the Extreme Dance Anthems album on Optimo, a collision of contemporary techno and folk-horror ambience. (DP)
6 KIERAN HURLEY
The self-deprecating and charming ‘Scottish Beyoncé’ became a sensation even before the release of his debut album, thanks to his delightfully funny Instagram stories and interviews, and of course his number one heartbreak hit, ‘Someone You Loved’. The media darling also famously ‘feuded’ with Noel Gallagher and became the face of everything from Oreo to Deliveroo and Tinder. (MF)
4 RICHARD GADD Three years after winning the Edinburgh Comedy Award, Fife-born Gadd moved to the theatre section for Baby Reindeer, a solo show that examined his own experience of being stalked. Throughout his career, Gadd has always balanced between the comic and the disturbing – aside from his increasingly familiar appearances on television – and Baby Reindeer was praised for its emotional honesty and distressing lack of resolution. His approach (autobiographical but resisting the temptation to justify his behaviour) has been consistent throughout his comedy monologues, but the shift to a theatrical format demonstrated both his imaginative command of dramaturgy and a willingness to challenge his artist potential. (GKV)
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3 ALI SMITH Sparking with wit, compellingly experimental and always packed with heart, Ali Smith’s writing is a joy and the release of Spring this year has served as a reminder that she’s a writer at the peak of her power. Her back catalogue is a feast of short story collections and novels, including the stunning How to Be Both, which won the Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Goldsmiths Prize and the Costa Novel of the Year award, the lauded Hotel World and many more. Like many of our best writers, Smith refuses to be categorised. She dips in and out of styles and word experiments, leading the reader into alternate worlds where time and the stories that describe it don’t have to be linear. Our understanding is paramount but the telling can afford to be playful. Currently, Smith is three quarters of the way through a stunning Seasonal Quartet of novels dealing with very contemporary times. The first, Autumn, was shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker Prize. Winter came next and this year, we were treated to Spring. The exceptional series will conclude in 2020 with Summer. Initially, Smith intended the quartet to follow a pastoral vein but as she began writing in 2015, the inescapable concept of ‘Brexit’ was coalesced and exerted its influence on her work. Yet for all of its modern references and relevance, the series could be a retelling of a classic myth. As Smith points out, what is happening to us now has all happened before. It is the power of stories, the retelling, rescoping and reshaping our understanding of what has once been that offers us something to hold on to in uncertain times. With Spring’s blossoming in 2019, Smith shows us that fiction is in good hands – and that we’ve got even more to look forward to in the year ahead. (LM)
PL E NT Y I N ‘20 With huge amounts of talent across Scotland in every genre, it’s inevitable that there are omissions across the Hot 100 every year. Arusa Qureshi gives a shout out to some folks whose work is very much on our radar for next year We’re big fans of Savage Mansion, aka Glasgowbased singer and guitarist Craig Angus and friends, whose brilliant debut album Revision Ballads was released earlier this year on Lost Map Records. Another Lost Map hero, Romeo Taylor (alter ego of former Savage Mansion drummer Taylor Stewart) has charmed audiences with his bizarre yet wonderful live presence and anthem-in-the-making ‘The Kingdom of Scotland’. We’re also looking forward to seeing what Glasgow ‘sophisti-pop’ duo The Lawnmower have in the works for 2020. Still in Glasgow, Cloth have already impressed the likes of Vic Galloway, Huw Stephens and Tom Robinson, and with their debut album due in mid-November, the plaudits are certainly likely to continue for the trio. German-Scottish duo LUNIR recently returned with their infectious new single ‘Cubs’, and we’re also excited to hear more of pop performer Scarlett Randle, singer-songwriter Zoe Graham (whose new single is out in
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Cloth
November), electronic pop artist and producer Wuh Oh, and The Honey Farm rapper Bee Asha Singh following her appearance in powerful documentary Spit it Out. Glasgow producer North Sea Dialect released his lush and ambient debut album Local Guide late last year on Numbers, and Edinburgh’s Paradise Palms Records have also had some excellent releases this year, including those by Maranta and Kiwi. The newly opened Topping & Company
independent bookshop is soon to be a favourite spot for book lovers in Edinburgh and further afield, as is the new but already bustling Portobello Bookshop. For multi-disciplinary artist Tommy Perman, 2019 has been very fruitful, thanks in part to some terrific work at Dundee Design Festival and Emergent Slow Arcs, his re-imagining of Modern Studies’ 2018 album Welcome Strangers, which was praised for its enchanting and mystical qualities. Comic creators Dave Cook and Craig Paton will soon be releasing the second in their award-winning and electrifying cyberpunk series Killtopia, and elsewhere, self-proclaimed ‘drag clowns’ Kirsty Biff and Annabel Cooper aka Oasissy will no doubt keep entertaining and bemusing in equal measure with their madcap tribute to the Gallagher brothers. Female-led Glasgow production company Barry Crerar present an interesting new wave of Scottish filmmaking, with their first feature RUN screening at both Tribeca and the BFI London Film Festival. Also in the world of film, James Price is a bold new director whose first short Concrete and Flowers was shown on the new BBC Scotland TV programme Next Big Thing. And new feminist film festival Femspectives had a deservedly successful inaugaral year in 2019 with their small but mighty programme.
Scotland’s Photograph Album The MacKinnon Collection Scottish National Portrait Gallery Paula Rego Obedience and Defiance Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art NOW Katie Paterson, Darren Almond, Shona Macnaughton, Lucy Raven Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art BP Portrait Award 2019 Scottish National Portrait Gallery
#ScotlandsPhotos #PaulaRego #ModernNOW #BPPortrait
nationalgalleries.org
‘It feels lik e stepping into a bigger world...’ Jane, Portobello
Paula Rego, Angel, 1998 Private collection © Paula Rego, courtesy Marlborough, New York and London. Photograph courtesy Museu Paula Rego: Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, Cascais; Katie Paterson, Totality, (detail) 2016. Photo © Ben Blackhall, 2016 Courtesy of the Lowry; John D. Stephen, Dawn of Light and Liberty, 1920s. Collection: The MacKinnon Collection. Acquired jointly with the National Library of Scotland with assistance from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Scottish Government and the Art Fund; Brendan H Johnston, Arcus, 2018 © Brendan H Johnston. National Galleries of Scotland is a charity registered in Scotland (No. SC003728)
Winter Wonderland From DNA Daiquiri cocktail workshops and the “12 Scents of Christmas”, to Santa’s Starry Adventure in the Planetarium, Christmas markets and lots more, there is something for all the big kids to get into this festive season. For one night only.
Friday 29 November 2019 | 6pm onwards | 18+ | £15/£10 Students
Book your tickets now:
glasgowsciencecentre.org/science-lates 50 Pacific Quay, Glasgow G51 1EA
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13/08/2019 16:50
EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS Extraordinary scenery HOGMANAY With Willie Campbell and friends
MOVE-GLUASAD (January) World premiere of debut show by Disaster Plan (multi award-winning theatre-makers Julia Taudevin and Kieran Hurley)
AULD LANG SYNE (January) Mairi Campbell brings her hit show to An Lanntair as part of our Burns Night celebrations.
HEBRIDEAN DARK SKIES FESTIVAL (February) First performance of Karine Polwart’s The Only Light Was Stars, Chris Lintott and Steve Pretty, Creativity and Curiosity, planetarium, films, and more Plus stargazing, seafood, and sightseeing in the wild landscape of the Isle of Lewis
Follow #winterinthewild to the Outer Hebrides this winter
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JESS B R O U G H
As the Fringe of Colour founder, Jess Brough’s impact on the broader Edinburgh Festival landscape has been significant. With numerous awards in the bag for some vital work, Deborah Chu catches up with the PhD student to find out more pon launching Fringe of Colour in 2018, it was just Jess Brough, an open spreadsheet and a copy of the Fringe programme against the world. ‘Yeah, it took ages!’ laughs Brough. ‘At the time I was in-between finishing a job and starting my PhD, so I had a lot of free time on my hands.’ That first year, Brough flipped through the colossal Fringe tome in search of non-white performers, hoping to find faces and experiences that better reflected both Brough’s own and the world at large. For despite being proudly touted as the biggest arts festival on the planet, it’s no secret that the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is dominated by white, middle-class folk, both on stage and in the audience. The reasons for this are numerous and well-observed: not only do productions by majority-white performers receive more marketing and support, but structural issues, like soaring ticket prices and accommodation costs, disproportionately affect people of colour. So the few shows that Brough found amid the overwhelmingly white offering that year, they compiled into what would become the first publicly available database of shows performed by people of colour at the Fringe. Though the information was initially intended for Brough’s personal use, the Fringe of Colour database circulated into the wider public, sparking a paradigm-shift around visibility and representation at the Festival. These conversations were not new, but the sense of widespread urgency was. The facts were here for all to see, and – despite some blow-back – it seemed like people were finally listening. Thus when Fringe of Colour returned this past summer, Brough received a swell of institutional support. ‘The Fringe Society sent me a spreadsheet of acts that they’d found by reaching out to the performers who registered; not all, but a good proportion,’ says Brough. Big venues such as Assembly, Traverse and Summerhall sent in names, and people reached out over social media, wanting to get involved. Buoyed by this response, Brough set up the Fringe of Colour ticketing scheme, which provided free tickets for young people of colour to see certain shows listed on the database.
The point wasn’t to get bodies into chairs, but to create connections and changes that will ripple out beyond Edinburgh’s festival season. ‘We’re talking about changing the environment of the Fringe in the long-term, and building communities which will hopefully last longer after the Festival is done,’ insists Brough. The feedback they’ve received thus far has been incredibly heartening, such as that from the Glasgow Women’s Library’s Readers of Colour group, who took part in the scheme. ‘For them it was a case of connecting with other women and non-binary people of colour in the city, which is something that will go on after the Fringe has ended.’ To this end, Brough also set up the Fringe of Colour Living Room in the basement of Lighthouse Bookstore, designed as a space for people of colour – whether they be performers or festival-goers – to discuss shows and their experiences of navigating the Festival, but also to decompress amidst the month’s intensity. ‘Just the culture of being a performer, the idea that you constantly have to be grinding to make your show work, that you have to be selling out otherwise Jess Brough you’re not having a successful show: all of that is really alarming,’ says Brough. ‘There needs to be a serious conversation about long-term strategies towards improving the Fringe on a mental-health level.' Brough’s own tireless work did not go unnoticed: for their achievements this year, Fringe of Colour was awarded the Total Theatre Award for Significant Contribution, the Dave Edinburgh Comedy Award Panel Prize, and a Creative Edinburgh Award. With the support they’ve garnered, Brough hopes to expand operations and begin addressing other aspects that contribute to inequality at the Fringe, such as supporting journalists of colour who cover it. The issue’s roots go deep, but the spark has been lit. ‘Art has this amazing way of starting conversations and bringing people together,’ reflects Brough. ‘One of the great things about Fringe of Colour is that it welcomes people to get involved and see themselves represented on stage, but also that there’s a community out there looking to go and experience it together.’ 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 43
SNEAKY PETE’S Music scenes need physical spaces, and the key to Edinburgh’s is a dark, sweaty, 100-capacity independent club and live music venue on the Cowgate. Sneaky Pete’s has been a vital home for local bands and DJs to play for over a decade, truly embracing the meaning of grassroots. Kate Walker talks to those behind Sneaky’s glorious success
neaky Pete’s significance to Edinburgh’s musical landscape was officially recognised at the Music Week Awards back in May, when it was named the UK’s Grassroots Music Venue of the Year. The prize reflects the important work carried out by owner and founder Nick Stewart in championing causes such as the Music Is Audible campaign, which successfully fought to revise the City of Edinburgh Council’s notorious ‘inaudibility’ clause that stifled live music in the capital for many years. ‘I didn’t really intend for Sneaks to get to this point,’ says Stewart. ‘I was running a tiny 3am bar that had a DJ offering, and little by little we’ve improved the venue. When we’d learned to do gigs properly with a great sound system and lights, we got to a certain point where I thought “yeah, maybe this really is a venue”. A lot of people gave us the benefit of the doubt in the early days, which I’m very grateful for.’ But more than being just a physical space, it’s the spirit of Sneaks that grabs hold of so many who make memories on its dancefloor. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever tire of introducing people to Sneaky Pete’s, just for that moment they stare around at the room, trying to piece together the scale of the stories of nights spent in the place,’ says DJ C-Shaman, whose night Heaters makes its home in the club every Wednesday. ‘When the lights come on at the end, you can always see they’ve fallen for the weird wonder of the place, hooked by a wave of intimate dancefloor moments that give the place its unique charm.’ ‘Sneaky’s mirrors the Edinburgh scene: it’s small, but perfectly formed,’ say Miss World, who have been bringing their ‘musical beauty pageant’ to the club as resident DJs for the past year. The club’s teeny size means that good vibes are pretty much guaranteed, and for Miss World, DJing at Sneaky’s is always a treat. ‘It’s a total sweatbox, with the DJ booth right on the dancefloor, which throws us right in there with the crowd and keeps the atmosphere electric.’ This charged, goodtime energy, coupled with a reputation that reaches beyond Edinburgh and Scotland, make Sneaky Pete’s a unique venue for bands that are just starting out. Sneaky’s fully embrace their role in fostering local and emerging talent, especially through their Central Belters gig series, which is all about giving local bands the same quality treatment as bigger, touring acts. ‘As a booker and promoter, the capacity of Sneaks means that we can 44 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
afford to take risks and book acts we really love, not necessarily the ones we think will sell the most tickets,’ says Jamie Pettinger, part of the Sneaky’s team. ‘This results in a really vibrant and varied programme of music that Nick and I are always 100 per cent behind! I also love that Sneaky Pete’s is where local residents can build up a real profile for themselves. Nights like Wasabi Disco, Miss World, TEESH and Hot Mess are a real testament that people in the city come out in a really deliberate way for their local DJs. Ultimately, that’s what a good dance music scene is built on.’ As well as this solid calendar of regular parties, Sneaky’s is where to head to see some of the biggest names on the international DJ circuit. For a small venue with such notoriety, it would be easy for Sneaks to have adopted an air of exclusivity; yet this could not be further from the truth. ‘As a collective devoted to promoting women in DJing, we really appreciate the variety of sounds and genres that are welcome at Sneaky’s,’ say Miss World. ‘It’s allowed us to bring in so many different women from across the spectrum of dance music, including total newcomers, like those who’ve been through our programme of DJ workshops. Importantly, the club also has a more robust safe-space policy than most, so it’s somewhere we feel safe as both clubbers and DJs.’ It’s this warmth and accessibility that has put Sneaky Pete’s at the heart of an inspiring and supportive creative network, something that C-Shaman says makes the venue truly special. ‘I think it’s because the team there have managed to infuse it with a culture of collectivism. Sneaks is all about finding creative ways to bring people together. If you come along for a dance, a laugh and to be respectful, then you’ll be part of the family before you know it. There are no gatekeepers, everyone collaborates and you’re blessed with an open-minded crowd who love it when you take risks and push boundaries.’ ‘Sneaks is great but it’s not the perfect version of the club,’ says Nick Stewart. ‘It’s a process, you never really get there, but it’s good to keep your eyes on the prize. Every now and then you get to be involved in a magic moment, like the overwhelming waves of good feelings emanating from the crowds at the recent sold-out Auntie Flo, Trudy and the Romance, and Club Mediterraneo shows. Getting intense responses like that is why we do what we do: we’re the medium through which great DJs and musicians can affect their audiences, and bring them to a higher place. It’s really not about us, but we do have to work hard to play our part.’
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PHOTO: PAUL HARRIES PHOTOGRAPHY
Nick Stewart picking up the Grassroots Music Venue: Spirit Of The Scene award at the 2019 Music Week Awards
PHOTO: JIMMY MOWER PHOTO: NICK STEWART
PHOTO: JOE BANFI
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ADVERTISING FEATURE
f l e s r u o y Surround t a e l k r a p with s
CHRISTMAS AT THE BOTANICS With brand new lighting installations and festive favourites, book your tickets now for Christmas at the Botanics. Rowena McIntosh speaks to the producers of the popular winter attraction about illuminating one of Edinburgh’s most beautiful spaces
When winter sets in, the darker evenings can feel a bit gloomy. Luckily Christmas at the Botanics is on hand to brighten the chilly nights with twinkly lights, serious sparkle and a kaleidoscope of colour. Now in its third year, the festive trail takes place after dark in the beautiful landscape of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, just one mile north of the city centre. Book now to be among the first to see the exciting new attractions at this year’s event. ‘This year we have a fleet of over 300 origami boats on the pond created by Italian art and design studio Aether and Hemera, a Dancing Laser Garden by Australian lighting artists Mandylights, over 600 multi-coloured spheres of light pulsating on the lawn and a large heart which lights up when two people hold hands,’ say the producers. As well as the brand new installations, there are also some previous favourites back for 2019: ‘This year will see the return of our magnificent Cathedral of Light which was the most Instagrammed installation we had onsite (#christmasatthebotanics). It is almost 70 metres long and is covered from top to bottom in twinkling lights. When you walk through it, you are immersed in Christmas sparkle.’ You can also delight the senses in the wonderful Scented Fire Garden and witness the Botanics’ famous Living Collection of plants – which span 350 years – lit in different colours. There are trees dressed with baubles and Christmas lights along the route, perfect for some inspiration if you haven’t picked the colour scheme for your own tree yet. And, if you’re struggling to find your Christmas spirit, the Festive Finale, where colourful projections dance across the garden’s buildings to a series of muchloved seasonal tunes, is sure to do the trick. Christmas at the Botanics makes an excellent
evening activity for families, with a Christmas Trail for kids, the chance to toast some marshmallows and the popular Santa Panto. The trail uses fully accessible tarmac paths through the gardens and there are 11 entry times to start your trail: every 20 minutes from 4.40pm, with last entry at 8pm. Stay cosy with fresh pizza, churros and other hot snacks to enjoy on the way round, as well as warming drinks including hot chocolate and mulled wine. Or you can make a night of it and book Christmas dinner in the John Hope Gateway restaurant either before or after you enjoy the trail. As the event’s producers say: ‘Spending a dark night surrounded with sparkle and enjoying seasonal food, drinks and festive music is a great way to spend time with family and friends over the holidays.’ Christmas at the Botanics, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Fri 22–Sun 29 Nov, £17 (family £52, children £11, under 4s free), rbge.org.uk/christmas
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THE LION KING
A R OA R I N G T RA D E For over 20 years, The Lion King has played to sell-out crowds across the world. As this blockbuster show returns to Edinburgh, Kelly Apter speaks to Disney’s Richard Oriel about the secret of its wild success
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usical theatre is like a good meal: it’s all about the ingredients. Bring in the best you can, make sure everything blends together well, and it’ll be a hit. Never has that proved more true than with The Lion King, a show that has played to 100 million people worldwide. That the musical started life as an animated film is just one remarkable aspect of its success. You can do pretty much anything on film, and if it’s animated there really are no limits. Telling a story on stage is a whole other challenge, but one which Julie Taymor embraced with unrivalled creativity and vision. As director, costume designer and mask co-designer on the show, Taymor approached the adaptation with a clever simplicity. Yes, there is technical wizardry, but many of the theatrical methods employed date back over a hundred years. Crucially, she also assembled a strong team to work alongside her. ‘I think the show’s success is down to the incredible coming together of all these extraordinary people,’ says Disney Theatrical’s general production manager, Richard Oriel, who has worked on The Lion King for the past 20 years. ‘It’s led by Julie and her vision for creating a world of animals. But by bringing in all these other huge creative influences, it’s an absolute pot pourri of diverse talent.’ The talent Oriel refers to includes Lebo M who composed the African choral music, Elton John and Tim Rice who had already written songs for the film but added more, Hans Zimmer who composed the show’s underscore, the choreographic style of Garth Fagan which is rooted in Afro-Caribbean dance, and Donald Holder whose lighting design recreates the African savanna on stage. ‘Who would have thought you could assemble that group of people?’ asks Oriel. ‘But it absolutely delivered, and makes
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the show rich and textured on every level: musically, choreographically and visually. A lot of very simple theatrical tricks are used in the show, which is part of Julie’s genius, and they challenge the audience to expand their imagination and buy into this rather unique world that’s been created.’ Having travelled early on in her career, learning different forms of puppetry, Taymor was able to utilise a wide variety of styles in the show, so that everyone, and everything, from Simba the lion cub to a blade of grass, has a mask or puppet to help the performer step into the role. ‘The show features pretty much every known puppetry technique,’ explains Oriel. ‘So the cast is taught a lot of very specific skills. For example, if you’re playing Zazu or Timon you have a Bunraku puppet attached to the front of you. And our ensemble, who throughout the show play a variety of animals, flora and fauna, have to work very hard to make sure that whether they’re wearing grass on their head or crouching as a hyena, that they’re performing it in the right way.’ After opening in the West End in 1999, the show is currently on its second tour of the UK, where audiences can expect the same level of production values as those visiting its London home. ‘We don’t make compromises,’ says Oriel. ‘We build all our masks and costumes imagining that people are sitting three feet away from them; but they look just as remarkable 100 feet away. That attention to detail just heightens the theatrical experience. And we’re fortunate that the show is maintained in that way and sufficiently well resourced, because an audience’s expectation coming to see The Lion King is that it will be of the highest possible quality. That’s the most important thing for us, to keep that going.’ The Lion King, Edinburgh Playhouse, Thu 5 Dec–Sun 29 Mar.
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WINTER IN THE WILD
With Move~Gluasad about to premiere as part of the Outer Hebrides’ Winter in the Wild campaign, Deborah Chu catches up with award-winning theatre makers Julia Taudevin and Kieran Hurley to find out more about the multi-story performance
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t’s a marriage of true minds, and a professional collaboration that’s sustained theatre-makers Kieran Hurley and Julia Taudevin over the past decade. And so when the pair launched their theatre company Disaster Plan last September, it was merely giving a name to a partnership — in both life and work — that has already been built upon a decade-long bedrock of trust, creative effort and shared values. ‘It’s also a commitment to making work that’s light on its feet, radical and accessible,’ says Taudevin, ‘to continuing in the nature of the way we make work.’ ‘Yeah, exactly,’ agrees Hurley. ‘It’s a shared set of priorities around the type of work we both want to make.’ Both have amassed an impressive list of accomplishments under their own names, but run through their CVs and it’s likely that the other will have played a role, whether it’s Taudevin’s co-directorship of Hurley’s Heads Up and Beats, or Hurley’s hand in the development of Taudevin’s Beat Off. But why Disaster Plan, and why now? ‘It’s kind of funny as a name, isn’t it, sort of implying that the whole thing could be a disaster of a plan,’ says Hurley, leaning back in his seat. ‘But also – this is the bit that’s more earnest – it feels like we’re making work in dark, difficult times, for an uncertain future. That’s how we’re living our lives, and so that’s the time that we’re making work for. There’s something about the phrase that implies to us a kind of readiness to look at the crisis in the eye and respond to it.’ They’ve found that response in their first Disaster Plan production, Move~Gluasad, which will premiere on the Isle of Lewis as part of An Lanntair’s Winter in the Wild campaign to lure visitors to the Outer Hebrides outside of the summer season. Formed around the Gaelic keening ritual, Move~Gluasad is centred upon the stories of five women and their experiences of migration across time and space, from historical exoduses to the contemporary migration crisis. ‘It’s trying to be as multicultural and international as possible, while at the same time recognising that we are very much in Scotland and that I am a white, Scottish artist,’ says Taudevin, who is the show’s lead artist and writer. ‘With the keening, it was a ritual to begin processing the trauma of bereavement, and we live in this age where we don’t really have any sociallystructured outlets for grief. But something
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else the ritual did traditionally was that people would come and grieve even if they didn’t know the person. It was an act, but there was also [this sense of], “I don’t know this person, but I can still grieve.” There’s this shared kinship that – with the rise of facism and homophobia and all that – we just don’t have now.’ ‘One of the most radical responses to the way the world is right now is to insist upon our shared humanity,’ says Hurley. ‘And so one of the things that the show is insisting on is engaging with loss and migration, on a global level, and on the level of the grief that we really should and must feel for those losses.’ Rooting work in an ethos of ‘here-ness’ as well as an internationalist outlook is vital to Hurley and Taudevin, and thus was part of the appeal of the Winter in the Wild initiative, which will also feature the likes of Alan Bisset, Mairi Campbell and Karine Polwart. ‘There’s clearly a huge statement of intent about populating a programme with some of the best and most interesting artists working in Scotland,’ says Hurley. ‘I think it’s got a really great balance between some of these big names, but also a fierce localism in terms of some of the subject matter of what’s being pursued.’ There’s similarly a sense of community and homecoming to Move~Gluasad’s upcoming Lewis tour as well, particularly for Taudevin, whose family is from Lewis. They’re excited by the chance to perform in community halls rather than more traditional theatres at first, to foster a space for connection in these fraught times and eschew any sense of ‘preciousness’ that can occur when there’s a stage separating performers and audience. They reminisce fondly on a performance of Rantin that they staged in Tongue Village Hall, wherein audience members came up and gave them a hug after the performance. ‘And then we went to the pub!’ says Taudevin, aglow with the memory. ‘I would love to find a way to create a space where we can do that, where we can talk.’ ‘We want the hugs!’ exclaims Hurley. ‘Depending on how you feel about the show. Physically express to us what you thought about the show. In hugs.’ Move~Gluasad, An Lanntair, Stornoway, Mon 27–Fri 31 Jan; Winter in the Wild, Oct–Feb, full programme at lanntair.com
PHOTO: ALICIA BRUCE
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1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 51
THE GREAT WESTERN
dirty talk David Pollock finds out what’s in a name and how to get your heroes to work with you from Warmduscher frontman, Clams Baker Jr
O N SO N G As Songhoy Blues get ready to headline The Great Western – Glasgow’s new multi-venue music and arts festival – the Malian desert blues collective talk to Robin Murray about forging connections, the importance of politics to their music and their love of bagpipes
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onghoy Blues are a band on a mission. Formed in the aftermath of civil conflict in their native Mali, they feel duty bound to tell the world about their struggle and the rich culture that propels them forwards. It’s a journey that has taken them around the globe, and when we finally track down the group’s Aliou Touré, they’re somewhere in New Mexico travelling to their next show. ‘You know, it’s always joyful for us to be onstage,’ he beams. ‘If you can do that forever, we’d be more than happy to do it.’ Music for Songhoy Blues is a means of bringing people together, of smashing down boundaries and having an incredible time while doing it. ‘Music is the best love we share together,’ he insists. ‘The language and the culture doesn’t matter – it’s just the feeling people get and the love we share with them which is most important. We are proud to see people across the world jumping on our music.’ With two stunning studio albums under their collective belts, Songhoy Blues recently unveiled their brand new EP ‘Meet Me In The City’, boasting an exceptional cover of Fela Kuti’s uncompromising afrobeat statement ‘Shakara’. For this band of Malian migrants, politics and music are naturally intertwined. ‘We are a band that is fighting against what is going on in Africa – all the political corruption,’ Aliou states. ‘People fall in love with our music and most of them ask us about the meaning, the lyrics, the background story. We feel responsible for that, to write something that they can understand. Then we can entertain each other, and they can know the feeling, the background message behind our music.’ It’s a radical message, he adds, one perhaps driven out of the political arena: ‘So, what about putting the message through the art, or the culture?’
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The band toasted the recent release while staying in Mississippi, a location key to the emergence of the blues. Indeed, the new EP contains a Junior Kimbrough cover, a nod towards their American cousins, that connects the blues to its African origins. ‘When you hear that, you straight away realise the link between the blues and the music we play,’ he says. ‘Literally, when we hear that blues from Mississippi, we hear ourselves straight away inside it.’ Currently making plans to get back into the studio, Songboy Blues are relishing the opportunity to take their stunning live show to new crowds and new faces. It’s an overwhelming cavalcade of ideas, utilising the deep roots of Malian culture in a startlingly new way. ‘Every time people come to a concert venue they listen to it, and they hear it, and they enjoy it from a different angle. Some of them hear the message, some of them are interested about the energy and the groove, and some of them are interested about the melody. I want people to take as much as they possibly can from our music.’ Continually touring, Songhoy Blues touch down in Glasgow for The Great Western festival in November – it’s a city they know well and the thought of returning to Scotland is a tantalising one for many reasons. ‘The pipes!’ he beams. ‘I love that instrument!’ Indeed, Songhoy Blues are living proof of music’s eternal power to forge connections. ‘The journey is all about that,’ he comments. ‘For us, the journey is much more important than the objective. When you travel you find those links between cultures and the links between human beings. We’re all the same.’ Songhoy Blues, Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow, Sat 23 Nov; part of The Great Western, various venues, Glasgow, Sat 23 Nov, tgwfest.com
‘What does “warmduscher” mean?’ echoes the artist known as Clams Baker Jr, who fronts the band of the same name. ‘It’s an old German insult which my friends there used to call me – it’s like calling someone a wimp or a punk, like they take warm showers. Which is funny, because the word looks so macho. In fact, a lot of people think it must mean something dirty.’ It’s a name which represents the music they make, as most recently heard on this year’s third album Tainted Lunch; dirty, macho Southern-style rock, with a soulful, soft-centred heart. Warmduscher are Clams’ (Craig Higgins Jr) thing, although he used to share the band with Saul Adamczewski of Fat White Family. Recorded by producer Dan Carey, the new album was essentially a live recording, each side made in a day, with a couple of days for subsequent overdubs. The album strays through garage rock, funk and disco; Clams says he was ‘a cassette boy’ who grew up with artists like James Brown in his youth. His influences range from Butthole Surfers to Parliament to gangsta rap to noise electronica, and two personal heroes appear on this album. ‘It’s just asking, man!’ he says of how he got Iggy Pop and Kool Keith to guest. ‘Iggy was playing us all the time on his 6 Music show, and I thought it would be amazing to get him to record an intro for us – so I asked his manager, wrote the words for him, and he did it over the phone. Kool Keith I had spoken to years ago and he was up for doing it, but I couldn’t afford him. I asked again this time and he was down for it, he’s even doing a video for us! It’s how this band works anyway, because everyone is all over the place, but somehow it all comes together and works.’ (David Pollock) n Warmduscher play QMU, Glasgow as part of The Great Western, Sat 23 Nov.
THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS IN CONCERT
JACK’S BAC K! Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas reinvented the animated musical for a whole new audience. In its 25th anniversary year, Kelly Apter speaks to composer Danny Elfman about the joys and challenges of performing the score live
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t’s October 2013 and Danny Elfman is standing backstage at the Royal Albert Hall, glued to the spot. Out front, a packed house is waiting for him and Helena Bonham Carter to deliver songs from the films of Tim Burton, penned by Elfman. ‘I hadn’t sung live in 18 years and I kind of froze up,’ recalls Elfman. ‘I was like “I can’t do this, I can’t go out there, the audience will hate me.”’ Sitting next to him, ready to play the part of Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Bonham Carter said a few choice words that brought Elfman to his senses. ‘It was exactly what I needed,’ he says, ‘and I walked through the door and did the show. The audience was so warm and supportive, it’s a night I’ll never forget.’ So it would seem we have Bonham Carter to thank for everything that followed. Leaving the venue that night, Elfman remembers thinking ‘yeah, I could do that again,’. And so The Nightmare Before Christmas In Concert began to take shape. Having previously doubted the potential of this deliciously ghoulish homage to Christmas, Disney had slowly begun to understand its appeal in the years following the film’s 1993 release. So when the idea was mooted of screening it with a live orchestra and Elfman, along with original cast members Catherine O’Hara and Ken Page, singing the film’s ten numbers, they got right behind it.
