Anna Millar

Interview: Zach Braff, writer, director and star of All New People

The Scrubs and Garden State star discusses his new theatre production

2 Feb 2012

‘I’m still Jenny from the block,’ says Zach Braff after a moment’s reflection. ‘Even now I feel a bit underground in the acting world.’ For those who enjoyed Braff (and 20 million viewers around the world did) as the lovable JD in US comedy drama…

Valentine's Day - date our readers

Need a date for February 14th? Ten eligible List readers are ready and waiting...

2 Feb 2012

Nicola Age: 24 Work: Arts marketing Where do you live: Stockbridge, Edinburgh Hobbies: Frequenting the cinema, gym-ing, watching live dance and opera, wandering around galleries and museums and dancing in my bedroom. Describe yourself in 5 words…

The Muppets' most memorable moments

A gallery of clips from our favourite frog and his friends

1 Feb 2012

The Muppets have a string of movies to their names already, including The Muppet Movie, The Muppets Christmas Carol, The Muppets Take Manhattan, and The Great Muppet Caper. Never ones to shirk away from serious film, darling, they’ve also had cameos in…

Jemima Levick on Steel Magnolias revival

The theatre director aims to retain the humour and tenderness of Robert Harling's original script

1 Feb 2012

‘I would rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special,’ says Dolly Parton as brassy hairdresser Truvy in the 1989 film adaptation of Steel Magnolias. The country singer led a cast of big name Hollywood hitters that included…

Four List readers share their New Year's resolutions

An insight into getting started in trapeze, cookery, ballet or capoeira

6 Jan 2012

'The feeling of achievement is amazing' Name Denise Deutsch Age 30 Profession Fabric buyer, Mandors Skill Trapeze and Aerial Arts I fell into the idea of aerial arts as a hobby after unexpectedly getting a ticket to see Leona Lewis perform in…

The Hot 100 2011: 100-50

The definitive list of Scottish creative talent

16 Dec 2011

100: Gordon Ferris. Kilmarnock crime author makes good. The already packed Scottish crime writing field has finally found a bit of elbow room for another burgeoning talent. Joining the likes of Rankin, Brookmyre, McDermid and co is this Ayrshire-born…

Hot 100 2011 - No. 49 to 1

The definitive list of Scottish creative talent

16 Dec 2011

The Hot 100 is the definitive list of Scottish creative talent. From fashion designers to performance artists, everyone who has made a sizeable splash in 2011 has a place in this countdown. It’s for people who’ve created a buzz, but it’s also about…

The best Hogmanay holiday ideas

The best ways to bring in the New Year

28 Oct 2011

Get on the farm Forget Carry on Camping, the crew at Comrie Croft in Perthshire know how to do camping in style, with this eco-friendly farmstead conversion. Located in Crieff, surrounded by gorgeous vistas, bring in the bells around a campfire…

Hogmanay holidays in Perthshire. Scotland

Ideas on how to bring in the New Year in Scotland

28 Oct 2011

You know the drill. It’s a week before Hogmanay and you’re deciding which shindig you don’t really want to go to. The local street party’s not quite doing it for you, and honestly you’d rather be anywhere but here. So where to start? Firstly, don’t…

5 Things: what to expect from Primal Scream at this year's Hogmanay celebrations

The Screamadelica crew announced as Edinburgh party headliners

19 Sep 2011

As the mighty Primal Scream prepare to whip up a storm in the capital for Hogmanay, The List wonders what’s in store for the festive season’s hottest ticket A heroes’ welcome As if holding the world’s (okay, Scotland’s) biggest New Year shindig…

Some Small Love Story

A gem with a young but talented cast

23 Aug 2011

Theatrical tales about love – particularly love lost – can so easily be overly saccharine, lacking the depth and sentiment to truly engage. Not so here. Stripped back simplicity is to the fore, as four excellent young performers reveal two great love…

The Apprentice's Stuart ‘The Brand’ Baggs to appear at the Fringe

Informal lunch chat at 2011 Edinburgh Fringe

23 Aug 2011

‘I’m alive: there are so many people that aren’t alive or have died, unfortunately. I’m alive; that’s a gift, frankly. I wake up early every morning once I’ve had the sleep I need. I go out and make money. Everything I touch turns to sold.’ Oh Lord.

