What’sOn
■ Books ■ Clubs ■ Comedy 42 47 56
■ Film ■ Kids ■ LGBT 62 74 77
■ Music ■ Theatre ■ Visual Art 78 109 119
AroundTown HITLIST THE BEST BOOKS, COMICS & EVENTS
Words Per Minute Doug Johnstone and Katy Macaulay stop by the ever-popular Sunday afternoon spoken word, music, film and performance event. Arches, Glasgow, Sun 10 Apr, 4pm.
Science Festival Later Adults! The Edinburgh International Science Festival is not just for youngsters! Explore the Science Festival’s best interactive bits after hours, with wine and without the kids. See picture, page 38. Various venues and times, Edinburgh. Yuri Gagarin and the Soviet Space Programme Robert Law from Dundee’s Mills Observatory on the spaceman. Fact fans: Gagarin has a street named after him in Fife. University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Thu 21 Apr, 7.30pm.
Evolution: The New Classics Richard Dawkins brings a touch of rosy- cheeked celebrity-atheist glamour to the Edinburgh International Science Festival. George Square Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 15 Apr, 7.30pm. Gore-onation Street We’re hitlisting roller derbies every time we like their names. This one, for the Auld Reekie Roller Girls’ bout with Manchester, is pretty ace. Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh, Sat 16 Apr, 2pm.
Nightwalk Fashion show, club and celebration of Glasgow’s night culture all in one, with profits going to St Margaret’s Hospice. See picture, page 37. Arches, Glasgow, Fri 22 Apr, 10pm.
Thinking Through Cinema Discussion, performance and screening exploring the differences between film (as a medium) and cinema (as a cultural, architectural and social space). Tramway, Glasgow, Sat 16 Apr, 3pm–11.30pm.
First International Afro-Brazilian Festival Four-day festival of African and Brazilian cultures. We’re looking forward to the club nights. Art’s Complex, Edinburgh, Thu 14–Sun 17 Apr, times vary.
Say No To Plastic Spring Vintage Sale Let’s get ethical, ethical . . . at this vintage, handmade, fair. It does say they sell DVDs too, and we think they might be made of . . . oh, never mind. Òran Mór, Glasgow, Sun 3 Apr, noon–5pm.
Shadows of our Ancestors Scotland’s five World Heritage sites offer events involving everything from a Roman encampment to a light installation inspired by St Kilda. Mon 18 Apr, 8pm. Old Town, shadows2011.co.uk
36 THE LIST 31 Mar–28 Apr 2011
list.co.uk/aroundtown
NEIGHBOURHOODWatch AROUND YOUR BIT OF TOWN
PORTOBELLO, EDINBURGH What’s it like? An utterly charming, slightly wonky area of Edinburgh, characterised by the city’s only beach and a distinct, anti-corporate local community ethos. Its famous prom has an air of faded glamour, but not unpleasantly so. And by the way, it’s called Porty, all right? Where’s it, like? Three miles to the east of the city centre. Catch a 15 or 26 bus from Princes Street. Who’s from there? Gail Porter and Ewen Bremner were in the same year at Porty High School, and there’s still a memorial at Sir Harry Lauder’s birthplace on Bridge Street.
Why would I go there? Just for a day out at the beach! It’s clean and kinda gorgeous even when the weather ain’t. That community ethos extends to a monthly organic market, and plans are underway to make the area into a self-sustaining transition town. Edinburgh’s Big Busk, where hundreds of musicians sit all along the prom, is on Saturday 27 August this year. And you can’t miss the Victorian grandeur of Portobello Baths with its Turkish baths.
What about shopping and going out? Portobello High Street is excellent for fishmongers, butchers and cute oddities like jewellery and coffee shop the Front Room. Check out the cosily hip pub-on-the-prom the Espy, the Beach House Café, kiddy-friendly Reds, daily-caught haddock at the Porto Café and the cavernous Dalriada bar. Where can I find out more? pedal-porty.org.uk, about the transition town scheme, is a good source of local info.