‘The second time around, Disney – much to their credit – got it,’ explains Elfman. ‘They said now we understand, which they didn’t back then because there was really nothing for them to relate it to. But then they really got behind it, which helped lead to its second life.’ That ‘second life’ has meant eight live performances at the vast Hollywood Bowl in recent years, something Elfman is still incredulous about. ‘When they first told me we were doing it at the Bowl, I said that’s insane,’ he laughs. ‘We should be doing this in a 500-seat theatre not a 17,000-seat venue. And of course, me being mister pessimist, I was expecting to go out and play to 250 people. So when the first night sold out and they added a second, I was stunned. Because it was hard to know how strongly people felt about the film.’ As Elfman discovered, the film has become something of a cult classic over the past 25 years. Burton’s deliciously off-kilter narrative coupled with Elfman’s catchy lyrics and melodies make for a potent mix. Although Chris Sarandon was the original spoken voice of Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween Town who decides to give Christmas a makeover, it was Elfman who sang his songs. So it’s him, along with O’Hara (of Schitt’s Creek fame) who voiced
rag doll Sally and Oogie Boogie man Page who we’ll see on stage – backed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (in Glasgow) and then the London Philharmonic Orchestra. But even Elfman, the man responsible for composing theme tunes for Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and The Simpsons, to name but a few, finds the live concert a tricky proposition. ‘It’s really hard,’ he says. ‘Technically, it’s very difficult, very exact. If I move in front of the conductor, I’m on my own. But I love just charging about, it’s too difficult for me to stay still behind the podium, so I frequently take a gamble and hope that I can stay in synch properly.’ The Nightmare Before Christmas In Concert, SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Mon 2 Dec. Read more of this interview online at list.co.uk
PHOTO: RANDALL
Catherine O’Hara n and Danny Elfma
MICH
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ARDAL O’HANLON
TALK OF T HE CLOWN He’s a bestselling author, primetime TV actor and acclaimed standup. But some will always see Ardal O’Hanlon as the juvenile priest in Father Ted. As he brings his latest tour to Scotland, the Irishman tells Brian Donaldson that stand-up is scarier than armed robbery
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PHOTO: MARK NIXON
54 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
’m a very reluctant show-off.’ Irish comic Ardal O’Hanlon is perhaps still best known for his role as Dougal McGuire in the classic 90s Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted, and comments such as this might make people believe him to be carrying on that character: the shy, timid and naïve junior member of the Catholic clergy stuck on Craggy Island. But these days, O’Hanlon is a fearless stand-up (now that he’s managed to cast aside the debilitating stage fright that made him wonder if live work was really his bag), who is deep into another nationwide comedy tour. The Showing Off Must Go On is the title of his new stand-up set and he’s determined to put that image of the wilting wallflower firmly behind him. ‘I come from a part of the world where showing off is anathema; it’s the worst thing you could possibly do. When you grow up in a border area of Ireland, people are very wary and cagy and keep their heads down at all times. Don’t speak unless it’s absolutely essential and don’t give anything away. So showing off was a really terrible thing to do. It’s up there with armed robbery.’ Curious that O’Hanlon should mention that heinous crime given that he was in fact involved in one some years back. It might be worth pointing out immediately that he was not a perpetrator of said act. ‘It’s a bizarre story but true,’ recalls O’Hanlon. ‘I was lodging my first-ever pay cheque when these armed robbers burst in and we’re then all lying on the floor. This guy I’m beside is looking at me and has a smirk on his face. He says “did anyone ever tell you that you have lovely eyes?” He just said that for the craic but I was incredibly scared. Though it wasn’t as scary as stand-up.’ Before his big break in Father Ted, O’Hanlon was making a decent fist of it as a rising standup star, but the enjoyment he was offering audiences wasn’t matched by the inner turmoil he was going through. ‘At the time I felt awful and thought that other comedians just weren’t experiencing it. I was the only one in the corner retching, though it was fine once I got onstage. But something definitely changed; when you have kids, you become less self-centred or obsessed with your career and you later realise that it’s just a gig.’ In the post-Ted years, O’Hanlon wrote a bestselling novel (The Talk of the Town), and played the lead character in sitcoms (the generally liked My Hero and the overwhelmingly unloved Blessed) and escapist crime drama Death in Paradise (it was recently announced that he was leaving that BBC show after four series as DI Jack Mooney) while also appearing in the varied likes of Cucumber, Skins and Doctor Who. Admitting that he was quite happily sliding into middle-age, fairly sure he knew all that he needed to know about the world, O’Hanlon was jolted out of that complacency by recent global events, and felt inspired to get back in the stand-up saddle. ‘There’s an awful lot to talk about,’ he admits. ‘Especially in the last two or three years, the world has changed dramatically. I thought I’d cracked everything and then suddenly you have to completely re-engage with the world as it shifts.’ While he’s had a varied career and a complicated relationship with live performing, stand-up always seems to sink its teeth into Ardal O’Hanlon. ‘I’ve been lucky to have other dimensions to my career, but I’m constantly drawn back to stand-up: there’s something compulsive about it. For this tour, I’ll have a modest saloon car, my little bag of jokes and a toothbrush. I love the whole process of it, engaging with the world and trying to figure stuff out. Stand-up really is the best medium for that.’ Ardal O’Hanlon: The Showing Off Must Go On, Tramway, Glasgow, Wed 13 Nov; Albert Halls, Stirling, Thu 14 Nov; Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 15 Nov.
Winter Concerts 2019 Hear things differently
Requiem Aeternam Music of Loss and Consolation
14 November, 7:30pm St Machar’s Cathedral, Aberdeen 15 November, 7:30pm University of Glasgow Memorial Chapel
Nicholas Mulroy Director
16 November, 7:30pm Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh
Messiah John Butt Director
16 December, 7pm The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh 17 December, 7pm St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Glasgow
For more information and to book, please visit www.dunedin-consort.org.uk/winter2019 ListAdvert.indd 1
25/10/2019 12:15
FE EL THE LOV E 56 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
HOGMANAY
As the first DJ to headline Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations, Mark Ronson is taking the job seriously. David Pollock talks to the record producer about recent projects, massive collaborations and why composing is still where his heart is
M
ark Ronson is, he says with an upbeat transatlantic tone, ‘taking getting in shape for Hogmanay pretty seriously. I just finished training at the boxing gym and now I’m sitting in my apartment in New York sweating, I haven’t had a shower yet. That paints a picture for the senses!’ Those with longer memories will remember he’s been on the bill at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay before, of course, but back in 2011 the London-born producer’s billing was positively niche compared to this year’s headline slot. Back then, he played a DJ set on the East End stage, some way down the bill from Primal Scream’s headline show in Princes Street Gardens, and pre-publicity focused on his production work for Amy Winehouse, Adele and Robbie Williams as much as his reasonably successful UK albums and handful of hits at the time. ‘Since then I’ve obviously had a few more party tunes to get everyone in the mood,’ Ronson says now with an air of modest satisfaction. His 2015 Bruno Mars collaboration and global number one ‘Uptown Funk’ (and the accompanying album Uptown Special) rocketed him into position as one of the defining pop stars of the past decade. While this year’s follow-up album Late Night Feelings hasn’t been quite the same kind of monster, the Miley Cyrus-featuring ‘Nothing Breaks Like a Heart’ and the Lykke Li-abetted title track are further Ronson-controlled entries in the canon of great pop music the past decade has produced. ‘This has been a good year,’ says Ronson. ‘It’s been the result of a lot of hard work, I’ve been laying low the last couple of years working on this album, on Silk City (his collaboration with Diplo, whose work to date was released as an EP in 2019), on the Star is Born stuff . . . everything seemed to come out bang, bang, bang, like crazy, but it’s been great. I’ve put out my favourite solo album, I played Glastonbury, obviously the Academy Awards (where he won an award for ‘Shallow’ from A Star is Born to go with the song’s Golden Globe and Grammy) was a highlight. ‘The difference with other years is, sometimes they were going too fast for me to enjoy them – or maybe I didn’t know when to sit back and take things in, or spot when good things were happening. This year’s been more about stopping to smell the roses and find some balance.’ He describes Late Night Feelings as his first attempt to write a record ‘from the point of view of an emotion, rather than making some fun party tunes I can play in my DJ set’, and
found that artists including Cyrus, Li, Angel Olsen and King Princess (who is signed to Ronson’s own Zelig label) responded well to this new direction. The record is filled with what his friend, the DJ Rory Phillips, christened ‘sad bangers’. ‘I think people like to show an emotional side to themselves,’ says Ronson. ‘They know that when the music has a little more weight, a little more heartbreak to it, then somehow it’s just stronger. You can call up Miley Cyrus and say, “hey, I’m working on this album, do you want to come down and see what happens?”; or you can say, “I’ve got this record, it’s about a breakup and it’s fuckin’ heavy”, and she says, “I’m in”. Everybody gave so much of their heart and soul to this record, and that’s why I love it.’ Was it intentional that all of the guests on the record are women? ‘I started working with Lykke and Yebba, and then King Princess got involved, and before I even looked up, 70 per cent of the album was female,’ says Ronson. ‘It felt right. And to be honest, I was listening to a lot of emotional music – a lot of country and soul – and none of the singers were male, except for maybe Stevie Wonder. It was all Kacey Musgraves, Stevie Nicks, this great duo from Alabama called the Secret Sisters; it’s just where my heart and ears were at the time.’ Sticking it out at the gym aside, Ronson’s next-in-line concerns are the release of King Princess’ album on his label, and then putting on a good Hogmanay show, which he intends to be ‘just a lot of fuckin’ killer tunes, killer lights, maybe some surprise guests . . . I’m still working it out, but of course I want it to be special, and for everybody to have an incredible time.’ He’s also producing his Late Night Feelings collaborator Yebba’s debut album, and he says there will eventually be more Silk City, ‘the yin to [the new album’s] yang’. ‘To be honest, for the first time I’m trying to finish everything that’s on my plate before I sign up for more,’ says Ronson. ‘If you overcommit you’re spreading yourself too thin; you go from project to project with no perspective or time to re-energise, so I’m trying to change that. And if there’s one thing I hope will go on my tombstone, it will be “record producer” over “pop artist”, because I guess the studio is where I feel happiest and most comfortable, collaborating and composing, coming up with my arrangements – it’s still my day job.’
more hogmanay highlights DJ and producer Mark Ronson may be headlining the Concert in the Gardens this year but there’s plenty more music to enjoy across the various stages of the Street Party
WAVERLEY STAGE At the east end of Princes Street, ex-Soft Cell singer Marc Almond will be headlining the Waverley Stage, performing a selection of his greatest hits with his band in tow. He’ll be joined by Fort William singer-songwriter Keir Gibson and Glasgow noise pop group the Ninth Wave, plus Edinburgh’s good-time ska godfathers PorkPie, who will take to the stage after midnight to keep the party going.
JOHNNIE WALKER STAGE Hogmanay regular the Great Calverto will open the Johnnie Walker Stage for Arielle Free, the Glasgow-born Radio 1 DJ and presenter of Love Island: The Morning After. She’ll be followed by the Mac Twins, who return after last year’s triumphant set, taking everyone through the bells and into 2020.
HIGH STREET STAGE New for this year, the High Street stage boasts a fantastic all-Scottish line-up. Kicking off the festivities, indie rock heroes Idlewild will play greatest hits and new material before West Lothian rockers the Snuts take over for a high-energy set. After midnight, Edinburgh-based six-piece Celtic fusion band Shooglenifty will close the celebrations with their uplifting electronica and alt rock taking revellers into the wee hours.
Mark Ronson plays the Concert in the Gardens at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, Princes Street Gardens, Tue 31 Dec.
1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 57
RIAN JOHNSON
GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER Fresh from taking on the Star Wars universe, director Rian Johnson subverts the whodunnit genre with his new movie, Knives Out. He talks to James Mottram about his love of the murder-mystery genre, the challenge of making it contemporary and his next foray into that galaxy far, far away
J
ust five films into his career, Rian Johnson has been on a remarkable trajectory. Even before he rattled Star Wars fans with 2017’s divisive The Last Jedi, he’d regularly toyed with audience expectations. Subverting the film noir (2005’s high-school-set Brick), the con movie (The Brothers Bloom) and the timetravel tale (Looper), Johnson’s original spin on tired tropes is what’s got him this far. He’s at it again with Knives Out, a murdermystery that takes us back to the era of all-star Agatha Christie adaptations from the 1970s. ‘Even though there haven’t been many recently, it’s odd how much affection there is for the genre,’ says Johnson. ‘Audiences love the puzzle box aspect – can you solve it? Combined with big colourful characters, all getting accused of murder . . . what’s not to love?’ Sitting over coffee on a quiet morning at London’s swanky Chiltern Firehouse, the 45-year-old Johnson admits it’s an idea he’s been playing with for a decade. He’s entirely at ease that Kenneth Branagh beat him to the punch, reviving Christie’s Hercule Poirot with Murder on the Orient Express (and is now hard at work filming Death on the Nile). ‘In my mind, the more the merrier. It’s a genre – as a fan – I eat up.’
Johnson’s film, however, is a true original – as much Colombo as it is Christie, with a bit of the Stephen Sondheim-scripted 1973 tale The Last of Sheila thrown in. All set around a rural retreat, it concerns the murder of a successful mystery author Harlan Thrombrey (Christopher Plummer) and his greedy family, who – naturally – all have motives for bumping him off. Needless to say, nothing is quite as it seems. ‘The heart of it is the fun of this self-righteous, back-stabbing family,’ says Johnson, who has a riot casting them: Jamie Lee Curtis as Thrombrey’s daughter, Don Johnson as her husband and Avengers star Chris Evans as their son; Michael Shannon as Thrombrey’s youngest and Toni Collette as his superficial wife. Such characterisations ensure the film feels very upto-date – and no mere empty homage to dusty old country house mysteries. Additionally, It star Jaeden Martell plays a Republican-supporting grandson, adding a contemporary spin. ‘It was important to me, especially if we were going to be making it about 2019, and about all the ways that we’re yelling at each other, that the movie essentially had a good heart,’ says Johnson, citing the role of Blade Runner 2049’s Ana de Armas as Harlan’s kindly nurse.
Of course, every mystery needs a detective and Johnson has Benoit Blanc, a Southern gentleman sleuth played by Daniel Craig, Mississippi accent and all. The James Bond star ‘was the first piece of the puzzle,’ says Johnson. ‘Once we got him, he’s obviously actor-bait. It became a much more attractive thing for other people to jump into. But he also had a very specific window where [upcoming] Bond [film No Time To Die] had pushed, so we had a few months to shoot it.’ Arguably, Craig and Johnson haven’t enjoyed themselves this much on a movie in years. For the director, it was a soothing balm after the pressures of Star Wars. ‘The Last Jedi was a fantastic experience, front to back, but it was also four years and after spending that long in something, it felt really good to get into something totally different.’ He will be stepping back into the Star Wars universe, with a planned trilogy of films that ‘steps beyond the legacy characters’. But don’t expect that anytime soon. All Johnson will say is he’s ‘figuring out schedule-wise when all that stuff is going to happen’. Well, everyone needs a little mystery in their lives, don’t they? Knives Out is on general release from Wed 27 Nov. See review, page 94.
Left to right: Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Rian Johnson
60 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
ROWEN EVENTS LTD IN ASSOCIATION WITH PARTY AT LTD PRESENT
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When it comes to exploring Scotland, it’s as much about the journey and admiring the stunning landscapes on your way to your destination. Many of us are looking for simple ways to make travelling more sustainable, and using public transport is an easy step to get started . . .
62 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
KATIE EASTON
SOPHIE DAVIES
MAMA SAYS . . .
A CONSIDERED LIFE
The Borders is an area that provides a golden opportunity for those who dare to venture off the beaten path. Getting to the Borders was much more straightforward than I had anticipated . . . a train to Edinburgh and then onto the Borders Railway line to Galashiels. For our trip we had a daily Borders Explorer ticket which allowed us to get the train from Edinburgh to the Borders and then hop on and off the buses. We stayed in The Watson Lodge Guest House, which was five minutes’ walk from the Transport Hub so made an ideal base for us. We headed off on the bus to Melrose and the Abbey. I could have spent ages here soaking up the history and atmosphere. Next it was all about Hawick. We took a lovely walk to Wilton Lodge Park which has a brilliant play area for kids and is home to the Hawick Museum. Then we went to the Borders Textile Towerhouse, which celebrates the famed Borders textile industry, followed by the Borders Distillery, the first in the area since 1837. On our last day we took a short train ride to Tweedbank to explore Abbotsford. Once the home of Sir Walter Scott, he wrote many of his famous masterpieces from the study in this house. Slowing things down and travelling around the Borders the way we did was ideal. It let us truly enjoy the sights and experience it in a more relaxed and sustainable way.
If you’re trying to be more mindful of the impact your travel has, there’s nothing better than booking a trip closer to home using public transport. I took a comfortable train journey to Edinburgh and then a short 30-minute trip on to North Berwick for my most recent trip to Scotland. Train journeys always feel like an adventure in themselves as you watch the rolling scenery shift and transform. When considering where to stay, look for a welcoming B&B like No 12 Quality Street. Take time to explore the local area by foot as there’s plenty to see in North Berwick. Stroll along West Bay to the Scottish Seabird Centre, round to Milsey Bay Beach and back up through the pretty streets. Visit the Coastal Communities Museum or walk up North Berwick Law to take in the view. After travelling by bus to Tantallon Castle, on the coastal walk back to North Berwick stop off halfway for lunch at Drift café, a repurposed shipping container, where you can sit and overlook the sea. Plan a trip to Dirleton Castle and stop by Gullane for lunch at The Bonnie Badger where the food is exceptional. Walk through the green to visit the ruins of St Andrew’s Church, and then back to North Berwick on the bus. The rolling countryside, fresh sea air and good food make East Lothian, and North Berwick in particular, an ideal location for a long weekend away.
Read more at mamasays.blog Ö e @mama_says_blog
Read more at aconsideredlife.co.uk Ö @ImSophieDavies | e @aconsideredlife
SARAH MCKENZIE MYVEGGIETRAVELS Being one of Scotland’s larger islands, there’s plenty of things to do on the Isle of Arran. Its proximity to the mainland means those short on time can visit most of the main attractions without feeling rushed. Leave the car at home. ScotRail’s Rail & Sail ticket takes you all the way from Glasgow to Brodick and means that, from Ardrossan, you simply hop on the CalMac ferry service across to Arran. The island has a regular bus service, but I recommend you try out an e-bike. Get your hands on one of these from Arran Bike Hire, just a few minutes from Brodick Pier. I was also thrilled to discover Arran caters to vegans. Stonewater House in Lamlash Bay is a beautiful waterside B&B that takes pride in vegan breakfasts. Enjoy a day of castle hunting, starting with an easy coastal stroll from Brodick Pier to Brodick Castle. After exploring, hop on a bus (or bike) to the ruined Lochranza Castle in the north. Look out for Pirnmill Church, a little blue place of worship on the road between Lochranza and Machrie. Arran is famous for its mysterious standing stone circles on Machrie Moor, dating back as early as 1800BC. Goat Fell’s 874-metre peak is a favourite for climbers, or for less experienced ramblers who can enjoy the gentler lower slopes. Read more at myveggietravels.com Ö @myveggietravels | e @sarahscotland
35%
Did you know that there are
of British travellers use public transport while visiting other parts of the country – that’s 13,000 overnight trips using sustainable travel
111
train stations and
12,599 bus stops within 1km of mountains and moorland in Scotland? So there’s no excuse not to get out and enjoy our stunning countryside! ONS, UK natural capital for mountains, moorlands and heath
53%
of international visitors to the UK use the bus, tram or tube while visiting the UK with visitors to Scotland making up 40% of the total, only behind London
Great Britain Tourism Survey / VisitScotland
In Scotland, the ultimate playground, outdoor recreation was valued at
£1.3 million in 2017. From worldclass watersports to walking, cycling to aqualining, the possibilities for getting active in Scotland’s magnificent great outdoors are endless ONS, UK natural capital for mountains, moorlands and heath
International Passenger Survey 2013
1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 63
Tigerlily’s menu is a menu without borders, a sensory journey to different corners of the world through our inspired list of dishes. A fresh approach to traditional dining where you can enjoy anything from steadfast classics to exotic fusion specialities, each prepared with love & dedication by our highly skilled, award winning chefs.
125 GEORGE STREET, EDINBURGH EH2 4JN | 0131 225 5005 | INFO@TIGERLILYEDINBURGH.CO.UK | WWW.TIGERLILYEDINBURGH.CO.UK
FOOD & DRINK FOR THE LATEST NEWS, LISTINGS AND REVIEWS, GO TO LIST.CO.UK /FOOD&DRINK
DUNNET BAY DISTILLERS Gin-maker pioneers’ recyclable refills Dunnet Bay Distillers, up at the edge of the world in Caithness, are showing off their growing green creds with a new plastic pouch for their awardwinning Rock Rose gin. The first of its kind in the UK, the postal pouch means less of their ceramic bottles are produced as well as cutting down on the shipping energy needed to move
the gin around. The pouches are designed to fit through letterboxes, and once you’ve topped up your bottle, simply pop the pre-addressed pouch in the post back to the distillery for recycling. Plans are afoot to make the pouch fully biodegradable. (Jay Thundercliffe) ■ dunnetbaydistillers.co.uk 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 65
FOOD & DRINK
DRINKS NEWS
NEWS & REVIEWS
Whisky? In pop-in-the-mouth capsules? Encased in seaweed? WTH? Burn them! That was the general response recently to The Glenlivet’s range of whisky cocktail pods, after they were showcased at London Cocktail Week. Twitter caused a storm in a Glencairn glass as whisky aficionados took it all a bit too seriously. Let’s party with the pods, we say!
TOAST STORY The lesser-spotted wine bar has been sighted in Glasgow. David Kirkwood heads over to Kelvinbridge and meets this new arrival
A
s the only Glaswegian entry in The Good Food Guide’s Top 50 UK restaurants (as well as being in our own Hot 100), Cail Bruich is enjoying a bit of a moment right now. They’re a confident outfit, backing themselves to make decisions on wine lists and food fashions that are just far enough ahead of the curve to keep things on-trend but accessible. And with this swagger they’ve gone half a mile up the street for their second venture: a wine bar in an airy corner unit, plum in the middle of Great Western Road’s main throng. It’s an appreciated addition to a city that hasn’t really embraced the genre, where flights of tasters and nods towards ‘plushness’ have defined recent, short-lived efforts. None of that here. Instead, we have green ceramic tiling and an open, industrial kitchen, with wines – five red, five white – displayed on a black letterboard as per a craft beer or coffee establishment. It’s all nicely cool. Sit on the bar seats and knowledgeable staff talk you through options. Producers (organic, low intervention) and countries (old world, always) are displayed; not so often the grapes – so it really feels like they’re trusting their customers to trust them, with whites like ‘Rhone Mix’, or a Spanish red blend
of alicante bouschet and mencia grapes. Very solid; somewhat niche. Drawing less focus is a full-blown list of 40-plus bottles, with only a few under £30. European wines from small producers will be pricier, of course, but Glasgow’s drinkers like a bang for their six bucks (the cheapest 125ml). That said, what Brett does, it does well. That means oysters and daily hot plates – a butcher’s cut, or hake with capers and butter. Cail Bruich’s emphasis on locality and seasonality extends here. Most popular are the platters of Peelham Farm Scottish charcuterie and robust cheeses from IJ Mellis, which feature in delightful ‘wasted croquettes’ – consummate crunch around an oozing, rich and cheddary centre. Major plus points are lots of bread and oatcakes – and gluten free too. Brett isn’t for everyone, but Brett is ok with that. It’s a bold attempt to go where no one has gone before. In Glasgow, anyway.
+
A refreshing development in the city’s wine bar scene
-
Seats at the bar are too low
BRETT 321 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G4 9HR, barbrett.co.uk Mon and Wed/Thu 4pm–1am; Fri–Sun 2pm–1am. Closed Tue. Average cost of two course lunch/dinner: £15 66 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
Talking of good ideas, brewery taprooms. Unless, we’ll concede, you’re designated driver. So welcome news of the recent opening of taprooms at Bellfield Brewery in Edinburgh’s Abbeyhill (fine for those out for a stroll round Arthur’s Seat) and Futtle Brewing located at the food and drink collective at Bowhouse by St Monans (a short diversion from the Fife Coastal Path).
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The recent award season has sprinkled its annual stars, bibs, and other gongs around the country. The Michelin Guide dropped one star apiece on Condita in Edinburgh’s Southside and the Isle of Eriska Hotel (doing a comeback kid). New Bib Gourmands – ie where you’ll get fed well for under £30 – went to Tom Kitchin’s the Bonnie Badger in East Lothian, Provender Melrose in
the Borders and Merienda in the capital’s Stockbridge area. Losing a grip on its Michelin star was Paul Kitching’s 21212 in Edinburgh, while seven regulars retained their single stellars. Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles kept its unique (for Scotland) two Michelin stars despite chef Fairlie’s untimely death this year. A special hatsoff to Braidwoods in Ayrshire. Wife and husband Nicola and
Christmas at Amore
News to nibble on Keith Braidwood are not only celebrating 25 years in business this year, but their classy rural cottage restaurant has also won its Michelin star for 2020 – again. That’s 21 consecutive years, the longest run of any Scottish restaurant. Ever. Restaurant Andrew Fairlie is also the highest placed Scottish restaurant in The Good Food Guide’s Top 50 UK restaurants. Entering that hallowed list for the first time is Cail Bruich in Glasgow, while round the corner at Number 16 (Byres Road) they celebrated the guide’s award for Best Local Restaurant in Scotland. Further west at Loch Fyne, Inver toasted a double whammy: in the Top 50 for the first time and co-owner Pam Brunton grabbing the prestigious Chef of the Year award. Food writer and frequent reviewer for our Eating & Drinking Guide, Ailidh Forlan, has authored a book delving into the nation’s passion
for street eats. Street Food Scotland looks into the history, culture and impact of street food, and examines its spread across the country, with stories focusing on some its popular proponents. It’s available from Black & White Publishing and costs £20 in hardback. Jacqueline O’Donnell – who has been running her Sisters restaurants (Jordanhill and later Kelvingrove) for over two decades – has announced her retirement, with service ending at her Kelvingrove restaurant just before Christmas. Few people have done more to promote Scottish producers and our national cuisine than Jak, whether in her own kitchen or in front of the television cameras. For all your services, we salute you. Happy retirement!
Here at Amore we value the importance of fantastic food and quality service, and would like to take the opportunity to invite you to come and share with us our love and passion for traditional Italian dining
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Choose from a daily variety of flavour-filled tours, experiences and events at central Edinburgh’s only single malt whisky and gin distillery. Book online or call 0131 285 8977 BOOK NOW AT HOLYROODDISTILLERY.CO.UK
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1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 67
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RECENT OPENINGS
The intricacies of Japanese cuisine are expertly celebrated at this West End diner, as Tiff Griffin discovers
‘H
anami’ means the tradition of watching flowers in blossom. The Finnieston expression is the latest branch of Cailin Jiang’s culinary tree, and while just as enjoyable, should prove less ephemeral. The minimal interior is like a grown-up version of sibling Little Canteen across the road. There’s sashimi, with the market fish selection almost spartan in its palate-cleansing freshness, matched with salty dipping sauce. Salmon and tuna arrive in slices cut with surgical precision, delicately adorned with a carved vegetable flower. All of the dishes are defined by the pure, harmonious taste of excellent Japanese cuisine. In fact, two courses in, it’s as if the stomach were full of purified air and nothing more. There’s further refinement on display in the soft fillings of gyoza and tempura in impeccably seasoned batter. It’s all as crisp as a Kyoto mountainside and just as refreshing. Complementing the flawless kitchen offerings are plum wines and saki that pair beautifully with the fish. It’s hard not to wish for more, but better to savour them as you would admire the first cherry blossom of spring: in quiet, contented reflection.
HANAMI 1185 Argyle Street, West End, Glasgow, G3 8TQ 0141 248 8880, hanamifinnieston.co.uk £10 (set lunch) / £20 (dinner)
The best of the new restaurant, café and bar openings in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Prices shown are for an average two-course meal for one.
Glasgow THE GATE
BARS & PUBS 251 Gallowgate, East End, thegateglasgow.com, £8 (lunch/dinner) It’s been an assured debut for the Gate – no surprise with Andy Gemmell of the Drinks Cabinet at the helm, and serious pros backing him up. Look for the sexy yellow lightning bolt and step into a snug space of stone and wood, and 150plus malts. It’s slick but welcoming – big smiles, warmth all round, colour-coded whisky pricing – with a principle that nothing here should be intimidating. Tennent’s tap sits alongside a draught cocktail tap (yep), and the food is toasties on (marvellously, and correctly) thick white bread. Cocktails are classy, made with precision and panache. And their alcohol-free Mondays are truly daring in this city.
THE IVY BISTROS & BRASSERIES 106 Buchanan Street, City Centre, 0141 378 1200, theivyglasgow.com, £16.95 (set lunch) / £29 (dinner) Rarely has a restaurant’s arrival been so heralded. Benihana’s opening in February came close – and look how that’s ended. The big question for this branch of the upmarket chain is more ‘will it survive?’ than ‘is it good?’ Judging by the punters almost choking the fussy entrance of the listed former bank, it’s certainly got people’s attention. It’s informal lux dining and
drinking at lux prices – with some justification from the lavish interior (a kaleidoscope of foliage, bold artworks and fine detailing), lots of seafood and prime cuts, competent cocktails, and that tangible air of well-heeled consumption.
Edinburgh FRANCO MANCA PIZZERIA The Mint Building, 19–23 South St Andrew Street, New Town, 0131 560 1329, francomanca.co.uk, £12 (lunch/dinner) It hasn’t been a vintage year for what’s known as the mid-market chains, so at first glance Franco Manca’s move north of the border may seem foolhardy. But this is how a chain should be – there are precisely no surprises, it’s good value, easy-going, fuss-free and fun. Pizzas are thin and bubbly, on a convincing sourdough base. There’s a clear commitment to dietary requirements, with vegan and gluten-free options freely available. Pricing is democratic – and one of the few places in town where you can get a pizza and a glass of wine for around a tenner.
THE SCOTTISH CAFE AND RESTAURANT ARTS VENUE CAFE National Gallery of Scotland, The Mound, City Centre, 0131 225 1550, contini.com, £15/22 (set lunch) The Scottish Café and Restaurant was closed for over six months for refurbishment, but even a few moments in the beautifully redesigned and reconfigured space more than make up for its absence. Boasting an eyecatching mural by Scottish textile designer Mairi Helena,
along with only partially less colourful booths and seating, the deceptively large space is softly lit by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Princes Street Gardens. The Continis’ menu is equally rooted: all ingredients and produce are sourced directly from Scottish suppliers and crafted into creative takes on the nation’s cuisine across a menu which flows from breakfast through brunch and lunch to afternoon tea, with vegan, young and snacking diners catered for along the way.
PIGGS SPANISH CAFE 276 Canongate, Old Town, 0131 557 2955, fb.com/piggswinebar, £11 (lunch) / £18 (dinner) The junction of the Royal Mile with Jeffrey Street was long the domain of much-loved Edinburgh restaurateur Iggy Campos, and with son Daniel at the helm of this slim new wine bar, coffee-stop and casual dining spot on the main drag, a new generation has arrived. Not Iggs now but Piggs, it’s unmistakeably and unashamedly Spanish, with a striking Estrella Galicia beer font, stacks of sandwiches filled with manchego and jamon, blackboard tapas specials and platters to accompany an attractive Iberian wine list.
FROTH & FLAME PIZZA PUB 192 Morrison Street, West End, 0131 228 9500, frothandflame.co.uk, £5 (set lunch) / £12 (dinner) Froth and Flame’s owners (Spey Valley, Keith and Alechemy breweries) have big plans for this brand, which naturally showcases their own beers. It makes a decent attempt at cosying up a cavernous space – tartan-lined booths, a mezzanine balcony and plenty of outdoor seating. The short but sweet range of wood-fired pizzas includes the Napoli – nduja, friarielli and mozzarella – while the rest of the menu has a couple of pastas, salads and generous sharing platters, alongside eight rotating taps keeping the beer interesting.
Independent write-ups on all the restaurants worth knowing about in Glasgow and Edinburgh are available on our online Eating & Drinking Guide at list.co.uk/food-and-drink 68 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
winter
ADVERTISING FEATURE
war mers
Winter is a time for cuddling up with a plate of something sustaining and comforting. Luckily, given the dreich conditions here, Scotland is pretty good at doing food and drink to warm the cockles. From wood-fired pizza ovens to cosy brunches, fiery Asian spices to delicious drams, here are our top suggestions for putting a festive glow into your winter drinking and dining
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e g d i r b k c o t S n o e sunshin Our best selling dish keeping the sunshine in your belly this winter! 1 North West Circus Place  | Dovecot Studios, Infirmaty Street | Finn and Bear 58 Shore 70 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
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top tips italian embrace The cuisine of Italy, at its best, is like a big, warm, friendly hug, and Scotland is full of top spots to cosy up this winter.
GLASGOW Celino’s Traditional trattoria bringing beautifully cooked favourites to Dennistoun, with the option to take home treats from the deli counter. Amore Ristorante e Pizzeria A glorious spot looking down on the Merchant City, where big groups and family occasions work particularly well.
EDINBURGH Contini George Street Modern Italian cuisine in grand, elegant surroundings at the heart of Georgian Edinburgh. Froth & Flame Cosy up to the wood-fired oven and enjoy the classic combo of pizza and beer.
warming spices There’s nothing like a bit of spice to warm you from within, and there’s a feast of Indian and East Asian specialists to keep you tingling.
GLASGOW Chillies West End A relaxed atmosphere matched by a mix and match tapasstyle menu of skilfully prepared and really quite spicy dishes. Non Viet Top-quality Vietnamese cuisine prepared with care in a contemporary diner with an easy-going vibe.
EDINBURGH Desi Pakwan Primarily a takeaway and delivery spot, but should the weather be just too awful, there’s also sit-in to enjoy the Punjabi favourites. Nok’s Kitchen Pocket-sized restaurant in Stockbridge offering Thai classics in a cosy and intimate setting.
toast the dreich Sometimes, the only way to chase the winter blues away is to grab a stiff drink. We’ve picked a few spots to help drown out the weather.
