Contents The essential eight-day guide to Edinburgh’s Festivals

Thursday 20 Thursday 27 August 2009

4 Noticeboard 4 Alan Cumming 5 Gavin Webster

11 Books

13 Suhayl Saadi 16 James Kelman 17 Beatrice Colin 19 Comedy

22 Adam Riches 26 Jonny Sweet 33 Luke Wright 33 Frisky and Mannish

40 Dance 41 Circa

43 Kids 041ame here 45 Patrick Monahan

47 Music 0054ame here 50 Benbecula Records 52 Il Ritorno d'Ulisse

55 Theatre 57 Kursk 58 Orphans 66 The World’s Wife 70 Visual Art

72 Eva Hesse 75 Clubs

75 Boys Noize 76 Devil Disco Club

22 Cover story: Phil Nichol, and other five star spectaculars Is it something in the (rain)water? We’ve published an awful lot of five star reviews over the last couple of weeks, and the ever-energetic Mr Nichol, still proving his worth three years after the if.comeddie win, is just the tip of the iceberg. At the time of going to press, our reviewers had awarded top marks to no less than 15 productions. Best Festival season ever? Looks like it. Highlights

14 Malcolm McLaren The founding father of the punk movement is in town for two nights to tell the story of his life. He talked. Kirstin Innes listened.

20 Kim Noble That old myth of the unhappy comedian turns out to have some truth behind it. Brian Donaldson talks to the former Perrier winner about mental health and his stunningly frank new show

78 Around Town 78 Poorboy Playroom

48 Faith No More Don’t panic! The latest band to hit the ever-lucrative comback trail are here to save rock, once again. Doug Johnstone meets them. 56 Rona Munro Her long-awaited new play The Last Witch uses the trial of the last woman executed for witchcraft in Scotland to examine corruption and the politics of attraction.

Reader Offers

8 Win tickets to Hullabaloo and Musika Fringe closing party 8 2 for 1 tickets at Assembly 9 2 for 1 tickets at the Pleasance 35 2 for 1 tickets at the Stand 46 2 for 1 tickets to see Gelabert Azzopardi Companyia

De Dansa at the Edinburgh International Festival 51 Win tickets to see Julian Clary with Grolsch

INSIDE INSIDE 2FOR1 2FOR1 TICKETS TICKETS SEE PAGE 8

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