The List Issue 765

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They’ve

contents

FRONT

The Insider 6

From Pet Shop Boys to cute pet pics

Retro Perspective 8

Concept albums v Daniel Radcliffe

FEATURES

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival 10

Celebrating Spain’s cinematic output

SAY Award 15

Our critics have their say

EAT DRINK SHOP

Chilli Cook-off 25

Which restaurants are the hot tickets?

Craft Cider 30

It’s Scotland’s year of the apple

GOING OUT

Snarky Puppy 36

Michael League’s dynamic ensemble take Glasgow

Lucy Worsley 39

An Agatha Christie fanfare

Triangle Of Sadness 46

Welcome aboard Ruben Östlund’s ideological cruise

STAYING IN

Tanya Floaker 64

Discover Edinburgh’s indie gaming scene

Ever Dundas 65

How typefaces inspired a dystopian novel

The Snuts 68

We review Burn The Empire

BACK

Ian Broudie 76

On wanting to be a magical dolphin

Hot Shots 78

Dwayne Johnson quits being the nice guy

A woolly hat. A cosy cardy. Leg warmers, tank tops, scarves, gloves. The possibilities of knitwear are endless, and in a forthcoming exhibition at Edinburgh’s Dovecot Studios, the history of this under-rated fashion form is hailed all the way from Coco Chanel to Vivienne Westwood, and on to exciting contemporary work from some innovative Scottish designers. Many of the items covered here veer towards the high-end so as a contrast, we also explore the world of rehoming, recycling and reusing with the good folk of Edinburgh Remakery.

Awards season is in full swing, and we take a good hard look at the longlist for the Scottish Album Of The Year as our critics take each other to task about which one deserves to win (and consider which album contains lyrics that they’d have tattooed on themselves: going above and beyond there). In a strong month for cinema, we zoom in on the Edinburgh Spanish Festival, interview Ruben Östlund for his incredible new movie, Triangle Of Sadness, laud the mighty Park Chan-wook for his upcoming Hitchcockian drama, Decision To Leave, and review Martin McDonagh’s reunion with messrs Gleeson and Farrell.

Not only in film are expectations being exceeded as we give the maximum five stars to an epic Argentinean novel, a groundbreaking videogame, and a slice of musical theatre for those whose appreciation of Bob Dylan goes from hero worshipping to shoulder shrugging. In other words, everyone should go a bundle on Girl From The North Country. And possibly as a regular bit of fun, our playLIST features a classic song whose connection to this issue is buried inside the Eat Drink Shop section. Happy hunting . . .

Brian Donaldson EDITOR

CONTRIBUTORS

PUBLISHING CEO

Sheri Friers Editor Brian Donaldson Art Director

Seonaid Rafferty Designer Carys Tennant

Sub Editors

Paul McLean

Megan Merino

Writers

Alan Bett, Brian Donaldson, Claire Sawers, David Kirkwood, Eddie Harrison, Emma Simmonds, Fiona Shepherd, James Mottram, Jay Richardson, Jay Thundercliffe, Jo Laidlaw, Kelly Apter, Kevin Fullerton, Leah Bauer, Lucy Ribchester, Lynsey May, Megan Merino, Murray Robertson, Neil Cooper, Nicola Jeffs, Rachel Ashenden, Rachel Cronin, Sean Greenhorn, Seonaid Rafferty, Suzy Pope

Social Media and Content Editor

Business Development Manager

Jayne Atkinson

Affiliates Manager

Kevin Fullerton

Media Sales Executive Ewan Wood

Digital Operations Executive Leah Bauer

Ltd

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Megan Merino

MOUTHPIECE

As two quasi-banned stand-ups perform in Scotland this month, comedy critic Jay Richardson wonders whether this might be the moment to call time on ‘cancel culture’

I’m working late when Twitter alerts me to Jack Dee being cancelled on Twitter for cancelling his PayPal account. PayPal, it transpires, have cancelled the PayPal account of the Free Speech Union, for whom he’s giving an online talk about free speech and censorship in comedy. Which isn’t free, you have to pay for it. By the time you read this, the famous grouch, now infamously grouchy, will have been totally cancelled. Possibly.

Less than a month ago, Dee was The Mail On Sunday ’s front page, monstered for calling Boris Johnson a ‘cosmic cunt’ on Have Got News For You , controversially quoting Johnson’s then Cabinet colleagues in The Times . The idea that comedy should simply be about causing offence is bollocks. But you have to respect a stand-up who can piss off the right and the left in the space of a few short weeks. Dee was one of the most high-profile voices decrying Jerry Sadowitz’s cancellation by The Pleasance at the Edinburgh Fringe, for allegedly exposing his penis and calling Rishi Sunak a racial slur. For good and bad, social media accelerates the repositioning of the line of acceptability, far faster than the foul-mouthed Sadowitz can start fiddling with his trouser belt.

The Glaswegian comedy-magician has had at least one further gig genuinely cancelled since the Edinburgh debacle. Yet his sales elsewhere have reportedly increased,

so swings and roundabouts. Also in Scotland this month, former darling of the comedy cognoscenti turned trouser-discarding, disgraced wank-beast Louis CK is still attracting the kind of numbers which non-predatory comedians can only dream of.

I’m not naïve enough to wholly dismiss cancel culture. Trans comic Jen Ives has penned a horrifying account of the co-ordinated campaign of intimidation she experienced at the Fringe, while outspoken old-school acts are being banished to the Siberia of Jim Davidson’s streaming channel. I recall laughing hard on various occasions at the late Greg Cook, an English comic with some pretty dubious nationalist views for my tastes, consistently storming the right-on, inclusive environment of Glasgow’s Stand. Yet such crossing of the political divide feels a lifetime ago now, despite him only dying in 2019.

With the likes of Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle playing up to their supposed outrageousness, baiting and attacking transgender people for those big Netflix bucks, the latter actually attacked on stage for his free speech, the ‘cancelled’ brand isn’t going away any time soon. Somewhere out there, a canny promoter is right now assembling ‘the world’s most cancelled comedians’ for an insanely lucrative global arena tour.

n Find Jay on Twitter @jayirichardson

In this series of articles, we turn the focus back on ourselves by asking folk at The List about cultural artefacts that touch their heart and soul. This time around, Seonaid Rafferty tells us about those things which . . .

Made me cry: Russell T Davies’ It’s A Sin. I was in bits the entire series. Interestingly, my other stand-out tearjerker is from another of his shows with a particular episode in Years And Years. It’s the all-too-realness of the situations behind the fiction that sets me off; he has a knack for making things really hit home.

Made me angry: The reversal of Roe v Wade.

Made me sad: Britney Spears’ Instagram feed. Her content in general makes for pretty uncomfortable viewing, but in particular it was her repeated delight about the handful of celebs who came to her wedding. It highlighted the lack of any real friends or loved ones and made me feel very lonely for her.