GLASGOW Stravaigin Café Bar Informal bar-restaurant embodying the best of bistro dining with international dishes, big flavours and quality ingredients. Phillies of Shawlands The Redmond’s of Dennistoun team bringing brunch, booze and more to the Southside, with an attached bottle shop.
EDINBURGH Little White Pig Stylish neighbourhood wine bar with a focus on good-quality but relaxed Scottish pub food. Whighams Wine Cellars A cosy basement bar offering an extensive wine list and warming dishes such as Cullen Skink soup.
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, e e fr oy, n te e, s as u l t g y-fre istm s e b dair Chr e th ee, free veerr££3399 r o r ar- ddeerrssoov F f t a sug y ffoorroorr e h w and ddeelliivveerry K t l ee UUK e e r a r F F s
37 Broughton Street, Edinburgh EH1 3JU | 8 Brougham Street, Edinburgh EH3 9JH 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 73
ADVERTISING FEATURE
brunch up
One trick to keeping warm this winter is to start the day with a proper feast – check out a brunch specialist for a bowl of hot porridge and much more.
GLASGOW Fèist Brunchy lunch and sandwich specialist courtesy of the combined powers of Finnieston’s Roast and Seb & Mili. Potbelly Cosy neighbourhood café, home of the famous hotcakes and other eyecatching breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes.
EDINBURGH The Pantry Popular gathering spot in Stockbridge dishing up beautifully presented breakfast, brunch and lunch. Honeycomb & Co Bright and sunny addition to the Bruntsfield scene with strong breakfast options, cheerful lunches and homemade baking.
caledonian comfort
Few countries do cosy winter dining quite like Scotland – grab some comforting classics and give yourself a homely glow.
GLASGOW The Sisters Kelvingrove Chef Jak O’Donnell is hanging up her apron at the end of the year so say goodbye with some Scottish comfort classics. The Square Bar & Restaurant Broomhill neighbourhood bistro serving from brunch to dinner, with plenty of Scottish produce and influences.
EDINBURGH Cannonball A historic building in a fantastic location beside the castle, serving well-presented Scottish dishes with a focus on local produce. The Fingal Pretend you’re sailing to milder climes at the floating hotel’s Lighthouse Bar, serving afternoon tea and more.
CONTINI AND SPICE AND ALL THINGS NICE Our special festive dining packages are available for groups of all sizes and are sure to get you in the festive spirit. So whether you are organising for friends and family to get together or an office outing, our team are delighted to look after you and your guests. All our prices include crackers, fantastic ambience, award winning food and plenty of festive cheer.
For bespoke packages for groups of 15 to 300 guests, please do not hesitate to contact our Contini Christmas Elves who will be delighted to chat under the mistletoe. Tel: 131 225 1550 option 4 or email: christmas@contini.com WWW.CONTINI.COM/CHRISTMAS | TEL : 0131 225 1550
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AUTHENTIC GEORGIAN CELLAR BAR Whighams offer the finest quality and locally sourced Scottish produce where our chef’s specialise in seafood. Come along for a freshly shucked oyster, a seafood platter or simply fish & chips. Enjoy a glass of wine from around the world with over 30 by the glass to choose from. All this can be enjoyed in our restaurant, our year round outside seating or immerse yourself into one of our cosy cellars dating back to 1766.
OYSTER HAPPY HOUR | DAILY 4–6PM Delicious Loch Fyne Oysters for £1 each 13 Hope Street, Edinburgh | EH2 4EL 0131 225 8674 | info@whighams.com
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some tips from our experts: LUKE TRACEY – THE SQUARE BAR & RESTAURANT Which Scottish seasonal ingredients make their way into your winter kitchen? We love to incorporate seasonal produce into our menus. During the winter we feature lovely seasonal meats and game along with locally sourced seafood and vegetables. Our special of roasted pheasant with chestnut purée, balsamic and sambuca reduction always goes down a treat. CARINA CONTINI – CONTINI GEORGE STREET, THE SCOTTISH CAFE & RESTAURANT, CANNONBALL RESTAURANT & BAR Scotland’s drink scene is ever-expanding, what is your local drink or cocktail of choice to warm you up? Our friends at Clever Kombucha make Amalfi Lemon Kombucha just for us. We have the bottled version in all the venues but draft just at The Scottish Cafe. It’s delicious. I’m going to try and steam some with a little honey and I think we may be onto a winner. CLAUDIO CELINO – CELINO’S The hospitality industry is a big follower of fashion – any predictions for eating and drinking trends in 2020? Potato croquettes are going to make a massive comeback in 2020 . . . if it does, could it be noted I said it first?
‘Tis the season to be fancy! We’re loving ‘The Winter Fizz’ A splash of Glen’s Platinum, a generous helping of OJ, topped with cava & a couple of raspberries! Pairs brilliantly with a sneaky chocolate from your selection box.
GLEN’S, BUT FANCY. www.glensvodka.co.uk
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@GlensVodkaLLG
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WINTER WARMERS
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St Andrew’s Fair Saturday 2019 Nationwide cultural celebration with a social impact Saturday November 30 +125 Cultural Events
+30 Cities & Towns
#FairSaturdayScotland
+90 Social Projects
St Andrew´s Cathedral Aberdeen · Elphinstone Institute · Nepalese Himalayan Association Scotland · Fèisean nan Gàidheal · All About Barrhead · Ando Glaso · OnFife · Currie Community Centre · Ellisland Museum and Farm · Dumfries and Galloway Multicultural Association · Massive Outpouring of Love (MOOL) · Frigate Unicorn · Dundee Rep Theatre · Edinburgh Tool Library · Out of the Blue Drill Hall · Scottish Art Club · Scottish Storytelling Centre · Travelling Gallery · Scottish Poetry Library · Filmhouse Edinburgh · Edinburgh College · Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh · ESU Scotland · Eric Liddell Centre · Scottish Indian Arts Forum (SIAF) · Raymond Considine · The Queen' s Hall and Soundhouse Organisation · Rosslyn Chapel Trust · Summerhall · Rainbow Muslim Women's Group · Niall Lee · Giffnock & Newlands Hebrew Congregration · Spinal Chrod · Glasgow Caledonian University · CAT Scotland · Africa Future · Ahl Al Bait Society · Gaelic Book Council · Jhankar Beats · Scottish Arab Women Association · Govan Community Project · Live Music Now Scotland · Forth Valley Migrant Support Network · The Highlands Support Refugees · Renfrewshire Council · Fife Arabic Society ·East Ayrshire Vibrant Communities · Oban Winter Festival · Mboho Ndito Akwa Ibom Scotland · Perth Creates · PKAVS Minority Communities Hub · Slanjayvah Danza · The SEALL Festival of Small Halls · BID St Andrews · Fife Contemporary · Fife Centre for Equalities · Bannockburn House · Macrobert Arts Centre · Northlight Gallery · Glasgow The Caring City · St Giles Cathedral · Hunterian Museum ·
Full programme available at standrews.fairsaturday.org #FairSaturday | #StAndrewsDay
Foundation
AROUND TOWN FOR THE LATEST NEWS, LISTINGS AND REVIEWS, GO TO LIST.CO.UK /AROUNDTOWN
MAGICFEST Edinburgh’s international magic festival marks ten years of wonder
PHOTO: COLIN HATTERSLEY
MagicFest celebrates its first double-digit anniversary this year, welcoming a host of home-grown and international talent to Edinburgh to amaze minds of all ages. New to the festival line-up this year is Hogmanay House, an adventure at Lauriston Castle where you can escape the brisk winter weather, cuddle up with a dram or a hot drink and sit back as storytellers, magicians and musicians celebrate the origins of Hogmanay. If you’re more hands-on, then You are Magic is the perfect place to put your skills to the test, as Magic Gareth and Michelle Ferguson present a show where the audience take centre stage. Some familiar names in the field will also delight Edinburgh magic-lovers with their skills, such as award-winning Kevin Quantum with Anti-Gravity and Tricky Ricky, the four-times winner of Scottish Children’s Entertainer of the Year, who will be amusing audiences aged ‘1 to 101’. The programme is completed by Magic Comedy Club, Magic School (exclusively for children aged 7–10), The Power of Perspective exhibition and, of course, the Opening Night Christmas Gala. A magical Christmas indeed. (Sofia Matias) ■ Various venues, Edinburgh, Fri 27 Dec–Sun 5 Jan.
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AROUND TOWN HIGHLIGHTS GLASGOW GLASGOW FESTIVAL OF BURLESQUE Various venues, Mon 4–Sun 10 Nov, glasgowfestivalofburlesque.com A festival celebrating the very best in the art of cabaret, with workshops and performances throughout the programme. FESTIVAL OF THE DEAD O2 Academy, Sat 9 Nov, festivalofthedead.co.uk The event mixes theatre, circus, live music, face painting and DJs.
of Chivas Regal and the skills and craftsmanship it takes to make their signature blended whisky with a complimentary drink in hand. Then, get hands-on and create your own whisky, with a 200ml bottle blend to take home that night.
PHOTO: CHRIS SCOTT
Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
EDINBURGH EDINBURGH HORROR FESTIVAL Various venues, until Sun 3 Nov, edhorrorfest.co.uk Horror festival for Halloween covering music, books, comedy, talks and more.
WWE LIVE: WRESTLEMANIA REVENGE SSE Hydro, Mon 11 Nov, wwe.com The ultimate in ‘sports entertainment’ as the real deal WWE superstars of US wrestling bring the pain to the UK.
EDINBURGH SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Various venues, until Sat 9 Nov, edinburghshortfilmfestival.com Film festival devoted to screening short films from Edinburgh, Scotland and around the world. The ESFF evolved from the Leith Short Film Festival in 2011 and has hosted visiting filmmakers from China, Russia, Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland and all over the UK.
THE BLEND BY CHIVAS Mharsanta, Wed 16–Wed 27 Nov, chivas.com Learn about the history
CHEESEFEST UK Royal Highland Centre, Sat 9 Nov, cheesefestuk.com Touring cheese
Moon Party
festival, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Wallace & Gromit. Also touring, see list.co.uk/festival for details. CASTLE OF LIGHT Edinburgh Castle, Thu 14 Nov–Sun 22 Dec, castleoflight.scot Edinburgh Castle is brought to life with stunning visuals and light installations. GLOW ART TRAIL Queen Victoria Statue, Kirkgate, Leith, Fri 15–Sun 17 Nov, leithlate. co.uk A free illuminated art trail taking place in and around the Kirkgate as part of LeithLate.
SCOTS FIDDLE FESTIVAL The Pleasance, Fri 15–Sun 17 Nov, scotsfiddlefestival.com This exciting, fiddle-fuelled weekend returns in 2019 with concerts, recitals, workshops, talks, stalls, sessions, festival clubs, and ceilidhs. CHRISTMAS AT THE BOTANICS Royal Botanic Garden, Fri 22 Nov– Sun 29 Dec, rbge.org.uk A one-mile illuminated trail that winds its way through the garden. Wander beneath the tree canopies bathed in seasonal colour, enjoy the sounds of the Choir of the Trees and keep an eye out for Santa and
We know the ingredients for impressive events
Our events live in the hearts and minds of guests for years to come. For professional advice on venues and sample award-winning menus, speak to our planners. 0131 287 0530 | info@hickoryfood.co.uk
HICKORY hickoryfood.co.uk
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AROUND TOWN HIGHLIGHTS his elves. There’s spiced cider, mulled wine or hot chocolate to warm you up. CHRISTMAS MARKET Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, Sun 24 Nov, edch.org.uk Support the dogs and cats at the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home at this Christmas market, with a range of local stalls, mulled juice, mince pies and a Santa Paws.
record-setting New York Christmas sensation tours ahead of a Christmas season at The Lowry in Manchester. The musical version is narrated from the persepective of Max the dog and features songs ‘You’re A Mean One Mr Grinch’ and ‘Welcome Christmas’. See review, page 100. Also touring, see list.co.uk/theatre for details. BURNS&BEYOND Various venues, Mon 20–Sun 26 Jan, burnsandbeyond.com A festival celebrating Scottish culture and the legacy of Robert Burns, Burns&Beyond features in its 2020 programme Edwyn
DR SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL Festival Theatre, Tue 26–Fri 29 Nov, grinchmusical.co.uk The
HITLIST
GLASGLOW Glasgow Botanic Gardens, until Sun 10 Nov, itison.com/ glasglow Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens becomes a world of light, sound and magic this Halloween. NEON DIGITAL ARTS FESTIVAL Various venues,
Collins, Tide Lines, a Culture Trail and more to be announced.
OUT OF TOWN FESTIVE DESIGN MARKET V&A, Dundee, Sat 23 & Sun 24 Nov, vam.ac.uk/Dundee Get your creative Christmas shopping underway at this design market curated by Tea Green. DUNDEE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL Bonar Hall, Dundee, Thu 28–Sat 30 Nov, dundeemountainfilm.org. uk The UK’s longest continuous-running
Dundee, Mon 4–Sun 10 Nov, northeastofnorth. com Scotland’s only international digital arts festival features moving image, performance, music and tech-driven arts.
up with Pianodrome and Leith Theatre to produce an immersive night with music from S!nk, DJ beats, projection art and glow-in-the-dark performances.
MOON PARTY Leith Theatre, Sat 16 Nov, leithlate.co.uk LeithLate has teamed
ST ANDREW’S FAIR SATURDAY Various venues, Scotland, Sat 30 Nov,
mountain film festival showcases an international programme of films by local filmmakers, presentations and book signings by world renowned mountaineers, adventurers and expedition leaders, and art and photography exhibitions. A CHRISTMAS FAIRY TRAIL Archerfield Walled Garden, Dirleton, Fri 6–Tue 24 Dec, archerfieldwalledgarden.com Immersive theatrical experience set along a 1.5km trail, designed as a magical world of fairies and forest folk. See preview, page 99.
standrews.fairsaturday. org A day devoted to culture, social causes and the celebration of St Andrew’s Day. EDINBURGH’S HOGMANAY Various venues, Edinburgh, Mon 30 Dec–Wed 1 Jan, edinburghshogmanay.
e t i un y t i c e th 3PM, BT MURRAYFIELD
Buy your tickets for the biggest match of the season! edinburghrugby.org 82 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
com Edinburgh’s world-famous Hogmanay celebration featuring a torchlight procession on 30 Dec, a massive street party with live music and midnight fireworks on 31 Dec, and for those brave souls still wanting more, there’s the Loony Dook (in the Firth of Forth) on 1 Jan. See feature, page 56.
BOOKS FOR THE LATEST NEWS, LISTINGS AND REVIEWS, GO TO LIST.CO.UK /BOOKS
THE BIG SCOTTISH BOOK CLUB New show bringing big-name authors to the small screen
PHOTO: BRIAN SWEENEY/IWC/BANIJAY
Love the idea of a book club, but wish you could enjoy it snuggled under a blanket on your own sofa? Then we have some good news for you. Brand new series, The Big Scottish Book Club, will be bringing big-name writers to the small screen this autumn. Hosted by award-winning author Damian Barr (Maggie & Me and You Will Be Safe Here), this four-part series has a shining line-up of literary stars from Scotland and beyond. The format is based on Barr’s regular Literary Salon events and his guests for the show include Janice Galloway, Maggie O’Farrell, Ian Rankin, David Nicholls, Rhik Samadder, Marian Keyes and more. Each episode will focus on one
particular type of writing, from memoir to crime, as well as featuring short readings of poetry and stories – all filmed in front of a live audience. ‘The Big Scottish Book Club is bringing books back to television and making it clear that stories are for everyone,’ says Barr (pictured). ‘The line-up for this series truly reflects the diverse storytelling talent at work in Scotland and across the UK and I can’t wait to share this thrilling mixture of established and emerging voices.’ Tune in for some insight into the writers you love or get a little inspiration for your next read. (Lynsey May) ■ BBC Scotland, November.
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BOOKS | PREVIEWS & REVIEWS FESTIVAL
BOOK WEEK SCOTLAND
Various venues, nationwide, Mon 18–Sun 24 Nov
PHOTO: ALASDAIR WATSON
Scotland’s annual celebration of everything book, writing and reading-related is back, with a fabulous selection of events in November. Taking place over seven jam-packed days, Book Week Scotland 2019 brings authors and entertainers to venues all over the country in a book-filled extravaganza. The theme this year is ‘conversation’, so there will be plenty of chances to chat, ask questions and share points of view at intriguing-sounding events such as Souper Stories; Murder Mystery; Books, Beer & Banter and The Blether Bus. There will also be big names from all walks of bookish life, including Doug Johnstone, Helen Fitzgerald, Sara Sheridan and many more. In a special event hosted by Stuart MacBride, bestselling author Ian Rankin will chat about the launch of his 'lost' novel, Westwind. Discover real-life stories from Scotland with 100,000 free copies of the Blether book available from libraries and other community venues throughout the week. Alternatively, read them online and be sure to dip into the free BWS Digital Festival for podcasts curated by poet Tom Pow, exclusive illustrations from artist Alex T Smith and much more. There’s also the chance to see unique events from food writer and anti-poverty campaigner Jack Monroe, critically acclaimed comic artist Frank Quitely, award-winning romance author Jenny Colgan and poet and author Dean Atta, all as part of BWS’s Pitch It strand. This innovative slant on book event programming asks libraries and community groups to submit ideas for an event with the authors, who then take part in the winning pitches. Scottish Book Trust will also be asking the nation to help them find the most iconic Scots word. Head online to vote before checking out the full programme, picking a few events for your diary and getting ready to blether about some terrific stories this autumn. (Lynsey May)
GRAPHIC NOVEL
JULIE BIRMANT AND CLÉMENT OUBRERIE
Isadora (SelfMadeHero) ●●●●● Capturing the effervescence and unpredictability of dancer, rule-breaker and artist Isadora Duncan is a difficult task. In this new graphic biography, Julie Birmant and Clément Oubrerie do an admirable job of translating a life in movement to the page. The art imbues Duncan’s performances with fluid grace and manages to eschew the irritating tendency towards tweeness sometimes seen in books about dancers. Oubrerie’s art is expressive and wild where it needs to be and the method of drawing and painting relates well to not only the events, but also the time period depicted. His Isadora is wide-eyed with a naivety that captures her idealism and prescience. It also grates slightly, when set against her mental rigour, iron will and life experiences. The exploration of inspiration, burgeoning sexuality and philosophy during Duncan’s influential years exploring Europe show the reader a woman coming into herself, and creating a personal belief system and mantra that would allow her to become the ‘mother of modern dance’. The book ends with the tragedy that snatches a visceral presence from the world in a cruelly arbitrary way (her flowing scarf tangled in the wheels of the racing car she was riding in). Here, it is handled with a grace that reminds the reader that the avant garde artist and grand dame of an entire dance movement is far, far more than a punch line. (Lynsey May) ■■Out now. 84 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
MEMOIR
COMEDY COLLECTION
We Have Always Been Here (Viking) ●●●●●
Tall Tales and wee stories (Two Roads) ●●●●●
SAMRA HABIB
Journalist, activist and photographer Samra Habib’s debut book, We Have Always Been Here, tackles the difficulties in claiming queer Muslim identity in the current climate. We see how Habib, after fleeing Pakistan as a persecuted Ahmadi Muslim, navigates new challenges as a Canadian refugee: displacement, her faith, sexuality, racism and conflicting pressures of her family and community. Refreshingly, Habib doesn’t feel the need to resort to cultural stereotypes, such as positioning the ‘East’ or Islam as ‘oppressive’. She is well aware that writing about her arranged marriage could carry the risk of feeding into the already hysterical Islamophobic climate. For Habib, her concept of ‘home’ transcends the physical – it’s her chosen queer family and, ultimately, her faith. We see how she finds solace in the latter over the course of the book: the aftermath of her suicide attempt at 16 sees her pray more regularly. Perhaps most poignantly, a mosque that welcomes queer Muslims like herself doesn’t require her to change herself or her sexuality. Ultimately, this is a powerful and emotionally searing memoir, not just because queer Muslims’ perspectives have routinely been rendered invisible from the public conversation, but because it is also a story of hope, triumph and a refusal of sensationalism. We Have Always Been Here deserves a place on your bookshelf well beyond Pride Month. (Salma Haidrani) ■■Out now.
BILLY CONNOLLY
At the end of 2018, Billy Connolly announced that he would no longer be performing live comedy. Age and illness had finally caught up with him, so he would do something he’d refused to countenance all these years: put his storytelling routines down on paper. Not only had he never produced a collection of his stories before now, but he went on stage merely with bullet points to work from, altering and shifting a tale’s focus at every telling. For stand-up devotees, Tall Tales and wee stories is the Big Yin bible, as he regales us in print with all those brilliant yarns he previously delivered live with wit and gusto. Turns out that there might be another reason that all this stuff remained in his head: on the page it’s not especially hilarious and simply cries out for the man to be in front of you on stage or on a small screen, swishing his hair back and galivanting about. Although the collection is structured roughly by theme (Childhood & Family, Scotland & Beyond, Accidents & Adventures for three), it’s sometimes slightly discombobulating to read one tale that seems to originate in the 70s or 80s straight to another that’s from a more modernised world. One piece entitled ‘The Age of Beigeism’ is so distracting because he could be talking about the 1990s or it could have been written last week. Context might not be everything, but it definitely counts for something. (Brian Donaldson) ■■Out now.
HIGHLIGHTS | BOOKS
BOOKS HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
GLASGOW CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS: NICK-E MELVILLE – POET AND ARTIST Glasgow University Memorial Chapel, Mon 25 Nov, gla.ac.uk/ events/creativeconversations Poet Nick-e Melville discusses his work. LIS RHODES: TELLING INVENTS TOLD Glasgow Women’s Library, Sat 7 Dec, womenslibrary.org.uk Artist and filmmaker Lis Rhodes launches her first collection of writings. GRANDPA’S GREAT ESCAPE SSE Hydro, Fri 3 Jan, worldofdavidwalliams.com Stage adaptation of the children’s book by David Walliams, which follows Grandpa and Jack’s daring escape from the old folk’s home and its wicked matron.
EDINBURGH EDINBURGH HORROR FESTIVAL Various venues, until Sun 3 Nov, edhorrorfest.co.uk Horror festival for Halloween covering music, books, comedy, talks and more. CRAIGMILLAR BOOK FESTIVAL Various venues, Wed 6–Sat 16 Nov, craigmillar.org.uk.gridhosted.co.uk/ craigmillar-book-festival A festival of free events with Scottish authors, storytellers and various literary experts. VITAL SPARK: ANNUAL MURIEL SPARK LECTURE National Library of Scotland, Tue 12 Nov, nls.uk Janice Galloway delivers this year’s lecture on the work of Muriel Spark. RLS DAY: REBEL POETRY 19TH CENTURY STYLE Typewronger Books, Wed 13
HITLIST HITLIST
EDINBURGH’S XXX RADICAL Xxxx Xxxx BOOK FAIR Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh, Thu 14–Sun 17 Nov, lighthousebookshop. com/major-events/ radical A festival of ideas from the folks at Lighthouse Bookshop. It showcases publishers and speakers with an emphasis on small and independent
Nov, typewronger.com Evening of Victorian punk poetry in celebration of the birth of Robert Louis Stevenson. OF STRANGERS AND BEES: AN EVENING WITH HAMID ISMAILOV Golden Hare Books, Fri 15 Nov, goldenharebooks.com Edinburgh launch of Hamid Ismailov’s newest book, Of Strangers and Bees. NADIYA HUSSAIN: FINDING MY VOICE The Queen’s Hall, Sun 17 Nov, nadiyahussain.com The winner of 2015’s The Great British Bake Off tours the UK in celebration of the release of her newest book, Finding My Voice. LOVE: AN EVENING WITH HANNE ØRSTAVIK Golden Hare Books, Wed 20 Nov, goldenharebooks.com Join Golden Hare Books and Norwegian novelist Hanne Ørstavik for the launch of her recently translated novel, Love. EDINBURGH COMIC ART FEST Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Sun 24 Nov, comicartfest.com Book and comic exhibition with free workshops. ERIN MORGENSTERN Greenside Church, Mon 25 Nov, toppingbooks.co.uk The bestselling author of The Night Circus launches her much anticipated new novel, The Starless Sea.
AMY TODMAN LAUNCH Typewronger Books, Fri 6 Dec, typewronger.com Amy Todman reads from her two newest publications, g(love) and Twig. VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS STORYTELLING FOR FAMILIES Patrick Geddes Centre, Sat 14 & Sun 15 Dec, patrickgeddescentre. org.uk Yuletide storytelling sessions around a cosy fireside, led by Mrs Mash and Gillian Fraser Paterson, with the chance to explore the historic rooms of the Patrick Geddes Centre in the interval.
OUT OF TOWN RHYME & REASON North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre, Motherwell, Thu 17 Oct–Sat 9 Nov Exhibition on North Lanarkshire’s local poets, with archival photographs and museum artefacts highlighting their life and work on display. KEN WORDS: KAREN CAMPBELL The CatStrand, Castle Douglas, Wed 20 Nov, catstrand.com Dumfries and Galloway author Karen Campbell discusses the books that have inspired her throughout her career. HAMISH BROWN: EAST OF WEST, WEST OF EAST Central Library, East Kilbride, Thu 21 Nov Author and mountaineer Hamish Brown talks about his new book.
CATHERINE RAYNER BOOK READING AND CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS CARD WORKSHOP Paper Tiger, Sat 30 Nov, papertiger.co.uk Author and illustrator Catherine Rayner leads this storytelling and Christmas card crafting session.
AN EVENING WITH VAL MCDERMID Topping & Company Booksellers, St Andrews, Fri 29 Nov, toppingbooks.co.uk Scotland’s Queen of Crime discusses the latest instalment of her Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series, How the Dead Speak.
SALLEY VICKERS Topping & Company Booksellers, Tue 3 Dec, toppingbooks.co.uk Salley Vickers presents her new novel, Grandmothers.
BURNS WEEKEND 2020 Cairndale Hotel and Leisure Club, Dumfries, Sat 25 Jan, cairndalehotel.co.uk Celebrate Burns’ birthday with music, poetry and
presses and writings from outside the mainstream. BOOK WEEK SCOTLAND Various venues, nationwide, Mon 18–Sun 24 Nov, scottishbooktrust.com/ book-week-scotland A ‘national book festival’ for Scotland courtesy of Creative Scotland,
Nadiya Hussain
dancing. The line-up includes BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2015 Claire Hastings, John Glover, Sandy McLelland, Lee McQueen and Callum Watson.
free books all combine to form a week-long national celebration of reading. See preview, page 84. Book Week Scotland
Scottish Book Trust and other collaborators. A packed programme of star-studded author events, kids’ activities and the distribution of
MEMORIAL NIGHT FOR JANET PAISLEY CCA, Glasgow, Tue 3 Dec, cca-glasgow.com Linda Jackson hosts a remembrance evening dedicated to writer Janet Paisley.
STARVING FOR HEROINES: ON WOMEN WRITERS, FAME AND FORGETTING National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, Thu 12 Dec, nls.uk Literary critic and cultural historian Joanna Scutts delivers this talk on the variety of female voices in xxxx the literary world.
1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 85
COMEDY FOR THE LATEST NEWS, LISTINGS AND REVIEWS, GO TO LIST.CO.UK /COMEDY
TIM MINCHIN Mischievous musical comedy from the wild-haired one
PHOTO: DAMIAN BENNETT
Rather a lot has happened since 2011, the year that Tim Minchin last toured the UK with his largely loveable and sometimes fierce musical comedy. The Northampton-born, Western Australia-raised winner of the Best Newcomer Award at 2005’s Edinburgh Fringe has witnessed his stage career go stratospheric with the glorious success of Matilda now being matched by his Olivier-winning Groundhog Day. On small screens Minchin has been in Californication (playing a rocker called Atticus Fetch) and he’s set to star in Upright, a road drama for Sky. But while his wild hair and fondness for lavish eye-liner have been an obvious draw, his social conscience is even more admirable. He upset all the right people in 2017 during the same-sex marriage debates when he reworked a patriotic Aussie standard, ‘I Still Call Australia Home’, into his own version: ‘I Still Call Australia Homophobic’. Now he’s back with a live show entitled, cunningly, Back. The tour is dubbed as full of ‘Old Songs, New Songs, Fuck You Songs’ with the ‘sold-out’ signs already being displayed proving that his public can hardly wait for more of this scamp’s mischief-making and ear for a killer melody. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Edinburgh Playhouse, Tue 19 & Wed 20, Sat 23 Nov; SEC, Glasgow, Fri 22 Nov.
1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 87
COMEDY | PREVIEWS STAND-UP
ROB BECKETT
King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 19 Nov Rob Beckett’s comedy has long been packing a solid, mainstream punch, so Wallop seems the ideal name for his latest blockbuster tour. ‘As a word, “wallop” just isn’t used enough but I use it quite a lot. I think it sums up me and my show: “here it is, have a bit of that”, we’ll enjoy ourselves and then go home. My show isn’t going to sort out Brexit, but it will take your mind off it for an hour and a half. Essentially, it’s about the funniest things that have happened to me or that I’ve thought of since the last tour.’ Perhaps that’s the kind of straight-talking, escapist tactic this country needs as we veer from chaos to crisis on an almost hourly basis. A regular face (and voice) on our small screens, Beckett’s CV features the likes of Celebs Go Dating, A League of Their Own, The Jonathan Ross Show, and Rob Beckett’s Savage Socials, while he’s also co-hosting this year’s Royal Variety Performance alongside his buddy Romesh Ranganathan, which will air on ITV in December. As a father of two toddlers, the temptation for Beckett might have been to make Wallop his ‘new-dad’ show. He’s more or less resisted that. ‘Though I have kids, it’s not my “I’m so happy to get out of the house" tour. It’s not really about the things my kids have said, it’s more about these new relationships I have with my in-laws and my own parents.’ Talking of family, his mum is also no doubt very proud of her lad’s achievements, but in his eyes she has a funny way of showing it. ‘My mum always likes to have a go: “if you could get a degree in annoying . . . you’d have a degree in annoying”. Thanks mum. If she could get a degree in analogies . . . I don’t think she’d get one.’ (Brian Donaldson)
LOCAL LAUGHS AMELIA BAYLER
ANOTHER UP-AND-COMER HAS A GO AT OUR Q&A Can you tell us about the moment when you thought: ‘stand-up is for me’? I think it was the moment right after Marjolein Robertson and I did a comedy marathon on the top deck of Bob’s BlundaBus at Kelburn Garden Party. It was like the comedy equivalent of two DJs doing a B2B set. We then went to see Leftfield; I was completely sober but fuelled by adrenaline. Amazing! Do you have any pre-show rituals you can tell us about? At the last Fringe I would walk from my accommodation to the Royal Mile to flyer for my show Emotional Bangers whilst listening to this song called ‘Hot Cop’ by Village People. After flyering and right before my gig I would eat two Rice Krispies Squares bars. They’re delish. What’s the one thing (good or bad) you remember about your very first stand-up gig? This wasn’t stand-up but I performed 88 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
my first ever comedy song at high school. It was called ‘McVities Fittaes’ and it was a banger! What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received from another comedian so far? When I was a kid, I was obsessed with DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince. Their song ‘Boom! Shake The Room’ has this lyric: ‘my life is a cage but on stage I’m free!’ Will Smith didn’t give me that piece of advice directly but I’ve been thinking about this lyric a lot recently. ■ Gilded Balloon Basement at Rose Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 14 Nov, 5 Dec; Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh, Tue 26 Nov, Mon 9 Dec; The Stand, Glasgow (Kids Club Christmas Special), Sat 14 Dec; The Stand, Edinburgh, Mon 13 Jan; The Stand, Glasgow (Red Raw), Tue 14 Jan. See much more of this q&a at list.co.uk/comedy.
