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Kate Atkinson, one of the many deights of the tranquil Book Festival
BOOK PREVIEW
Book Festival Morning Highlights
Brunching with books
With umpteen different festivals now in full swing, you’ll no doubt be starting to suffer from the well-known summer condition of ‘festival fatigue’. If such is the case, we recommend some soothing morning visits to the tranquil island of the Book Festival in Charlotte Square for some much needed r'n'r. Amongst this week’s big name authors who will be reading from and discussing their latest works are Doris Lessing (18 Aug), whose new novel, Ben, In The World, is the sequel to her best selling book The Fifth Child; and Kate Atkinson (19 Aug) whose third novel, Emotional/y Weird, has cemented her position at the front of contemporary British literature.
Elsewhere there are the varied delights of Nobel Prize winning author Nadine Gordimer (21 Aug) reading from her new collection of essays, Living In Hope And History, Jan de Vries (23 Aug) talking about his Iifetime’s work writing and practising complementary medicine, and Scottish literary heroine Janice Galloway (19 Aug) who will be discussing her various award-winning works over a nice bit of brekky.
And if it’s Scottish talent you're after, look no further than Jackie Kay and Andrew Crumey (22 Aug) - two very different writers, but undoubtedly two of Scotland's brightest literary hopes for the future. (Doug Johnstone)
I Book Festival Morning Highlights (Book) Charlotte Square Gardens, 624 5050, until 28 Aug, times and prices vary.
comes from Goethe’s friend, Bettina Brentano, whom many believe to have been Beethoven’s ’immortal beloved’ and the recipient of his most famous love letter. (Carol Main)
I Brentano String Quartet (International) Queen's Hall, 473 2000,
MUSIC PREVIEW Brentano String Quartet
Stars on the ascendant
The Festival wouldn’t be the Festival without some second guessing as to which of the young rising stars are worth watching in their particular 27, 23 Aug, 7 lam, £5-f20. ascendant. No money on it (as yet), Simultaneous broadcast on BBC Radio but the American Brentano String 3.
Quartet, resident quartet at Princeton
DANCE PREVIEW
Poetic And Feral
All of life and death is here
This may be the richest of all the mixed bills Dance Base is presenting at Dynamic Earth. Gorgeous David Hughes, who helped create the role of the Swan in Adventures in Motion Pictures’ Swan Lake, presents a new solo. So does former Rambert Dance Company member and award-winning choreographer Jan De Schynkel, who calls his piece ’Can’t Bark’. Audicia Lynne Murphy collaborates with musician Derek Haughton on ’Teetering on the Edge of Stillness', a
University, New Jersey, look set to make a spectacular Edinburgh Festival debut. With two concerts in the ever popular Queen’s Hall morning series, they tempt with some of the gems of their repertoire. For instance, Bartok's first quartet, with the composer’s typical rhythmic bite, follows on from Schubert’s wonderfully profound A minor quartet.
Formed as recently as 1992, the Brentano already have a string of prestigious awards to their credit and in January 2000 were appointed Quartet-in-Resident at London’s Wigmore Hall. And the name? It
work using sound and movement to probe cellular life and death.
And then there's Anna Krzystek, whose Polish surname nobody seems able to spell properly. Last year she blew me away with a solo that somehow managed to capture, with precision-perfect dance and judicious lighting, the essence of Stanley Kubrick’s classic 2007: A Space Odyssey. Now this core member of Glasgow-based DudenDance Theatre is back, in the solo ’Toward The Void’. Again, she's using cinematic techniques — like jump cuts, split- screen and perspective — to inform her choreography. Prepare to be amazed. (Donald Hutera)
I Poetic And Feral (Fringe) Scottish International at Dynamic Earth (Venue 78) 530 3557, 22-28 Aug, 7 7.45am, £7 (£5).
THEATRE Messiah - Scenes From A Crucufrxron in): Visual feast sometimes hard on the ears This memorable production features extraordinary performances, stylish direction by Steven Berkoff, atmospheric music and set - all flawed by Berkoff's script. Luckily, his penchant for overlong monologues is usually outweighed by his moving and graphic use of language. The vibrant and varied registers include colloquial, satirically self-referential and straight chunks from the King James.
Fiery-eyed, refugee-thin Rory Edwards heads a magnificent cast as Jesus. He’s radiant, radical, but he's no son of God. This good-intentioned man is prepared to be crucified to fulfil a prophecy and give the peOple the Messiah they so desperately need. But to fulfil it, he must survive and walk on the third day: 'Don’t let them break my legs or I’m really a dead man.’
It's an intriguing angle, with Berkoff suggesting that, devoid of divine intervention, ’miracle’ cures came
theatre comedy dance music books
about by mountainous faith alone. Apart from that, and shaming the Catholic Church, it’s hardly controversial.
Richly choreographed with stunning, painterly tableaux, Messiah is highly recommended, despite its flaws. (Gabe Stewart)
I Messiah - Scenes From A Crucifixion (Fringe) East Productions, Assembly Rooms (Venue 3) 226 2428, until 28 Aug (not27)ii.30am, £70/fii
(£9/£ 70).
KlDS BOOK PREVIEW
Children's morning highlights
Songs and storytelling in Charlotte Square
There’s a real mid-morning feast for underage book fans this week at the Book Fest. Andrew Wolf kicks off with the Rory Stories party on Thursday, where you'll hear tales with a Scottish flavour. Friday is music day with plenty of singing games and rhyme sessions as well as a storytelling with local star Debi Gliori. Saturday is simply interstellar with Jacqueline Wilson (sold out), cool dude stand-up John Byrne and two sessions from the ever-popular Michael Rosen (tickets still left at going to press, but nip in quick). There’s a unique workshop on Sunday involving a real old-fashioned printing press. Kids set type by hand and get to print their own personalised bookmark. It’s free but pre-book (with Gen) on the day to avoid disappointment. Joan Lingard’s session on Tuesday’s already sold out, but there's the effervescent Shoo Rayner with The Ginger Ninja Strikes Back on Wednesday. After all that excitement you'll want to sit down and relax with a good book . . . (Gabe Stewart)
I Children’s Morning Highlights (Book) Charlotte Square Gardens, 228 5444, various dates, various times, a// £3.50 apart from free workshop.
Memorable Messiah: recommended despite its flaws
22 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 17—24 Aug 2000