Eight

Eight beautifully-written stories impressively told

23 Aug 2011

A selection of eight stories are impressively told here in monologue rotation. Among them are grieving art gallery owner Andre, Bobby, a struggling single Mum and Jude, a well-to-do lad coming of age on foreign shores. Ella Hickson’s characters are…

Doris Day Can F**k Off

Musical one-man experiment

23 Aug 2011

The concept for Greg McLaren’s show should certainly be applauded: for a number of weeks he went round the UK communicating to people through song, taping his experience as he went. Accompanied by a sound deck, guitar and gold lame jacket, this is the…

Rich Hall

Political bashings a definite highlight

23 Aug 2011

With his gravelly drawl and laidback delivery, Hall is easy company. His American/‘Scots’ comparisons have a crowd-pleasing ring, so too a funny skit about bears (particularly the Yogi variety), but his political musings and reflections on the world’s…

Pistol & Jack: SMASH*GLAM*SEX*MUSIC

Hyper, pop comedy lacks some focus

23 Aug 2011

Even the most precious mainstream music-lover should raise a smile at a mash-up of Radiohead, Lady Gaga, Madonna and The Doors, as pop princess Pistol and sex, drugs and rock’n’roller Jack tell tales. Not consistently funny enough to be great comedy and…

A tour of Scotland for food-lovers

Fresh seafood, locally-sourced game and top-notch tourism in Scotland

22 Aug 2011

Standing in the Scottish drizzle at the heart of Monachyle Mhor, a dramatic vista greets us. In front, a stunning Loch Voil. Behind us, bounding black Labrador, Betty, a relatively new addition to owner Tom Lewis’ family. The air is fresh, the…

Le Gateau Chocolat

Moreish cabaret feast

17 Aug 2011

With his delicious charm and La Clique credentials, Le Gateau Chocolat’s solo debut is an evening treat that leaves you wanting more. Enter the fabulous Bosco tent, and the gentle strains of ‘The Way We Were’ are just audible, a feast of colour and…

An Instinct for Kindness

Dignitas tale told with dignity

17 Aug 2011

Last year, Chris Larner accompanied his ex-wife Allyson to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland and watched as she drank a liquid that would swiftly end her life. Here, with just a simple chair as a prop, Larner recounts the days, weeks and years leading…

Humphrey Ker is Dymock Watson: Nazi Smasher!

Swashbuckling success story

16 Aug 2011

As part of Fringe staple trio and Radio 4 stars The Penny Dreadfuls, Humphrey Ker offered audiences something of a theatrical comedy masterclass. Here, he flies solo in swashbuckling style. It’s 1943 and war’s most unlikely hero, Dymock Watson, has been…

Markus Birdman: Dreaming

Acutely funny observations on our dreams of living happily ever after

16 Aug 2011

Birdman takes us through his ponderings on our dreams of living happily ever after, and all that lies between. There are some acutely funny observations on parenting, growing up and caring less, with Birdman only occasionally losing momentum by…

Wil Hodgson

Sharp comedy about life as he knows it

16 Aug 2011

Gone is the pink Mohawk of yesteryear, in is some sharp (albeit not of the razor kind) comedy from this year’s ‘Care Bear-loving skinhead’, as our affable host spraffs lyrical about life as he knows it, from his friends down the pub to tits, cider and a…

How to be Awesome

Lou Sanders' high energy can't save a set of lacklustre jokes

15 Aug 2011

‘I’m a bit of shambles’ reveals Lou Sanders as she takes to the stage. Highly energetc Sanders may be, but her material – letters sent to the show, chit-chat about her stepdad, a limp ‘how awesome are my props’ set – fail to hit the mark. Sure, there…

Best of the Fest Cabaret

The Noise Next Door, The Twoks and Briefs offer good package

14 Aug 2011

Any festival ‘Best of’ lives or dies on the collection of acts and, suffice to say, it’s a mixed bag of delights, depending on your luck. And so it is here. Gloria, our host for the evening, struggles, her lacklustre attempts at humour flailing, for the…

From the Fire

Tightly directed show based on New York’s Triangle Factory Fire of 1911

14 Aug 2011

There is some formidable talent at play in this tightly directed show, telling the story of New York’s Triangle Factory Fire of 1911, in which hundreds perished due to poor working conditions. Although set 100 years ago, the themes resonate today, as…

Caitlin Moran set for Edinburgh Book Festival appearance

A self-deprecating take on womanhood

9 Aug 2011

With Germaine Greer’s recent Newsnight debacle dragging the feminist cause kicking and screaming back to the dark days, it’s time to hail the new messiah: Caitlin Moran. Not for nothing has this Brighton-born writer impressed. Aged just 15, the young…

Paul Daniels

You’re going to like this . . .