Made me think: The Undeclared War on Channel 4 was pretty eye-opening on the extent to which mass tensions are deliberately manipulated online. It’s something I thought I was pretty savvy to, but this really makes it clear how easily the media we consume daily can be weaponised, no matter how wary we believe ourselves to be.

Made me think twice: I’ve always thought I was very much a dog person, but my parents recently got the most gorgeous wee cat and I’m reconsidering. This might not exactly fit the brief of something cultural . . . but any excuse for a cute pet pic, right?

Discover music by some of this year’s SAY Award longlist nominees, as well as

artists such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Snarky Puppy, Cloth, Sorry and Ian Broudie.

my new hobby

An online lockdown purchase led not just to a new passion but also new qualifications for Nicola Jeffs

My new hobby is based around something which would have probably let Robert Capa down terribly in the field: my trusty Agfa Silette L. Bought from eBay at the height of lockdown (by typing in the words ‘cool black and white film camera from the 1960s’), she arrived in the post a few days later.

Housed in a shiny brown leather carrier box, cushioned by faded brown velvet, the seller kindly gave me a couple of rolls of black and white film to get started with. Getting the camera open and the film inside took a while but soon I was out and about taking amateurly happy shots of Aberdour beach, my dog and patiently posing partner.

This little camera got me cocky and, with some encouragement, I eventually got my MA in History And Theory Of Photography at the end of last year. There is a real joy in not seeing what is captured until that final moment as a picture finally appears; 2023 is my year for maybe, just maybe, showing some of the results. n Nicola Jeffs is a writer and PR consultant; nicolajeffs.com

E R S

CONCEPT ALBUMS

Delightfully silly rock act The Smashing Pumpkins have announced that their new album ATUM is a 33-track, three-act rock opera. It’ll most likely be rubbish, but we wish more acts had the baroque ambition of Billy Corgan. The lengthy concept album may be the product of a bygone era when the music industry had more money than sense, but it’s also a prime source of kitsch entertainment. Beyoncé: we demand a 15-hour musical voyage through Jay-Z’s pants drawer now!

Remember when child actors would enjoy success in a blockbuster movie then disappear from the cultural landscape like they’d entered the witness protection programme? Daniel Radcliffe clearly doesn’t. The boy wizard with limited range pops up in B-movies with the frequency of a cinematic Whac-A-Mole, and now he’s in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, a biopic that no one asked for dedicated to the 1980s parody artist. It’s streaming on Roku soon, making it mercifully easy to avoid.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE

SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL

Independent auteur cinema is now practically invisible in our country ”

This year’s Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival showcases a dynamic industry that’s fighting back post-pandemic. Eddie Harrison finds that opportunities are rife for a different kind of Spanish cinema

Cinema worldwide seems to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. With a post-pandemic downturn in cinema attendance, plus domestic legislation that has deeply impacted independent movie makers, the nish film industry is eeling the s me ressures s the intern tion l bo o fice in gener l. et des ite these di ficulties this ye r s dinburgh nish ilm esti l finds lenty o vibrant features, both fresh and vintage, for audiences to celebrate, including a tribute to director Bigas Luna of Golden Balls fame, lus showc se o films bout th century nish nd tin American women.

Among the visiting talent is Icíar Bollaín, partner of Scottish screenwriter ul erty who returns with o ening night film Maixabel , a drama based on the true story of Maixabel Lasa. Lasa’s husband was killed by ETA (the Basque separatist group), and she sought out a meeting with the man responsible. It’s an

SPANISH

undeniably controversial subject, but one Bollaín was keen to tackle head-on. ‘I was approached by two producers, Koldo Zuazua and Juan Moreno, who had it in mind to tell Maixabel Lasa’s story and proposed it to me and cowriter Isa Campo,’ says Bollaín. ‘I was totally struck by the idea that someone can be ready to meet the people who have hurt them most, that people so far from each other were capable of sitting together and listening.’

oll n w s t ken b ck by some o the re ction to her film. e were ctu lly sur rised to find th t not only critics but lso editori ls rom right wing nd le t wing news ers like were welcoming the film s necess ry . It got gre t re ction mong the udience too the film w s seen by o er h l a million spectators despite restrictions.’

ith o er e tures in the rogr mme including m instre m hits like Carla Simón’s Golden Bear-winner Alcarràs and Juan Miguel del Castillo’s thriller La Maniobra De La Tortuga , Bollaín says it’s still vital that such films c n re ch the gener l ublic on the big screen. I do think cinem still has enormous power to communicate stories in a very deep way. There is a concern about how history is going to be told, but because of people like Maixabel, what happened doesn’t get idealised.’

oll n ho es th t her film h ndles th t story with strong sense o truth and can also have a positive effect by showing the devastating consequences of such brutal and senseless acts. ‘Violence affects the victims, obviously, but also the perpetrators, and leaves a deep mark in the society where it occurs. There is a need to deal with all the trauma and pain which violence leaves behind nd th t s wh t the film t lks bout through the ins iring story o Maixabel.’

esti ls ro ide sn shot o country nd its culture nd the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival puts Bollaín’s fresh work in context with other female directors like Carla Simón, and shines a welcome light on new female talent. This year’s programme is the work of festival director Marian A Aréchaga, curating a selection that addresses a big question: is Spanish cinema in good health right now?

‘Independent auteur cinema is now practically invisible in our country since recent legisl tion led to film industry system th t is lmost e clusi ely dependent on the two biggest television companies,’ says Aréchaga. ‘They are the ones who legitimately invest in the products they believe will become huge successes or them. he networks r rely bet on those filmm kers with

Spain on screen (previous page clockwise from top): Zipi Y Zape Y La Isla Del Capitán, My Way Out, El Cover, Los Huevos De Oro (this page clockwise from left) Explota Explota, Maixabel, La Volunteria, La Chica Nueva

their own vision; they opt instead in many cases for reliable directors who ensure a product that is as commercial as it is inconsequential. That’s why, when indie directors do manage to get a project off the ground, it’s important to make the work visible both in Spain and abroad, and that’s where a festival like ours becomes important.’

What’s happening in Spain isn’t unique; the whole eco-system of independent, nonblockbuster cinema is currently under threat, with streaming providing precious revenue, but at the expense of cinema production and attendance. Bollaín believes that Spain, like many other nations, has suffered from the same post-pandemic reluctance of audiences to return to cinemas. But she does see hope in the future.

‘There is a very strong presence of female directors and many newcomers that are making a great splash in and outside of Spain,’ she says. ‘What’s going right is that after years of activism and lobbying, we have managed to get some positive action from the Ministry Of ulture to su ort films with em le directors nd writers. s result o th t roducers re feeling more inclined to “take the risk” which is resulting in a bigger presence of female filmm kers doing more interesting films.

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival runs in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Stirling, Saturday 1 October–Friday 4 November.

