PREVIEW OF 2013 ‘The event i res the starting gun on an ambitious year’
filmmaker is ill-suited to convey a tale of the American dream in decline, upper class ennui and deep psychological shift, to say nothing of the symbols and motifs that shake this book to its devastating endgame. In many ways Baz Luhrmann is the best man for the job of bringing a new version of Gatsby to the screen. A mildly Gatsby-like figure himself, Luhrmann has always been the filthy new world imposter at the gates of European high culture, whether it’s ballroom dancing (Strictly Ballroom), poetry and cabaret (Moulin Rouge!) or Shakespeare (Romeo + Juliet). Adapted by Luhrmann and shot mostly in Sydney, the film will pivot on Leonardo Di Caprio’s Gatsby and to a lesser extent Carey Mulligan’s Daisy Buchanan and Tobey Macguire’s narrator Nick Carraway. For Luhrmann it’s arguably the biggest gamble of his career. Mess up an adaptation of an American literature classic and the roaring 20s could quickly stumble into the depression era. (Paul Dale) ■ The Great Gatsby is on general release from Fri 17 May.
LANA DEL REY ON TOUR The US sensation aims to win over her critics as she takes to the road Having overcome at times mean-spirited internet and media enquiry into everything from her moneyed background to the sharpness of her pout to deliver one of the biggest-selling albums of 2012 in Born To Die, retro-noirish pop princess Lana Del Rey has defied the detractors. But the New Yorker embarks on her first proper tour with much still to prove.
Some of Del Rey’s many TV appearances to date – Saturday Night Live being a much pilloried example – explain why she’s been hesitant to hit the road in earnest. Awkwardly unmoving, battling to stay in tune, never seeming sure what to do with her hands, she doesn’t always make for comfortable watching, and admits to stage fright. But such vulnerability rather fits the cleverly constructed Del Rey (real name Lizzy Grant) character – a Twin Peaks- and Nancy Sinatra-referencing riddle of a songstress with a romantic death wish, responsible for an unbroken run of high-calibre, sweeping-yet-sad breakout YouTube smash hit ‘Video Games’ to ‘Ride’. singles
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Artists from Robbie Williams to Adele have confessed to battling serious nerves live, and it hasn’t hindered their blockbuster success. Here’s hoping seeing and hearing tens of thousands of fans root for her on tour drowns out thoughts of comments thread snipers, and puts Del Rey’s jangling nerves at ease long enough to let her finally flourish as a performer. (Malcolm Jack) ■ Lana Del Rey performs at O2 Academy, Glasgow, Wed 15 & Thu 16 May.
50 YEARS OF THE TRAVERSE The Traverse Theatre celebrates its half- century with 50 500-word plays Since its inception in 1963 Scotland’s new writing theatre has provided the backdrop to groundbreaking works by the likes of Liz
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Lochhead, Peter Arnott, John Byrne and David Greig. Now, to celebrate its first 50 years, the Traverse is teaming up with 50 fledgling playwrights, selected through an international competition launched last September. The Traverse Fifty Writers, who will be announced on Wednesday 19 December, were selected from among a whopping 630 entries for a series of tailor-made writing events, including panel discussions, workshops and one-to-one dramaturgy. The theatre, under the auspices of artistic director Orla O’Loughlin, will kick off the anniversary year with readings of the 50 winning 500- word Plays For Edinburgh on Saturday 26 January 2013. The event fires the starting gun on an ambitious year of events and commissions, including an extended run of Manipulate, the annual visual theatre festival, featuring a run of Vox Motus’s acclaimed Slick, and Class Act, in which students from five Edinburgh schools will devise, write and stage their first professional play with the help of some of Scotland’s best writers and directors. The Scottish Society of Playwrights will be holding a three-day conference at the theatre to mark 50 years of Scottish playwriting and there will be two Traverse Theatre Company productions in the spring, details of which will be announced shortly. (Allan Radcliffe) ■ Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, throughout 2013. traverse.co.uk
13 Dec 2012–24 Jan 2013 THE LIST 43