Issue 636

The Last Witch

10 Aug 2009

Beg, borrow or steal a ticket to the preview shows of leading Scottish playwright Rona Munro’s new work, based on the historical account of Janet Horne, the last woman to be executed for witchcraft in Scotland. Tune in to The List’s festivals magazine…

The Origin of Species

An odd interpretation of Charles Darwin's younger days

10 Aug 2009

An excitable young Darwin receives an audience in his study, and keeps the tempo rolling with an hour of life’n’works backstory as he prepares his latest work (The O of S, of course) for publication. As he sings, ‘I’ve got a point to get across’, but…

Bill Bailey

10 Aug 2009

It may seem that the comedy world and his dog is holed up in Edinburgh, but the mighty Bailey this year escapes its shackles to rock up for a six-night run out West. Taking inspiration from the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s seminal…

Woyzeck

Creative adaptation that disregards the fourth wall entirely

10 Aug 2009

Three actors jump through (and indeed urinate against) the fourth wall, sometimes with a little too much knowing satisfaction, in this creative adaptation of Georg Büchner’s tragic fragment. The good-humoured and unflappable cast excel at portraying the…

Mother/Son

How does a man come out to his Jewish mother?

10 Aug 2009

Jeffrey Solomon’s warm, moving monologue depicts the relationship between a young Jewish man and his over-protective mother as she struggles towards accepting his homosexuality. Solomon gives a detailed, almost uncanny, performance as the mother, which…

Catwalk Confidential

70s fashion icon Robyn Peterson

10 Aug 2009

Talent-spotted by Valentino aged 14, 70s fashion icon Robyn Paterson jumped a plane from Miami to Paris in search of fame and fortune. While a familiarity with the lifestyle of 00s glitterati makes the shock value of this well-heeled one-woman show a…

Lotte's Gift

A one-woman show over three generations, with music the main storyteller

10 Aug 2009

Three generations of women and their battles with adversity and heartache through music form the basis of this one woman show starring acclaimed classical guitarist Karin Schaupp. Written by David Williamson the piece combines emotive storytelling with…

Crystal Stilts

10 Aug 2009

Deep, dark pop and new wave from this Brooklyn collective who draw influences from the likes of Velvet Underground, Joy Division and Jesus & The Mary Chain for a reverberating sonic dirge of spectral guitar and rumbling bass as seen on recent album…

Book Festival Hitlist

9 Aug 2009

Janice Galloway, Emmanuel Jal, Jen Hadfield, Dave Gorman, Mio Matsumoto, David Aaronovitch, Denise Mina

Room on the Broom

Musical storybook adaptation hits the right note

9 Aug 2009

The coming together of Tall Stories theatre company and children’s author Julia Donaldson has already proved itself to be a winning formula, with the hugely popular Gruffalo and Gruffalo’s Child. There’s no obvious route for taking Donaldson’s enjoyable…

Giraffes Can't Dance

Warm-hearted moral in the jungle

9 Aug 2009

Most children’s theatre companies endeavor to make their young audiences feel at home – but Blunderbus always seem to go the extra mile. From the moment you enter the theatre, you feel welcomed. And, as the show unfolds, the cast regularly spill out…

Andy and Mike's… Big Box of Bananas

Fun and frolics in the fun pad

9 Aug 2009

The power of children’s TV was always going to ensure that CBeebies presenter, Andy Day found an audience at the Fringe – and a big one at that. What’s pleasing, therefore, is that it’s thoroughly deserved. Day and his partner in silliness, Mike James…

U2 - In the Name of Love

9 Aug 2009

After 30 years at the top, U2 remain an unstoppable force of live performance, global success and critical relevancy. Ahead of their Glasgow date, we ask some prominent figures in music to describe their relationship with the band and explain their…

Comedy Hitlist

The best comedy from the festival

9 Aug 2009

Pappy’s Fun Club A supersonic jaunt through a ludicrous yet hilarious number of sketches in a mere 60 minutes. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug (not 17), 7.20pm, £12-£14 (£10.50-£12.50). Hans Teeuwen The Dutch comic-actor breaks…

Crime of the Century

Young lives on the edge

9 Aug 2009

Chickenshed’s strength is simultaneously its weakness. The company boasts of its willingness to take on social issues, yet Crime of the Century is undermined by blunt stereotyping. Drawing the link between knife crime and social depravation in simple…

Top 5 food events at the Edinburgh Book Festival

There’s nothing like a book event to get your tummy rumbling

9 Aug 2009

Tom Kitchin The Michelin-starred, all-too aptly-named chef must feel like the cat who nabbed the cream as he launches his first cookbook From Nature to Plate. 17 Aug, 2.30pm, £9 (£7) Sue Lawrence The 1991 victor of Masterchef has produced a…

Anomie

Energy and technology come together

9 Aug 2009

Precarious has been upholding awkward multi-media performance art for three years at Zoo, staging an annual ambitious extravaganza that combines dance, words, a storming soundtrack and video installations. Anomie continues their run of hard-edged…

Burglar Bill

Winning adaptation of kids’ classic

9 Aug 2009

This stage re-imagining of Janet and Allan Ahlberg’s much-loved illustrated fable, by Pandora’s Box theatre company, retains the offbeat humour and otherworldly atmosphere of the original, while throwing in plenty of opportunities for audience…

Fabric Live 47: Toddla T

9 Aug 2009

For those of you who slept on this young scamp’s debut from May this year, Skanky Skanky, here’s a summation of his loves and passions in one fast and furious mix for the ever reliable Fabric stable. He sets his stall out with a track that speaks…

The Creative World of Alan Davie

Remarkable mix of the dark and the sublime from much-loved Scottish artist

8 Aug 2009

Saxophonist and journeyman translucent Alan Davie is surely one of Scotland’s greatest living artists. At almost 90 years old it’s remarkable to think that this is the first exhibition of his work to embrace the breadth of his output in painting…

Sarah Millican

Facing up to gender politics and the elements

8 Aug 2009

The unflappable Geordie lass looks a bit intimidating on the Mr Muscle-themed poster for her new show, but a minute in her company reassures us that the butch press campaign is just skylarking. Last year’s if.comedy Best Newcomer is in flying form, with…

Mark Thomas

A spontaneous manifesto crafted with perfection

8 Aug 2009

If there is a serious side to comedy, then Mark Thomas is standing at its edge. Over the years, he has used his persona of cheeky scamp to write, rally and demonstrate against global injustices, balancing the sincere imperatives with the bonhomie of his…

Optimism - Things can only get better

Frank Woodley tells Mark Fisher why Optimism is the feelgood hit of the summer

8 Aug 2009

This time last year Frank Woodley was mucking in with the Fringe’s finest as he brought his solo show Possessed to the Assembly Rooms. It was much the same as it had been for the best part of 20 years for the rubber-limbed Australian comic, a Fringe…

Sea Wall

Pray silence for an exquisite performance

8 Aug 2009

Alex does not voice the cruellest words he ever spoke. We don’t actually hear the dreadful phrase he utters to his father-in-law. But we can imagine it. Playwright Simon Stephens is too subtle a craftsman to allow his central character to blurt it out…

Something About Others

Thoughtful moves delivered on a big ideas soundtrack

8 Aug 2009

For a mere fiver, Something About Others delivers four brave modern ballet pieces in 45 minutes, through an entertaining soundscape that moves from classical to club anthem by way of a medieval haunt. You might not derive all the nuances of the stories…