PREVIEWS | COMEDY
list.co.uk/comedy
PHOTO: NIGEL HILLIER
STAND-UP
HARRIET DYER
Gilded Balloon Basement at Rose Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 27 Nov ‘I’ve always loved dinosaurs,’ says Harriet Dyer. ‘My dad took me to see Jurassic Park when I was a kid and I was beside myself with how exciting it was.’ Weetabix once had an offer for a set of plastic dinosaurs, which the dedicated cereal consumer could win by collecting coupons off their boxes.’ So I’d refuse to eat anything else, which is no way to live.’ Now as an adult, Dyer can purchase her own dinosaur paraphernalia, which populates the stage of The Dinosaur Show, most notably in the inflatable costume she gamely performs in for nearly the whole set. Though things did get rather warm during its Fringe run, her dedication was handsomely rewarded with a clutch of glowing reviews. Despite its name, The Dinosaur Show is less about our ancient forebears, and more a no-holdsbarred ride through the chaos of Dyer’s consciousness, replete with video art and hand puppetry. ‘It was an absolute mess at previews,’ admits Dyer. ‘At one point there was a Siamese dinosaur twin called Tallulah that loved death metal. I find the show hard to look at with fresh eyes when I’m in it, but luckily a friend of mine went through it saying simple things like “it needs to have a beginning, middle and end” and “if there’s no point of something to the story, it’s probably best not being there”.’ So of all the dinosaurs, which is Dyer’s favourite? ‘Dilophosaurus,’ she says. ‘Hands down. Anything that spits venom is fine by me. As long as it doesn’t wilt my flowers.’ (Deborah Chu)
PHOTO: ANDY HOLLINGWORTH
MY COMEDY HERO
MAISIE ADAM
Gilded Balloon Basement at Rose Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 21 Jan; The Stand, Glasgow, Wed 22 Jan When you were 12 years old, if someone pointed at a stack of DVDs and said ‘you can watch any of them . . . except the yellow one’, then let’s face it, there’d only be one that you’d really want to watch. That yellow DVD – and finding a way to watch it – became the sole focus for my younger brother Danny and I. What did it contain that was so abhorrent? The film was called Guest House Paradiso. I smuggled it out by putting the disc inside the case of The Secret Garden and taking it upstairs to watch on our mum’s chunky laptop. What followed was 89 minutes of the most outrageous, rude, hilarious, disgusting, foul-mouthed, sexually inappropriate slapstick comedy that Danny and I – with a combined age of 20 – had ever seen. Dad soon clocked that Danny and I were quoting the film around the house, but as the damage had already been done, he told us the film was a spin-off from a series called Bottom. Thus began a relentless marathon of finding every episode of that show, and then The Young Ones and New Statesman, watching them intently in order to try and emulate the physicality of this brilliant and stupidly silly clown. I love Rik Mayall, because he was so clever about being so silly. For me, that’s what comedy is all about. (As told to Brian Donaldson)
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1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 89
COMEDY | HIGHLIGHTS
COMEDY HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
GLASGOW SHAPPI KHORSANDI: SKITTISH WARRIOR . . . CONFESSIONS OF A CLUB COMIC The Stand, Sun 3 Nov, thestand. co.uk/glasgow Shappi recounts her journey through the 90s comedy club scene with plenty of sharp-tongued gags. Also Gilded Balloon Basement at Rose Theatre, Edinburgh, Mon 4 Nov, gildedballoon.co.uk/ programme-category/basement ARDAL O’HANLON: THE SHOWING OFF MUST GO ON Tramway, Wed 13 Nov, tramway.org The star of Death in Paradise, Father Ted and My Hero takes on the culture wars in his stand-up. See feature, page 54. Also touring, see list.co.uk/comedy for details. JONATHAN PIE: FAKE NEWS Pavilion Theatre, Sat 16 Nov, paviliontheatre.co.uk More scathing take-downs of politicos and journalists. Also Music Hall, Aberdeen, Sun 17 Nov, aberdeenperformingarts.com/ music-hall SUZI RUFFELL: DANCE LIKE EVERYONE’S WATCHING Glee Club, Sun 17 Nov, glee.co.uk/ glasgow/comedy The comedian discusses her currently happy state of being, and whether comedy can only arise out of misery. ROB BECKETT: WALLOP King’s Theatre, Tue 19 Nov, atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre Observational and high-energy new material from the award-winning standup. See preview, page 88. FERN BRADY: POWER AND CHAOS The Stand, Sun 24 Nov, thestand. co.uk/glasgow Incisive comedy from one of Scotland’s genuine rising stars.
HITLIST
TOMMY TIERNAN: PADDY CRAZY HORSE Gilded Balloon Basement at Rose Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 2 Nov, gildedballoon. co.uk Much-loved Irish comedian does his supreme thing on tour. Also Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Sun 3 Nov, atgtickets.com/venues/ theatre-royal-glasgow
90 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
RICHARD HERRING’S LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE PODCAST Theatre Royal, Sun 24 Nov, atgtickets.com/venues/theatreroyal-glasgow Richard Herring takes his podcast on tour with a host of different comedians and public figures each time. GEORGE EGG: MOVABLE FEAST Òran Mór, Thu 28 Nov, oran-mor. co.uk A mix of stand-up comedy, innovation and multi-tasking as Egg demonstrates more live cooking. Also touring, see list.co.uk/comedy for details. JIM JEFFERIES: NIGHT TALKER SSE Hydro, Thu 12 Dec, thessehydro.com The acerbic Australian comic returns to the UK with his newest set. JOSH WIDDICOMBE: BIT MUCH . . . King’s Theatre, Sat 25 Jan, atgtickets.com/venues/kingstheatre The comedian and TV presenter returns with more professional whining.
EDINBURGH LENNY HENRY: WHO AM I AGAIN? Queen’s Hall, Fri 1 Nov, thequeenshall.net Comedian Lenny Henry recounts his experiences of growing up in the Black Country and his experiences of racism. JAMES ACASTER: COLD LASAGNE HATE MYSELF 1999 King’s Theatre, Sun 3 Nov, capitaltheatres.com/your-visit/ kings-theatre Latest show from the comedian who talks about two particular years of his life: one great one and one truly awful one. DARREN HARRIOTT: GOOD HEART YUTE The Stand, Sat 9 Nov, thestand. co.uk/edinburgh Having recently turned 30, Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Darren Harriott questions why he’s never been in love. Also
AHIR SHAH: DOTS The Stand, Edinburgh, Sun 17 Nov, thestand. co.uk/edinburgh The two-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee explores love, politics, depression and faith with his usual philosophical bent in his fantastic new show. Also The Stand, Glasgow, Mon 18 Nov, thestand.co.uk/glasgow
The Stand, Glasgow, Sun 17 Nov, thestand.co.uk/glasgow FRANK SKINNER: SHOWBIZ Festival Theatre, Tue 12 Nov, capitaltheatres.com/your-visit/ festival-theatre The Room 101 host embarks on his first stand-up tour in four years. Also touring, see list. co.uk/comedy for details. JOHN KEARNS: DOUBLE TAKE AND FADE AWAY Monkey Barrel, Tue 12 Nov, monkeybarrelcomedy.com The only ever winner of both the Main Award and Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Fringe presents his latest delightful show. JACK WHITEHALL: STOOD UP Edinburgh Playhouse, Mon 18 Nov, atgtickets.com/venues/edinburghplayhouse The posh yet lovable comedian returns to UK arenas. Also SSE Hydro, Tue 19 & Wed 20 Nov, thessehydro.com ROBIN INCE: CHAOS OF DELIGHT The Stand, Sun 24 Nov, thestand. co.uk/edinburgh The comedian and writer presents an artist’s manifesto of delight and curiosity. Also The Stand, Glasgow, Mon 25 Nov, thestand. co.uk/glasgow HARRIET DYER: THE DINOSAUR SHOW Gilded Balloon Basement at Rose Theatre, Wed 27 Nov, gildedballoon. co.uk/programme-category/ basement Dino-based shenanigans from the quirky comedian. See preview, page 89. MUM’S THE WORD Gilded Balloon Basement at Rose Theatre, Fri 6 Dec, gildedballoon. co.uk/programme-category/ basement Comedy gig designed for parents with babies hosted by comedian and mum, Katie Mulgrew. Feel free and relaxed to feed, change and nurse your baby as the acts perform their usual adult material.
TIM MINCHIN: BACK Edinburgh Playhouse, Tue 19 & Wed 20, Sat 23 Nov, atgtickets.com/ venues/edinburghplayhouse Australia’s piano man returns to make us all fall back in love with him and his wonky, pretty/ dirty perspective on the world. See preview, page 87. Also SEC, Glasgow, Fri 22 Nov, sec.co.uk
Suzi Ruffell
MAISIE ADAM: HANG FIRE Gilded Balloon Basement at Rose Theatre, Tue 21 Jan, gildedballoon. co.uk/programme-category/ basement Adam’s second full-length show considers the pile-on effect that social media seems to encourage. See My Comedy Hero, page 89. Also The Stand, Glasgow, Wed 22 Jan, thestand.co.uk/glasgow
OUT OF TOWN DANIEL SLOSS: X Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline, Sat 14 Dec, alhambradunfermline. com The Scottish comedian, actor and writer (and double Netflix-special star) presents his latest show.
HANNAH GADSBY: DOUGLAS Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Thu 21 Nov, atgtickets. com/venues/theatreroyal-glasgow The brave and groundbreaking Tasmanian comedian, basking in her overnight success that was ten years in the making, is back with a new show, named after one of her dogs.
ROMESH RANGANATHAN: THE CYNIC’S MIXTAPE Edinburgh Playhouse, Thu 21 & Fri 22 Nov, atgtickets.com/venues/ edinburgh-playhouse Brutally honest comedy from the the star of Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, A League of Their Own and Judge Romesh.
FILM FOR THE LATEST NEWS, LISTINGS AND REVIEWS, GO TO LIST.CO.UK /FILM
THE AERONAUTS Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones star in epic high-flying tale Wild Rose director Tom Harper transforms true events from Victorian England into an epic tale of derring-do. Some of the emotional baggage tends towards the earthbound but when The Aeronauts takes to the skies it is a film that positively soars. In 1862, pioneering meteorologist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) takes flight in the strongest and largest hot air balloon ever built. His pilot is fearless widow Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones, playing a fictional character based, in part, on Sophie Blanchard, and replacing aeronaut Henry Coxwell in events). Wren arrives with a flourish of crowd-pleasing theatrics and jettisons her dog from the
balloon. It has the advantage of a parachute, unlike the two humans, who also seem to have forgotten to pack any warming headgear. On a technical level, the film is an immersive marvel, while Jack Thorne’s screenplay neatly layers in flashbacks that establish Glaisher’s battles with a scornful academic establishment and Amelia’s lingering trauma from the death of her husband. They are the more predictable elements in a film of great charm that underlines the fond chemistry between Jones and Redmayne that previously served The Theory of Everything so well. (Allan Hunter) ■ General release from Mon 4 Nov ●●●●●
1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 91
FILM | REVIEWS
DRAMA
SORRY WE MISSED YOU (15) 101min ●●●●●
BIOPIC – CRIME
THE IRISHMAN
(15) 209min ●●●●● The title of Charles Brandt’s book, I Heard You Paint Houses, makes a dramatic appearance in Martin Scorsese’s elegiac gangster epic, based on the true story of mob enforcer and union official Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro). That euphemism for contract killing is the first thing notorious Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) ever said to Frank, and it’s starkly revealed in white type on a black screen, piece by piece, for full impact. The Irishman possesses the wise-guy humour of Goodfellas but is packed full of remorse and sombre realisations. A chunk of American history – where the government, unions and the Mafia waged war – is seen through the eyes of Frank and his Mafia string-puller buddy Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci). Pacino dials it up as the ice-cream-loving, Kennedy-hating union man in a satisfyingly showy turn that complements Pesci’s more subtle work. De Niro is understated too, and bags some of the film’s most poignant moments – whether excruciatingly trying to express emotion, or glassy-eyed and numb. At times, the men behave like affectionate couples, breaking bread in romantic restaurants and getting cosy in twin beds. By contrast, the devastating impact of Frank’s chosen profession on his family is felt in the contempt of his daughter Peggy (played by an underutilised Anna Paquin). As Scorsese reunites De Niro and Pesci in a familiar genre, he takes time to reflect on alliances, violence and mortality. It’s masterful filmmaking but, unlike Goodfellas or Casino, doesn’t make room for a complicated female character. Still, it distils the crucial elements of the book and interrogates the mob movie with a wistful eye. (Katherine McLaughlin) ■■Selected release from Fri 8 Nov and on Netflix from Wed 27 Nov.
The casualties of Broken Britain continue to inspire heartfelt human drama from director Ken Loach and his screenwriting partner Paul Laverty. Sorry We Missed You is a cry of anguish for those in the grip of an economy blighted by zero hours contracts and the illusion of opportunity. Ricky (Kris Hitchen) is a proud grafter who will do anything to provide for his family. He is persuaded that there is a good living to be made as a white van man. A freelance status will put him in control of his destiny. He supplies his own van and faces stiff penalties for any infringement of strict rules. Rarely can the offer of freedom have sounded so much like enslavement. The thousand-pound deposit for the van is found by selling the car that wife Abbie (Debbie Honeywood) relied on for her job as a carer. Now she must travel by bus, eating into a work schedule that seems designed to discourage compassion. Everyone is running as fast as they can merely to stand still. The film’s heart lies in its quiet observation of the lasting impact on family life. There are no easy answers offered, no triumph against the odds, just a gruelling, poignant understanding of an economic system that puts profit before people. (Allan Hunter) ■■General release from Fri 1 Nov.
DRAMA
AFTER THE WEDDING (12A) 112min ●●●●●
BIOPIC – HISTORY
THE KING
(15) 140min ●●●●● David Michôd (Animal Kingdom) is behind this ambitious reworking of William Shakespeare’s Henriad plays. The protagonist is Henry V, played by young heartthrob Timothée Chalamet. He shows impressive range as reluctant ruler ‘Hal’, who cedes his playboy lifestyle when he takes the throne. He is eventually provoked into waging war with the Dauphin of France (Robert Pattinson), though he leans towards pacifism. Co-writer Joel Edgerton plays John Falstaff and his tormented soldier is a mix of amusingly gruff and genuinely affecting. When Pattinson appears on screen doing an awful French accent, things take a turn for the worse. Considering the giant fandoms Pattinson and Chalamet have amassed, it’s tempting to read their squabbles in the dirt as comment on their shifting sex symbol statuses. At any rate, it feels like stunt casting. Michôd has nevertheless produced an intermittently compelling treatise on the consequences of war, as he examines the way Hal gets swallowed up in its machinations, despite his best efforts. The superbly directed mud-and-guts battle at Agincourt speaks volumes on the savagery of conflict, even if the overall film strikes a disappointingly uneven tone. (Katherine McLaughlin) ■■Available on Netflix from Fri 1 Nov. 92 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
Lavish nuptials have been the scene of much melodrama on both the big and small screen. But Bart Freundlich’s latest collaboration with wife Julianne Moore saves its showdown until the morning after the big day. It’s a gender-swapped remake of Danish director Susanne Bier’s Oscar-nominated original. Michelle Williams plays Isabel, the co-founder of an Indian orphanage. When she’s approached by Moore’s media magnate Theresa with the offer of funding, Isabel is pressed into attending the wedding of Theresa’s daughter (Abby Quinn). Once there, she’s astonished to find that her potential benefactor is married to her old flame (Billy Crudup) and it’s not long before secrets and lies surface. Williams projects a dreaminess that makes her character hard to grasp. Moore, however, is terrific; Theresa’s mysterious motives draw you in before flashes of anger and vulnerability complete the picture. Shorn of Bier’s interrogatory style, the narrative flaws are laid bare. What begins as a critique of philanthropy descends into a soap opera, while the Indian sub-plot is short-changed. It’s all a little blandly polished; the anguish rarely packs the punch intended as elegance triumphs over emotion. (Emma Simmonds) ■■General release from Fri 1 Nov.
REVIEWS | FILM
list.co.uk/film
BIOPIC – POLITICS
BIOPIC – RACING
COMEDY HORROR
(15) 120min ●●●●●
(TBC) 152min ●●●●●
(15) 94min ●●●●●
THE REPORT
In this damning but flat political drama from writer-director Scott Z Burns, Adam Driver plays Daniel Jones, a former US Senate investigator and the lead author of a report on the CIA’s torture programme in the wake of 9/11, commissioned by Senator Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening). Jones faced stonewalling, obfuscation and the threat of legal action as the agency attempted to prevent the report’s publication, despite its findings corroborating their own. Those findings? That torture – repackaged as ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ – produced no actionable intelligence. Grainy flashbacks to the events detailed in the documents recreate the dehumanising treatment of detainees. They’re the weakest element. Dialogue between CIA agents and the Air Force psychologists who devised the programme is almost laughably expository. Dry in its first half, the film injects much-needed humour into later scenes, with Driver in particular making use of his fine comic timing. Bening, however, has little to work with, and the attention to story over character results in a fact-focused retelling that’s intellectually interesting and thrilling in its condemnation, yet devoid of tension, drama and emotion. (Sophie Willard) ■■Selected release from Fri 15 Nov.
LE MANS ’66
LITTLE MONSTERS
Titled Ford v Ferrari in America, that’s a more tothe-point description of James Mangold’s latest. This is the story of how the American car giant took on the sleek, Italian racing phenomenon. As auto magnate Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) says, surveying the car factories that provided the bulk of US WWII bombers, ‘this isn’t the first time Ford has gone to war in Europe.’ As jingoistic as that sounds, it’s really the story of how two outliers, British-born mechanic/driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) and maverick American car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), teamed up with Ford in an attempt to beat Ferrari at Le Mans, the French endurance race, dominated by Ferrari from 1958. Obsession and daring are big themes, as these petrol-heads tinker with and test-run a Fordbuilt car, with Miles racing the tracks to prove his worth to the Ford top brass. Co-written by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth and Jason Keller, the script doesn’t always purr: scenes with Miles and wife Mollie (Caitriona Balfe) are uneven and misplaced. But Mangold directs the races with a thrilling energy and the one-two punch of the finale caps off an effective and emotional story – one about dreamers who risked it all. (James Mottram) ■■General release from Fri 15 Nov.
After giving one of the year’s most memorable performances in identity horror Us, Lupita Nyong’o puts in another superb turn in Little Monsters. She is far and away the best thing in Abe Forsythe’s blood-spattered Australian comedy which still offers an entertaining take on the zombie movie. Nyong’o is sunny primary school teacher Miss Caroline, who leads a school trip to the local farm with several young kids and accompanying adult Dave (Alexander England). Unfortunately, the farm is located next to a US Army Base, where biological testing has resulted in a zombie outbreak. Cue bloody mayhem. Writer-director Forsythe mines the off-kilter humour for all it’s worth and the idea that Miss Caroline must not only keep the children safe but also protect them from the reality of the situation is neat. If Nyong’o stops the premise running out of steam, England is charming enough as Dave. And Josh Gad is appealingly awful as a hateful children’s entertainer struggling with his own monstrous demons. While Little Monsters lays the humour on thick, it doesn’t scrimp on the horror: a death at the hands of a zombie glove puppet is perhaps the most ludicrously grotesque thing you’ll see this year. (Nikki Baughan) ■■General release from Fri 15 Nov.
DRAMA
MARRIAGE STORY (TBC) 136min ●●●●●
Drawing on its creator’s own and observed experience, Marriage Story gets stuck into the difficult business of divorce. Playing Nicole and Charlie, Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver invest their emotional disintegration with raw authenticity, while Noah Baumbach combines Woody Allen-style irreverence with the noholds-barred naturalism of John Cassavetes. Beginning, seemingly, in the throes of blissful adoration, with a montage of things they love about one another, we hit earth with a bump when it’s revealed these lists have been compiled for a meeting to discuss the couple’s separation. Nicole is a former film actress who turned to the stage to please theatre director Charlie. The pair squabble over their son before finding themselves swept up in a brutal system, with their misery mined for profit by cutthroat legal professionals. The look of the film is crisp, clean and, as the situation sours, appropriately cool. It can also be hilarious and devastating, discreet and confrontational as it deals with the chaos of family and the chill of loneliness and throws in heartbreaking moments of tenderness and residual affection. There are even a couple of musical numbers. But it’s all about the performances. Johansson remains sympathetic as she hides behind her attack-dog lawyer, her face crumpling in shows of private pain. Casually critical, Charlie should be less likeable but the affable Driver poignantly captures Charlie’s disbelief when his family slips from his grasp. Baumbach knows he’s got gold here and, as emotions are unleashed and the arguing gets ugly, he lets several key sequences unfold at length; the effect is astonishing. It’s an actor’s dream. (Emma Simmonds) ■■Selected release from Fri 15 Nov and on Netflix from Fri 6 Dec. 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 93
FILM | REVIEWS
BLACK COMEDY
JUDY & PUNCH (15) 106min ●●●●●
MURDER MYSTERY
KNIVES OUT
(12A) 130min ●●●●● Helming a billion-dollar Star Wars movie buys you a hell of a lot of brownie points, but if this is Rian Johnson indulging himself artistically he’s at least had the decency to make it bloody good fun. With Knives Out he assembles a high-calibre cast for a wickedly knowing, flamboyantly bitchy take on the whodunnit. The victim is Christopher Plummer’s mystery writer Harlan Thrombey, found with his throat slit at the outset in an apparent, outlandish suicide. As Johnson delights in the décor of Harlan’s macabre country manor – filled with nightmarish knick-knacks – the motives of the author’s family members pile up. A bunch of needy, grasping backstabbers, they’re played by Michael Shannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Toni Collette and Chris Evans. Despite the big names, the story swirls around lesser-known thesp Ana de Armas, as Harlan’s devoted nurse. This timid sparrow is taken under the wing of puffed-up private detective Benoit Blanc; like Poirot crossed with Matthew McConaughey, he’s there on the dollar of a mystery employer. Blanc is amusingly embodied by Daniel Craig, who returns to the comedic territory of Logan Lucky, donning a Deep South accent and visibly relishing each and every utterance. Featuring the ‘dumbest car chase of all time’, a torturous doughnut analogy and a glorious final sight gag, it’s a glossy, perfectly pitched production, put together with spry style and an equal desire to honour and subvert the tropes of the genre; an early reveal represents a risk that gives the film a different flavour. ‘That’s certainly not what I was expecting,’ one character scoffs. This might not be entirely what audiences expect either, but it’s all the better for it. (Emma Simmonds) ■■General release from Wed 27 Nov.
The Punch and Judy puppet show has enjoyed a long spell within British cultural consciousness. More recently, it’s been criticised for its trivialisation of misogynistic violence. The debut feature from Australian actress-turned-filmmaker Mirrah Foulkes is a fictional retelling of the show’s origin story, set in a gloriously off-kilter approximation of the late-Middle Ages British Isles. It finds experienced puppeteer Judy (Mia Wasikowska) increasingly concerned by her husband Punch (Damon Herriman), whose propensity for drunkenness and aggression leeches into their puppet shows. When one alcohol-fuelled moment of irresponsibility ends in tragedy, Judy is compelled to seek vengeance. There’s anachronistic detail galore in the self-aware dialogue, electronica-infused score, characters practising tai chi and tongue-in-cheek character names. There are some stumbles, including an unnecessarily didactic closing speech that destroys any semblance of subtlety. Regardless, Foulkes’s clarity of vision and mastery of tonal balance is striking, and she confidently establishes herself with this lively twist on a well-known tale. (Sophie Willard) ■■General release from Fri 22 Nov.
BIOPIC – CIVIL RIGHTS
HARRIET
(TBC) 125min ●●●●● HISTORICAL DRAMA
THE NIGHTINGALE (TBC) 136min ●●●●●
Australian director Jennifer Kent follows The Babadook with a historical horror-show that confronts the atrocities committed during the colonisation of her home country. Set in Van Diemen’s Land in 1825, Aisling Franciosi plays sweet-voiced Irish singer Clare, a convicted thief and new mother forced to entertain a ragtag group of English soldiers. After enduring unimaginable loss and injury at the hands of these men, led by Sam Claflin’s sadistic Hawkins, Clare heads deep into the outback with murder in mind, accompanied by reluctant Aboriginal Australian tracker Billy (newcomer Baykali Ganambarr). As Claflin bristles with dangerous levels of entitlement, it recalls his performance in The Riot Club, with white male privilege there and here spilling over into violence. Franciosi makes for an astonishingly determined heroine; although prejudice mars her early interactions with Billy, they find common ground in their shared humanity and hatred of the English. Kent immerses you in their agony in a film that’s often hard to watch. But that’s the point. And for those who hark back to the good ol’ days of Empire, it’s a lesson in the brutal reality of that particular delusion. (Emma Simmonds) ■■Selected release from Fri 29 Nov. 94 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
Though a celebrated figure in American history, many in the UK will not be familiar with abolitionist and activist Harriet Tubman, who was born into slavery in Maryland, and in 1849 escaped. Tubman subsequently carried out numerous rescue missions to help family, friends and others flee. This biopic is the first theatrical film to tell her story, and director Kasi Lemmons (Eve’s Bayou), who co-wrote the script, has endeavoured to create an audience-friendly adventure, focusing on Tubman’s years as a young adult. It’s rather formulaic, albeit nonetheless impressive thanks to Cynthia Erivo’s robust central presence. The London-born Erivo brings gravitas and steeliness to this compelling woman, though Leslie Odom Jr and Janelle Monáe are underserved in supporting roles. Lemmons understands the tonal balance required for the material but, with a lot of narrative ground to cover, the script is stretched thin across several key events, hurrying through them instead of investing them with the depth they deserve. Ultimately this ends up feeling like merely a surface-level exploration of an extraordinary individual, but it will certainly ensure that Tubman’s heroism finally gets the attention it deserves. (Sophie Willard) ■■General release from Fri 22 Nov.
FILM | REVIEWS
DRAMA
LUCY IN THE SKY (TBC) 124min ●●●●●
WARTIME COMEDY
JOJO RABBIT
(12A) 108min ●●●●● Nazism is tricky terrain for a comedy, to put it mildly, so a daffy take on Hitler is pushing it. But Taika Waititi isn’t just any old director; the New Zealander’s films (including What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople) brim with affection for outsiders. Born to a Maori father and part-Jewish mother, he tells the story of a brainwashed German boy with panache, poignancy and abundant absurdity. An obedient little Nazi who’s ‘massively into swastikas’, ten-year-old Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) seems lost to his German resistance mother Rosie (a marvellous Scarlett Johansson). With his father away fighting, the outwardly fanatical but secretly gentle Jojo has reinvented Hitler as an avuncular mucker. Assuming the role himself, the Führer becomes one of Waititi’s signature oddballs, spouting motivational messages as an endlessly unlikely imaginary friend. Although reality intrudes, the film – based on the Christine Leunens novel Caging Skies – is steeped in semi-fantastic stylings that prioritise nostalgia for childhood over the horror of war; the spectacular production design has Wes Anderson-levels of charm and attention to detail. Davis shines in his acting debut and memorable turns from Thomasin McKenzie, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant and Sam Rockwell add to the glorious patchwork. Waititi ridicules Nazi ideology with aplomb and his brand of winningly juvenile humour underpinned by sweetness is an ideal fit for a child’s-eye view of events. There’s a spectacularly funny send-off for ‘Adolf’ but there are moments of crushing sadness too, enough to take your breath away. As Jojo journeys toward enlightenment and reconnects with his humanity, it’s actually rather beautiful. (Emma Simmonds) ■■General release from Fri 3 Jan. PERIOD COMEDY
THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD (PG) 119min ●●●●●
Stepping away from his satirical roots, Armando Iannucci pays homage to the great Victorian novelist Charles Dickens by adapting what many consider to be his masterwork. Acknowledging his own debt to the writer’s comedic sensibilities, the British filmmaker brings out the author’s lighter side. It’s a sprightly take on Dickens’s account of the life of optimistic orphan David (Dev Patel), typified by off-kilter transitions between scenes, while Iannucci’s askew humour and eye for eccentric details deftly intermingles with the author’s own. There are constant delights to be found in the interpretations of the supporting cast – from David’s batty Aunt Betsey (Tilda Swinton), her sweet but unhinged cousin Mr Dick (Hugh Laurie), and the verbose pauper Mr Micawber (Peter Capaldi). And Iannucci’s casting of Patel is a masterstroke – not because his colour-blind selection may encourage others to follow suit, but because he’s a perfect fit for the role of the ever-likeable hero. As a breezy and colourful crack at a classic, it smartly straddles the line between appeasing aficionados and enticing newcomers. (James Mottram) ■■General release from Fri 24 Jan. 96 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
How is it possible to return to normality when you have gazed on the vast wonder of the universe? In Lucy in the Sky, astronaut Lucy Cola (Natalie Portman) has returned home from her first space mission. She is physically fit, mentally strong and hungry to return to training. However, it soon becomes clear that Lucy is anything but fine. Her nice-guy husband Drew (Dan Stevens) seems more boring than ever. Fellow astronaut Mark (Jon Hamm) is such a rugged hunk that he is impossible to resist, but their affair means more to her than him. Although based on the true story of Lisa Nowak, there’s a Fatal Attraction bunny-boiler feel. Director Noah Hawley made his name on TV’s Fargo and works hard (too hard perhaps) to make his cinematic debut a visceral, immersive experience. Changing aspect ratios, slow-motion and flashback shards of euphoric memories are among the devices deployed. Portman’s committed performance is reminiscent of a young Jodie Foster, conveying Lucy’s aggressive drive to succeed and need to create order from the chaos of her mind. What Hawley fails to achieve is a deeper insight into her actions and fall from grace. In the end, there is more style than substance to his tale. (Allan Hunter) ■■General release from Fri 6 Dec.
BIOPIC – DRAMA
A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD (TBC) 108min ●●●●●
Experience has taught us to be wary of public figures who seem too good to be true. Journalist Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys, playing a character based on writer Tom Junod) is assigned to interview beloved television host Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks), a saintly father figure to generations of Americans. Vogel arrives armed with cynicism and finds himself charmed and disarmed by a more complex man than he had imagined. In many respects this is more about Vogel than Rogers. A prize-winning writer and new father, Vogel is burdened by anger and resentment towards his own feckless father (Chris Cooper). Rogers’ influence on Vogel reflects the impact he made on American children. Director Marielle Heller makes bold choices and constantly works against the grain of the film’s sentimentality. She has two rock-solid performances at the core, with Rhys conveying a sense of bitter, curdled anger that might cost him all he holds dear. Hanks is masterful as he captures Rogers’ cosy cardigan manner, but also lets us see the deeper levels of someone who works hard to be a force for good and knows just how much effort that requires. (Allan Hunter) ■■General release from Fri 6 Dec.
REVIEWS | FILM
list.co.uk/film
BIOPIC – LEGAL
DRAMA
BIOPIC – WAR
(TBC) 136min ●●●●●
(TBC) 135min ●●●●●
(TBC) 173min ●●●●●
JUST MERCY
There is an old-fashioned, crusading quality to Just Mercy that feels comfortingly familiar. Based on a true miscarriage of justice, it deals in traditional elements of false conviction, unreliable witnesses, crushing setbacks and impassioned courtroom speeches. However, the facts of the case and the heartfelt direction of Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12) ensure that it still makes an impact. In 1988, African-American Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx) is convicted of the murder of a white teenager. The case against him is the testimony of one felon, impressively played by a twitchy Tim Blake Nelson. There is no incriminating evidence and little attempt to follow due process. Bryan Stevenson (a charismatic Michael B Jordan) is fresh out of Harvard when he arrives in Monroe County, Alabama to act on behalf of Death Row inmates. There is something of the idealistic Atticus Finch in Stevenson as his efforts on behalf of McMillian become all-consuming. Cretton keeps hitting home what is at stake here. It builds into an emotional, thought-provoking drama that confronts the racism in American society and the way justice is denied to the poor, huddled masses that the country once claimed to welcome. (Allan Hunter) ■■General release from Fri 24 Jan.
WAVES
A HIDDEN LIFE
The third feature from Trey Edward Shults (It Comes at Night) is a dynamic tearjerker powered by a jukebox of modern bangers and stone-cold classics. It’s a film of two halves that splits open in the middle after a tragic incident. The first focuses on the agony and ecstasy of Tyler (an extraordinary Kelvin Harrison Jr), who is suffering from a wrestling injury. The second shadows his sister Emily (gentle work from Taylor Russell), who falls head over heels in love with Luke (Lucas Hedges being adorable). Sterling K Brown turns in a powerful performance as their stern father and Renée Elise Goldsberry impresses as their devoted stepmother. Waves is painfully honest and earnest as it captures the teen experience through creative flourishes that mimic social media posts. Shults delivers blazing bursts of glorious bliss and throbbing sorrow and each performance feels remarkably lived-in. Through the father-son dynamic, the film acknowledges how race can play a part in the doors that are opened and closed. And its whole structure relies on placing the viewer in its protagonists’ shoes to feel their elation, rage and vulnerability, which makes it both a captivating and hard-hitting experience. (Katherine McLaughlin) ■■General release from Fri 17 Jan.
Billed as a return to more conventional storytelling for Terrence Malick, the WWII-set A Hidden Life has the emotional scope and poetic sensibility of an oratorio as it commemorates the anguished defiance of an ordinary man. There are echoes of Days of Heaven as Malick depicts Austrian conscientious objector Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl) as a goodhearted farmer who loves his wife (Valerie Pachner) and children. His life in a small rural community seems idyllic. There are majestic images of tumbling waterfalls, cornfields swaying in the sunlight and mountain peaks with a halo of clouds. It is a paradise on earth. The rise of the Nazis warps personalities and poisons the well of community spirit. Franz refuses to sign an oath of loyalty to Hitler and cannot fathom why others do not recognise what is happening in their midst. Incarceration and prolonged abuse transform him into a Christ-like martyr. Running close to three-hours, A Hidden Life is a draining, exhausting experience. It has the intensity of a Carl Dreyer silent film but also a timely urgency, as Malick asks us to consider how one individual can hope to make a difference in a world at the mercy of the evil that men do. (Allan Hunter) ■■General release from Fri 17 Jan.
