Issue 687
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- Issue 687
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Steam of Life
9 Sep 2011
Beautiful but bleak documentary about Finnish sauna culture
There are five million people in Finland, and an estimated two million saunas – roughly one per household. They form an integral part of Finnish culture: women are encouraged to give birth in them, while men use the steamy rooms both as social venues…
Third Star
9 Sep 2011
Complex emotional journey of a man in the final stages of life, starring Benedict Cumberbatch
(15) 85min In this road-trip movie with a twist, Benedict Cumberbatch plays James, a young man who is dying of cancer, on a camping trip with three friends. What is sold as a simple, matey excursion soon degenerates. The group lose their belongings…
Re-Triptych
2 Sep 2011
Mesmerising epic journey of dance
Even as we file into the auditorium, the mesmerising spectacle has begun. The dancers sit holding golden bowls, calmly anointing the final touches on a huge mandala - a geometric Buddhist symbol - made from blue and white confetti covering the whole…
Scottish Ballet
1 Sep 2011
An evening of contemporary classics
For a programme dominated by music from the great canon of composers, the opening to Finnish choreographer Jorma Elo’s Kings 2 Ends, a silent dynamic solo, comes as a surprise. But it’s curiously pleasing. It lets the clean stretched lines of the dance…
Movin' Melvin Brown: Just Singing and Dancing ... You Can Do It!
1 Sep 2011
Slick foot-stomping but too much audience on show
Movin’ Melvin Brown certainly got his stage name right. There’s no denying the Texan man can move. And move he does, sometimes so fast his gold shoed feet go into a little fuzzy cloud of slick rhythm and frantic toe-tapping. The best thing by far…
Fringe 2011 awards roundup
30 Aug 2011
Multi-award winners include Mission Drift, Leo, Simon Callow and Silent
As the dust settles from this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, we see which figures are poised to stand tall on the cultural landscape with a clutch of awards under their belts The Scotsman Fringe First Awards One for productions appearing at the…
Paul Muzni: Configure
30 Aug 2011
Versatility found among abstracted oil and pastel pieces of Edinburgh artist
Edinburgh artist Muzni treats the eyes in this collection of life works focusing on the female nude, constantly striving to keep his approach as fresh as the colours that make up his delicately abstracted oil and pastel pieces. The use of pastel is a…
Rory Sheridan's Tales of the Antarctica
30 Aug 2011
David O’Doherty in very funny piece that risks becoming one-note in tone
Rory Sheridan is a lovesick man, who inadvertently ends up on an Antarctic expedition to win his bride. Sheridan is no Scott or Shackleton, he complains too much for a start – about the penguins, about the cabbage he has to eat, about the farts that…
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival 2011 - Beauly, Inverness, 5-6 Aug
30 Aug 2011
Newcomers prove themselves at summer festival highlight
Selling out in record time once again, this year's Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival put up a good fight against the weekend's floods to deliver arguably its best instalment to date. Mule-packed with a dizzying array of arts performances, from the…
Sammy J and Randy: Ricketts Lane
30 Aug 2011
Extraordinary performances in an endearing show
It’s been a busy month for comedian Sammy J and his antipodean compatriot Randy the purple puppet (performed by Heath McIvor). As well as their respective solo shows they pair up for this high-energy musical about companionship and tax evasion. After…
John Scott: Totally Made Up
30 Aug 2011
Exemplary observational material worked hard in stifling venue
Winner of last year’s Take the Mic competition, John Scott has his work cut out in this stifling venue. That he manages to get laughs out of our sticky situation is a testament to his immense likeability. There’s some racy stuff but Scott’s charm takes…
BUG Hosted by Adam Buxton
26 Aug 2011
Entertaining but unchallenging music video presentation
The usually BFI-based BUG organisation’s remit is to celebrate ‘global creativity in music video’, and in that respect, this show succeeds admirably. Videos from acts as diverse as US indie-rockers Manchester Orchestra, electro artists The Chase and…
Cabinet of Dr Caligari with Live Score by Minima
26 Aug 2011
Inventive musical accompaniment to the classic silent horror
Made in 1920 by director Robert Wiene, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari is one of the touchstones of German expressionist cinema. Using angular set design, thick make-up and creative lighting techniques, it tells the tale of a murderous doctor and his…
If That's All There Is?