Five to see

There’s a wealth of movies to choose from across October at the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival. Here’s a mere handful of intriguing cinematic treats

EL COVER

The opening movie of last year’s Malaga Film Festival, Secun de la Rosa’s romcom musical is a Benidorm-set paean to music featuring songs from The Killers, Lady Gaga and Loquillo, revolving around a romance between a waiter and an Adele tribute act. n Everyman, Glasgow, Saturday 1 October, 5pm; Everyman, Edinburgh, Saturday 8 October, 8pm.

LA VOLUNTARIA

A retired doctor travels to a Greek refugee camp where she meets a young boy in dire need. Nely Reguera’s second film takes aim at Western consumerism and colonialist guilt.

n GFT, Glasgow, Sunday 2 October, 4pm; Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Saturday 8 October, 5.45pm.

ZIPI Y ZAPE Y LA ISLA DEL CAPITÁN

An adventure film from 2016 by Oskar Santos, two boys (Zip and Zap) take a Christmas trip to a remote island with their parents. When a storm wrecks their journey, the pair seek sanctuary in a children’s home run by an eccentric woman. And then things start to get strange.

n French Institute, Edinburgh, Thursday 6 October, 10am; GFT, Glasgow, Wednesday 12 October, 6.15pm; Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sunday 16 October, 2pm.

MY WAY OUT

Directed by Izaskun Arandia, this documentary follows the trans community at a London club which has been going for three decades and ultimately provides a safe haven for those who have suffered abuse and rejection.

n Everyman, Edinburgh, Sunday 9 October, 5.05pm.

LA CHICA NUEVA

Winner of Best Film at the Cinélatino Tolouse festival in 2021, Micaela Gonzalo’s debut feature follows a young woman fleeing homelessness in Argentina, as she and her half-brother attempt to navigate an economic and labour crisis.

n Summerhall, Edinburgh, Friday 14 October, 6pm.

The SAY Award judges somehow managed to whittle down the top Scottish albums of this past year to just 20. With the shortlist announcement looming and the gong-giving ceremony pending, two of our lead music critics quiz each other on the longlist. Who do Megan Merino and Kevin Fullerton think will be victorious on the night?

AYES ON THE PRIZE

Which nominee would you want to see live after hearing their record?

Kevin Fullerton: I saw AiiTee live at the AMPLIFI showcase earlier this year, and nothing has really done her voice justice on record apart from this new EP Better Days. It’s made me want to see a full show rather than a little snippet. She has the kind of powerhouse vocals you don’t generally hear on the Scottish music scene.

Megan Merino: I really want to see Kobi Onyame’s Don’t Drink The Poison brought to life. It’s the kind of heavily orchestrated and produced rap album that I absolutely love; that Kendrick Lamar or Little Simz vibe.

Which artist do you think is most likely to top the charts?

In Scotland you think of popularity as the sort of fairly standard Scottish indie style, so things like Callum Easter and Declan Welsh And The Decadent West.

I could see AiiTee in the charts for her more dancey songs. I’d love for her to be our next Scottish pop princess.

Which album do you want to listen to more than once?

Fergus McCreadie’s Forest Floor because of its instrumental complexity. It’s the kind of album that delivers something different with every listen. With free jazz, obviously there’s all these improvised solos, so every time you’re locked on to a different player or sound.

KF: I’ve rinsed Kathryn Joseph’s For You Who Are The Wronged for months. She’s continuing the style that she perfected on her first album but adding a lot more layers. Her first two albums breathed the same air as PJ Harvey’s White Chalk era, but this third one feels like she’s created her own world.

Which album provides the perfect soundtrack for a train journey?

KF: Hamish Hawk’s album is one you could find yourself getting lost in. Just all the noise and complexity of his lyrics; there’s a new story in every song.

MM: For me it’s the Andrew Wasylyk album because of its meditative, epic quality. It’s something that I could feel completely immersed in.

Which album is most likely to contain something you’d get tattooed on your body?

MM: A line from Annie Booth’s Lazybody which satisfies my love of sad girl indie. It’s all to do with the lyrics, which are a perfect combination of abstract and on the nose.

KF: As a Dundee lad, Andrew Wasylyk’s Balgay Hill: Morning In Magnolia has lots of iconography on it that I would happily have tattooed on me.

If every longlisted album was a world, which one would you want to live in?

MM: For me, C Duncan’s Alluvium. It feels like a utopian dream landscape that’s optimistic and idyllic but perhaps not quite tethered to reality.

KF: I lived next to Balgay Hill for the majority of my life and I couldn’t see the romance Andrew Wasylyk finds in it. So I’d love to live in his version of Balgay Hill, which is a beautiful reverie. But Callum Easter’s System is the world as it is: angry and frustrated with the political landscape that we all have to exist in, I’m afraid.

Which of the longlisted albums surprised you the most?

KF: I was very surprised by Callum Easter’s System. I was expecting something conventionally indie, but it was actually quite experimental. He’s drilling down into a single rhythm and seeing how far he can take it before it tires itself out.

MM: Proc Fiskal’s Siren Spine Sysex surprised me. It’s a sort of mechanical electronic album that uses so many crazy sounds I’ve never heard before. It’s so visceral and strange but weirdly beautiful as well.

A night out is on the cards and you need to get in the mood. Which album are you putting on?

KF: As a thirtysomething indie lad, Walt Disco’s Unlearning or The Ninth Wave’s Heavy Like A Headache are the kind of thing I would have listened to before heading to an indie nightclub. Really baroque, really big.

MM: Unlearning would be my answer to ‘which album should be a costume party theme?’ because there’s so much to work with within that dramatic, glam-rock energy.

Who do you think deserves to win this year’s SAY Award?

KF: I would love to see Bemz win. He’s had an exciting year and his M4 is filled with heart, passion and a wide range of sounds and thematic interests. He’s the right kind of savvy careerist and I think he’ll hit it big. He’s made incredible strides over the past 12 months.

MM: Rebecca Vasmant has my vote. With Love, From Glasgow impressively fuses jazz and electronic genres, and pushes the boat out on what kinds of albums you can create as a producer and curator. As a successful techno DJ as well, I think this shows such versatility and musical prowess.

The SAY Award shortlist is announced on Thursday 6 October with the award ceremony taking place at Albert Halls in Stirling on Thursday 20 October.

Many thanks to Assai Records in Edinburgh, who allowed us in to thumb the records and shoot these photographs, which were taken by our very own Ewan Wood.

FULL LONGLIST

AiiTee: Better Days

Andrew Wasylyk: Balgay Hill – Morning In Magnolia

Annie Booth: Lazybody Bemz: M4

C Duncan: Alluvium

Callum Easter: System

Constant Follower: Neither Is, Nor Ever Was Declan Welsh And The Decadent West: It’s Been A Year

Duncan Lyall: Milestone

Fergus McCreadie: Forest Floor

Hamish Hawk: Heavy Elevator

Hen Hoose: Equaliser

Kathryn Joseph: For You Who Are The Wronged Kobi Onyame: Don’t Drink The Poison

The Ninth Wave: Heavy Like a Headache

Niteworks: A’Ghrian

Proc Fiskal: Siren Spine Sysex

Rebecca Vasmant: With Love, From Glasgow

Seonaid Aitken: Chasing Sakura

Walt Disco: Unlearning

Compelling drama at The Brunton this autumn!