THRILLER
THE LIGHTHOUSE (15) 109min ●●●●●
Robert Eggers brought a spare, stark rigour to his feature debut The Witch that promised much for the future. He more than delivers on that promise with The Lighthouse, an oppressive, richly textured slow-burn of a psychological thriller, pitched somewhere between a silent cinema chiller and a Roman Polanski classic. Set in 19th-century Maine, the film unfolds on a storm-tossed, godforsaken scrap of rock that seems to invite madness. Rookie Ephraim Winslow (a glowering Robert Pattinson) and tetchy old sea dog Tom Wake (Willem Dafoe) are the two keepers embarking on a four-week tour of duty to man the lighthouse. The insecure Winslow is very much the junior partner in the team. His working life is one of menial chores and none of the important tasks. Wake seems to delight in teasing him and pulling rank. Forced to contend with each other, the duo are also at the mercy of an intense, gnawing loneliness. Winslow conjures up disturbing visions of a mermaid. He can never quite decide if Wake is friend or tormentor, comrade or master. Filmed in a fierce, shadowy monochrome that encourages comparisons with German expressionism, The Lighthouse is also notable for its attention to detail, rich use of salty period language, and unexpected shards of black comedy. In terms of silent cinema, this is as much the child of FW Murnau as it is the offspring of Buster Keaton. Some of the dialogue might have come from the pages of Herman Melville and the complex, shifting relationship between the two men seems to belong in a Harold Pinter play. The Lighthouse is a strikingly realised, utterly compelling danse macabre, sustained by the tremendous double-act of a lip-smacking Dafoe and a mesmerising Pattinson. (Allan Hunter) ■■General release from Fri 31 Jan. 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 97
FILM | HIGHLIGHTS
FILM HIGHLIGHTS Films are listed by release date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
THE KING Prince Hal leads a playboy lifestyle until he takes the throne as Henry V, and is provoked into waging war with the Dauphin of France. See review, page 92. Out Fri 1 Nov. SORRY WE MISSED YOU A freelance delivery driver finds that the financial toll on himself and his wife starts to destroy their family life. No easy answers, no triumph against the odds, just a gruelling portrait of the damage the system can do. See review, page 92. Out Fri 1 Nov. DRIVEN Comedy drama bringing to life the extraordinary story of motor magnate John DeLorean. Out Fri 8 Nov. THE GOOD LIAR Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen finally together on screen: Bill Condon directs this suspenseful, smart and intriguing thriller-drama from Nicholas Searle’s bestseller. Out Fri 8 Nov. LUCE A couple adopt a seemingly perfect boy from a war-torn country, but he’s not all he seems to be. Out Fri 8 Nov. MIDWAY Big-budget recreation of WWII’s Battle of Midway. Out Fri 8 Nov. BACK ROADS Writer-director Alex Pettyfer helms this tale about a man having to look after his family under dire circumstances. Out Fri 15 Nov. LE MANS ‘66 The true story of how Ford tried to beat Ferrari at Le Mans in 1966. The race scenes are directed with thrilling energy and it’s an effective story about dreamers who risked everything. See review, page 93. Out Fri 15 Nov.
HITLIST 98 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
THE REPORT Drama based on the true story of an idealistic staffer determined to uncover government secrets enacted following the 9/11 terror attacks. See review, page 93. Out Fri 15 Nov. 21 BRIDGES Thriller about a disgraced New York cop given a chance to redeem himself. Out Fri 22 Nov. HARRIET The true story of abolitionist and activist Harriet Tubman who escaped from slavery and carried out numerous rescue missions to help family, friends and others. See review, page 94. Out Fri 22 Nov. JUDY & PUNCH This fictional origin story of the puppet show is a dark, funny, highly impressive feature debut by writer-director Mirrah Foulkes, and despite a few stumbles it shows clarity of vision and mastery of tone. See review, page 94. Out Fri 22 Nov. THE PUBLIC A member of staff at a public library refuses to leave the building to help homeless people get out of the cold. This act of rebellion turns into a peaceful sit-in that shows social divisions and public hypocrisy. Out Fri 22 Nov. CHARLIE’S ANGELS The crime-fighting trio are reimagined yet again, this time under the stewardship of director Elizabeth Banks. Out Fri 29 Nov. KNIVES OUT When mystery writer Harlan Thrombey is found with his throat slit, puffed-up private detective Benoit Blanc gets on the case. A wickedly knowing, flamboyantly bitchy take on the whodunnit. See review, page 94. Out Fri 29 Nov. A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD A journalist is assigned to interview
THE AERONAUTS In 1862, meteorology pioneer James Glaisher takes flight in a hot air balloon piloted by Amelia Wren. Old-school adventure with spectacular effects and a neatly layered screenplay. See review, page 91. Out Mon 4 Nov. FROZEN 2 Sequel to Disney’s
Jumanji 3: The Next Level
beloved US television host Fred Rogers, arriving with cynicism but finding himself charmed and disarmed by Rogers’ unexpected complexity. See review, page 96. Out Fri 6 Dec.
LITTLE WOMEN Another starry adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s tale of four sisters coming of age following the American Civil War. Out Thu 26 Dec.
LUCY IN THE SKY An astronaut, back from her first space mission, finds herself attracted to a fellow astronaut and recently divorced dad. See review, page 96. Out Fri 6 Dec.
JUST MERCY Old-fashioned, crusading legal drama confronting the abiding racism in American society. See review, page 97. Out Fri 24 Jan.
JUMANJI 3: THE NEXT LEVEL Another instalment in the popular fantasy adventure series. Out Wed 11 Dec.
THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD Armando Iannucci brings out the lighter side of Dickens, and the result is sprightly, breezy and colourful. See review, page 96. Out Wed 24 Jan.
BLACK CHRISTMAS Remake of the 1974 horror about a group of students stalked by a festival maniac. Out Fri 13 Dec. PINK WALL An examination of life’s struggles through six moments within a relationship. Out Fri 13 Dec.
THE LIGHTHOUSE A slow-burn psychological thriller set in 19th century Maine with unexpected shards of black comedy, filmed in shadowy monochrome. See review, page 97. Out Fri 31 Jan.
CATS Andrew Lloyd Webber’s adaptation of the TS Eliot tale is brought to life by a starry cast. Out Fri 20 Dec.
THE RHYTHM SECTION A woman avenges the people responsible for the plane crash that killed her family. Out Fri 31 Jan.
massive hit animated film. Out Fri 22 Nov.
irreverent. See review, page 93. Out Fri 6 Dec.
MARRIAGE STORY A married couple are separating, squabbling over their son. Noah Baumbach’s approach is variously cool, clean, hilarious, devastating, discreet and confrontational. Authentic, naturalistic yet
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER The Star Wars Skywalker saga, which began in 1977, comes to an end, nine films later. Out Thu 19 Dec. JOJO RABBIT A 10-year-old, obedient
Nazi boy in WWII Germany reinvents Hitler as his oddball imaginary friend. Taika Waititi ridicules Nazi ideology with aplomb, and as Jojo journeys towards enlightenment and reconnects with his humanity, it’s even rather beautiful. See review, page 96. Out Fri 3 Jan.
KIDS
FOR THE LATEST NEWS, LISTINGS AND REVIEWS, GO TO LIST.CO.UK /KIDS
A CHRISTMAS FAIRY TRAIL Festive fun for kids in immersive outdoor theatre experience As a former member of B-boy crew Random Aspekts, Peter Maniam knows a thing or two about entertaining audiences. He also knows how to keep his kids occupied, so when he and his partner were planning an outdoor Christmas experience, they knew exactly what to do. ‘We’d visited several light shows with our own family,’ says Maniam, ‘and while we loved them, our kids weren’t fully engaged – they were flying round at breakneck speed. It was obvious to us that blending theatre and performance into this environment would be beautiful and help punctuate the experience.’ What emerged was A Christmas Fairy Trail, now in its third year and growing steadily with each incarnation. Performed in the beautiful Archerfield
Estate in East Lothian, this immersive event takes people on a 1.5km route lasting about an hour. Guided through the forest by intrepid explorer Gus, we’re introduced to members of the fairy kingdom and happen upon large-scale installations including a talking tree, fairy disco and a huge weeping willow covered in fibre optic lights. Featuring a cast of dancers, aerialists, a body popper and a magician, A Christmas Fairy Trail also has an interactive area, allowing visitors to meet these special forest folk. ‘We’ve increased the number of performers this year,’ says Maniam, ‘and there are lots of new light shows as well. It’s very exciting to be offering something really unique.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Archerfield Walled Garden, Dirleton, Fri 6–Tue 24 Dec.
1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 99
KIDS | PREVIEWS & REVIEWS CHILDREN’S THEATRE
R E V IE W
ATLANTIS BANAL: BENEATH THE SURFACE
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 21–Sat 23 Nov. Reviewed at Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline lllll If you could open Shona Reppe’s head and peer inside her imagination, you’d discover a technicolour world of wonder and merriment. How she comes up with the designs and notions for her shows is anyone’s guess, but thank goodness she does. This latest offering is filled with Reppe’s trademark props and costumes – the kind you can’t take your eyes off, as you try to listen to the equally bizarre words coming out of her mouth. Atlantis Banal, we discover, is a ground-breaking visual artist with a back catalogue of curiously brilliant works. She’s not real, of course, but by the end of the show you wish she was. Atlantis is one of four people we meet upon entering the ‘Pop-up Gallery’, along with the exhibition curator and two gallery attendants (all played by Reppe herself, apart from Graham the much-maligned sidekick). Each character comes with their own look, costume-wise (many of which are works of art in themselves), and a curly wig of varying hues. As always with Reppe, the attention to detail is fabulous, the wit sharp and the delivery delightful. With all visual art, the setting is often as important as the content, and the ‘Pop-up Gallery’ doesn’t disappoint. A pristine white floor is framed by benches from which we watch the exhibition grow – with video screens showing a series of short films capturing Banal’s highly successful career. For the adults in the audience, the pretentiousness is hilarious, yet the show is based on a true love of visual art. For younger viewers, pleasure comes not from recognition but just pure enjoyment at the colours, upcycled creations and Reppe’s slightly bonkers but always accessible delivery. Most of all, it makes you want to go home and create an exhibition of your own from some ‘found fashion’. (Kelly Apter)
PHOTO: MARK DOUET
STAGE ADAPTATION
MUSICAL ADAPTATION
King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 15–Sun 19 Jan
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 26 Nov–Sun 1 Dec
BILLIONAIRE BOY
One of the creative industry’s most spectacular reinventions of recent times has been that of David Walliams. The Little Britain actor, Britain’s Got Talent judge, and English Channel swimmer’s new career as a children’s author has brought him worldwide recognition. It isn’t just his mischievously grisly writing style that has earned comparisons with Roald Dahl, but the ease with which his work is adapted for the stage. His third novel, Billionaire Boy, is the latest in an increasingly long line. ‘Joe Spud is a boy who has just turned 12,’ says Matthew Gordon (pictured left), who plays the lead character. ‘He’s the son of a wealthy father who made his fortune inventing a new type of toilet roll, but what he finds himself missing is a friend. So he places himself in the local comprehensive school, and disguises his fortune so he can find one.’ While Walliams’ books are often built around a sense of cheek and gross humour, there are the beginnings of a moral to Billionaire Boy, which is performed on a large moving set themed around loo rolls. Joe is a kid with a robot butler, a massive television and lots of toys and games, but no one to share them with, especially not his money-obsessed dad. ‘He’s a really kind young boy, who’s just a bit lonely and wants to change that,’ adds Gordon. ‘Anyone who’s read the book will know it’s about being rich, but at its heart it’s a really lovely story about friendship and family and the important things in life.’ (David Pollock) 100 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL It’s over 60 years since Dr Seuss wrote that Christmas might mean ‘a little bit more’ than gifts. And while shops in December often suggest otherwise, his book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! still holds a place in our hearts. Written by Seuss in 1957, the book was adapted for television in 1966, turned into a musical in 1994 and, most famously, became a Hollywood blockbuster starring Jim Carrey in 2000. But while the musical has been a regular feature at theatres in the US for the past 25 Christmases (pictured), it’s only just made it to these shores. Touring the UK this winter, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical brings the grumpy green fellow, his doggy sidekick, the community of Whoville and a raft of catchy songs with it. And for one young man, it’s a bit of a dream come true. ‘As a kid, I grew up watching the Jim Carrey film,’ says Matt Terry, winner of 2016’s The X Factor, who is now taking on the role of Young Max the dog. ‘It was a big part of my childhood and my whole family still watches it at Christmas. So to be in the show is just great.’ Although most used to belting out pop numbers, Terry recently cut his theatrical animal teeth playing Alex the Lion in the UK tour of Madagascar the Musical. ‘I think it’s the movement in my body that helps me play an animal,’ he says. ‘But they’re very different – Alex was agile and full of himself, while Max is a naïve puppy who just messes around, so he’s good fun to play.’ (Kelly Apter)
Festive Sunday Fundays at The Yard Edinburgh
Dundee Rep Ensemble and Selladoor Productions in association with Noisemaker present
The Yard is bringing the festive spirit to our families with two special Christmas events • Visit Santa’s grotto • Meet our Christmas elves • Get your face painted • Lots of festive activities Sunday 8th and Sunday 15th December 10am-4pm | open to everyone | ages 0-14
22 Eyre Place Lane EH3 5EH
theyardscotland.org.uk/SundayFunday Scotland Yard Adventure Centre (known as The Yard) is a registered Scottish Charity SC002538 and Private Limited Company registered in Scotland 101671.
Adapted for the stage by Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie Directed by Andrew Panton
Sat 23 Nov - Sun 5 Jan Box Office: 01382 223 530 dundeerep.co.uk
© DC Thomson & Co. Ltd. 2019
TAKE YOUR KID FOR A QUID 28 - 30 DECEMBER 2019 TRAVERSE THEATRE Join the fun as we conjure up a magic show from thin air! Gasp, laugh, and discover your secret magical talents.
TRAVERSE THEATRE SAT 28 DEC - MON 30 DEC 2PM & 4.30PM TICKETS FROM £10 AGES 5+
y day
ver eek able eof the w l i a v a ak e
off-p
MORE INFO & BOOKINGS: www.magicfest.co.uk 0131 226 0006
Up to 4 children aged 5-15. Must travel with a full-fare paying adult. Standard Class only. Under 5s travel free on all services. Conditions apply. See scotrail.co.uk/kids for details and available routes. Excludes Advance tickets, Cross Country services, the Glasgow to Lockerbie route, Super Off-Peak tickets, and children travelling with adults using railcards.
1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 101
KIDS | HIGHLIGHTS
KIDS HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
GLASGOW GLASGLOW Glasgow Botanic Gardens, Fri 1–Sun 10 Nov, glasgowbotanicgardens.com Explore nine different immersive worlds in an hour-long journey through the Glasgow Botanic Gardens, transformed by light and sound installations. DINOSAUR DETECTIVES Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, Sun 3 Nov, maskandpuppet.co.uk Clydebuilt Puppet Theatre use puppets, projections and shadow theatre to explore the fascinating world of dinosaurs and the first fossil finds of the Victorian era. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELVIN HALL FAMILY DAY Kelvin Hall, Sat 9 Nov, kelvinhall. org.uk Take part in a host of ecofriendly activities suitable for the whole family, such as a pedal-powered cinema and crafting sessions. CHILDREN’S CLASSIC CONCERTS: SANTA’S WORKSHOP Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sat 7 Dec, childrensclassicconcerts. co.uk Festive showcase of music and
dance featuring the RSNO and dancers from the Manor School of Ballet, which sees chaos engulf Winter Wonderland on the eve of the big day. Also Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sun 8 Dec, usherhall.co.uk FUNBOX PRESENTS CHRISTMAS IN TOY TOWN Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Fri 13–Sun 15 Dec, funbox.co.uk The Funbox gang head up this seasonal spectacular set in Toy Town, where the mischievous Gnorbert the Gnome is up to ‘snow’ good. Also touring, see list. co.uk/kids for details. THE LOST ELVES Tramway, Fri 13–Sun 29 Dec, tramway.org Festive production from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland about a group of elves crash-landing in Glasgow, and their journey back to the North Pole to help Santa finish making presents. STAND COMEDY KIDS CLUB CHRISTMAS SPECIAL The Stand, Sat 14 Dec, thestand. co.uk Elliot Bibby, Amelia Bayler, Graham Stewart, Rosco McClelland and Billy Kirkwood are on hand to control the kids with an hour of standup, games, storytelling, magic and much more. ELF: A CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR SSE Hydro, Sat 14–Sun 25 Dec,
thessehydro.com Musical adaptation of the hit Christmas film about Buddy, a human raised by elves who ventures to New York City to find his long-lost father. Starring David Essex as Buddy’s father, Tam Ryan as Buddy and Martine McCutcheon as Jovie. GRANDPA’S GREAT ESCAPE SSE Hydro, Fri 3 Jan, thessehydro. com Stage adaptation of the children’s book by David Walliams, which follows Grandpa and Jack’s daring escape from the old folk’s home.
EDINBURGH FAMILY DAYS Festival Theatre, Sat 16 Nov, capitaltheatres.com Day of festive activities for the whole family, with bauble making, carol singing, Christmas crafting, messy play and more. CHRISTMAS AT THE BOTANICS Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Fri 22 Nov–Sun 29 Dec, rbge. org.uk This dazzling illuminated trail winds its way through the gardens, with spectacular lights and colourful projections set to classic Christmas songs. WHITE Traverse Theatre, Wed 27 & Thu 28 Nov, traverse.co.uk Playful, highly visual show by Andy Manley about two friends who take care of birds and their eggs. Suitable for ages 2–4.
TRADITIONAL TUNES FOR TINY EARS Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Thu 5 Dec, nationalgalleries.org Special festive concert of traditional songs under the stars for the wee ones. FLUTTER The Studio at Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Wed 11–Thu 24 Dec, capitaltheatres.com Immersive multisensory performance about the magical world of winter for kids aged 2–6 that combines puppetry, music and visuals. VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS STORYTELLING FOR FAMILIES Patrick Geddes Centre, Sat 14 & Sun 15 Dec, patrickgeddescentre. org.uk Yuletide storytelling sessions around a cosy fireside, led by Mrs Mash and Gillian Fraser Paterson, with the chance to explore the historic rooms of the Patrick Geddes Centre in the interval. TRICKY RICKY: CHRISTMAS MADNESS Scottish Storytelling Centre, Sat 28 Dec, magicfest.co.uk Four-time winner of Scottish Children’s Entertainer of the Year, Tricky Ricky hosts this comedic magic show alongside The Trickster, Jingles the Reindeer and Sonny the Bunny. YOU ARE MAGIC Traverse Theatre, Sat 28–Mon 30 Dec, traverse.co.uk Magic Gareth and dancer Michelle Ferguson present this entertaining show of illusions, mindreading, sleight of hand and deathdefying escapes.
OUT OF TOWN THE WINTER REALM OF THE PARAFFIN PIXIES Almond Valley Heritage Centre, Livingston, Fri 6 Dec–Sun 5 Jan, almondvalley.co.uk Magical light trail with beautiful displays, projections and wintry activities for the whole family, as well as the chance to see the world’s largest paraffin heater, a field of scented flames and more.
Flutter
HITLIST
ATLANTIS BANAL: BENEATH THE SURFACE Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 21–Sat 23 Nov, catherinewheels.co.uk Shona Reppe stars in this theatrical exhibition about an artist named Atlantis Banal, set in an intimate ‘pop-up’ gallery. See review, page 100.
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DR SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 26 Nov–Fri 1 Dec, grinchmusical.co.uk Musical adaptation about the curmudgeonly cavedweller who schemes to ruin the residents of Whoville’s festive cheer.
See preview, page 100. THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS IN CONCERT SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Mon 2 Dec, thessehydro.com Composer Danny Elfman takes on the role of Jack Skellington in this performance of his iconic movie score, with full
orchestra and choir. See feature, page 53. A CHRISTMAS FAIRY TRAIL Archerfield Walled Garden, Dirleton, Fri 6–Tue 24 Dec, archerfieldwalledgarden. com Immersive experience on a magical 1.5km trail of fairies and forest folk. See preview, page 99.
BILLIONAIRE BOY King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 15–Sun 19 Jan, atgtickets.com Stage adaptation of David Walliams’ story about lonely Joe Spud, the richest boy in the country, who transfers from a posh school to a local comprehensive in the hope of making a friend. See preview, page 100.
MUSIC
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BAT FOR LASHES US musical auteur returns with new album and stripped-back live show
PHOTO: CHRIS SAUNDERS
In the two-and-a-half years that she has been living in Los Angeles, Natasha Khan, aka the imaginative, inventive musical auteur Bat for Lashes, has taught meditation to pre-release prisoners, worked with teenagers at a continuation school to help them towards graduation, enrolled in a screenwriting course at UCLA and driven a heck of a lot – west to the coast for walks, nature trails and camping expeditions, and around the Mexican neighbourhoods where she lives in east LA. Specifically, her new home has inspired the latest Bat for Lashes album, the sleek, synthtastic Lost Girls, which is saturated in the (sub)urban romance and neon noir of LA’s diverse cityscape, as captured and celebrated so often on camera. ‘I was doing a lot of driving round at night and going to the beach,’ she says. ‘It was a very romantic period in my life, and living in these suburban areas in LA with all the pine trees and telegraph poles and mountains in the distance and kids riding bikes, I did feel like I was revisiting ET and The Karate Kid and
The Goonies and all those west coast Steven Spielberg-style films that I was obsessed with as a kid.’ Lost Girls is more John Carpenter than John Williams, with its analogue arpeggios and unabashed saxophone solos. Khan – who has already won an Ivor Novello award for her soundtrack to British TV horror series Requiem, contributed a track to the Stephen King adaptation Castle Rock and directed a couple of short films – would love to script and score her own horror film. But, ironically, this most filmic of albums will be promoted with one of Khan’s most stripped-back shows to date, featuring just her, an additional synth player and little in the way of the projections, costumes or visuals which have embellished previous Bat for Lashes performances. ‘I haven’t done that since 2006 when I went out with just a guitar and my beat machines,’ she says. ‘I’m nervous and scared but I think it’s good to push myself and let the music take people somewhere in their minds.’ (Fiona Shepherd) ■ Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 23 Nov.
1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 103
MUSIC | METRONOMY
NOW AND FOREVER Henry Northmore chats to Metronomy mainman Joseph Mount about the band’s sixth album and his musical evolution as an artist
104 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
‘I
like to describe my stuff as “electro pop” and I quite like how lame it sounds,’ laughs Joseph Mount, the mastermind behind Metronomy. It’s hard to argue with his description, with Metronomy having evolved from a bedroom project into a gorgeous, swooning pop group. After releasing a handful of, essentially solo, electronic albums, the turning point was 2011’s English Riviera, a lush exercise in amalgamating house, 70s rock, funk, soul and lounge music. It marked a new chapter in Metronomy’s evolution. Despite his skills as a multi-instrumentalist and producer, Mount found he needed a full band to bring his ambitions to life, adding regular musicians Oscar Cash (saxophone, guitars, keyboards), Anna Prior (drums, vocals), Olugbenga Adelekan (bass) and Michael Lovett (keyboards, guitars) to the ranks. It’s a swelteringly hot day in August when we speak, Metronomy’s sixth album, Metronomy Forever, hasn’t hit the shops yet and Mount is savouring the time between completion and release: ‘The more you release music, the more you mature in terms of your relationship between yourself and each record. Releasing the record is when it starts to be judged, whether critics like it or it does well commercially – it’s a very different thing, it becomes a product. So your relationship [with the record] does change. Now it feels like mine, because no one has heard it or had a chance to misunderstand it, once it’s released it belongs to the world . . . if they want it.’ Metronomy Forever follows a similar pattern set out on previous albums, drawing on retro influences yet sounding deliciously fresh. At 17 tracks, it represents Metronomy’s longest album to date, flitting between blatant pop songs like ‘Salted Caramel Ice Cream’, alongside instrumental digressions, the thrumming guitars of ‘Lately’ and playful electronica such as ‘Lying Low’.
METRONOMY | MUSIC
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Metronomy, l-r: Michael Lovett, Joseph Mount, Oscar Cash, Anna Prior, Olugbenga Adelekan
‘I think it’s an evolution of me as an artist. It takes all the previous albums and draws all that stuff I’ve learnt and puts all that experience together and makes something new out of it,’ says Mount. ‘It’s the first time I’ve released a record in a long time that I think isn’t about anything other than me. I think it’s about me understanding my relationship with music in a way, and what got me to where I am now. When I was young, I was completely obsessed with music and that’s what it feels like it [Metronomy Forever] is about.’ Mount admits there’s always a learning curve for the band and the audience when it comes to new music and it can take time for songs to embed themselves in people’s minds. ‘There’s always a trepidation in playing new music live, even if you are playing it to your biggest fans in the world. Have you ever seen Back to the Future? There’s this bit where he [Michael J Fox’s character Marty McFly] plays “Johnny B Goode” in front of the school and he says something like “I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet. But your kids are gonna love it.” Sometimes it feels like you are playing a really good song but also knowing no one has ever heard it before.’ However, he’s still itching to get out of the studio and back on the road. ‘I do really love recording. I love that process but it’s quite isolated and solitary for me,’ explains Mount. ‘I definitely get pleasure from performing live, working with four other people on stage. Even if the setlist is the same, the performance is never the same. We really love playing with each other and we really love the idea of putting on a show. I feel you need to be a gang to seriously enjoy that.’ Metronomy play SWG3, Glasgow, Wed 13 Nov; Metronomy Forever is out now on Because Music.
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1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 105
MUSIC | JOSEPH Joseph, l-r: Natalie Schepman, Meegan Closner, Ali Closner
K ID S IN A M E R IC A Three years on from their last release, Portland-based Joseph return with the dazzling Good Luck, Kid, an album that offers us all the encouraging pat on the back we need right now. Cheri Amour caught up with the band ahead of their UK tour
W
hen sister trio Joseph describe their third record Good Luck, Kid as ‘a road movie in album form’, they’re not far from the truth. That’s not just because we’re speaking to Natalie Schepman and her sisters Ali and Meegan Closner from the back of their tour bus en route to Vancouver. But because there were times over the last three years where they struggled to see a future for the band, let alone a new album on the horizon. Lead single ‘Fighter’ is testament to the trials Joseph has faced as a band. Doused with the kind of pop production you’d find with electronica trio MUNA, the single is the story of three sisters wanting different things, dealing with that conflict and ultimately deciding to keep going. ‘Our family is realising that sometimes we try and let things roll off our shoulders but obviously that never works especially in a small environment like this,’ Meegan explains, gesturing behind her on Skype to the confines of their tour bus. ‘The band has really forced us to let the laundry out more frequently than what we are probably used to.’ So while there might have been three years since their last release (2016’s I’m Alone, No You’re Not), the break from songwriting was more than deserved. ‘Two of those years were spent really going at it [on the road],’ eldest sister Natalie explains. ‘But I think we needed a year off and space from each other,’ Meegan concludes. It’s not just the band that’s had to adapt though. The whole landscape around Joseph, particularly in the States, has changed. We’re all having to grapple with the idea that, in the current political climate, a dystopian novel might be closer to our future than we might’ve hoped. In title track ‘Good Luck, Kid’, the trio sing acutely about how ‘it’s all bad news’ and the rising anxiety that ‘you thought you’d have the answers when you’d grown’. It’s the perfect dichotomy of pop power
106 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
alongside some pretty frank lyricism. But while it’s easy to feel defeated, Natalie insists there’s real strength in this new release. ‘Going beyond 30, you realise that you’ve officially made it into adulthood, whether you feel that or not. I just imagine that I’m supposed to have four kids and a mini-van around me right now,’ she laughs. ‘Especially in the times we’re in. It’s easy to feel like “What is this mess and what can I do to help?” I was explaining that feeling to my husband and he’s a little further down the line – he’s 35 – and he said “Yeah, it’s like the universe just stopped the car, got out and tossed you the key and said ‘Good luck, kid’” and I just felt this lightning bolt over my head because that is it,’ she says. ‘That’s the thing. It’s both a hint of sarcasm because it all seems so beyond repair but it’s also this wink and nudge of confidence sending you out the door.’ Confidence abounds in Good Luck, Kid, from the tunnel-reverb brilliance and fuzzed-out undertones of ‘Without You’ to the huge riffs on a track like ‘Presence’, and it’s something the trio attribute to one of our own, in fact. ‘We worked with this guy “Leggy” Langdon from Leeds. He really blew our minds,’ Natalie beams. Christian Langdon, as his mother calls him, is also behind the chart-topping behemoth X by flame-haired, festival field favourite Ed Sheeran, so no stranger to having a big hit on his hands. ‘“Presence” was the second song we did and he just took this song’s heart and expanded it. I was like “This is beyond what I could’ve imagined” with that guitar part,’ she continues. Good Luck, Kid is a marked transition from their sophomore I’m Alone, No You’re Not or, Natalie considers as the Tennessee countryside speeds past her, a subconscious response. ‘It’s funny because I had someone point out to me recently that a song like ‘Hundred Ways’ [from I’m Alone, No You’re Not], ‘Good Luck, Kid’ is almost the
more evolved, grown-up version. I re-listened to that song and it is similar. ‘Hundred Ways’ is this moment when you’re saying I don’t know, I don’t want to fake it. It’s essentially sitting in this confusion and feeling lost but ‘Good Luck, Kid’ activates. It says “OK, all of this seems completely impossible but you are in the driver’s seat, whether you like it or not”. It takes it that one step further.’ She continues, leaning into the analogy: ‘I’m Alone, No You’re Not really explores and sits in the feelings of the complexity of life and what I hope is true about Good Luck, Kid [as an album] is it’s this picture of us getting into the driver’s seat of our lives and being activated to respond to the insanity.’ Much like our alpha male-type battling with an existential crisis, Joseph’s road movie finds them grappling with a new reality. Good Luck, Kid spurs them on down the route to self-discovery; a new record, a new sound and a new way of collaborating together. There’s sibling synchronicity still very much at the heart of Joseph’s dazzling technicolour. Following an enormous string of US dates, Joseph head to the UK this November. Even the prospect of a month in the tour van doesn’t seem to dampen their spirits. ‘We keep looking at each other – especially because this is our first bus tour – and being like “This is just insane! We made something up and people liked it enough that we can be on a bus to travel to shows now”,’ Meegan jokes. ‘To support other people’s livelihoods, it’s just crazy,’ Ali laughs. ‘After all, our road movie isn’t confined to the back of the bus. It’s night after night of highway motels, snatching a few hours kip and then hitting the road again. With just enough time to air out that inter-band laundry.’ Joseph play Broadcast, Glasgow, Thu 14 Nov.