8 Aug 2011

‘Do I look better than Donald Trump?’ asks Paul Daniels as he walks on, wigged up. He shouldn’t be here, really. The Sun newspaper has run a story saying he’s been hospitalised at the hands of Sooty and a flying piece of pizza. Silly tabloids. The…

Shhh: The Musical

Enthusiasm let down by unoriginal script and forgettable songs

8 Aug 2011

There is little doubting the enthusiasm of this young cast, as they do their best with a ‘romcom’ script about finding love in a bookshop. Sadly their energy is largely wasted on a script lacking in originality and punch. The characters are roundly…

Suitcase Royale in Zombatland

Late-night, top-notch hour of blues music, B-list horror and slapstick

8 Aug 2011

Some late-night, top-notch junkyard theatre from this trio of talented Aussies, as our hapless heroes fight to save their caravan park from an invasion of zombie wombats. Cue a chaotic hour of blues music, B-list horror shtick and high-energy slapstick…

Des Bishop - My Dad Was Nearly James Bond

Largely funny, tender and acutely observed ode to late father

8 Aug 2011

An ode to Bishop’s late father, Mike, this should leave the most emotional tough-nut shaken and stirred, as Des tells the story of his dad’s life, from stage actor, Ford model and ‘almost Bond’ to regular ‘Queens, New York’ dad. Walking the line between…

Minute After Midday

Pared-down performance based on Omagh bombing

8 Aug 2011

Pared-down performances resonate here as three very different stories are told, in overlapping monologues, from the day the Omagh bombing devastated Ireland. A young survivor, a widow, and the driver who left the car bomb on Lower Market Street, relive…

Toulouse-Lautrec: The Musical

Japanese one-man show dedicated but lacking in pace and musical gravitas

8 Aug 2011

Toulouse Lautrec’s life was a colourful one, worthy of musical exploration, and this Japanese company’s dedication is admirable, in a one-man show, helmed by Japanese performer/songwriter Jun Sawaki. But while Sawaki undoubtedly offers his all to the…

Stuart Goldsmith

A pleasant romp, amusingly delivered, this is easy, assured comedy

8 Aug 2011

Our affable host is one of life’s nice guys: he likes to help. Whether appeasing young godson Tom with some robot dancing or dealing with some of life’s many anxieties, Goldsmith’s (trying to be) your man in a crisis. A pleasant romp, amusingly…

Corn Exchange theatre company bring Man of Valour to Edinburgh 2011

One-man action movie from acclaimed Irish company

27 Jul 2011

It’s a scenario familiar to many. A lonely office worker tries to escape his humdrum existence, living out a fantasy world of swashbuckling make-belief and mind-blowing heroism. ‘Everyone can relate to it,’ says actor and co-writer Paul Reid. ‘It’s…

Losing It - Ruby Wax interview

Wax brings her 'mental health comedy’ to Edinburgh

26 Jul 2011

Seasoned festival-goers may remember Ruby Wax’s brief two-day stint with Losing It, her ‘mental health comedy’, back in 2008. Since then, this partly autobiographical opus has grown wings, and been showcased in hospitals and lecture halls across the UK.

Fringe news: new venue and programme info

22 Jul 2011

Even for Fringe regulars the idea of cherry-picking from the whopping 41,689 performances and 2,542 shows on this year’s festival line-up can seem daunting. Worry not, help is at hand, as next issue we bring you dozens of previews, top tips and much…

The best Scottish websites

The top 30 websites made for and by Scots

21 Jul 2011

When putting together this list, we weren’t necessarily looking for the biggest or the best-known cultural websites in Scotland. We were looking for unique and interesting ideas, cleverly realised and lovingly maintained on the web. This might mean that…

Four site-specific shows to catch at Edinburgh 2011

What Remains and You Once Said Yes among highlights

20 Jul 2011

What Remains. Theatre company Grid Iron celebrates ten years on the Fringe with this eerie piece set in the bowels of Edinburgh University. Music comes courtesy of composer David Paul Jones. Even in Edinburgh/Glasgow Poet Ishbel McFarlane takes the…

