Issue 582

Stonewall

9 Aug 2007

Doubtless huge progress has been made regarding gay rights in recent decades but there are still reports of gay people being persecuted across the world.

Frankie Boyle

9 Aug 2007

In some ways it would be difficult to imagine an encounter between Frankie Boyle and Jimmy Carr, what with them being, arguably, the two finest gag tellers in contemporary British stand-up comedy. How, you wonder, can they have a chat when they must be…

State of Matter

9 Aug 2007

The stark lighting and simple uniform of black tailcoats characterise the restraint that permeates this performance by Hereford’s 2FaCeD DaNcE Company. There is no narrative to this show, rather it is a collection of unrelated set pieces, the…

House of Windsor

Regal sketches with crowning glories to come

9 Aug 2007

With last year’s debut as the Future, Jonny Sweet and Joe Thomas received some rave reviews and an awards nomination before ending the summer being ensnared by one of the country’s powerhouse comedy PR companies. This year that soaring promise will…

KG Cafe

Star attraction

9 Aug 2007

Too often tourist attractions boast deeply uninspiring cafés. Donald Reid is glad to discover the KG Café at Kelvingrove has culinary ambitions befitting such an important gallery and museum

Little Bear

9 Aug 2007

Exploring is fun at any age, but for our eponymous hero there are a lot of firsts in his day. He discovers a tin barrel that not only makes great noises but can be used as boat. He meets some new friends along the way and learns that keeping his tummy…

Katrin Himmler

9 Aug 2007

Katrin Himmler was born into a family with a dark history, but has only now been able to write about it. She tells Doug Johnstone about reliving the past

Hitlist - Look Who's Talking

9 Aug 2007

Rabbi Lionel Blue: Godly and Gay The much-loved broadcaster talks about his experience of coming out as a gay man in religious circles and a religious man in gay circles. Part of the Festival of Spirituality and Peace. See…

Joyce Carol Oates

9 Aug 2007

The legendary French actress Jeanne Moreau once compared the versatility and precision of Oates’ writing to witchcraft. Oates once said of her own work, ‘I’m drawn to failure. I feel that I’m contending with it constantly in my own life’. This perhaps…

Isy Suttie

9 Aug 2007

Initially, on reading that Isy Suttie was once a Daily Telegraph Young Jazz Competition regional winner, I thought it might have been a joke. Yet, on hearing her impersonation of Amy Winehouse falling down a well, allied to her general ability to get a…

Maximum Crew

9 Aug 2007

Korean breakdance has evolved away from the po-faced machismo that can pervade Western scenes, so while the dancers may still occasionally come across as cocky show-offs, they’re not afraid of self-parody or knowing camp. Over there the b-boy crews…

Lovespring International

Sky One, Sun 12 Aug, 10.30pm

9 Aug 2007

COMEDY Ricky Gervais can be criticised for many things, such as his mad cackle and the popularity of Karl Pilkington. And here’s a third thing. Lovespring International would most likely never have been made had the US not fallen in love with The…

The Last South: Pursuit of the Pole

9 Aug 2007

Between 1910 and 1912 two competing teams, one British one Norwegian, set out to become the first men to reach the South Pole. Only one managed to return home to tell the tale. Constructed from the diaries kept by the British explorer Captain Robert…

William Kentridge

9 Aug 2007

One of South Africa’s most highly-regarded artists, it seems somehow appropriate that this first Scottish collection of William Kentridge’s print works should fall in the middle of the Edinburgh Festival. Although this show concentrates solely on his…

Batman Black & White Volume 3

(DC/Titan)

9 Aug 2007

Usually at home as a simple back-up slot in the monthly Batman: Gotham Knights, Batman Black & White has taken on a life of its own and has quickly become a jewel in the crown of DC’s myriad caped crusader titles. A creative playground for various…

Alice Munro

Canadian legend in LongPen revolution

9 Aug 2007

A standard piece of advice given to budding fiction writers eager for publication is to forget airy fairy, uncommercial notions of publishing short stories and dive headfirst into the novel.

Hitlist - the best Festival dance

9 Aug 2007

With four programmes and a kids show to pick from, you’ll be spoilt for choice at Scotland’s National Centre for Dance. Contemporary, Indian, hip hop, dance theatre – it’s all here and more.

Òran Mór launches new music strand

News

9 Aug 2007

It introduced a whole new audience to theatre with its popular A Play, A Pie and A Pint series. Now Òran Mór is preparing to set its stall for something more sophisticated.

Woody Sez

9 Aug 2007

Although the pop star world-saving concert is something we have become accustomed to in recent years, the politically aware musician is not a new invention. Long before Sir Bono or Sir Geldof, storytelling songwriter Woody Guthrie had hits describing…

5 Questions: Fiona Evans

9 Aug 2007

Fiona Evans, writer of poignant Fringe drama Scarborough, about the relationship between a 15-year-old boy and his teacher, answers our quick questionnaire

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

9 Aug 2007

5 Questions

The Greatest Bubble Show On Earth

9 Aug 2007

Louis Pearl (aka The Amazing Bubble Man) has made a career out of blowing bubbles. Big ones, small ones, coloured ones, square ones – if something’s got a hole in it, he’ll blow a bubble through it. Using an assortment of tools and toys – many of…

My New Home

Channel 4, Mon 13 Aug, 9pm

9 Aug 2007

SOCIAL DOCUMENTARY Stung by the claims of racism which dogged them over the Celebrity Big Bigot scandal, Channel 4 must be glad they can still make programmes like this one. My New Home catches up with three immigrant children who they first featured…

Nikki King & Marcus Ford

9 Aug 2007

Singer Niki King has covered a lot of ground in stylistic terms, but her work with guitarist Marcus Ford has been the strand most deeply rooted in a mainstream jazz approach. This gig is part of their current promotion of a new duo album bearing the…

Number One, Longing. Number Two, Regret

(15) 98min (Peccadillo Pictures DVD rental/retail)

9 Aug 2007

THRILLER Former computer man John Spears (Paul Conway) is arrested on suspicion of murdering a neighbour. Detective Kenosha (Jenny Agutter) becomes fascinated by the case and tries to work out whether or not he’s guilty. Debut filmmaker Neil…