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MUSIC | PREVIEWS NORDIC METAL
GHOST
SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Mon 18 Nov
PHOTO: MIKAEL ERIKSSON
Since their diabolical inception in 2010, Ghost are already on their fourth frontman. The first three vocalists – Papa Emeritus I through III – all met a gruesome untimely end. For 2018’s album, Prequelle, Cardinal Copia wrestled control for the next chapter in Ghost’s campaign for world domination. Unlike his papal predecessors, Copia forgoes the skull make-up for a slimmed down streamlined look enhanced with ghoulish prosthetics. ‘I thought it would be interesting because previous ones [singers] have come into the band already risen to full exultation. Whereas on this record, I thought it was interesting to meet someone who hadn’t yet been anointed to full power,’ explains the man behind the mask, the mastermind behind Ghost, Tobias Forge. ‘As soon as you step into another character you are definitely liberated to do a lot of things you wouldn’t do as yourself.’ A witches brew of Satanic imagery, deep, heavy, classic rock and metal (such as Black Sabbath, KISS and Blue Öyster Cult) forms a strangely upbeat and life-affirming take on devil worship. Ghost have even covered ABBA, the Beatles, Depeche Mode, Eurythmics and Simian Mobile Disco. ‘As most things age, they have a tendency to grow very conservative and puritan,’ says Forge. ‘The same thing happened with extreme metal, so many followers of the genre . . . created dogmatic rules about how it should be and for some reason there’s this idea that this kind of music shouldn’t be fun – which goes against the whole idea. Venom [widely acknowledged as the first black metal band] was a lot of fun. Even if you skip the subcultural aspects and look at it from a Biblical point of view, the Bible is dominated by a lack of humour, unintellectualism and slavery, suppressing what is human, so obviously the exact opposite should be intellectualism, laughter, fun, being free, living life, thinking, feeling.’ (Henry Northmore)
ALTERNATIVE / INDIE
SHE DREW THE GUN
Summerhall, Edinburgh, Fri 1 Nov; Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, Sat 2 Nov; Garage, Glasgow, Sun 3 Nov Two albums into their career, Wirral four-piece She Drew the Gun, fronted by songwriter Louisa Roach, are turning heads with their complementary mix of melodic indie pop and no-messing sociopolitical comment. Their current mammoth UK tour is titled Trouble Every Day after their updated cover version of the Frank Zappa track of the same name, which was originally written in response to coverage of the Watts riots in LA in 1965. ‘It’s amazing how reflective the words were,’ says Roach, ‘but I thought if I changed some of the verses into what’s happening now then it might have more impact, so it’s using a song which is 50 years old to say the same thing, that the media’s really not serving you.' Roach initially performed solo as She Drew the Gun, using spoken word to grab attention and as a useful tool for the more declamatory material. ‘What I’ve ended up doing is nicking the spoken word bits and turning them into songs,’ she says. ‘I decided to give it a go with the music,’ she says, ‘and that’s what I’m still doing, just giving it a go. I don’t know if I was just blocked for many years or whether it takes a certain point in life to become a writer. Toni Morrison’s advice to writers was don’t start until you’re 40. In the literary world, it’s not expected that you have to start that trajectory so young, but the mainstream pop idea is that you’ve got to be set for something when you are a child. It doesn’t have to be like that.’ (Fiona Shepherd) EXPERIMENTAL
COUNTERFLOWS
Usurper, Áine O’Dwyer, Bill Wells and DJs, Fri 20 Dec; Joe McPhee & Decoy, Elaine Mitchener and Stewart Smith (DJ), Fri 31 Jan; both Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh
PHOTO: DAVID LAKOWSKI
108 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
This winter, Glasgow’s highly regarded festival of underground and experimental music, Counterflows, journeys along the M8 for a new concert series at the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh. Instigated by the Queen’s Hall’s director Evan Henderson after discussion with Alasdair Campbell of AC Projects, these shows form part of the venue’s almost-ended 40th anniversary year. ‘The bigger idea from Evan's perspective is to expand the audience for different forms at the Queen’s Hall,’ says Campbell. ‘From ours, it’s a way of spreading the word about what we do in a venue where you might not expect to see Counterflows. ‘Some of the artists have performed for us in the past, so placing them in this context is very exciting,’ he says. ‘Usurper are legendary Edinburgh artists who we featured in 2018, Áine O’Dwyer is one of the most creative artists in the UK these days and Bill Wells is just the great Bill Wells. For our January event, we have Decoy, one of the great unsung bands of the free jazz world.’ Campbell is hopeful that budget and interest may allow for more shows in Edinburgh, although he’s keen to emphasise that Counterflows isn’t seeking world domination. ‘We’re very conscious of locating Counterflows locally within communities and this takes time and commitment to build relationships. Others have been promoting great music in Edinburgh for a long time and we’re undertaking this with full respect for them.’ (David Pollock)
16 NOVEMBER 2019 - 4 JANUARY 2020
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MUSIC | RECORDS
ALBUM OF THE ISSUE
AMBIENT ELECTRONICA ELECTRO / R&B
SUDAN ARCHIVES Athena (Stones Throw Records) ●●●●●
Sudan Archives has always walked her own path. Releasing two startling EPs, this violinist-songwriter moves effortlessly from left field electronics to lush R&B, avant classical aesthetics through to the breathiest of sensual neo-soul. Debut album Athena offers all of this and more, a startling inventive record whose deft emotional resonance asks powerful, timely questions while also dealing with painfully personal issues. Lead single ‘Confessions’ is all sliding strings and hypnotic vocals, while the gorgeous neo-soul wonder ‘Limitless’ locates zero-gravity songwriting within its digital fixation. Athena is a record crammed with deft allusions, sudden aboutturns, and unexpected dalliances. Having worked solely with producer Matthewdavid on her earlier EPs, the Los Angeles artist broadens her palette considerably on her debut full-length project, mixing studio time with producers Washed Out, Rodaidh McDonald and Paul White. The result is a broad yet remarkably cohesive record, one that is elastic in sound but stunningly precise in its execution. Openly emotive highlight ‘Iceland Moss’ has a painterly touch, Sudan Archives’ vocal aching with an all-too-real sense of pain as she murmurs, ‘You’re just like my father . . . ’ Painstakingly constructed – Sudan Archives inserts two 30-second sketches to split the record into an exploratory triad. A dazzling technical achievement, perhaps the most imposing aspect of Athena is the lingering emotional impact it carries within its core through the brave, highly revealing songwriting Sudan Archives inserts underneath her tantalising aural mosaic. A record to be savoured. (Robin Murray) ■■Out Fri 1 Nov.
A WINGED VICTORY FOR THE SULLEN The Undivided Five (Ninja Tune) ●●●●●
The idea that such a thing as a supergroup may exist in the world of ambient electronica is an unexpected one; or certainly it has been until as far back as Brian Eno and David Byrne uniting on My Life in the Bush of Ghosts back in 1981. Yet while A Winged Victory for the Sullen – American producers Dustin O’Halloran and Adam Wiltzie – aren’t anything like the foundational personalities which those pair proved to be, their combined CV can only be described as mighty. Both have decades of previous experience in highly regarded groups, Wiltzie with ambient duo Stars of the Lid and O’Halloran with the atmospheric rock group Devics. Their individual film score work includes The Theory of Everything, Arrival (both Wiltzie, with the late Jóhann Jóhannsson), Marie Antoinette, Lion and the television series Transparent (the latter pair grabbed O’Halloran Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations and an Emmy win). All of which builds up a certain expectation for The Undivided Five, a very loose concept record based upon the number five and the duo’s shared admiration for the work of Claude Debussy. In a very 21st-century take on the idea of composition, orchestral samples were recorded in Budapest, while the producers did most of the work individually in their Berlin and Brussels studios. The results are anything but isolating; from the simple piano chords and the aching synthesiser strains of the ten-minute ‘Our Lord Debussy’, to the sedated violin lines of ‘The Slow Descent Has Begun’ and the slowly drawn-out movements of ‘A Minor Fifth is Made of Phantoms’, this is music which rewards patience with big sweeps of emotional power. ‘Adios Florida’ is the closest the record gets to an actual melody, while the sombre piano lines of ‘Keep It Dark Deutschland’ are the least electronically treated and most organic. This is neither music to pump the adrenaline nor plan a party to, but for those who can bear its reserve, it offers great depths of feeling. (David Pollock) ■■Out now.
DANCE / ELECTRONIC
ALT-POP
ATØ (Planet Mu) ●●●●●
Me + U (Self-released) ●●●●●
ZIÚR
ATØ – the somewhat cryptic title of Berlin-based producer Ziúr’s second album – is actually a simple description of what this work is. ATØ is an acronym which stands for ‘The Alliance to Take Over the World’, which Ziúr plans to do with an album which she describes as ‘a network of intersectional support, a network of mesh to help us through these dark times’. With her second release, Ziúr is covering a lot of heavy themes, and this music is appropriately maximal and extremity-reaching. As with her debut full-length record, 2017’s U Feel Anything?, ATØ is based on the idea of contrasts. Nothing can be harsh without the existence of its antithetical softness, and the tracklist explores this dialectic: the chaotic agitation and trip hop beats of ‘It’s Complicated’ are immediately followed by the cavernous synths and spectral, almost child-like vocal of ‘I Vanish’; the deep, acoustic drum groove and unsettling wails of ‘Life Sick’ precede chirpy marimba and collaborator Samantha Urbani’s FKA Twigs-esque pop vocal on ‘All Lessons Unlearned’. Alarm sounds blare above thrashing, militaristic dhol drums, and dense walls of sound are pierced by haunting melodic lines, in deconstructed club music that is clearly influenced by the avant-garde industrial and noise music Berlin’s history is steeped in. At times the incessant agitation of ATØ is exhausting, and even the moments of space, such as guest vocalist Ash B’s response to betrayal on ‘F.O.E (Friendship Over Ego)’, are restless and on edge. But this unrelenting tension reflects Ziúr’s frustration with the turbulent state of the world right now, and her will to use music as a force for change. This is an alarm bell, a call to arms, and an example of electronic music being framed as politically and socially engaged, whilst retaining its danceable moments. In the producer’s own words, ‘the record is not here to please, but to disrupt and to connect us in solidarity.' (Kate Walker) ■■Out Fri 15 Nov. 110 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
BOSSY LOVE
Pop lovers can rejoice today. At last, after a slew of anthemic R&B-inflected singles released over several years, Bossy Love have delivered their debut album Me + U. Having built up a reputation for high-energy, high-impact live performances, this is a welcome dive into the Glasgow-based duo’s stylistic range, which swings between catchy pop hooks and heartrending melodies. Nostalgia for the 1980s has reached fever pitch in pop culture of late, and our affection for the synthesiser-heavy era raises its head again in Bossy Love’s opening track. From the first splash of synths, ‘Girlfriend’ sounds like it would be just as much at home in the opening credits to Sixteen Candles – or the neon decade reboot that was Stranger Things third season – as it is on a 2019 pop album. It sets a wistful tone, resembling the hazy heady days of an early crush before Amandah Wilkinson cuts in with the opening line, ‘I was like, what the fuck?’. It’s a suitable primer for the rest of the album, which contrasts a relationship’s euphoric honeymoon period against the hurt in its eventual demise. Yet Me + U is less about heartbreak and more about perseverance when a relationship ends. We see the determination to overcome obstacles for a long-distance relationship in ‘Foreign Lover’, a last ditch effort to salvage a bond in the title track ‘Me + U’, and the resolve to get up again when things don’t work out in the closer ‘Girlfriend II’. All the while emotionally raw lyrics come embossed with infectious tempos. John Baillie Jnr knows how to set a mood, moving seamlessly between anticipatory synth and emotive crescendos. These come to a climactic head in the closing track 'Girlfriend II', which delivers Wilkinson’s singsong harmonies with a multilayered undercurrent of chimes, claps, and low-end bass. The result is a joyful first album, capturing some of the power stance energy that exudes from Bossy Love onstage while also offering something more intimate. (Becca Inglis) ■■Out now.
RECORDS | MUSIC
list.co.uk/music ELECTRONIC
FOLK
Aye Spoake Te Sumwuhn & They Listenhd (Ninja Tune) ●●●●●
Up on High (Loose) ●●●●●
DENIS SULTA
VETIVER
Compared to his earlier work, Andy Cabic seems to have gravitated towards a reassuring, relaxed, dare-it-be-said middle-aged sound. His band Vetiver’s eponymous debut of 2004 had a quirkily unhinged psych-folk feel to it that was currency at the time (Devendra Banhart was a close collaborator and appeared on a couple of tracks), while 2006’s ‘More of the Past’ EP aligned itself to an almost overly jaunty rockabilly sensibility which was abandoned at the finale with slow-melting ambient fare. Nowadays, that sort of eclectic ambition has been left on the shelf, with Up on High‘s sights set significantly lower (perhaps the press image of him lounging around in a hammock with a cute pooch is more than just a little symbolic). While Cabic has been known to rock a room with bossanova DJ sets and help curate albums of rare Japanese folk-rock, this collection is resolutely back to basics, crafted on acoustic guitar and aims, according to the press material, to nudge memories of Tom Petty’s Wildflowers and REM’s Murmur. But at best Cabic’s songs merely evoke those acts and albums rather than attempting in any way to transcend them. ‘Swaying’ goes back and forth without leaving much of an impression, while the gently melodic ‘All We Could Want’ threatens to be something you would desire but fritters away through repetition amid no evidence of a Plan B. The white-reggae atmosphere of ‘Hold Tight’ might actually leave you picturing Vetiver providing support to David Brent’s band, while in an alternative universe, ‘A Door Shuts Quick’ could be the first draft of a John Lewis Christmas ad. In the collection’s lead single, and one of its more successful numbers, ‘To Who Knows Where’, Cabic pleads ‘Give me one more chance / One more song and dance / To prove I care’. His CV has more than enough quality in the bank for us to happily lend him that opportunity. Hopefully next time he’ll soar. (Brian Donaldson) ■■Out Fri 1 Nov.
CHICAGO HOUSE
ART POP
Supernatural (Aus Music) ●●●●●
Poor Girls / Broken Boys (Midnight Pink / Believe Digital) ●●●●●
PHOTO: HARIS NUKEM
For the past couple of years, Glasgow DJ and producer Hector Barbour has been cashing in early currency as an affiliate of his home city’s interlocking Rubadub, Sub Club, Numbers and Dixon Avenue Basement Jams scenes into growing international fame as ringmaster of his own Sulta Selects parties – holding court at self-selected dance festival line-ups around the world in his Denis Sulta guise. A great, intuitive DJ with a twitchy sense for genre-skipping sets made for dancing, and a particular sense of showmanship which suggests he’d be in his own crowd if he wasn’t playing to it, Barbour/Sulta has skipped effortlessly over from the DJing big time to the premier league of production with this, his first release on Ninja Tune. As is increasingly the case these days, what’s billed as an EP is more of a mini-album, comprising eight tracks. The supposedly shorter format allows a sense of playfulness which a longer-form record may not; specifically, the way he drops in snippets of his own voice which sound like they were recorded mid-party, even building one track (the closing ‘Welcome to the Rest of My Life’) entirely from his own vocal sample. New listeners will be here purely for the beats, however. The liquid house riff of ‘In Narito’ is a sophisticated groove to open, but the Denis Sulta sound hovers somewhere amid the tough urban techno of ‘Gas Whillis While I Paint My Nails’ and the energetic future rave of ‘It’s Tough But Not As Much As the Dream is Worth Joseph’. Also, amid the scything, synthetic grooves of ‘Matthew Keeps Me Pirrie’ and ‘Dan Will SOME Day KNOW How Special He Makes Me Feel’ (each song is a tribute to a friend), there is a real feeling for addictive melody. Barbour has spoken before about how he finds it hard to separate regular Hector and superstar Denis, and the disjointed vocal snippets give his vibrant productions a rough conceptual edge; a concept which says, this is a record for everyone deep in the sesh who’s trying to make fun and sanity balance. (David Pollock) ■■Out Fri 8 Nov.
FLOORPLAN
Detroit techno pioneer Robert Hood originally founded his Floorplan alias with the intention of incorporating a love of gospel with house, disco and techno, in a nod to his own faith and spirituality. But Floorplan has evolved since to include his daughter Lyric, an aspiring DJ and producer in her own right, who joined the project at the age of 19, helping with the creation of the 2016 album Victorious. Now the duo are back with new collaborative album Supernatural, taking in their signature Chicago house sound, while embracing high-energy cuts and soulful, sermon-like incantations. Opener 'There Was A Time' sets the euphoric tone, with its fast and enriched melody providing six solid minutes of repetitive grooves, before the pounding techno backbeat and solid layering of 'Dance Floor' kicks in, crescendoing to an epic club-centric build. Elsewhere, the disco and soul elements are strong, with tracks like 'Fiyaaaa!' and 'Brothers & Sisters' offering anthemic vocal samples amid jacked-up kick drums and colourful syncopated rhythms. The glorious choral fragments are welcome surprises throughout, as on ‘His Eye Is On The Sparrow’, the vocal melody taken from the famous gospel hymn, soaring high above a techno backdrop that is as tense and sinister as it is sweet. Likewise, the syrupy vocals in 'I Try' glide beautifully alongside a shuffling synth line and drum beat, which, when isolated halfway through, make the re-entry of the drums all the more forceful. Supernatural is an uplifting and atmospheric record, with the majority of its 10 tracks retaining a minimalist undercurrent while still packing a thunderous punch. Closing track 'Generations From Now' is a brilliant conclusion; its repeated piano riff and expressive percussion reminding you of the power of the Hoods merging of gospel and soul with house and techno, as well as their innate ability to raise spirits on the dancefloor. (Arusa Qureshi) ■■Out Fri 8 Nov.
THE VEGAN LEATHER
Do you remember the first time? Not any nascent sexual awakening, nor the first flush of love, but the moment you realised how profoundly excited you were about just going home from a heavy night out – the late evening swell of bedroom fantasies now entirely composed of you, alone, with a good book and a hot chocolate? Heads up: you might well be living inside a Vegan Leather song. Not that the Paisley quartet’s debut album is sedentary; on the contrary, each of the 11 tracks here are something of a riot, a hot streak burning through punk, disco, indie, and even a few metal moments. But it’s that classic pop juxtaposition of catchy tunes set to jet-black lyrical content that makes Poor Girls / Broken Boys such a rampant success. First singles ‘French Exit’ and ‘The Hit’ both arguably offer the album in microcosm. The former seems to showcase various Saturday night anxieties – booze, drugs, other people – amalgamated into one glorious, accordionstrewn slice of art pop; the latter, meanwhile, explores the larger-scale pressures of being allowed to occupy space in society at all: ‘We exist cos we’re able to, cos you want me to, don’t need me to.’ The pace on Poor Girls / Broken Boys can be overwhelming in places, permanently determined to dance out all the nervous energy, but it’s worth it. Fan favourite ‘Days Go By’ sounds catchier than ever here, and the Depeche Mode-inspired goth-pop of ‘Heavy Handed’, which recently premiered on BBC Radio 1's Indie Show with Jack Saunders, sounds massive. More than anything, the Vegan Leather speak truth. ‘The songs are a testament to how people learn to deal with hardships and tell stories, of how we either succumb or resist to the world we live in,’ singer Marie says in the press notes. Don’t we need a little more of that in the world? (Matthew Neale) ■■Out now. 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 111
MUSIC | GOING UNDERGROUND
GOING UNDERGROUND Stewart Smith digs out some of the best underground, DIY and self-released music currently coming out of the Scottish music scene
KAPIL SESHASAYEE The Item Girl ●●●●●
The first taste of Kapil Seshasayee’s second album, ‘The Item Girl’ takes on Bollywood sexism and its negative cultural influence throughout the diaspora. Musically, this track is quite a departure from the punchy art-rock of his 2018 debut album A Sacred Bore. The glutinous synth bass and jazzy chords recall the contemporary R&B of Blood Orange and Solange, with Seshasayee’s spiky sweet vocals pushing it in the direction of Scritti Politti’s 2006 gem White Bread Black Beer. The intricate guitar lines still bear the harmonic and rhythmic influence of Carnatic music, but it’s twisted through the avant-jazz sensibility of Mary Halvorson and the kind of digital processing associated with St Vincent. In lesser hands, a track like this could be a mess, but Seshasayee pulls it all together with real pop nous and bracing invective. THE COSMIC DEAD Scottish Space Race ●●●●●
Glasgow’s hairiest psychonauts return with a double LP of Buckfast-fuelled space jams. Joined by new drummer Tommy Duffin and synth wizard Russell Andrew Gray, guitarist James McKay and bassist Omar Aborida set controls for the heart of the sun. Opening track ‘Portal’ is suitably epic, beginning with 12 minutes of slow building drone rock, electronics and chanting, like a breakaway sect of Buddhist monks who’ve formed a lunar cult. On the turn of a dime it goes into hyperdrive, layering wah-wah squall and wailing oscillators over Duffin’s thunderous percussive charge. The band grunt and whoop over McKay’s zoned mantra, before it all breaks down into a cosmic thug groove that would do Hawkwind or Comets On Fire proud. Rather than wind things down, our heroes just 112 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
keep going and going. For all its crushing density, the title track is a utopian fuzz party, with the band hailing Glasgow and Dundee for leading the mission in the 2015 Indyref. ‘Can you dig it?’ they implore. Yes sir, we can. MARK VERNON An Annotated Phonography of Chance ●●●●●
The latest LP from Glasgow-based sound artist and Radiophrenia co-curator Mark Vernon expands upon the soundtrack to an uncompleted 16mm film made with English filmmaker Martha Jurksaitis and the Portuguese artist duo Von Calhau. Shot on location in Portugal’s Alentejo region, the film Nossos Ossos features the bone chapel Capela dos Ossos, castles, churches and megalithic sites. These locations were used for experiments with natural reverbs, with the collaborators sounding out the spaces with their voices. These provide the raw material for the soundtrack, along with field recordings and found tapes. The album begins with the sound of dripping water, framed by clouds of reverb and phantom threads of feedback. As voices echo in the gloom, a descending synth riff lurches forward, slowing dissipating amid electronic chitters and ferric ooze. A flea market conversation is overlaid with intense birdsong, followed by a melancholy piano made all the more human by Vernon’s glitches and edits. FOOD PEOPLE Food Party ●●●●●
I wrote admiringly about the otherworldly sonics and fragmented poetry of Food People’s Vetch in the September 2018 edition of this column. The trio of Lila Matsumoto, Matthew Hamblin and Greg Thomas returns with a cassette on Cosmovision, the label run by Chilean folk outsiders Glorias Navales. Food Party finds the group refining their approach by working with a narrower range of materials.
The opening ‘Evening Fast Out The Window’ finds Matsumoto reciting short lines over transient bursts of static, a strategy they revisit to more sinister effect on ‘A Body’. Several tracks feature abstracted folk elements, with acoustic guitar and viola drones haunted by lofi electronics. ‘Seizes In Light’ has an almost new age feel, with flute and synth glimmering over clomping hand drums, while ‘Glass Factory’ sounds like a dictaphone recording of noise-rock through a wall. The concluding trilogy of ‘In A Square Wood / Old Shuck / Danbury Jumble’ successfully brings a number of these elements together. STABLE Ex Terra Vis ●●●●●
An anti-tribute to Glenrothes from the Fife new town’s noisiest expatriate, Andy Brown. As Brown writes in his liner notes, the ‘stubborn optimism’ that fuelled the building of the town soon descended into ‘a swamp of poverty, violence, drugs and apathy’. The spontaneously composed tracks the former Divorce drummer has brought screaming into the world do not progress or ‘evolve’ in the conventional musical sense, all the better to ‘present the intense, ferocious, numbing tedium of having to exist in an economic prison like Glenrothes’. That’s not to say the pieces lack dynamics or shape. On the opening ‘Macedonia’, an icy fizzle of static is striated with needling high frequencies and looming bass tones. By the end, it sounds like being trapped in an air shaft with nothing but a power drill for company. ‘Warout’ is a punishing exercise in hydrochloric acid house, as pungent chemicals rain down over a grim electronic throb, while ‘Walking In Circles’ administers shock therapy to a stumbling hardcore punk loop, before smashing it against a harsh noise wall. Uneasy listening at its most compelling.
MUSIC | HIGHLIGHTS
MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
GLASGOW GLASGOW THREE AGES POETRY SLAM Tron BANKS Theatre, Sun 7 Apr, tron.co.uk SWG3, Sat 2ofNov, swg3.tv Soulful Three teams poets go head-tovocalsinwith from head this synth poetrystring slam backing competition, the Los up Angeles singer-songwriter. divided into age categories ‘Teens’n’Twenties’, ‘Thirtysomethings’ THE‘Old VEGAN LEATHER and Enough to Know Better’. King Tut’s Wah Cairns. Wah Hut, Sat 2 Nov, Hosted by Robin kingtuts.co.uk Ambient electronic dance rock from the Glasgow band. See album review, page 111.
academymusicgroup.com American singer, rapper and songwriter known for her high-energy performances and for empowering women around the world.
barrowland-ballroom.co.uk Welsh rock band who have released ten studio albums, most recently this year’s Tallulah.
KATHRYN JOSEPH City Halls, Sat 9 Nov, glasgowconcertshalls.com Captivating Scottish singer-songwriter/ pianist who won the SAY Award in 2015.
JOSEPH Broadcast, Thu 14 Nov, broadcastglasgow.com Folk trio from Portland, comprised of sisters Natalie Closner Schepman and Allison and Meegan Closner. See feature, page 106.
COCAINE PISS Broadcast, Sun 10 Nov, broadcastglasgow.com Punk foursome from Belgium who recorded their debut album with Steve Albini. Also Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, Mon 11 Nov, sneakypetes.co.uk
MACHINE HEAD O2 Academy Glasgow, Tue 5 Nov, academymusicgroup.com Bay Area metal stalwarts that helped usher in a new wave of thrash on their 1991 classic album Burn My Eyes.
METRONOMY SWG3, Wed 13 Nov, swg3.tv Brighton electronica artist and remixer Joseph Mount and his band who play breezy intelligent indie pop. See feature, page 104.
LIZZO O2 Academy Glasgow, Fri 8 Nov,
FEEDER Barrowland Ballroom, Thu 14 Nov,
GHOST SSE Hydro, Mon 18 Nov, thessehydro.com The Swedish rock band’s Ultimate Tour Named Death with support from All Them Witches and Tribulation. See preview, page 108. PIXX Broadcast, Mon 18 Nov, broadcastglasgow.com Moniker of the alt-indie singer-songwriter Hannah Rodgers. MAHALIA SWG3, Tue 19 Nov, swg3.tv The Leicester-born singer-songwriter, who
has has collaborated with Ed Sheeran and Rudimental, pens love-soaked pop songs. FONTAINES DC SWG3, Thu 21 Nov, swg3.tv Shambolic alternative/indie ensemble from Dublin. EZRA COLLECTIVE Oran Mor, Fri 22 Nov, oran-mor. co.uk Outfit performing a blend of reggae, hip hop, jazz and Afrobeats. FREE LOVE The Glue Factory, Sat 23 Nov, tgwfest.com Glaswegian dance pop band whose album album Luxury Hits made this year’s Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award shortlist. THE PASTELS & SACRED PAWS Community Central Hall, Sat 23 Nov, tgwfest,com Glaswgian indie rockers the Pastels and Sacred Paws share a bill as part of the The Great Western festival. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS SSE Hydro, Sat 23 Nov, thessehydro.com The Chemical Brothers mix up their usual psychedelic blend of electro, house and rock with slightly less potency these days. BLANCK MASS The Art School, Sat 23 Nov, theartschool.co.uk Beautiful, complex organic sounds from this solo project from Benjamin John Power of Fuck Buttons. BJORK SSE Hydro, Mon 25 Nov, thessehydro.com Icelandic singer-songwriter, known for her eclectic music style on her elaborate Cornucopia tour. SKEPTA O2 Academy Glasgow, Thu 28 Nov, academymusicgroup.com English rapper and grime artist performing songs from his latest offering, Ignorance is Bliss.
Lizzo
HITLIST
XXX THE GREAT Xxxx WESTERN Xxxx Various venues, Glasgow, Sat 23 Nov, tgwfest.com New one-day multi-venue arts and music festival, showcasing a range of local and international talent taking place across ten venues in Glasgow’s West End. See feature, page 52.
114 114 THE THE LIST LIST 11 Jun–31 Nov 2019–31 Aug 2019 Jan 2020
COUNTERFLOWS: FESTIVE SOIREE The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 20 Dec, thequeenshall.net Glasgow’s underground festival comes to the capital for a night of festive-themed fun featuring performances by Usurper, Aine O’Dwyer and Bill Wells. See preview, page 108.
MARK RONSON’S HOGMANAY IN THE GARDENS Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, Tue 31 Dec, edinburghshogmanay. com Grammy and Oscar winner Mark Ronson headlines Scotland’s biggest Hogmanay event, complete with midnight fireworks. See feature, page 56.
CELTIC CONNECTIONS Various venues, Glasgow, Thu 16 Jan–Sun 2 Feb, celticconnections. com With over 300 events across 18 days, this is the UK’s largest celebration of celtic music, featuring performances by various artists across the city.
SLIPKNOT SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Sat 18 Jan, thessehydro.com The controversial masked American heavy metal shock-rockers return to Scotland with another typically uncompromising live set of blood, snot and tears. With special xxxx Behemoth. guests
AND ORCHESTRA
16 jan - 2 feb 2020
on salE now EDINBURGH USHER HALL 11 DEC 2019 0131 228 1155
ABERDEEN MUSIC HALL 10 MAY 2020 01224 641122
Featuring a special 50th Anniversary Abbey Road set
@ccFest #ccFest2020 /celticconnections @celtic_connections
celticconnections.com
www.bootlegbeatles.com
Thursday 28.11.2019 7.30pm
City Halls Glasgow
Wagner The Ring
£6 tickets for students & Under 26s
Antony Hermus conductor
bbc.co.uk/ bbcsso
An Orchestral Adventure
1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 115
MUSIC | HIGHLIGHTS
MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED PHOTO: JULIAN BAILEY
BOSSY LOVE Nice ‘N’ Sleazy, Fri 29 Nov, nicensleazy.com Glasgow-based duo who write pop songs with an R&B influence. See album review, page 110. ERLAND COOPER Mackintosh Church, Sat 30 Nov, mackintoshchurch.com Award winning, multi-instrumentalist and producer, originally from the Orkney Islands. His previous projects include The Magnetic North and Erland and the Carnival.
THE TWILIGHT SAD Usher Hall, Sat 30 Nov, usherhall. co.uk Melancholic soaring sounds from the Scottish indie rock band.
AITCH SWG3, Tue 3 Dec, swg3.tv Young Mancunian songwriter and rapper who has captured the attention of many, including Stormzy.
THE LIBERTINES Barrowland Ballroom, Sat 7 Dec & Sun 8 Dec, barrowland-ballroom. co.uk Pete Doherty and Carl Barat’s outfit specialising in tales of the everyday rebellion and riotous indierock debauchery. SHELLAC The Art School, Tue 10 Dec, theartschool.co.uk Steve Albini’s uncompromising alternative rock outfit from Chicago. JAPANESE HOUSE SWG3, Mon 16 Dec, swg3.tv Moniker of Buckinghamshire indie pop singer Amber Bain. PRIMAL SCREAM Barrowland Ballroom, Tue 17 Dec & Wed 18 Dec, barrowland-ballroom. co.uk Bobby Gillespie and his band of tea-drinking rock’n’rollers. JOESEF SWG3, Mon 23 Dec, swg3.tv Rapidly rising pop-soul singer and bedroom recording artist from Glasgow. SHHE The Hug & Pint, Sat 25 Jan, celticconnections.com Alter-ego of Scottish-Portuguese artist and producer Su Shaw. SCHOOLBOY Q O2 Academy Glasgow, Sat 25 Jan, 116 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
RICHARD DAWSON The Caves, Tue 26 Nov, unusualvenuesedinburgh.com Acclaimed Northumbrian singersongwriter drawing comparisons to John Martyn and Captain Beefheart. Also CCA, Glasgow, Wed 27 Nov, cca-glasgow.com STEALING SHEEP The Caves, Wed 27 Nov, unusualvenuesedinburgh.com English pop band touring their third album, Big Wows.
GWAR The Garage, Sun 1 Dec, garageglasgow.co.uk American heavy metal and ‘shock rock’ band known for their grotesque costumes and graphically violent live shows.
MARIBOU STATE SWG3, Fri 6 Dec, swg3.tv English electronic music duo consisting of Chris Davids and Liam Ivory, known both for their own music and remixes of other artists.
co.uk Norwegian pop singer-songwriter.
FAIR PLAY Summerhall, Sat 30 Nov, summerhall.co.uk An evening showcase as part of Fair Saturday, featuring some of the artists supported by the venue in 2019 including SHHE, Little King, Harry Harris and Jenni Fagan.
Zoe Graham
academymusicgroup.com American rapper and member of hip hop group Black Hippy. BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB Barrowland Ballroom, Tue 28 Jan & Wed 29 Jan, barrowland-ballroom. co.uk Indie-rock quartet from London who return with a new album and tour after a three-year hiatus.
EDINBURGH SHE DREW THE GUN Summerhall, Fri 1 Nov, summerhall. co.uk Dreamy, lyrical psych-pop from Merseyside artist Louisa Roach. See preview, page 108. Also The Garage, Glasgow Sun 3 Nov, garageglasgow.co.uk DRAGONFORCE The Liquid Room, Sat 2 Nov, liquidroom.com London-based extreme power metal band back with more ridiculously fast, dexterous guitar theatrics. THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH Usher Hall, Sun 3 Nov, usherhall. co.uk Swedish indie folk musician Kristian Matsson. VAMPIRE WEEKEND Usher Hall, Thu 7 Nov, usherhall. co.uk Upbeat, preppy New Yorkers with Afrobeat inflections touring their first new album in six years, Father of the Bride. YAK The Mash House, Tue 12 Nov, themashhouse.co.uk Psychedelic alt.
rock band with connections to Jack White’s Third Man Records. CALEXICO AND IRON & WINE Usher Hall, Mon 18 Nov, usherhall. co.uk Americana band Calexico and folk singer-songwriter Iron & Wine (Sam Beam) join forces to support their latest collaborative album, Years to Burn. FAT WHITE FAMILY Potterrow, Thu 21 Nov, fatwhitefamilymusic.com Indie band from London who blend rock & roll, post-punk, country, and psych. Also Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow, Fri 22 Nov, fatwhitefamilymusic.com
AIDAN O’ROURKE & FRIENDS The Queen’s Hall, Sat 30 Nov, thequeenshall.net Award-winning fiddler, composer, producer and curator, Aidan O’Rourke is joined by friends including Skye piper Brìghde Chaimbeul and The Soundhouse Choir. ALDOUS HARDING Summerhall, Sun 1 Dec, summerhall.co.uk Acclaimed folk singer-songwriter from New Zealand.
HYYTS Cabaret Voltaire, Thu 21 Nov, thecabaretvoltaire.com Glasgow pop duo that has supported Culture Club in the past.