Discounted tickets on selected shows for Friends of The Brunton and just £10 for under 18s.

Catherine Wheels: Kissing Linford Christie by Victoria Beesley (Age 8+)

Sat 8 Oct 2.30pm & 6.30pm £12 Adult £9 Child £38 family of 4

Maria MacDonell: Miss Lindsay’s Secret Sat 15 Oct 7.30pm | £14 (12) £10 under 18

Cutting Edge Theatre: Downs with Love Sat 22 Oct 7.30pm | £14 (12) £10 under 18

Icarus: The Lesson by Eugene Ionesco, translation by Donald Watson Fri 4 Nov 7.30pm | £15 (13) £10 under 18

Full programme at thebrunton.co.uk | T 0131 653 5245 The Brunton, Ladywell Way, Musselburgh EH21 6A TheBruntonMusselburgh TheBrunton

With a major exhibition hitting Edinburgh, Megan Merino finds out about the rich history of hand knitting and hears why the time is right to ditch those tired old myths about grannies and

PICTURE: SONIA SIEFF

For centuries, knitwear has provided people with high-functioning apparel that bridges the practical, sophisticated and glamorous.

KNITWEAR: Chanel To Westwood (which debuted at London’s Fashion And Textile Museum) is a thorough celebration of the form through several decades, weaving together fashion, design and history.

‘There’s something about knitwear that’s innately comforting,’ insists exhibition curator Dennis Nothdruft. ‘We all have a favourite sweater and I think they are garments that kind of transcend time and space. There are certain things that you can just associate with a place.

Scotland is the home of amazing knitwear that it’s produced for many centuries, so bringing the exhibition to Edinburgh was definitely n tur l fit.

Many of the show’s pieces come from an extensive private collection owned by rk nd leo utterfield o int ge.

‘We’ve done quite a few exhibitions with them,’ Nothdruft explains. ‘I love other people’s collections, because there’s already a narrative that the collectors have put in and so, as a curator, to have a narrative structure to deal with is quite

interesting.’ With iconic pieces by Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, i ienne estwood nd omme es r ons on dis l y fashionistas will be in their element.

But by focusing on knitwear and its evolution through the decades, this exhibition also uniquely captures the zeitgeist of when each garment was made. As Nothdruft notes, ‘we can read history through objects so you can actually see what’s happening in society by looking at these pieces of clothing.’

The new-found freedom post-World War I, for example, is demonstrated through a collection of knitted ski and tennis wear, and Chanel’s iconic neutral-coloured striped and checked twin sets. he s were ery ery stylish dds othdru t. ‘You can see the modernism and you can see its applications and how so many people adopted that particular style. There w s mo ement in the s where olklore bec me ery o ul r you h e the s with ull skirts nd little cockt il sweaters, a very different rechercheé type of femininity that c me ter orld r II nd then you get the s nd tot l cultural revolution.’

In a World War II ‘make do and mend’ section, pamphlets to teach women how to unravel old jumpers in order to knit new ones are on display, as well as garments made from

PICTURE: CHANEL

This is the knit (previous page main picture): Jinx by La Fetiche with Di Gilpin, (clockwise from below) fashionable folkloric knitwear items from the 1930s and 40s, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel on the beach in Etretat, 1920s twin set by Chanel, Paloma by La Fetiche with Di Gilpin, hand knitted Shetland wool sweater

unconventional materials such as industrial webbing. Specially commissioned contemporary pieces also feature to represent the future of knitwear, including several works by Scottish designer Di Gilpin.

‘To showcase Scottish hand knitting was very important to me and they’ve chosen a really nice cross-section of techniques that we use,’ says Gilpin, from her studio in St Andrews. ‘There re two outfits rom etiche which re rom utumn winter nd s ring summer nd then we h e l rge intarsia piece [a technique used to create patterns with multiple colours] which is either going to be hung or wrapped.’

Hand knitting is a key part of Gilpin’s philosophy. ‘There’s something so subtle bout it nd so much more refined th n machine knit,’ she explains. ‘There has been a real resurgence in hand knitting over the last ten years and there are some fabulous designers and makers of wool out there. But there’s also still a lot of misogynistic attitudes towards hand knitting too: a lot of people still think that this is done by their grannies sitting in corner by the fire.

As co-author of The Gansey Knitting Sourcebook , Gilpin is particularly keen to bust those stereotypes with intricate and

technical methods that showcase knitting as an artform. ‘The construction of Gansey is something that all designers that I’ve worked with are fascinated by. It’s not just knit two, purl two. I work to formula a huge amount, and lots of my work is sequence based. There’s a really strong maths and physics grounding in it. It’s the relationship between the hand, the needles and the yarn. These three things allow you to explore and be incredibly inventive. I really want people to see that through the exhibition, to celebrate knitting and so many fantastic designers.’

Through the display of knitwear from the Edwardian era right up to the present day, KNITWEAR: Chanel To Westwood aims to give visitors a new-found appreciation for the principles of knitting and its application in response to the world’s constantly shifting social landscapes.

‘The technique, whether it’s by machine or by hand, is a process that goes back to the beginnings of time,’ says Dennis Nothdruft. ‘And I think there is something so relatable about that in ways that a lot of other exhibitions around fashion are not.’

KNITWEAR: Chanel To Westwood, Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh, Saturday 15 October–Saturday 11 March.

ASTA PETKUNAITE

Artist, designer, and founder of Pascal & Co vintage shop

My favourite piece of knitwear at the moment is my hand-knitted gilet. It’s quite the labour of love, which clocked up a few months’ worth of hours as I tried to decipher an original 1960s pattern for the very first time! Being a self-taught knitter, this was a ‘step up’ from knitting simple straight scarves. I love a vest/gilet design, as it’s a wonderful inter-seasonal wardrobe staple. I love to layer mine with different blouse and shirt combinations. I also love the alpaca and merino wool blend which means it’s not too itchy.

MARK THOMSON Glenfiddich Whisky ambassador

This is my favourite bit of Margaret Howell knitwear. I’ve always been a fan of hers, and now autumn is taking hold, it’s the perfect layer. As it’s a linen cotton knit, it’s quite lightweight but really cosy and a great shape due to the shoulder construction. A timeless wardrobe staple.

CELIA JOICEY

Director of Dovecot Studios

My favourite piece of knitwear is a long, stripy Missoni scarf. It drapes, loops and slips effortlessly across any outfit. I like to buy a piece related to each exhibition I work on, and this scarf is from a 2015 Italian retrospective about Ottavio and Rosita Missoni’s creative process of knitting artwork into fashion forms.