26 Aug 2011
Eccentric study of a banal relationship
What happens when you realise the man you're marrying is actually utterly dull? Such is the fate that befalls Frances, no sooner than her new husband Daniel has finished his painfully long wedding speech. In the opening scene, we are the guests and as…
The Pleasure of Being: Washing, Feeding, Holding
26 Aug 2011
A cure for loneliness?
This one-on-one hotel room experience is Adrian Howells’ attempt at total care for a single audience member. It starts with a warm bath filled with rose petals. I undress and step in. ‘It’s my honour to bathe you,’ Howells says, with no hint of…
Perfect Sense was filmed in my flat
26 Aug 2011
A List writer recounts her experience of having a film crew use her flat as a set
Director David MacKenzie almost didn’t use our flat as Ewan McGregor’s bachelor pad in Perfect Sense. The Timorous Beasties wallpaper in the bedroom was too distinctive. They considered painting it over, then repapering it. Then they discovered the…
Fringe 2011 comedy blogs: Desmond O’Connor
26 Aug 2011
The worst possible time to lose your voice
It couldn’t have happened at a worse time; I was looking forward to the most exciting night of the Fringe in three of the seven shows on which I am working and I woke to find myself facing the worst nightmare that a performer can be forced to endure.
Giants of Comedy – Darren Walsh, Leo Kearse & Lindsay Sharman
26 Aug 2011
They might be giants, and they're definitely tall
There's a Jurassic Park moment on the approach as the ground starts shaking and concentric rings appear in the pints of the wary audience... and then they arrive: the 3 aptly titled Giants of Comedy. Compering by the comparatively short and extremely…
Fringe 2011 - behind the scenes
26 Aug 2011
Some highlights from the folks who keep the Assembly venues running
Laura Donaldson – press tickets officer This is my first time working for any festival. There’s always good banter in the press office to get you through mountains of last minute requests. Meeting performers such as The Twoks who have blown me away and…
Athlete - The Arches, Glasgow, Sat 30 Jul 2011
26 Aug 2011
Acoustic indie pop given another airing for fans
Athlete’s ‘The Hits - Stripped back’ promised an intriguing evening from the once Ivor Novello winners, an intimate atmosphere tethered together with fairy lit piano and a couple of chintz floor lamps on stage. Folkly foursome My First Tooth opened…
The Pretender
26 Aug 2011
One man show about lying gets out of control
Lying: people often do it to get over life's hurdles. Whether in politics, relationships, or childhood, lies are part of everyday social tactics, but can often spiral out of control. In this play, we're complicit in one such fib. Our host, a nameless…
Twonkeys Castle
26 Aug 2011
Surreal songs and nonsensical stories from Paul Vickers
Opening with a beleaguered attempt to get an audience member spinning a hot air balloon prop around in flying motion, Twonkey's Castle weaves a surreal narrative which feels a bit like being frenetically drunk inside a scary playgroup. Northerner…
Soldier and Death
26 Aug 2011
Soldier fable let down by tiny puppets
There’s bags of potential in this talented young troupe of puppeteers who tell the fable-esque tale of a soldier who cheats death. All are compelling storytellers, taking turns as the narrator. But the puppets are miniscule, dwarfed by multiple…
Edinburgh Comedy Award 2011 shortlist
25 Aug 2011
Plus the 10 funniest jokes from the Fringe
The shortlist for the 2011 Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards have been announced. Nominations for best comedy show and for best newcomer. The winners will be announced on Saturday 27th August.
We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lynne Ramsay interview
25 Aug 2011
The Ratcatcher director discusses adapting Lionel Shriver's best-seller
‘Every film has its ups and downs. Each time it seems like pushing a boat over a mountain. I worked on The Lovely Bones for five years before my involvement fell apart. I am committed when I make a film and if it takes a long time I would rather wait. I…