LEWIS CAPALDI Usher Hall, Thu 5 Dec, usherhall. co.uk Scotland’s breakout star of 2019 returns home to perform heartbreak anthems from his number one debut album. Also O2 Academy Glasgow, Sat 7 & Sun 8 Dec, academymusicgroup.com
BAT FOR LASHES The Queen’s Hall, Sat 23 Nov, thequeenshall.net Off-kilter pop from boho Brighton songwriter Natasha Khan. See preview, page 103.
ZOE GRAHAM Sneaky Pete’s, Sat 7 Dec, sneakypetes.co.uk Young Scottish singer-songwriter who writes dreamy folk songs.
COUSIN KULA Sneaky Pete’s, Sun 24 Nov, sneakypetes.co.uk Bristolian six-piece that fuses many music genres together.
VETIVER Sneaky Pete’s, Tue 10 Dec, sneakypetes.co.uk American folk band from San Francisco led by songwriter Andy Cabic. See album review, page 111. Also Monorail Music, Glasgow, Wed 11 Dec, monorailmusic.com
STEVE MASON La Belle Angele, Mon 25 Nov, la-belleangele.com Ex-Beta Band frontman plays material from his beguiling solo albums. SIGRID Usher Hall, Tue 26 Nov, usherhall.
KAISER CHIEFS Usher Hall, Wed 22 Jan, usherhall. co.uk The multi-million selling jaunty rock and indie quintet.
HIGHLIGHTS | CLUBS
CLUB HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
GLASGOW THE BLACK MADONNA & LEZZER QUEST Sub Club, Fri 22 Nov, subclub.co.uk The Black Madonna touches down in Glasgow for her We Still Believe: Choose Love tour, which is raising funds and awareness for Help Refugees and Say It Loud Club. Lezzer Quest, aka Anna Gram, and Bonzai Bonner provide support. ONE NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM Riverside Museum, Sat 30 Nov, meltingpotglasgow.com Following sold-out events in Queen’s Park over the summer, Melting Pot open the doors to the Riverside Museum for one night of epic disco dancing, taking us back to the era of Studio 54 and the Paradise Garage. DANIEL AVERY & IDA Sub Club, Fri 6 Dec, subclub.co.uk Producer and DJ Daniel Avery returns to Sub Club for another techno-heavy shindig, alongside Finnish-Glaswegian up-and-comer IDA.
BOILER ROOM GLASGOW SWG3, Sat 14 Dec, swg3.tv Boiler Room take over SWG3 for the ultimate mid-winter warehouse party (sans livestream), with Hybrid Minds, SHERELLE, Rapture 4D, Nastia, DJ Stingray, Afrodeutsche and IDA on the bill. BOXING DAY ON THE BOAT The Ferry, Thu 26 Dec, the-ferry.co.uk After last year’s sold-out party, Ivan Kutz and Fraz.ier are back on Boxing Day for another six hour techno masterclass. BOXING DAY WITH GREG WILSON & WSHOM Barras Art & Design Centre, Thu 26 Dec, baadglasgow.com Greg Wilson heads to BAad for a special three hour set, with support from local residents We Should Hang Out More. MAXIMUM PRESSURE NYD 2020 SWG3, Wed 1 Jan, swg3.tv Slam kick off 2020 in style with a terrific line-up of techno acts including I Hate Models, AISHA, Dixon Avenue Basement Jams and Dax J. SKREAM BY DAY Barras Art & Design Centre, Wed 1 Jan, baadglasgow.com Skream takes
over BAad for one of his renowned ‘open to close’ sets, playing from 4pm to 11pm before heading to Sub Club to see out the night until 4am.
EDINBURGH STORYTIME PRESENTS AXEL BOMAN The Bongo Club, Fri 8 Nov, thebongoclub.co.uk Record label boss, producer and DJ Axel Boman’s longawaited Edinburgh debut, with Miss World and Andrea Montalto on support. RED BULL & DIMENSIONS PRESENT GET DOWN EARLY Sneaky Pete’s, Thu 21 Nov, sneakypetes.co.uk Red Bull has teamed up with Dimensions Festival for the second edition of Get Down Early, a club series to celebrate the emerging DJs of UK dance floors. The series kicks off with Sassy J and the founder of record label Tiff’s Joints, Born Cheating. 10 YEARS OF PULSE La Belle Angele, Fri 29 Nov, labelleangele.com 10th birthday celebrations for techno legends Pulse featuring Perc, Bas Mooy, Ansome and UVBl, with Darrell Pulse supporting.
SSL XL NYE The Bongo Club, Tue 31 Dec, thebongoclub.co.uk A stacked line-up including Om Unit (Metalheadz), Sully (Uncertain Hour), Noodles – Groove Chronicles + Uno MC, Proc Fiskal b2b Creep Woland, Anikonik (Electrikal Sound System), Skillis (Headset) and more to be announced. NIGHTVISION HOGMANAY The Liquid Room, Tue 31 Dec, liquidroom.com Patrick Topping and Alan Fitzpatrick headline Nightvision’s massive NYE party, taking up all four rooms of the Liquid Room until 5am. SOUL JAM HOGMANAY Sneaky Pete’s, Tue 31 Dec, sneakypetes.co.uk Join the party at Sneaky’s with funk, soul, boogie and disco all night long at this Hogmanay special. MAGIC NOSTALGIC HOGMANAY SPECIAL Summerhall, Tue 31 Dec, summerhall. co.uk Let your Hogmanay be at the mercy of chance, as every half an hour someone gets invited up on stage to spin a wheel. Wherever it lands determines what kind of music you’ll find yourself singing along to for the next 30 minutes.
1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 117
MUSIC | CLASSICAL
L A C I ASS
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OPERA
SARA HERSHKOWITZ
Ligeti’s Mysteries of the Macabre, City Halls, Glasgow, Thu 28 Nov; ‘Mad Scene’ from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Music Hall, Aberdeen, Fri 29 Nov 'It’s taking the piss out of opera and the seriousness of it all,’ says American soprano Sara Hershkowitz when chatting about György Ligeti’s absurdist opera Le Grand Macabre. She’ll be joining the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra on 28 Nov for a performance of Mysteries of the Macabre: three of the opera’s coloratura arias, arranged as a concert piece. 'There are very few artists who can say that they truly, truly follow the beat of their own internal drum as completely as Ligeti did' explains Hershkowitz. 'He was a non-conformist in the extreme. Le Grand Macabre is called the anti-anti-opera because anti-opera was too much of a label!' Ligeti was no stranger to pain. After escaping a Nazi slave labour camp, he spent two weeks walking home to discover another family living in his house. His parents and brother had been deported to Auschwitz, from which only his mother returned. It’s little surprise then that he was constantly questioning and challenging the political regimes in power. Judging from the state of politics on both sides of the Atlantic, it would be hard to argue the piece has lost any of its relevance since its 1978 premiere. And Hershkovitz made headlines recently when she performed the work with the North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra dressed as Donald Trump, complete with fatsuit, red tie and orange face (it’s on YouTube – watch it). Despite the trolls, there’s also been a hugely positive response to Hershkowitz’s blending of music and politics. ‘One thing that I’m grateful for is it’s opened interesting doors for me artistically, and it’s shown me people are interested in artists who are willing to speak out and have something to say that might be less conventional. I had no way of estimating the way it might open up new directions for me – and that’s been really exciting.' (Miranda Heggie)
CLASSICAL HIGHLIGHTS HITLIST RSNO: SAINT-SAËNS’ ORGAN CONCERTO Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 1 Nov, usherhall.co.uk Blast from the past as RSNO’s legendary maestro, Neeme Järvi, returns to conduct Saint-Saëns mighty Symphony No 3, with thundering orchestra and organ. Scotland’s own Catriona Morison will sing arias from Bizet’s ever-popular Carmen. Also Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sat 2 Nov, glasgowconcerthalls.com PIANODROME AT LEITH THEATRE Leith Theatre, Edinburgh, Mon 11 Nov–Sun 8 Dec, leiththeatretrust.org One of the world’s most unusual venues, the Pianodrome is rebuilt within Leith Theatre for four weeks of all things piano, alongside an eclectic programme of performances. Musicians can also take up residence, collaborate, write new material and whatever else may come from creative sparks flying.
118 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
GLASGOW THE NIGHT WITH . . . THE HERMES EXPERIMENT Hug and Pint, Mon 25 Nov, thehugandpint.com An unusual quartet of harp, clarinet, voice and double bass, award-winning group The Hermes Experiment appear under the auspices of The Night With . . . in a programme which features a new commission from Glasgow-based composer Matthew Grouse and Meredith Monk’s Double Fiesta. Also Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, Tue 26 Nov, scottishstorytellingcentre.com SCOTTISH OPERA: IRIS City Halls, Sun 1 Dec, glasgowconcerthalls.com/cityhalls A Scottish Opera premiere of Iris, Mascagni’s rarely performed opera, which is set in Japan and tells an unusual tale of lost innocence. Presented in concert style, Iris is an opera full of colour, featuring ‘Hymn to the Sun’, which is often recognised as Mascagni’s finest work.
EDINBURGH PIANO RECITAL: SUSAN TOMES St Cecilia’s Hall, Fri 22 Nov,
stcecilias.ed.ac.uk On St Cecilia’s Day, what better than hearing music in the hall that bears the name of music’s patron saint? Pianist Susan Tomes plays on a rare Erard grand piano, with pieces by Debussy, Ravel, Schumann and Chopin all chosen to match the sound of the instrument, made by the renowned 19th-century Parisian firm established by the brothers Erard. SCOTTISH CHAMBER CHOIR St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, Sat 23 Nov, stmaryscathedral. co.uk Double masses but one choir dividing itself for the timeless Vaughan Williams ‘Mass in G minor’ and Kenneth Leightons’s ‘Mass Op 44’, combining the lyricism of early English music with 20thcentury chromaticism and rhythmic intensity. SCOTTISH ENSEMBLE: FOR A WINTER’S NIGHT Greyfriars Kirk, Tue 10 Dec, thequeenshall.net Concerts celebrating 50 years of the Scottish Ensemble’s championing of music for string ensemble, including expanding the repertoire to include special commissions such as Anna
Catriona Morison Meredith’s ‘Scottish Variation’, which sits alongside JS Bach and Sibelius, heard in the warmth and illumination of flickering candlelight. Also Wellington Church, Glasgow, Wed 11 Dec, rcs.ac.uk
www.thequeenshall.net Tickets & Info: 0131 668 2019 Clerk Street, Edinburgh EH8 9JG THE QUEEN’S HALL HIGHLIGHTS
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Fri 1, 7.30pm
Mon 2, 7.30pm
Sat 2, doors 7pm
Fri 6, 8pm
Sun 3, doors 7pm
Sat 7, 8pm
Mon 4, 7.30pm
Sun 8, 2.30pm
Sat 9, 7.30pm
Mon 9, 7.45pm
Sun 10, 7.30pm
Thu 12, 7.30pm
Mon 11, 7.45pm
Sat 14, 7.30pm
Fri 15, doors 7pm
Mon 16, 7pm
Sun 17, 7.30pm
Wed 18, doors 7pm
Tue 19, doors 7pm
Thu 19, 7.30pm
An Evening with Lenny Henry: Who Am I Again? QH@40: Counterflows: Beatrice Dillon & guests John Mayall
Tim Kliphuis Trio: The Stirling Queen Edinburgh Light Orchestra Making Tracks
The Brodsky Quartet Ardal O’Hanlon: The Showing Off Must Go On Nadiya Hussain: Finding My Voice
On This, A Winter’s Night Hamish Henderson 100: Voice of the People Lindisfarne Harps of Gold
Maxwell Quartet Drake Music Scotland: Diversions The Sweet
Dunedin Consort: Handel’s Messiah Echo and The Bunnymen
Thu 21, 7.30pm
QH@40: Tommy Smith Solo with Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra All-Stars
Fri 22, 7.30pm
Sat 21 & Sun 22, 7.30pm
Hot Club of Cowtown QH@40: Heidi Talbot presents Kathryn Williams, Boo Hewerdine & Hannah Rarity Horse: The Same Sky #30 Sat 23, doors 7pm
Fri 20, doors 7pm
QH@40: Counterflows: Festive Soiree with Usurper & friends Phil Cunningham’s Christmas Songbook
Bat for Lashes
JANUARY 2020
Tue 26, 8pm
Sat 11, 7.30pm
Wed 27, 7.30pm
Sat 18, 7.30pm
Sat 30, doors 7pm
Mon 27, 7.45pm
The King is Back: Ben Portsmouth is Elvis The Beatles Hornsey Road with Mark Lewisohn St Andrew’s Fair Saturday: Aidan O’Rourke & friends
Southside of the Tracks Dunedin Consort: The Brandenburgs Nash Ensemble
Fri 31, doors 7pm QH@40 supported by Creative Scotland
QH@40: Counterflows: Joe McPhee & DECOY with support from Elaine Mitchener
Every journey starts a story Book your journey to the islands today calmac.co.uk
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SCOTTISH BALLET: THE SNOW QUEEN Bringing Hans Christian Andersen’s tale to life
ABOREHENAT DOLUM From Frozen to Narnia, there’s no shortage of stories inspired
Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. The latest Id by quiHans berum fugita sa nonseriam fugiature vereritisi dolum ius molo is choreographer Christopher Hampson’s new version for
PHOTO: NICOLA SELBY AND EVE MCCONNACHIE
endae. Ut quia parchit, venis quae maion est Scottish a show that aims toquoditatis make Andersen’s rather Toriame queBallet, volo magnate molorum aperit acesto excesciatque voluptatet, iusci convoluted much more linear. moluptas et autnarrative expeliquisit aut ex es con ipicabo reictatur, eturio ditHansel escitaeand pel Gretel in ‘The originaltenis is essentially theporectem snow,’ ex et que volesse quiamus, sunt has fuga. maximusant fuga. Tioreriatur si occus sendae.of Gerda says Hampson. ‘Like Gretel, the character toIm imil mod que pore, tet debis audis Oditatem quoditat Os auttrials ex elesequid ut friend go through lots fuga. of different to get her Kai velecat back, dolescipiet fugit, simusandi delici aciassincit ea si aces etur, quod maximet with an evil female character that she needs to doloratur, do battle seque dende inum quamus exerum, voloreperum qui si archil mo te aut with. erita But cus.Rem faccum ex eaisque The Snow Queen oneplandem of Andersen’svelesequas weirder doluptatur?Evenda inum sitis mil eic tem. ex evendigendel stories, whicheiur?Ommoloratia is great for ballet acesendis because there are lots of Pudignis dolo consed et autas seque estissi ipidellendi quo mogaps occupta tincto is molora problems and for us to fill.’ ommolor ectio. Orest earuptasita voles nimagniet is elignam, illecto Hampson workedoditistor closely ab with acclaimed set and necerum essintenis apelest arion essiti quoditi ossitati costume designer Lez Brotherston, not only to give this fugit offictem et, omnim dia doluptat faccum eat. ut latqui corem nonapor anihil ilibeate nus.feel, but to new adaptation distinctive look and work out Busdande que voluptu inihit the Queen’s Temos a scenario that helps reperis us understand actions.ex et harum quid et re, sequo et, sequae peliqua eriamusapedi ate volumquis aborporrum ium quis es aut net, restia so evil?’ ‘One of the problems waspra why is sam the Queen says eosRorrorent ut que esequos quassitate volore, sum, que sitio molores nisthe untio Hampson. ‘Soetur we decided to start ballet with the parumquam illiciant acesequam rem reperume conQueen est omnissi modita ciur ad and her sisterveliquis living inaut an offi isolated ice palace. The sister sees her future in the enchanted mirror and leaves the Queen alone. She smashes the mirror in a rage and spends the rest of the story trying to get her sister back. Essentially, it becomes a story between three women: the Snow Queen, her sister and Gerda.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 7–Sun 29 Dec; Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Fri 3–Sat 18 Jan.
1 Nov12019–31 Jun–31 Aug Jan 2020 2019 THE LIST 121
THEATRE | PREVIEWS & REVIEWS PHOTO: MARC BRENNER
R E V IE
PLAY
BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES
Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 9 Nov, and touring Having already sold out at the National Theatre in London, the debut of Barber Shop Chronicles in Scotland is freighted with expectations. Written by Inua Ellams, who Lyceum artistic director David Greig has called ‘one of today’s most exciting voices in poetry and theatre', it presents the barber shop as a place which African men have historically used as a ‘newsroom, political platform, local hotspot, confession box, preacher-pulpit and football stadium’. Performer Emmanuel Ighodaro says reactions to the show have been extremely upbeat: 'I’ve had audience members approach me and tell me how much the play evoked good and bad memories for them.’ While it expresses the voices of 12 men of colour, Ighodaro adds that ‘the subjects addressed are universal, from father and son relationships to the politics of identity and belonging.’ While Ellams script has a poetic eloquence, and its location is distinctive, Ighodaro recognises that the dramaturgy has played a huge part in its success. ‘The show is punctuated with song and dance and whirlwind scene changes that I can assure you have never been seen or done before in this way!’ Having made his reputation as both a poet and playwright, Ellams' work consistently reveals the influence of hip hop and romantic poetry. While his early shows saw him as the performer and writer, he has latterly concentrated on ensemble work, portraying multiple perspectives often not presented on stage. ‘Inua's writing possesses the right balance of comedy and seriousness,’ says Ighodaro. ‘The audience are never allowed to completely relax and are constantly surprised which is why, in my humble opinion, it works so well. We can’t wait to bring the show up north and I hope that the people of this beautiful city will join us in what will be a fun, joyous, and at times riotous event.’ (Gareth K Vile)
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R E V IE
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PANTO
ROCK MUSICAL
HORROR ADAPTATION
Òran Mór, Glasgow, Mon 25 Nov–Sat 28 Dec
Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Mon 9–Mon 23 Dec; reviewed at Edinburgh Playhouse ●●●●●
A Play, A Pie and A Pint's festive pantos for grownups have become something of an institution, and this year's will most likely be no exception with its mash-up of wry humour and pantomime hilarity. Starring the mighty cast of Dave Anderson (no stranger to an ample bosom and an acid quip), John Kielty, the irrepressible Clare Waugh and Amy Scott, our troubled isle will no doubt be given a swift kicking in Dixie Whittington: The Hamecoming. At the helm this time is Morag Fullarton on writing and directing duties. She has created pantomimes before at Òran Mór, as well as successful, irreverent productions like Casablanca: The Gin Joint and Mack The Knife, which was recently revived as part of the venue’s celebration of 500 in-house plays. It's likely that the story of fortune seeker Dick Whittington will be sidelined by a massive dose of political zingers (although the cat is included) so subtle and refined humour won't be a concern. But for those who enjoy bawdy, sweary laughs at the expense of the elite, Scottish tropes and the Krankies, this antidote to solemn political theatre will be a welcome addition. Get ready to 'wind doon the blind'. (Lorna Irvine)
It’s unfortunate that Ben Elton, now touring again as a stand-up, decided that a lazy story, weak characterisation, gender stereotypes and a few predictable gags were more than enough to frame the music of Queen: We Will Rock You has a terrible script, even for a jukebox musical. The show relies purely on the quality of the dance routines, the spectacular scenography and the music of Queen, which mostly survives the transition to musical theatre. Many of the numbers are given rockier readings – a two-guitar metal assault overwhelms the vocalists, but gives the show both drive and excitement. Any attempt to think about the message, or characterisation, however, is a depressing journey into old-fashioned humour and attitudes, and the inherent contradictions in the plot. The pace flags in the second act, although ‘One Vision’ takes its rightful place as a fascist anthem and the final ‘We Will Rock You’ does sound like a musical’s version of revolution. The production is best enjoyed as a spectacle with dynamic choreography, and the occasional moment that captures the theatricality and bombast of a rock legend. (Gareth K Vile)
King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Mon 4–Sat 9 Nov, and touring; reviewed at Theatre Royal, Glasgow ●●●●●
DIXIE WHITTINGTON: THE HAMECOMING
122 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
WE WILL ROCK YOU
THE EXORCIST
John Pielmeier's stage version of William Peter Blatty's classic horror throws everything at the production to ensure jumps from the audience. From the lighting crashes and drones throughout by Adam Cork, to the beautiful gothic set design by Anna Fleischle and scurrying rat projections by Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington, its tech savvy relies on freaking out those of a nervous disposition. If only the play itself could be as effective. From the syrupy set-up, where young Regan (Susannah Edgley) and her mother (a one-note Sophie Ward) hunker down in their new home, to Regan's demonic possession (with impishly evil voiceover from Ian McKellen as the Devil), the trajectory is heavy on exposition, with a join-the-dots narrative riddled with clichés. A cast of actors with wandering accents fail to convince or create any real tension. Only Tristram Wymark as the Ken Russell-like Burke Dennis is worth caring about, with lots of dark and dissolute charisma. The result is essentially an extended Metallica video. The devil may have the best tunes, but as a piece of theatre, it's sorely lacking, and there are not enough Hail Marys to redeem it. (Lorna Irvine)
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R O Y A L
L Y C E U M
T H E A T R E
A DA PT ED BY
E D I N B U R G H
P R O D U C T I O N
T ON Y COW N I E CHARLES DICKENS
F ROM T H E NOV EL BY
TICKETS 0131 248 4848 | lyceum.org.uk 28 November 2019 to 4 January 2020 Royal Lyceum Theatre Company Ltd is a Registered Company No. SC062065, and Scottish Charity Registered No. SC010509 Design: madeby.do / Scrooge Photography: Laurence Winram
THEATRE | PREVIEWS & REVIEWS PHOTO: STEWART TAIT
PHOTO: MICHAEL CRANSTON
R E V IE
CONTEMPORARY DRAMA
THICK SKIN, ELASTIC HEART
Cumbernauld Theatre, Fri 1 Nov; Craignish Village Hall, Ardfern, Sat 2 Nov, and touring As op-eds about the evils of millennial culture pile higher and higher, it’s unusual – yet refreshing – to find a production that speaks to the present generation’s experiences and anxieties. thick skin, elastic heart, writer and director Drew Taylor-Wilson’s upcoming spoken word show with Sonnet Youth, is a pacy, hypnotic fusion of contemporary poetry and performance that seeks to shine a light on an often misrepresented demographic. ‘Our show is all about people that slip through the cracks, whose stories aren't heard enough and all the sticky issues they face daily,’ Taylor-Wilson explains, calling attention to the lack of ‘accurate representation of what it means to live day-to-day as part of the millennial generation’. By interweaving poetry on the cutting edge of the spoken word scene with more character-driven dialogues, thick skin, elastic heart addresses complex, sensitive issues such as race, queer identity and self-esteem through the polyphony of voices they demand. The result is a kaleidoscopic reflection on the politics of everyday life, which shifts the audience’s expectations of how theatre and representation work. The current socio-political climate is forcing theatre to evolve ‘by holding creatives accountable for what representation they present on stages, and who is contributing to making that work,’ Taylor-Wilson claims. By opening up multiple dramatic forms to the zeitgeist's most pressing issues, thick skin, elastic heart is an unmissable reflection on theatre as a site of progressive expression. (Anahit Behrooz)
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SCRIPTED THEATRE
MUSICAL
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Sat 7–Sat 21 Dec
Edinburgh Playhouse, Tue 12–Sat 16 Nov; reviewed at King's Theatre, Glasgow ●●●●●
I CAN GO ANYWHERE
Resisting the temptation to offer an obviously seasonal production, the Traverse’s December show is a typically bold script from Douglas Maxwell that speaks of contemporary concerns: the struggles faced by asylum seekers and the perennial cool of mod culture. Exploring the relationship between an ageing academic and an asylum seeker, I Can Go Anywhere is inspired, says Maxwell, by ‘the anger I felt about how art is always bullied, patronised and overshadowed by politics.’ ‘I believe that art is far more important and powerful than politics, and it does an infinite amount more good in people’s lives,’ he explains. ‘But when politics is talking, art has to shut up. And politics is always talking.’ When asylum seeker Jimmy is facing his substantive interview – that decides whether he is allowed to stay in the UK – he decides that academic Steve is the ideal partner to help him succeed. Immersed in mod culture – the working-class movement that has been at the heart of British youth culture since the 1960s – Jimmy identifies a ‘Britishness’ that is more than the recitation of historical details. Maxwell’s style – lively, witty and talking about serious ideas with a sense of fun and humour – promises to energise this unlikely partnership of fashion and social commentary, and with rising star Eve Nicol directing, Maxwell believes that the production will bring ‘laughter, heartache, a fizzy idea or two . . . and that the intensity of the theatrical experience was worth coming out [for] on a cold night.’ (Gareth K Vile) 124 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL
Although Patricia Resnick – author of the film and its musical adaptation – recognises that feminism has been re-energised in the past decade, 9 to 5 still revels in its 1980s setting, humour and philosophy. With the cast dressed in that decade’s distinctive styles (power suits et al), the score evoking a fascination with light rock, and its three heroines exacting revenge on a male chauvinist pig, it majors in retro-chic even as it offers a version of feminist triumph. From the title song to more thoughtful meditations on identity and desire, Dolly Parton’s music ensures that the audience gets involved, and that the cast (especially Louise Redknapp, Amber Davies and Georgina Castle who play the women resisting their boss’ sexism) get solo showstoppers alongside well-choreographed and dynamic ensemble numbers. While the plot is straight-forward, Resnick’s script allows all of the characters their own development and story arc. If the resolution of the feminist uprising is a little easy, with some unpleasant undertones, the sheer bravura of the musical numbers pushes home a message of empowerment. It's a lively night out, with a sentimental and moral heart, and nicely balances the demands of a popular musical with a more thoughtful glance back at a time when feminism was articulating its presence in business. (Gareth K Vile)
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DANCE | PREVIEWS & REVIEWS
E C N DA
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 1 & Sat 2 Nov Anyone starting their own company wants to stand out from the crowd, and Carlos Acosta was no exception. When the ex-Royal Ballet star founded Acosta Danza in 2015, he was determined to give it a unique flavour. ‘It’s hard to be distinctive,’ says Acosta. ‘But I was keen for us to have our own voice and move away from the European aesthetic. I realised that if I wanted a company that didn’t look like any other, the only way was to tap into the essence of Cuba itself. So whenever I commission a choreographer, I point them in the direction of a Cuban composer or artist, so we have that distinction.’ Four years later, the company’s latest tour, Evolution, is set to prove once again that Acosta has achieved his aim. An evening of four works, the show opens with ‘Satori’, the first major work by emerging choreographer Raúl Reinoso. ‘Raúl is a dancer with the company who also wanted to become a choreographer,’ explains Acosta. ‘And part of the objective of Acosta Danza is to launch national talent, so first I asked him to create a solo, then a duet, both of which he did very successfully. So I said OK, I’m going to invest in you and give you the chance to make a substantial work.’ Pontus Lidberg’s work, ‘Paysage, Soudain, la nuit’, which Acosta describes as ‘very light, joyful and sunny, just like Cuba’ follows, with music by one of the country’s leading composers, Leo Brouwer, and an onstage installation by artist Elizabet Cerviño. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s re-working of Nijinsky’s ‘L’après midi d’un faune’ gives the dancers a real chance to shine. And the night closes with Acosta himself dancing in ‘Rooster’, Christopher Bruce’s popular work set to a number of the Rolling Stones’ classic early hits. ‘it’s one of my favourites,’ says Acosta. ‘It’s rock’n roll, but it’s also very fast and has a lot precision. So it’s a great finisher.’ (Kelly Apter)
CONTEMPORARY DANCE
RICHARD ALSTON DANCE COMPANY: FINAL EDITION Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Tue 19 Nov; reviewed at Festival Theatre, Edinburgh ●●●●●
Richard Alston and his company are bowing out after visiting Scotland each autumn since 1999. Final Edition is a fitting swansong, containing all of Alston’s trademarks polished to a gleam. Four pieces are set to classical works, two performed live by company pianist Jason Ridgway. Brahms’ ‘Hungarian Dances’ score the first piece, with the dancers leaping and scooping to the music’s lyricalstaccato balance; it’s like watching musical notes dart across the stage. Duet ‘Mazur’ pairs Chopin’s ‘Mazurkas’ with dancers Joshua Harriette and Nicholas Shikkis. Inca Jaakson’s costumes nod to Chopin’s 19th-century Paris, creating the silhouette of the poet or composer. There’s romance aplenty in the choreography, and the final movement of the piece aches with beauty and trust. The pace and drama ramp up in Martin Lawrance’s ‘A Far Cry’, his thank you to Alston for their artistic partnership. Lawrance rises to the swooning drama of Elgar’s ‘Introduction and Allegro for Strings’, but you can also see Alston’s influence in the ensemble’s poise and tightness. The last piece of the evening belongs to Alston. ‘Voices and Light Footsteps’ (pictured) is set to various pieces by Monteverdi, and there’s an extra harmony in seeing Alston’s choreography partnered with this music. Courtly pairings spring to life and the concentration of each dancer is palpable. It shows how much Alston is cherished, not just by audiences but by his company. (Lucy Ribchester) 126 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
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PHOTO: BRIAN HARTLEY
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ACOSTA DANZA: EVOLUTION
PHOTO: CHRIS NASH
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CONTEMPORARY DANCE
CONTEMPORARY DANCE
SCOTTISH DANCE THEATRE: PROCESS DAY & THE CIRCLE
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 29 Jan; reviewed at Dundee Rep Theatre ●●●●● Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar’s Process Day – the first half of this double bill – carries the feeling of working through a dream, where things are half-recognisable but don’t always make sense; like the nocturnal brain processing images that have struck it that day. It’s a treasure trove of moods and contradictions, alluring and distressing, grotesque and sensual, familiar but original. Arrhythmic strings pluck as a man twitches his chest in a spotlight. Dim figures rut upstage. A fist appears between a woman’s legs and a strange threesome unfolds. Later this scatter of peculiar denizens will come together as one monstrous unit, moving like a crab or surrounding one chosen dancer in ritual. Eyal and Behar’s alchemy is in mixing distress and beauty or humour with terror. The soundtrack picks up Hammer horror melodrama among its electro beats, and at one point a mass juddering drops into smooth movement, dizzying in its change of texture. It’s electrifying. Emanuel Gat’s The Circle, starts with a splash. The dancers look like a drop of paint in water, all colours and surreal textures and shapes. Gat’s choreography plays with the ensemble as individuals and as one. They stalk and stare at one dancer, then fade in and out of trios and duets. Watching it evolve is fascinating, but can’t match Process Day for atmosphere. (Lucy Ribchester)
HIGHLIGHTS | THEATRE
THEATRE HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
GLASGOW GLASGOW
DIVERSITY King’s Theatre, Fri 22 & Sat 23 Nov, atgtickets.com Street dance skills from the winners of the third series of Britain’s Got Talent, still going strong ten years on.
DRAG-OPTICON Britannia Panopticon, FriSLAM 1 Nov, THREE AGES POETRY Fri 6 Dec, britanniapanopticon.org Tron Theatre, Sun 7 Apr, tron.co.uk Cavalcade of of drag queens covering Three teams poets go head-toahead broad range of genres talents, in this poetry slam and competition, which included lip dividedhas up previously into age categories syncing, live singing,‘Thirtysomethings’ stand-up comedy, ‘Teens’n’Twenties’, ballet, burlesque, word, and ‘Old Enough poetry/spoken to Know Better’. theatrical even saw playing. Hosted bypieces Robinand Cairns. Expect the unexpected.
CINDERFELLA Tron Theatre, Wed 27 Nov–Sun 5 Jan, tron.co.uk Cinderella swaps her glass slippers for a pair of glass trainers in this gender-bent take on the classic pantomime from Johnny McKnight. Cinderella and her best pal Muttons set out to catch the eye of Princess Charmaine and save the family dressmaking business.
RICHARD ALSTON DANCE COMPANY Theatre Royal, Tue 19 Nov, atgtickets.com The acclaimed contemporary dance company embarks on its last tour before it shuts its doors for good in 2020. See review, page 126.
WE WILL ROCK YOU Theatre Royal, Mon 9–Sat 28 Dec, atgtickets.com Revisit all your favourite Queen hits in this musical penned by Ben Elton and members of Queen. See review, page 122. Also touring, see list.co.uk/theatre for details.
MOTHERGOOSE FAE EASTERHOOSE Platform, Tue 10–Mon 23 Dec, platform-online.co.uk Festive show about Mother Goose, a no-nonsense mum whose peaceful life is disrupted when her goose lays a golden egg. THE STEAMIE SSE Hydro, Fri 27–Tue 31 Dec, thessehydro.com Tony Roper’s comedy-drama comes to the SSE Hydro in a production designed specifically for the venue. The show follows the lives of 1950s Glasgow women Dolly, Magrit, Doreen and Mrs Culfeathers as they get their washing done before the Hogmanay bells.