Four names in the Scottish arts and culture world share a thought or two about their most treasured items of knitwear

Noteworthy

JULIA BILLINGS

Natural dyer, horticulturist, knitter, and founder of Woollenflower

This was made while moving from Melbourne to Glasgow and, since its stitches were knitted in both places, I remember both of my homes when I wear it. Designed by Danish knitwear designer Marianne Isager, it’s a beautiful, fluid and cosy canvas for the subtle shades of both sheep’s wool and natural dyes.

PICTURE:

PAISLEY’S HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL RETURNS IN SPOOKTACULAR STYLE, WITH AN INTERACTIVE FIRE GARDEN AND SPRAWLING SPIDER’S LAIR

Bringing Paisley town centre thrillingly to life in what promises to be its most spooktacular incarnation to date, the Paisley Halloween Festival (Thursday 27 – Saturday 29 October) is a highlight of Scotland’s autumn calendar and one of the biggest and best events of its kind anywhere in the UK.

With a theme this year of ‘Heroes, Myths and Legends’, this free-toattend and family friendly festival is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors over three thoroughly atmospheric evenings, bringing enormous benefit to the area’s local community. It’s been organised by Renfrewshire Council, who have partnered with the internationally renowned circus specialists Cirque Bijou in celebration of Scotland’s phenomenally successful Year of Stories 2022, and forms part of EventScotland’s National Events Programme.

Live performance is back on the festival’s agenda following a three-year absence and, to mark the occasion, it sounds like the organisers have gone to town, with each evening’s entertainment taking place from 6pm–9pm. Why not check out an exciting superhero rooftop battle and gravity-defying

vertical dance performance from Scottish aerial dance company All or Nothing. While theatre-makers Megahertz will be putting on their own dance show, featuring the extraordinary efforts of 25 incredible performers.

And that’s not all! Amongst this year’s eye-catching attractions are a giant interactive walk- through fire garden, a fire-breathing dragon, a sprawling spider’s lair featuring the giant Arachnobot spider, and some eerie illuminated digital face puppets that will be taking to the streets to spook and dazzle you.

Returning festival favourites looking to impress include the illuminated Spark! LED drummers and flamethrowers PyroCeltica, while local youngsters have worked together to create a large-scale installation celebrating their everyday heroes. There will also be street food and drink to savour, choir performances and children’s art workshops. And spoken word pieces

performed by local school and community groups will be projected onto a giant video wall.

With the festivities taking place against the spectacular backdrop of Paisley’s 850-year-old Abbey, Paisley Halloween Festival is a wonderful showcase for local creative talent and ingenuity, as well as a fantastic excuse to bring people back together. Moreover, it’s an event that should prove accessible to many. Paisley town centre is easy to reach from anywhere in central Scotland, and is a less than a tenminute train ride from Glasgow.

We’ll leave it to the artistic director of the festival’s co-organisers Cirque Bijou, Julian Bracey, to tell you what makes this a must-see event: ‘Paisley town centre’s historic architecture is a fantastic canvas on which we’ve been able to create a dramatic visual spectacle, which will be brought to life by some hugely talented performers. This is an event not to be missed and we can’t wait for people to see it.’

The Paisley Halloween Festival runs from Thursday 27 until Saturday 29 October across Paisley town centre. More details can be found by visiting paisley.is.

Thousands are expected to attend one of Scotland’s best-loved autumn events

eat drink shop

EDINBURGH COCKTAIL WEEK

Edinburgh Cocktail Week rolls into town this month, with a whopping 120 bars showcasing signature cocktails priced at a mere £5 for wristband holders. The Festival Square Cocktail Village also returns; open daily, it will feature 21 pop-up bars, street food, music and events (cocktails and comedy anyone?). New for this year is the interactive Mirror Mirror Bar on the roof of The Glasshouse Hotel, and if pretty drinks make you hungry, you’ll be pleased to hear some local restaurants are getting in on the act too, with signature cocktails at El Cartel, Superico, Dine, Heron and Luckenbooths. (Jo Laidlaw)

n Friday 7–Sunday 16 October, edinburghcocktailweek.co.uk

HOT IN THE CITY

David Kirkwood welcomes the return of Lupe Pintos’ annual Chilli Cook-Off, as competitors across Glasgow and Edinburgh prepare to turn up the heat

Like all the best traditions, it was meant to be a one-off. ‘But now I can’t shake it!’ laughs Dougie Bell, owner of Lupe Pintos Deli and curator/progenitor of its annual Chilli Cook-Off, where ten venues within walking distance of his shops (in Glasgow’s West End and Fountainbridge in Edinburgh) must prepare a chilli and be graded on taste, creativity and presentation by hordes of punters wearing wrestling masks.

he cook o s will be the first since nd ell h s t ed into that excitement with this year’s theme, Hellzapoppin’, named after the film nd the ide th t ter the horrors o hell something pops and the best parties are to be had.

ell o ened his dinburgh sho ye rs go nd is in no sm ll way responsible for the increased awareness of artisan Mexican and nish ingredients in the city. he store stocks o er hot s uces ‘at last count’, says Bell, while their over-the-counter chorizo is an utterly superior breed from those found in supermarkets and, for long enough it w s retty much the only l ce unters could get agave tequila in the city.

Lupe’s is both a treasure trove and an asset to the food and drink scene. And with shops in both Edinburgh and Glasgow, no one’s getting neglected. It w s ctu lly toin coss t first he con esses about initially opening in Edinburgh. ‘I’ve got ties to both cities . . .

it was when we realised how many folk from Glasgow were coming through to buy stuff, it kind of made sense to open a second shop.’ This is all before online shopping changed the game for so many independents. But Lupe’s is happy where it is, aware that going down that route would result in a ‘shop full of stock everywhere nd orders needing ulfilled . Inste d they e ocused on discerning sourcing and product knowledge. The in-store experience is massive. You can also pick up copies of any of the various cookbooks Bell has written and, at this time of year, Cook-Off artwork and t-shirts from illustrator Vincent Bell (Dougie’s son). o wh t s new or this ye r s com etition e e fin lly got [burger restaurant] El Perro Negro in Glasgow. Nick [Watkins] is a regular in the shop and knows his chillis so that should be interesting, and [wine bar] Brett have got a great reputation. They’re the closest site to the deli so I m selfishly bi sed there In dinburgh there s n Indian restaurant joining us and I’m intrigued by the boonha chilli they’ve been working on.’ Even in a year of triumphant returns, this one feels particularly delightful.