Five cabaret shows at Edinburgh Fringe 2011

Meow Meow, Ali McGregor, Le Gateau Chocolat and Cabaret Whore among highlights

20 Jul 2011

Meow Meow. A firm Fringe favourite, this purrfectly glitzy performer brings her edgy post-feminist cabaret woes to the International Festival, as part of a much-anticipated work-in-progress. When you’re racking up over 6m hits on YouTube, chances are…

Opera Die Frau Ohne Schatten set for 2011 Edinburgh International Festival

Russia's Mariinsky Theatre and Jonathan Kent bring Strauss opera to EIF

7 Jul 2011

To say Jonathan Kent's EIF opus is 'a bit' epic is like saying Edinburgh gets 'a bit' busy in August. This summer the Brit director joins forces with Russia's Mariinsky to stage the little-seen Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow). A cast…

Refugee Week Scotland

The week-long events programme sets its stall, 60 years after the UN Refugee Convention was signed

27 May 2011

We’re huge supporters of Refugee Week – so it’s with a happy heart that we can report it’s back bigger and better than ever before. As well as all the special events, activities and talks, this year’s programme boasts Courage: 60 Years of the UN Refugee…

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2011 - sneak preview

Liberace, Finnish a capella groups and iPad fairy tales just some of the coming attractions

23 May 2011

Whether it’s origami genitalia, homosexual deities or political commentary on the Lockerbie bombing, Edinburgh’s Fringe seldom arrives with a whimper but rather a ruddy great roar. June sees the official launch of 2011’s line-up, but we thought we…

As Taggart calls it a day, we look at the stars who have been linked to the 'murdurs'

Featuring Robert Carlyle, Dougray Scott and more

23 May 2011

After 26 years, Glasgow’s Mean City bids farewell, as Taggart gets axed. To celebrate the demise of one of Scotland’s greatest exports, we showcase the great and the good of the guest stars who helped to light up our screens. Robert Carlyle Long…

How the woman behind Stichill Jerseys maintains high food standards

Brenda Leddy on cows, cheese and clotted cream

10 May 2011

It takes quite a woman to take one Jersey cow and make it into an award-winning transatlantic enterprise, but then Kelso’s Brenda Leddy, of Stichill Jerseys, is not just any woman. A recent runner-up in BBC Radio 4’s Food and Farming Awards, those…

Jupiter Artland opens its season with a new Charles Jencks exhibition

The ourdoor 'art park' also features work by Anthony Gormley

25 Apr 2011

You know that spring has sprung when Jupiter Artland opens its doors with a new season – and this year’s artistic bloom looks to be just as exciting as their last. Launching with special exhibition Metaphysical Landscape by landform artist, philosopher…

New direct flights to Iceland from Scotland make it a hot destination

Natural beauty, a thriving arts scene and lively night life

24 Mar 2011

Nestled down a sloping side street, trendy little tippling-hole Kaffibarinn (as featured in the film 101 Reykjavik) feels like downtown Reykjavik in miniature. Part owned by Blur’s Damon Albarn, this stylish bar area and candle-lit loft oozes the…

Edinburgh International Festival 2011 programme keeps an eye on the East

National Ballet of China, Ravi Shankar, Philip Glass among highlights

23 Mar 2011

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra raise the curtain of the 2011 Edinburgh International Festival in style this year with a performance Robert Schumann’s exotic musical Das Paradies und die Peri, one highlight from an EIF programme that boasts acts from…

Cooking Up Talent

Ingr3dients, a new 3D mural by Alisdair Gray, to be revealed at Ubiquitous Chip

9 Mar 2011

Here at List Towers, where we love food and adore Alasdair Gray, we were heartened to hear that the two are set to complement each other this month, with a new Gray mural set to be revealed as part of Glasgow’s Ubiquitous Chip’s 40th birthday…

Mayfesto 2011 programme revealed

Tron artistic director Andy Arnold discusses the politically-edged theatre festival

7 Mar 2011

To say The Tron’s artistic director Andy Arnold has big hopes for this year’s Mayfesto would be an understatement. Launched in 2010, Arnold’s plan was to bring Glasgow a new, socially and politically engaged theatre festival – and that’s just what he…

RockNess / T in the Park line-ups announced

Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, and Foo Fighters for T; Groove Armada, Kasabian and Chemical Bros for RockNess

3 Mar 2011

The great and good of the music world are set to arrive in style this summer with both T in the Park and RockNess dishing up the goodies for their June and July festivals. At TITP in Balado, the mighty Pulp join Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay and Foo Fighters…