EDINBURGH BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES Royal Lyceum Theatre, Fri 1–Sat 9 Nov, lyceum.org.uk Inua Ellams’ play which explores the communities and relationships formed in barber
shops from London to Johannesburg, Harare, Kampala, Lagos and Accra. See preview, page 122. ALEX AND ELIZA Traverse Theatre, Wed 13 & Thu 14 Nov, traverse.co.uk Umar Butt’s play about an old woman who travels to visit her grandchild, exploring her girlhood during the partition of India and Pakistan. THE LION KING Edinburgh Playhouse, Thu 5 Dec–Sun 29 Mar, atgtickets.com It’s Hamlet . . . with lions! Julie Taymor’s puppet-powered stage version of Disney’s spectacular tale of a dead king and an errant son is a feast of exuberant theatre for the whole family. See feature, page 49. I CAN GO ANYWHERE Traverse Theatre, Sat 7–Sat 21 Dec, traverse.co.uk A big-hearted call-toarms for solidarity in a hostile world, which follows the relationship between a disillusioned academic and an asylum seeker on the eve of his interview. See preview, page 124. SCOTTISH DANCE THEATRE Festival Theatre, Wed 29 Jan, capitaltheatres.com Double-bill from Scotland’s leading contemporary dance company, performing Process Day by Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar, and Emanuel Gat’s The Circle. See review, page 126.
OUT OF TOWN ROSIE KAY: FANTASIA The Brunton, Musselburgh, Fri 1 Nov, thebrunton.co.uk Dance piece exploring what it is that makes dance so beautiful to watch and experience, set to a classical soundtrack by Vivaldi, Purcell, Beethoven and Bach. See review at list.co.uk
Alex and Eliza
HITLIST
9 XXX TO 5 Edinburgh Xxxx Xxxx Playhouse, Tue 12–Sat 16 Nov, 9to5themusical.co.uk Country superstar Dolly Parton’s smash-hit musical about three workmates determined to turn the tables on their sexist boss and change their workplace environment. See review, page 124.
OOR WULLIE Dundee Rep Theatre, Sat 23 Nov–Sun 5 Jan, selladoor.com Wullie, Fat Boab, Soapy Soutar, Wee Eck and the rest of the Sunday Post gang head out on a musical adventure in celebration of their 80th anniversary. Also touring, see list. co.uk/theatre for details.
AN EDINBURGH CHRISTMAS CAROL Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 28 Nov–Sat 4 Jan, lyceum.org.uk Revisit the classic festive tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s change of heart, given a local flavour with a special guest appearance by Edinburgh’s own Greyfriars Bobby.
MCGONAGALL CHRONICLE Dundee Rep, Fri 8 Nov, dundeerep. co.uk Biography of the late Dundonian poet Sir William Topaz McGonagall, written in ‘almost rhyming verse’ – the only way to honour the man widely recognised as the world’s worst poet.
SCOTTISH BALLET’S THE SNOW QUEEN Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 7–Sat 28 Dec, scottishballet. co.uk Glittering winter tale set to the music of RimskyKorsakov, choreographed by Christopher Hampson. See preview, page 121. Also Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Fri 3–Sat 18 Jan, atgtickets.com
ACOSTA DANZA Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 1 & Sat 2 Nov, capitaltheatres. com Performance of new and existing works by ballet superstar Carlos Acosta’s award-winning Cuban dance company, including Christopher Bruce’s popular piece, ‘Rooster’. See preview, xxxx126. page
1 Nov12019–31 Jun–31 Aug Jan 2020 2018 THE LIST 127
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THE CROWN Return of Peter Morgan’s moreish series on the Royals As humans, looking at familiar faces and places makes us feel comfortable. For 20 long, event-filled hours, The Crown viewers have stared into the eyes of Claire Foy and Matt Smith, to the point where they felt more like Britain’s reigning monarchs than the real Elizabeth and Philip. Would swapping them for Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies feel like some horrible soap re-casting when an actor dies or suddenly becomes persona non grata? And could anyone possibly match the tousle-haired, bleary-eyed hangovers of Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret? Well yes, it turns out. Helena Bonham Carter does an equally excellent job of capturing the agony of playing second fiddle to someone far less likeable than you. And, in some ways, the middle-aged Colman and Menzies fit the Lizzy/Pip partnership even more snugly. Having traversed the political and social machinations of Britain from 1947 to 1964, The Crown’s third season now heads into the never-a-dull-moment late 60s/early 70s. After enjoying a run of Conservative Prime Ministers, the Queen now has to deal with Labour’s Harold Wilson shuffling awkwardly on the Buckingham Palace carpet, unhappy children and the three-day week. Britain is in a right old mess across this series, but at least that’s comfortingly familiar . . . (Kelly Apter) ■ The Crown is available on Netflix, Sun 17 Nov.
ABOREHENAT DOLUM Id qui berum fugita sa nonseriam fugiature vereritisi dolum ius molo Toriame que volo magnate molorum quoditatis moluptas et aut expeliquisit aut ex es ipicabo reictatur, tenis eturio dit escitae pel maximusant fuga. Tioreriatur si occus sendae. Oditatem quoditat fuga. Os aut ex elesequid ut delici aciassincit ea si aces etur, quod maximet aut erita cus.Rem faccum ex ea que plandem ex evendigendel eiur?Ommoloratia acesendis ipidellendi quo mo occupta tincto is molora nimagniet is elignam, oditistor ab illecto essintenis apelest arion essiti quoditi ossitati ut latqui corem non por anihil ilibeate nus. Busdande que voluptu reperis inihit aborporrum ium quis es aut pra net, sam restia volore, sum, que etur sitio molores nis untio con est omnissi modita veliquis aut officiur ad
128 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
endae. Ut quia parchit, venis quae maion est aperit acesto excesciatque voluptatet, iusci con porectem ex et que volesse quiamus, sunt fuga. Im imil mod que pore, tet debis audis velecat dolescipiet fugit, simusandi doloratur, seque dende inum quamus exerum, velesequas voloreperum qui si archil mo te doluptatur?Evenda inum sitis mil eic tem. Pudignis dolo consed et autas seque estissi ommolor ectio. Orest earuptasita voles necerum fugit offictem et, omnim dia doluptat faccum eat. Temos ex et harum quid et re, sequo et, sequae peliqua eriamusapedi ate volumquis eosRorrorent ut que esequos quassitate parumquam illiciant acesequam rem reperume
FOR THE LATEST NEWS, LISTINGS AND REVIEWS, GO TO LIST.CO.UK /TV
PREVIEWS | TELEVISION
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LISTEN UP PODCASTS WORTH LENDING YOUR EARS TO
TUNNEL 29 Running since 2017, the BBC’s longform Intrigue series has explored stories of sex, death and politics in China, and the mystery disappearance of a senior Nazi at the end of WWII. Tunnel 29 is the true tale of the men who dug their way under the Berlin Wall, from west to east, to smuggle people out.
ENTERPRISE CULTURE With Patrick Stewart returning for a final turn as subtle badass Jean-Luc Picard, Alex Johnston logs in to analyse the Star Trek universe
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ou can tell something about the people society is prepared to identify with, from whoever is cast as the lead in Star Trek. Amid the late-60s turmoil, creator Gene Roddenberry wanted a straight, white, north American male with a firm jaw, so William Shatner was the man. Over the years, successive shows have been led by an AfricanAmerican man, another lantern-jawed white guy, and an African-American woman (although the excellent Sonequa Martin-Green is the first lead to not be the captain, because that would be political correctness gone mad, apparently). Deep Space Nine introduced complex story arcs, but Avery Brooks’ Commander Sisko was often sidelined by characters with more interesting stuff to do. Voyager and Enterprise had memorable moments, but occasionally clumsy writing; Discovery is a gripping spy drama, but if you don’t know your Trek lore you’ll wonder why what’s happening matters. The most consistently great series starred a bald, middle-aged, RSC-schooled character actor who initially wasn’t sure he wanted the gig. In The Next Generation, Patrick Stewart’s learned, gentlemanly and quietly badass Jean-Luc Picard oversaw the most varied stories and had the coolest crew. It wasn’t all there from the start: in season one, Data smiled, Worf
growled and Riker had yet to (literally) grow the beard. But in season three, it took flight. Magnificent stories like ‘Sarek’, ‘The Inner Light’, ‘Tapestry’, and ‘The Survivors’ are grounded in human reality, but make use of the kind of storytelling only sci-fi can do. Now, as the franchise reaches back into its past for another heroic punt at the future, Jean-Luc returns. In Star Trek: Picard, the 79-year-old Stewart plays him as an old man pottering around the family vineyard, getting dragged into one last mission by a mysterious young woman. Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner pop up, while a welcome returnee is Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine, now seemingly some sort of Borg-turned-Equalizer. New to the franchise are Santiago Cabrera (Merlin), Michelle Hurd (Law & Order: SVU) and Alison Pill (The Newsroom). What does it mean that Star Trek can’t resist one more fling with an old white guy in the captain’s chair? Some might say that if we must have such a leader, let him be a Picard: skilled, intelligent, thoughtful and fundamentally decent. Still, Star Trek: Picard can’t help feeling like a farewell. Star Trek: Picard is available on Amazon Prime Video, Fri 24 Jan.
Our new alphabetical column on viewing marathons starts with some A-listers Across 39 episodes, the intoxicated antics of Patsy and Edina made Absolutely Fabulous (BBC iPlayer) one of the 1990s’ must-see sitcoms. And it still
had plenty moments to treasure after making a return as the 21st century dawned, with the likes of Jane Horrocks and June Whitfield offering sterling support to the main duo of Saunders and Lumley. Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s anthology show American Horror Story (Netflix)
OFFICE LADIES Fans of the US Office shall rejoice as two of its stars, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, take you for an episode-by-episode look at the sitcom as well as providing some juicy behind-thescenes chatter. TRUMPCAST Like Pod Save America but with a less locker-room vibe, Virginia Heffernan’s Trumpcast has been continually skewering the guy in the White House since March 2016. Recent episodes have revelled in the increasing possibility of impending impeachment. DEAR JOAN AND JERICHA Quite probably the funniest and filthiest podcast in existence, Julia Davis and Vicki Pepperdine have just returned for a second series of their wholly inappropriate agony-aunt business. Listen in disbelief as deeply intimate concerns from the likes of ‘Frank Fox from Paddington’ and ‘Sheila Cross from Coventry’ are dissected by the two Js with depraved aplomb. (Brian Donaldson)
has been spooking viewers since 2011 with a total of 99 episodes featuring season titles such as ‘Murder House’, ‘Freak Show’ and ‘Apocalypse’. Other ‘A’ binges: Angel (Amazon Prime Video), A Touch of Cloth (NOW TV), Ashes to Ashes (BBC iPlayer). 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 129
EAF2019
Sponsors of EAF
Edinburgh Art Fair 22nd - 24th November Edinburgh Corn Exchange
Celebrating 15 Years! 60 Galleries | Hundreds of Artists | Thousands of Artworks | Live Art | Workshops | Crèche
Open 11am Daily* | Entry £5 / Concessions £3 | Under 16’s Free*
* Closes at 6pm Fri & Sat, 5pm Sun | *If accompanied by an adult
VISUAL ART FOR THE LATEST NEWS, LISTINGS AND REVIEWS, GO TO LIST.CO.UK /VISUALART
NOW: KATIE PATERSON, DARREN ALMOND, SHONA MACNAUGHTON AND LUCY RAVEN First major showing of Paterson’s work in a public institution in Scotland delves into the theme of time
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE ARTS COUNCIL COLLECTION
With its sixth and final instalment, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art’s NOW series, an extremely high-quality set of group shows by artists from Scotland and around the globe, comes to an end in spectacular fashion. Although four artists are included, the centrepiece belongs to Scottish artist Katie Paterson, whose work occupies most of the ground floor. There’s enough complexity and large-scale spectacle to have sustained a solo show, and this exhibition – and her retrospective at the Turner Contemporary in Margate earlier this year – deserve to be breakthrough career moments. Paterson’s work is brilliantly thoughtful, not just within its own context, but also the imaginative journey it takes the open-
minded viewer on, into an appreciation of their place within the universe. In the specially dark-walled hallway is displayed the silver-lettered text of some of her wild but scientifically researched conceptual ideas, such as ‘an ice rink of frozen water from every glacier’ or ‘the surface of the moon sculpted on to white cliffs’. Elsewhere, in a darkened room, a single lightbulb hangs, specially designed to emit the same wavelength light as moonlight, with enough bulbs waiting on a wall display to last a lifetime; a ghostly grand piano plays a fragmented ‘Moonlight Sonata’, its sheet music bounced in Morse code off the surface of the moon and back; and in a film record of Paterson’s Future Library project,
Margaret Atwood hands over a manuscript made of trees from the Oslo forest around her, to be read in a hundred years. Alongside such monumental grandeur, three more rooms of extremely engaging work – Darren Almond’s stunning longexposure landscape photographs by the light of the moon, Shona MacNaughton’s visual record of her performance ‘Progression’, in which she compares her own pregnancy to the regeneration of Glasgow, and Lucy Raven’s photographic animation celebrating millennia of humanmade images – serve more as appetisers to this feast of a group show. (David Pollock) ■ Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One), until Sun 31 May ●●●●●
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VISUAL ART | HELLO, ROBOT
U S, R O BOTS The relationships humans have with robots have never been closer or more complex. David Pollock looks at V&A Dundee’s new exhibition which explores the design links between people and machine
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n 2019, the word ‘robot’ takes on a new, wide-ranging and potentially more sinister meaning than it did during those 20th century days of sci-fi machines with strangely human characteristics. You can meet one of those classic robots here in the shape of Star Wars’ R2-D2, but as those who have seen the last two major exhibitions at V&A Dundee might expect, this new show will dig thoroughly through the history and the contemporary applications of robotics, including the way artificial intelligence is colonising even the simplest of our everyday devices. ‘Hello, Robot looks at the relationship which humans have with robotics, and how design is helping to achieve that,’ says Kirsty Hassard, curator of the show for V&A Dundee (the original exhibition is a collaboration between Germany’s Vitra Design Museum, MAK Vienna and Design Museum Gent with Dundee’s slightly adapted version the only touring stop it will have in Britain). ‘Unlike other robotics exhibitions which have been seen in the past, which tend to be chronological and retrospective, this one is more thematic and probing.’ The show itself is split, explains Hassard, into four parts. ‘The first looks at how we first encounter robots, which for most people is through science fiction or popular culture, such as film, television, comics or music. These experiences help shape our opinions of robots. This part is a more familiar museum set-up, but already the show begins to ask us questions about our relationships with robots.’ Here is where the crowd-pleasers appear such as R2-D2 and an original poster from Fritz Lang’s 1927 classic Metropolis. But as the exhibition progresses, the themes become more current; the second section, for example, is about automation in the workplace. ‘This idea of robots taking our jobs is a theme that’s present in the media at the moment,’ says Hassard, ‘but the exhibition takes an optimistic view, which is
to say that the relationship is a collaborative one, where robots and humans work alongside one another.’ The other sections dig even more intensely into our possible future links with robots, discussing the applications in healthcare, whether they might ever be able to replicate human emotions, and the ways in which humans and robots are converging. Exhibits will include a blend of robotic devices which have already been put to general use, and a number of speculative scientific projects. ‘We have some objects throughout the exhibition by the artist and designer Dan Chen,’ says Hassard. ‘His work focuses on these relationships between humans and robots, and one piece is called “End of Life Care Machine”, which might sound pretty grim. This machine taps a dying person on the hand and plays them a video with a reassuring message; it was designed as a research project which was intended to ask whether we might ethically or morally want such a thing to exist; but people have actually asked him to develop it.’ There will also be a special commission for this leg of the tour, a structure outside the museum designed by ‘robotic architecture practice’ Gramazio Kohler of ETH Zurich. ‘It will be inspired by Scottish vernacular architecture, made out of wooden beams and dowels, but fabricated by robots,’ says Hassard. ‘The construction of it demonstrates what the exhibition reflects, that something like this can’t be done without a collaboration between humans and robots. In the media and popular culture there’s no middling opinion on robotics: they’re either going to save us or destroy us. This exhibition is so timely, probing both why we feel that and how those feelings might change in the future.’ Hello, Robot, V&A Dundee, Sat 2 Nov–Sun 9 Feb.
PHOTO: JONAS VOIGT
132 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
PREVIEWS & REVIEWS | VISUAL ART
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TRANSPARENCY: ALBERTA WHITTLE & HARDEEP PANDHAL Edinburgh Printmakers, until Sun 5 Jan ●●●●●
Hangovers of empire hang heavy over Alberta Whittle and Hardeep Pandhal’s work, seen here in tandem responding in part to the new home of Edinburgh Printmakers in its former life as the base of the North British Rubber Company. They’re there in Alberta Whittle’s two short films, ‘What Sound Does The Black Atlantic Make?’ and ‘Sorry Not Sorry’, that form the centrepiece of her contribution to this exhibition, and in Pandhal’s short animation, ‘BAME of Thrones (trailer)’ and his 'Happy Punjabi Gothic' series of eight etchings. Both of Whittle’s films are collages that join the dots of the black experience, from colonial cannon fodder serving queen and country, to the Windrush generation patronisingly welcomed off the ships with requests to sing calypso. Fast forward a few years, and marches by the National Front and inner city riots look like troubling precursors to where we are now. Today’s institutionalised racism is exposed by impassioned MPs Diane Abbott and David Lammy, and is as easy to see through as the three wall pieces of totems produced in Whittle’s home country of Barbados. Three sculptural installations, ‘Exodus – Behind’s God’s Back’, ‘Grave Liners for the Dispossessed’ and ‘Hindsight is a Luxury I Can’t Afford’, are similarly personal evocations of a largely hidden history. Pandhal’s ‘BAME of Thrones (trailer)’ is a tellingly silent comicbook style, rap-based depiction of a migrant culture under watch. His 'Happy Punjab Gothic' series takes inspiration from a drawing by 19th and early-20th century Indian satirical cartoonist Gaganendranath Tagore. It looks at the commodification of education in colonial-era India, with Pandhal’s updates showing how education has been monetised in an explicitly political fashion. Such oppressive ideological constructs are laid bare throughout an exhibition that reclaims assorted hidden histories as a glaring reminder of the roots of the state we’re in right now. (Neil Cooper)
PHOTO: ACQUIRED JOINTLY WITH THE NATIONAL GALLERIES OF SCOTLAND AND THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND
PHOTO: ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST / © HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II 2019
PHOTO: COURTESY OF GLASGOW LIFE
PHOTOGRAPHY
PAINTING
PHOTOGRAPHY
Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, Fri 15 Nov–Sat 30 May
Queen’s Gallery, Edinburgh, Fri 22 Nov–Sun 15 Mar
Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Sat 16 Nov– Sun 16 Feb
HAL FISCHER: GAY SEMIOTICS AND OTHER WORKS
Hal Fischer didn’t realise he was making history when he took the pictures that appear in this show. He was too busy living through it. As a gay man in his twenties, who breezed into a post-hippy but still sexually liberated San Francisco in 1975 to study photography, he embraced the scene he landed in with relish. ‘I came out in a place and a time where it all felt very natural, and that comes out in the work,’ says Fischer today of the 24 photographs that make up Gay Semiotics. As the title of the series hints, each image is accompanied by a text that explains its iconography with deadpan pseudo-seriousness. The effect is of an in-crowd pastiche of some socioanthropological textbook that might just allow straight society to get a handle on the signs and signifiers of wild life elsewhere. ‘The pictures aren’t exploitation,’ says Fischer. ‘This was my world at the time, which I’m sharing, and that’s a kind of liberation in itself, and it was without consequences. There may have been a naiveté there, but the work reflects the world I was part of at that time, and I’m celebrating that.’ (Neil Cooper)
LEONARDO DA VINCI: A LIFE IN DRAWING
He might have been one of the greatest minds ever to have lived, but many of Leonardo da Vinci’s greatest projects went unfinished. The great equestrian statue of Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan? The ambitious engineering scheme to divert the river Arno? The treatises on botany, anatomy, painting? Due to factors political and personal, none was realised. What we have are drawings, hundreds of them, in which Leonardo worked out his thinking and planned his greatest schemes. This year, to mark the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death, 144 drawings from the Royal Collection – which holds one of the finest groups of Leonardo drawings in the world – were displayed simultaneously in 12 locations around the UK (including Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow). Now, as a grand finale, more than 80 drawings are being shown together, the largest group ever in Scotland. They trace his life and many interests, from anatomical dissections to engineering plans, from preparatory drawings for his lost painting ‘Leda and the Swan’ and the Duke of Milan’s never-built statue, to the visions of cataclysmic storms which obsessed his closing years. A rare chance to witness a beautiful mind and a supremely gifted hand. (Susan Mansfield)
SCOTLAND’S PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM: THE MACKINNON COLLECTION
One of the last great collections of photography still in private hands was saved for the nation in a £1million acquisition last May and goes on show for the first time here at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. The MacKinnon Collection, assembled by Aberdeen-based pharmacist and photography enthusiast Murray MacKinnon, contains more than 14,000 images which span a century of history. Scotland played a key role in the early development of photography and the collection includes more than 600 images from this time including the work of Edinburgh-based pioneers Hill and Adamson, and an exquisite view of Loch Katrine by William Henry Fox Talbot from 1844 (pictured). With images dating from the 1840s until the 1940s by Thomas Annan, Julia Margaret Cameron, George Washington Wilson, Roger Fenton and many more, it captures a century of change, from small-scale farming and fishing to the development of large-scale industry. National Librarian Dr John Scally describes the project to save the collection from being broken up or sold overseas as ‘akin to buying Scotland’s photographic album of 14,000 pictures and bringing it home’. (Susan Mansfield) 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020 THE LIST 133
VISUAL ART | HIGHLIGHTS
VISUAL ART HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
GLASGOW GLASGOW THREE AGES POETRY SLAM Tron BASMA Theatre, ALSHARIF: Sun 7 Apr, A PHILISTINE tron.co.uk Three CCA, until teamsSun of poets 15 Dec, go cca-glasgow. head-toorg Work examining the multiple head in this poetry slam competition, meanings etymology of divided upand intogeographical age categories the word ‘Philistine’. ‘Thirtysomethings’ ‘Teens’n’Twenties’, and ‘Old Enough to Know Better’. YURI SUZUKI: MUSIC Hosted by Robin FURNITURE Cairns. The Lighthouse, until Mon 6 Jan, thelighthouse.co.uk An installation using domestic objects to make sounds. Part of Sonica 2019. LINDA MCCARTNEY RETROSPECTIVE Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, until Sun 12 Jan, glasgowlife.org.uk Exhibition of photographs taken by Linda McCartney during the 1960s, curated by Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney.
THE LUXURY OF TIME National Museum of Scotland, until Sun 26 Jan, nms.ac.uk A display on the history of early British clock making. THE ITALIAN CONNECTION City Art Centre, until Sun 24 May, edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venue/ city-art-centre An exploration of the creative links between Scotland and Italy, which have existed for hundreds of years. Featured artists include Allan Ramsay, EA Walton, FCB Cadell, Joan Eardley, Eduardo Paolozzi and Elizabeth Blackadder. RSA 193RD ANNUAL EXHIBITION Royal Scottish Academy, Sat 2 Nov– Wed 11 Dec, royalscottishacademy. org Scotland’s most extensive exhibition of contemporary art and architecture returns. MYRIAM LEFKOWITZ: WALK, HANDS, EYES Talbot Rice Gallery, Sat 2 Nov–Sat 1 Feb, trg.ed.ac.uk A one-to-one walk
with a performer through the streets of Edinburgh. Route may include staircases, steep hills and uneven surfaces. Booking essential. MARY CAMERON: LIFE IN PAINT City Art Centre, Sat 2 Nov–Sun 15 Mar, edinburghmuseums.org.uk/ venue/city-art-centre Work by the Edinburgh-born artist Mary Cameron (1865–1921) who went from painting genre scenes in Scotland to large-scale landscapes of Spain. SHELLY TREGONING: NEW PAINTINGS Arusha Gallery, Thu 7–Thu 21 Nov, arushagallery.com New paintings and monoprints from the Mauritius-born artist. EDINBURGH ART FAIR Corn Exchange, Thu 21–Sun 24 Nov, edinburghcornexchange.com The chance to peruse and pick up artwork from 60+ exhibitors from the UK and the rest of Europe. Thousands of pieces by 20th and 21st century artists are on offer, and there’s also a fully licenced café and bar.
LEONARDO DA VINCI: A LIFE IN DRAWING The Queen’s Gallery, Fri 22 Nov– Sun 15 Mar, rct.uk/visit/the-queensgallery-palace-of-holyroodhouse Exhibition in celebration of the life and work of the great artist and scientist, showcasing drawings that span the breadth of Da Vinci’s interests. See preview, page 133, MAY MORRIS: ART AND LIFE Dovecot Studios, Thu 28 Nov–Sat 14 Mar, dovecotstudios.com An overview of the work of May Morris (1862–1938), younger daughter of William Morris and one of the central figures of the Arts and Crafts movement.
OUT OF TOWN ALBERTA WHITTLE: HOW FLEXIBLE CAN WE MAKE THE MOUTH Dundee Contemporary Arts, until Sun 24 Nov, dca.org.uk Alberta Whittle embarks on her first major solo exhibition, concerned with healing, writing, breath and orality. PHOTO: COREY BARTLE-SANDERSON
ALEX IMPEY The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, Fri 15 Nov–Sun 23 Feb, gla. ac.uk/hunterian Glasgow-based artist whose practice is in drawing, sculpture and writing.
Edinburgh and Cork Printmakers. (Closed 23–26 Dec, 30 Dec–2 Jan.)
EDINBURGH STREET LEVEL OPEN Street Level Photoworks, until Sun 24 Nov, streetlevelphotoworks. org Work by new and established photographers who are either based in Scotland or who were living there when the work was made. GARRY FABIAN MILLER: MIDWINTER BLAZE Ingleby Gallery, until Fri 20 Dec, inglebygallery.com The newest exhibition from the experimental photographer. MOUTH OF A SHARK Edinburgh Printmakers, until Sun 5 Jan, edinburghprintmakers.co.uk A new exhibition featuring artists from
HITLIST
XXX ZADIE XA: CHILD OF Xxxx MAGOHALMI Xxxx AND THE ECHOS OF CREATION, 2019 Tramway, Glasgow, until Sun 15 Dec, tramway. org The Korean-Canadian artist creates a sub-aquatic environment inspired by Korean creation myths. NOW: KATIE PATERSON, DARREN
134 THE LIST 1 Nov Jun–31 2019–31 Aug 2019 Jan 2020
Yuri Suzuki: Furniture Music
ALMOND, SHONA MACNAUGHTON AND LUCY RAVEN Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One), until Sun 31 May, nationalgalleries.org The final NOW show highlights the work of Scottish artist Katie Paterson, who’s known for collaborating with specialists in science. See review, page 131.
HELLO, ROBOT V&A Dundee, Sat 2 Nov– Sun 23 Feb, vam.ac.uk/ Dundee Exhibition exploring how popular culture has influenced our understanding of robots, artificial intelligence and the blurring line between human and machine. See feature, page 132. HAL FISCHER: GAY SEMIOTICS
AND OTHER WORKS Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, Fri 15 Nov–Sat 13 May. glasgowlife. org.uk Works from the American artist who documented the gay culture of 1970s San Francisco. See preview, page 133. SCOTLAND’S PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM: THE
MACKINNON COLLECTION Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, Sat 16 Nov–Sun 16 Feb, nationalgalleries.org Photographs representing Scottish life and identity from the 1840s through the 1940s, a century marked by transformation and innovation. See preview, xxxx133. page
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BACK PAGE PHOTO: GENEVIEVE STEVENSON
FIRST&LAST EDDI READER The acclaimed folk-pop singer-songwriter and Burns devotee takes on our Q&A in which she discusses Brussels sprouts, Bob Dylan and blowup swimming pools First record you ever bought
I bought Sunshine when I was 15, the soundtrack to a 1973 B-movie which was shown in the cinema that I had a summer job in circa 1975. The soundtrack was the actors all doing covers of early John Denver songs and it turned me on to better ways of playing my acoustic guitar. Last extravagant purchase you made
Ableton Push 2 . . . it’s a new world. First film you saw that really moved you
Joe Kidd with Clint Eastwood. At that time (1976), the cinema showed two movies a night, a cowboy for the boys and a weepy for the lassies. I come from the dark ages.
Ben Murphy was pretty much plastered over my bit of our shared bedroom wall. Last book you read
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.
First word you spoke
I don’t know, I wasn’t conscious, but I sung into a reel-to-reel tape my dad had in the early 1960s. I was two or three and I can hear me singing ‘3 Penny Buns in a Baker’s Shop’. I still have that recording.
First great piece of advice you were given
Last song at your funeral
‘Be good to yourself and always have the bus fare home’.
‘Goodnight My Love’ by Shirley Temple might be good.
Last meal on earth
First person you’d thank in an award acceptance speech
NEXT ISSUE 1 FEB
Last lie you told
That I wasn’t hungry for cake. First movie you ever went on a date to
Jeezo: there’s no way I can remember the movie, I only remember the dude.
Two slices of plain loaf wrapped around butter, chips, tomato sauce / mayo and a massive pint of sugary tea.
Mum and dad? Last thing you think of before you go to sleep
First song you’ll sing at karaoke
Shall I watch a film?
Anything by Elvis Presley.
First thing you think of when you wake up in the morning
Last time someone criticised your work
Is it sunny?
First thing you do when you’ve got time off work
Me, today. I’m working on it.
Fix my garden, cook for my boys, clean the fish tanks, play Zelda.
First concert you ever attended
Eddi Reader appears with Jools Holland, SECC, Glasgow, Fri 6 & Sat 7 Dec; Phil Cunningham’s Christmas Songbook, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Tue 17 Dec, and Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 21 & Sun 22 Dec; solo tour, Old Dr Bells Baths, Edinburgh, Mon 30 Dec; Auld Lang Syne: BBC SSO & Special Guests at Celtic Connections, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sat 25 Jan. See much more of this Q&A at list.co.uk
Last time you cried
Last week at the Judy Garland film starring Renée Zellweger.
Last great meal you cooked
Yesterday I made a pretty brilliant sautéed, shredded Brussels sprouts with nuts, garlic, black pepper and lemon juice. First crush
The Alias Smith and Jones guys. 136 THE LIST 1 Nov 2019–31 Jan 2020
Bob Dylan, Earls Court, on the Street Legal tour in 1978. Set me off on the road. Last funny thing you saw online
Some boy swinging a sword to show off his samurai skills and slicing through his parents’ blowup swimming pool. I’m easily amused.
The Glasgow International Comedy Festival lays on another top-notch programme of fun in March with Jamali Maddix (pictured), Janey Godley, Stewart Lee and Jimmy Carr already confirmed. Movie buffs will have a whale of a time across February and March as the Glasgow Film Festival rolls up with its excellent roster of premieres, retrospectives and special events. Over in Edinburgh, manipulate delivers an array of visual theatre, puppetry and animated film for all ages.
2020
Chinese New Year highlights:
YEAR OF THE RAT
Usher Hall
Edinburgh Official Chinese New Year Concert Tue 21 Jan / 7pm / prices vary
Visit usherhall.co.uk for event info and tickets
St. Giles’ Cathedral
Chinese Lanterns at St Giles’ Cathedral
Wed 22 Jan – Sat 1 Feb / 5.30pm – 8pm / £5 inc. booking fee St. Cecilia’s Hall
2020
Visit burnsandbeyond.com for event info and tickets
YEAR OF THE RAT Bilingual Ceilidh - Back with a Bang
Fri 24 & Sat 25 Jan / 6.30pm / £5
Visit stcecilias.ed.ac.uk for full programme and tickets
National Museum of Scotland
Celebrating Chinese New Year & Burns Night - A Musical Finale Sat 25 Jan / 3.45pm / free event
Visit nms.ac.uk/chinesenewyear for full free programme of events
Edinburgh Zoo
Giant Lanterns of China at Edinburgh Zoo
Fri 15 Nov – Sun 26 Jan / various times and prices Visit edinburghzoo.org.uk for event info and tickets
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
2020 - Year of the Rat Celebration Concert Thu 6 Feb / 7.30pm / prices vary
Visit hwuconfucius.eventbrite.com for event info and tick
MORE INFO AND FULL PROGRAMME AT
chinesenewyear.scot Co-ordinated by
Generously Supported by
EDINBURGH
CHINESE NEW YEAR
FESTIVAL 2020
TUE 21 JAN – SUN 9 FEB 2020
Chinese Lanterns at St Giles’ Cathedral & Edwyn Collins & The Culture Crawl & Official Chinese New Year Concert & Tide Lines & Family Ceilidh & Rachel Sermanni & Not-So-Traditional Burns Supper & Bairns’ burns supper & Kinnaris Quintet & Tiny Changes Fundraising Concert & Major Minor Music Club & Neu! Reekie! & Giant Lanterns of China at Edinburgh Zoo & Burns&Beyond Festival Club & Comedy & Whisky Tastings with Johnnie Walker & Red, Red Rose Street & more...