Lupe Pintos’ Hellzapoppin’ Chilli Cook-Off, 313 Great Western Road, Glasgow, Saturday 1 October; 24 Leven Street, Edinburgh, Saturday 8 October.

street food

Hospitality in Edinburgh tends to go on its holidays at this time of year, but there are still a couple of summer openings to check out. Making the move from market to bricks and mortar are The Artisan Pasta Maker, whose Dundas Street restaurant offers sit-in pasta and takeaway for home-cooking, plus Ma Robert’s who are taking their Tanzanian sauces to the next level with a new café-bistro in Dublin Street. On a slightly (OK, very) different note, if you’re missing the sights and sounds of August then llie llerson s b ll it b r with cockt ils in orrest o d might fill your quota of ‘odd but I kinda liked it’ for October.

It’s not quite a phoenix from the ashes, but it’s still brilliant news that l sgow s gorgeous he ri fin is set to reo en its doors. ew owners Isle Of Skye Brewing Company promise a full range of their own beers, a new menu and a little bit of a restoration programme for the historic pub. Joining them at the glass-wash are the folk behind West End craft beer mecca Grunting Growler, who are working hard on Lunar, a natural wine and cocktail bar based in Southside.

SUISSI VEGAN KITCHEN

Suissi’s pan-Asian, plant-based, sharing plate offerings are an education in creative and meat-free cooking, particularly with different types of mushroom. The rendang (with lion’s mane mushrooms) and the sweet and sour (with king trumpet) are great examples.

BASTA

The menu is small and opening hours are narrow, but Basta do simple, elegant pizzas with a bit of panache and it’s worth the detour. Think rugged, tuggy bases, with cameos from ricotta and pancetta, smoked mozzarella, roquito peppers and butternut squash.

GA GA

Julie Lin’s second site has evolved into a Partick mainstay, equally comfortable slamming out spritzes to the outdoor tables as it is doing punchy South-East Asian food. The riffs on fried chicken are always worth a punt (fried thigh with a gloriously funky sambal sauce) and the posh prawn toast (with its delicate hit of sweet chilli) has earned ‘must try’ status.

BANH MHI AND BRUNCH

The best-known characteristics and exports of Vietnamese cooking in a chirpy space: think shreds of carrot, crumbs of peanut, coriander tumbling out of baguettes. Pho and homemade spring rolls arrive at your table within a couple of minutes of ordering. Delicious, cheap and cheerful.

HAYLYNN CANTEEN

Haylynn Canteen gives the people of Whiteinch a lovely balance between classic café (breakfast rolls, filled bagels) and modern, Mediterranean twists on the form. Enjoy a poached egg with grilled merguez sausage and labneh, while artwork from Oh Pandah and Ross Muir gaze down from the white walls.

Finally, with concerns about the cost of living rising, hat tip to the Good Food For Glasgow Campaign, who want to get more people involved in food, increasing knowledge about the Glasgow City Food Plan and access to healthy, sustainable eating. From community meals to growing tips and budget-friendly recipes, their podcast is a great place to start.

side dishes

Jo Laidlaw reports on the latest news and openings while praising a Glasgow initiative helping to tackle the cost of living crisis

We choose a street and tell you where to eat. David Kirkwood takes us on the second leg of his two-part culinary tour of Glasgow’s Dumbarton Road

The Griffin

BAR/RESTAURANT NOSTRANA

Hyndland’s dining scene continues to expand and entice with the arrival of this new bar-diner. Nostrana isn’t brand new, rather an amalgamation and total transformation of two former businesses, close to the well-heeled neighbourhood’s tennis club. Owner Marco Stevenson is a well-kent face to locals who’ve been enjoying his takeaway, Pizza Magic, since 1989 and bobbing into Tabak, his adjacent newsagent, for 15 years. The arrival of Sainsbury’s round the corner was the death knell for the shop, thus plans for this new restaurant were born.

Nostrana is in a top location, maximised by a thoughtful layout featuring plenty of outdoor seating, most of it through huge doors facing into the roadside square that overlooks Old Station Park. Inside it’s all big windows (framing Hyndland’s hoi polloi), exposed brickwork, and twinkling glasses overhanging the prominent bar that signals Nostrana’s welcome to justdrinkers or those grabbing a quick slice and a vino, and maybe something for the dog (welcome in the al fresco area).

Pizza Magic was renowned, hauling in customers from way wider than your average take-out. And the pizzas here are a step-up from there. Two varieties, Neapolitan and Nostrana, cover a dozen off-the-peg choices (bespoke is also available from a long list of toppings). The Naples option comes personal, plated and adhering to the characteristics: fresh, simple and soft with a bubbly, crisp crust. The more rough-shaped and rustic Nostrana style comes on a board, designed for sharing (once you get to grips with the scissors you’re given).

A handful of pasta options and sides bolster a menu whose undoubted star headliner is pizza. Quality ingredients throughout (such as fior di latte cheese) and clear care over fundamentals such as flour types help the pizzas hit the heights of some of the best in town. (Jay Thundercliffe) n 72 Hyndland Road, Glasgow, nostrana.co.uk

RESTAURANT DULSE

Dean Banks’ second Edinburgh restaurant (he also owns Haar in St Andrews) is a smart move away from the formal fine dining he offers across the road at The Pompadour into something altogether more neighbourhood. Formerly L’Escargot Blanc, the space still feels familiar but has scrubbed up braw; soothing blues, plenty of plants and a cleaned-up bar opens up the casual ground floor, while upstairs feels more like a traditional restaurant (the same menu is served in both).

A back bar dedicated to Scottish producers means your favourite pour may be missing from the focused cocktail list, but the sparky staff are full of recommendations and enthusiasm for their plans to plug any gaps, like making their own vermouths. The menu is mostly based around small plates, and oysters are a great place to start. They come topped with a drizzle of cucumber and jalapeño, creating a long, sweet finish rather than the traditional Tabasco burn. It’s genius, though the sensational trout pastrami and beautifully spiced North Sea cod with Goan curry sauce (just a hint of heat and acidity balancing the sweet flesh) are worthy followers.

Balance is an important word here, and Banks isn’t afraid to play with flavour and texture. While sometimes there’s a lot of richness (brown butter threatens to overwhelm the delicacy of the lobster it coats), when it’s good it’s stunning: the play of crispbread against soft trout, the contrast of creaminess against smoke. He doesn’t hide behind carbs and there’s a bravery around what he chooses to put onto each (very pretty) plate. Waiting staff are excellent at controlling the flow of dishes too, heading off at the pass a common complaint with small plate dining. That means there’s no excuse not to savour every bite in a celebration of the sea at every level. (Jo Laidlaw) n 17 Queensferry Street, Edinburgh, dulse.co.uk

HOW DO YOU LIKE # THEM APPLES?

Boutique beer producers may hog the headlines, but the craft cider industry is on the rise across the UK. Suzy Pope gets an insight into this burgeoning movement from those tapping into the market across Scotland

For a drink to legally be considered a cider, it only has to contain 35% fruit, and even then it can be from concentrate. Chemical-tasting and massproduced has been the image of modern ciders, but a craft movement has started across the UK.

