FESTIVAL MUSIC | Previews
Five Reasons to go to DIVE
The double Annabels of DIVE in their own words
C U NEXT TUESDAY ANNABEL C: We’ve cherry picked the queerest of the Fringe. So there’s a lot of artists in there that we’ve never had on the stage before, just because they’re in town: Desiree Burch, Diane Torr, Eilidh MacAskill, Sarah Franken, Johnny Woo and many more. FILM ANNABEL B: With Pout Fest at the Filmhouse, we’re putting on Dressed as a Girl, a frockumentary about the East End drag scene which took five years to make. We’ve got Jonny Woo performing, a wonderful London comedian called David Mills and hopefully Laurie Brown.
SCOTTISH LGBT AWARDS AC: We put the ‘dive’ in ‘diversity’. AB: It’s wonderful to be recognised for what we’ve been doing, which started as us thinking: ‘we don’t like the party scene up here, let’s have a nice party that we like.’ And it’s grown into the wonderful beast that DIVE is. AC: We’re thinking of going a bit Jarvis Cocker at the Brit Awards. AB: I think we should just stick you in leather chaps, just constantly moon them. No need to pull anything down. DRAG AB: I think DIVE has helped in making the Edinburgh drag scene happen. Since we’ve come along, suddenly there are three or four drag nights happening. AC: So many times I’ve heard someone say ‘I’ve never done this before, but I’m going to try it here because I feel safe to do it. It’s fucking amazing.
DIY AC: I think DIVE comes from a very real, honest foundation. We made it cos we wanted it for ourselves. AB: During my time on the East London cabaret scene, that was instilled in me: DIY, do something you really love and people will come. ■ C U Next Tuesday Cabaret, Summerhall, 560 1581, 11, 14, 18 & 25 Aug, 8pm / 11pm, £8–£10 (£6–£8). (Kirstyn Smith)
74 THE LIST FESTIVAL 13–20 Aug 2015
INDEPENDENCE Classical work explores cultural significance of independence referendum
On September 18 2014, the world turned its eye on Scotland, as the Independence Referendum took place. For people all over the nation, the vote itself was monumental, but for composer John de Simone it held an extra significance. His grandfather, John MacCormick, was instrumental in founding the SNP, his uncles were heavily involved in Scottish politics, ‘and yet here I am with my English accent, born and raised in England’, he says, as he considers why felt the need to write a piece of classical music about the issue. ‘I’ve lived in Scotland for 12 years and I really love the place. I thought nationality has always been
very important’, he explains, and since so much of classical music is rooted in ideas of nationality, he rightly decided that that was the time to explore Scottish culture and identity through his own classical work.
‘I was a Yes voter, but for me, it’s more of a social democratic thing’, he explains. ‘The intoxicating thing about the whole of last year for me was the upsurge of community engagement in politics that have a knock-on-effect for us as well. I feel that classical music mostly where I come from didn’t really engage with that so much.’ That is something he is keen to change with this work, which is being performed at the Fringe by Ensemble Thing. Though the piece may have a clear remit when it comes to challenging the boundaries of classical music, politically it is about engagement with the referendum itself, not about voting Yes or No. ‘My piece doesn’t beat people down with the Vote Yes ticket . . . it’s much more an examination of what it meant for me, and hopefully people will identify with some of those issues.’ (Rebecca Monks). ■ Summerhall, 560 1580, 18–23 Aug (not 19 & 21), 11.20am, £10 (£8).
MARRIAGE OF FIGARO Scottish-born Marie McLaughlin stars in Iván Fischer’s take on Mozart’s classic opera
Iván Fischer’s operatic model is not so much a cut-price compromise, but a new way of presenting opera altogether. For The Marriage of Figaro, with Fischer’s own Budapest Festival Orchestra, audiences can expect some fresh light to be shed on Mozart’s all-time favourite. ‘I don’t know how much I can give away,’ says
Scottish-born soprano Marie McLaughlin, who plays Marcellina. She goes on to reveal that the cast sing in the middle of the orchestra (which is on stage), that there are costumes, wigs, full lighting, a couple of podiums to raise the singers and bridal attire landing on their heads from somewhere up above.
McLaughlin is no newcomer to Figaro having started her career at the Royal Opera House singing Barbarina, then Susanna, a role she has now performed hundreds of times, and Cherubino, before currently enjoying great success as Marcellina. Her EIF visit is a rare Scottish appearance. (Carol Main) ■ The Festival Theatre, 529 6000, 13–16 Aug (not 14), 7pm, £16–£68 (£8–£34).