Regions like Devon, Somerset and Herefordshire have vast orchards dedicated to the growth of tangy little cider apples. Scotland may be a little behind, but urban scrumping, communal spirit and replanting the cider orchards of the 12th century are all encouraging a shift towards taking cider a bit more seriously.

Scotland is blessed with a natural larder, especially fruitgrowing. The countryside outside Blairgowrie (aka Berry Town) is home to Scotland’s original craft cider company.

Alongside their fruit wine, Cairn O’Mohr have been quietly making rhubarb and meadowsweet ciders from foraged and farmed ingredients, and their King Jimmy apple number is worthy of cork-popping celebration.

Grant Hutchison of Scotland’s only dedicated cider shop, Aeble in Anstruther, is championing Scottish cider makers. ‘As much time and effort goes into a bottle of craft cider as a bottle of wine,’ he says. Witnessing the production process at Cairn O’Mohr is certainly a testament to that. Orchards need to be planted and tended to or ye rs be ore the first b tch o cider les re re dy for harvest.

Further north, as the autumn chill creeps into the air, Novar Cider in the Highlands await their third crop. 2020 s w the first b tch o cr t cider rom their orch rds which have been a labour of love. Most apple trees this far north tend to produce acidic cooking apples. But, after working

for a cidery in Normandy, Novar’s founder William Munro Ferguson wanted to bring larger scale craft cider-making to Scotland. Apple varieties that thrive in Normandy didn’t stand a chance in the chill of the Highlands. So, Novar’s 3000+ trees grow Hereford tannic apples for a fresh, crisp cider. Novar are also looking at bringing back some of the ancient apple varieties from medieval Scotland.

In the 12th century, Scotland was ripe with apple orchards. Abbeys and monasteries all had their own orchards for fermentation. Near Dundee, Lost Orchards Cider is all about replanting those traditional Scottish orchards. They started with one grower in 2012 and have expanded to four growers and a few thousand trees.

‘There are really exciting things happening with urban craft cider too,’ Hutchison says. ‘Not everyone can afford the time and land required to cultivate a dedicated cider orchard in Scotland.’ The likes of Clyde Cider in Glasgow rely on a community of casual apple growers, offering to clear lawns of fallen apples in exchange for a few bottles. Hutchison spent a day harvesting apples from the gardens of South Lanarkshire with John Hancox of Clyde Cider as he undertook his ‘apple amnesty’, letting no scrog or Braeburn end up on the compost heap.

‘Cider should be a seasonal drink,’ Hutchison argues, and to celebrate the end of the apple harvest (Saturday 29 October), Aeble are running a pairing session with local cideries at Baern café, part of the Bowhouse food hub near St Monans. In the meantime, if you want to sample Scotland’s craft ciders and you’ve got excess apple stock in your garden, you might be able to exchange fruit destined for the compost bin for a couple of bottles.

DRINK UP

In our regular drinks column, Kevin Fullerton tries a few tasty beverages and lets you know exactly what he thinks of them. This month we need to talk to Kevin about . . . Sober October

Don’t cane it, restrain it. Bin the booze. Eject getting wrecked. Such are the mottoes I staple to my forehead on Sober October, that self-flagellating time of year when we purge our bodies of alcoholic shame and puritanically purchase bottles containing no alcohol and even less fun. It’s like Lent without the off-putting ‘isn’t Jesus great?’ bit. As I stare into the gaping existential maw of sobriety for 31 days, I’ll be highlighting a few non-alcoholic beverages that are worth your time.

First in the boozeless joy parade is from the Jump/Ship brewery. I stopped drinking stout a few years ago, in part because I loved it so much that mainlining Guinness led me to resemble a man who was 16 months pregnant. But often the dream of alcohol-free stout doesn’t live up to the reality. This one though, is bang on target, providing that bitter cold-coffee taste with a milky undercurrent. If you want to drink a stout without bloating to waterlogged corpse levels, this is one to try.

One drink with no interest in capturing the taste of alcohol is Bon Accord Cream Soda , which puts the creamy carbonated treat in grown-up clothes, by which I mean the label looks fancier and it’s in a snazzy glass bottle. Beyond that, this is the classic taste of cream soda, that woozy mixture of sickly sweetness and refreshment creating an unlikely winning combination. Its uncomplicated pleasure is ideal if you’re searching for something more interesting than a bog-standard cola or lemonade, although we imagine that drinking it all night long will leave you jabbering like a hyperactive nine-year-old.

Days Lager , a hop-tastic 0%

won’t blow a bona fide craft beer out of the water, will still keep

Last on the liver-saving slab is bottle with a taste that’s light, satisfying and light-years ahead of the blech provided by supermarket brands. There’s the hint of complexity here, giving it a well-balanced taste that, while it won’t blow a bona fide craft beer out of the water, will still keep you entertained on a night out. In the world of middling, watery alcohol-free disappointments, Days could easily nab the Sober October crown.

BAR FILES

We ask creative folks to reveal their favourite watering hole

DJ AND BROADCASTER ARIELLE FREE

Whenever I come home to Glasgow and I’m going out, my first stop for the perfect start to the night is Bananamoon. Sat on Great Western Road, perfectly positioned between Byres Road and the city centre, I know that wherever I head onto next it’s not too far. The vibe in that bar is always on point. While sipping on their ridiculously tasty cocktails you are always soundtracked by a brilliant DJ with excellent curation (and sometimes secret sets from wellknown DJs too) or a perfectly selected playlist that matches the mood of the evening. They’re constantly updating their cocktail menu so there’s always a chance to discover your favourite new tipple, but one menu staple that I’d highly recommend is the Panther M*lk.

n Arielle Free’s remix of Gorgon City’s ‘Tell Me It’s True’ is out now as an Amazon Original.

Stoker’s Oat Milk Stout

SECOND THOUGHTS

Since their launch in 2016, Edinburgh Remakery has found great success in rebuilding, reusing and rehoming pre-loved tech, furniture and textiles. As well as reselling repaired items, they are partnered with 114 businesses across Scotland who donate their outdated gadgets to be recycled or gifted to people living in digital poverty.

‘We’re getting people to understand that buying refurbished tech is a great thing for the planet, but it’s also a great thing for your pocket,’ says Elaine Brown, CEO of the recycling trailblazer. ‘Our tech hardware is all about educating people that buying a second-hand computer is not second best. It’s actually economically and environmentally sound. And in doing so, you’re supporting a social enterprise that can help donate to people who couldn’t even afford to buy a second-hand piece of kit.’

The Remakery’s several community projects, including donation drop-boxes for old technology, can be found dotted around Edinburgh in schools and other community spaces. These collaborations have grown Brown’s business

exponentially in the past couple of years. In February, they o fici lly outgrew their sm ll store on eith lk nd moved into a new space in Ocean Terminal. The company also received a Queen’s Award (one of just 13 Scottish organisations to do so this year) for being a leading enterprise in sustainable development.

‘Every day, we see that doing good feels good. And achieving awards such as the Queen’s Award is just the icing on the cake,’ Brown beams. ‘It really shows that what we are doing resonates in the business world. And it’s appreciated and recognised. So we feel that we’re kind of trailblazers now in all things repair and reuse.’

Edinburgh Remakery plans to continue to grow their sustainable, community-driven work through regular school visits and workshops where they teach practical skills like sewing and IT, so we can all do a little to reduce waste.

‘We need to raise more awareness because we’re a very consumer-driven society,’ insists Brown. ‘Kids are often just fascinated because they don’t normally think, “how is this computer being made?” And when they see it, they’re m ed th t it would go into l ndfill. he other d y I h d it all laid out and somebody said, “it’s like a mini city”. And I said, “wouldn’t it be terrible to put this city in the bin?” We really want people to think long and hard: do they actually have to go and press the “buy new” button? Or could they come into the Remakery and get it repaired? If it’s beyond repair, can they donate it and then buy refurbished?’

With consumers becoming more and more conscious of their purchasing habits, Brown’s goal may just be in reach. ‘People are suddenly getting it. We’ve always been there, we’ve always seen it. But suddenly people are coming along with us.’

Edinburgh Remakery, Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive, Edinburgh, edinburghremakery.org.uk

It’s hard to resist getting the latest gadgets, but the founder of social enterprise Edinburgh Remakery tells Rachel Cronin why reusing and rehoming is not a compromise in quality

what’s in the bag?

Take One Action programmer and writer Xuanlin

Tham lets Megan Merino take a look inside their bag to reveal a mixture of ecological mysteries and film festival memorabilia

MUSHROOM GRAIN SPAWN

Got this bad boy at the radical mycology workshop hosted by Rhyze Mushrooms as part of our Edinburgh festival. It’s basically a bag of ‘mushroom seeds’, ready to myceliate and transform household waste streams like cardboard and coffee grounds into a bountiful oyster mushroom harvest. Alas, I am but a mycology beginner, but I’m really excited to try my hand at growing them soon. Three cheers for food sovereignty, circular economies and yummy mushrooms!

MOLESKINE NOTEBOOK

I am a big fan of the gridded notebook. No lined or blank pages for me: grids are superior! Here is where I jot down my very sprawling thoughts while watching a film, in the hopes that they will be legible enough to turn into programming notes or film criticism. This one is quite old and is being held together at the spine with washi tape, god bless.

0.38MM MUJI BALLPOINT PENS

My ride-or-die pens of choice. They are very smooth and inky but not splotchy, so very good for when you need to write in dark cinemas where you can’t see your notebook at all.

TICKET STUB FROM OUR EDINBURGH FESTIVAL EARLIER THIS YEAR

I am definitely the sort of person who hangs on to way too many ticket

stubs. This one’s really special to me, having been lucky enough to programme these two gorgeous films (Foragers and Coming Home) as our opening screening for Take One Action Film Festival 2022. It was a truly special night, and I feel like this ticket holds a key to the memories, laughter and connection we shared in that buzzing cinema theatre.

HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT BY MAYA GOODFELLOW

I hate being caught unawares without a book in my bag. This is Maya Goodfellow’s incisive exposé of the Home Office’s violent immigration policies, tying in with a film we’re screening at our festival entitled Hostile. It’s a brutal, powerfully moving documentary and a really difficult but essential watch; one that demands further education and action.

A VERY WELLLOVED COPY OF OUR TAKE ONE ACTION EDINBURGH FESTIVAL BROCHURE

Again, definitely very sentimental about this special piece of paper, and will never forget how amazing it felt to hold it in the flesh for the first time; as if the festival was only a figment of the virtual space in emails and digital files until the brochures reached us.

Take One Action Film Festival is in Aberdeen, Friday 21–Sunday 23 October, and Inverness, Friday 28–Sunday 30 October.

Leah Bauer checks out a trio of recent openings in our shopping column shop talk

CHULO’S STUFFED COOKIES

Fans of this pop-up favourite, which frequents Stockbridge Market and Scran Glasgow, will finally be able to satisfy their stuffed-cookie cravings seven days a week in their new Finnieston shop, which plans to have six flavours on offer at all times.

n 936 Argyle Street, Glasgow, chulos.co.uk

PICT MODA

New indie clothing label Pict Moda is an offshoot of Keeble Creative design agency, specialising in graphic tees, hoodies and hats.

Designed in Scotland by these Livingstonbased artists, prints take inspiration from Pictish patterns, animals and nature.

n Online shop, pict.moda

HOBZ BAKERY

No stranger to the neighbourhood, thanks to regular pop-ups at Leith Walk Police Box, Hobz opens its first shop this month. Striving to source all grain from as close to Edinburgh as possible, their deeply flavourful sourdough loaves are not only moreish but environmentally conscious too.

n 106 Leith Walk, Edinburgh, hobzbakery.com

Pict Moda

Discover new music and your new favourite pint with Heverlee this October

Pints of premium pilsner lager and music flow side by side as Heverlee launches the ‘Heverlee Mixer’ across Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee; a series of pop-ups in three major cities to celebrate discovery - from trying a new beer to delving into a new musical genre.

Already known for sponsoring and hosting some of the best electronic and alternative music events, like Melting Pot, Heverlee at New Waverley and Heverlee at Tontine Lane, the premium pilsner is at the forefront of great music and great pints.

The brand is now teaming up with Scotland’s local independent radio stations, EHFM and Clyde Built, to take over venues across Edinburgh, Dundee, and Glasgow for five days in each city throughout October.

With a diverse line up of music artists and specially curated pop-up vinyl stores, DJs will spin records from across the world and bring a flavour of Belgian culture to Scotland in a nod to the brand’s heritage.

‘We wanted to put on a string of events that allowed music and beer fans to enjoy a diverse and original

array of artists, alongside a quality pint. You don’t know what you might find at the Heverlee Mixer, and we encourage everyone who comes to share their discoveries beyond the four walls of the bar,’ says Heverlee Senior Brand Manager Hazel Alexander.

With discovery at the heart of the pop-ups, you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled for more info as details on locations and how you can get involved are revealed. Follow @HeverleeBeer across Twitter and Instagram for hints, event reveals and announcements, including headline DJs and featured artists making the line-up.

In the meantime, music fans can also keep an eye out for Heverlee Mixer posters in each city, containing unique codes that may just get you a free pint of Heverlee upon entry*.

For more information on all things Heverlee, visit heverlee.com.

*Strictly over 18s only. ID will be checked on the door and at point of redemption. Limited quantity available. drinkaware.co.uk for the facts

out

PRIDE & PREJUDICE*

(*SORT OF)

Now, this is how to make a homecoming. Isobel McArthur’s rollicking take on Jane Austen (kinda) returns to the Lyceum where it appeared in early 2020 after a successful Glasgow Tron debut two years prior. An Olivier Award for Best Entertainment/Comedy Play is now stuffed into its breeches after beating off stiff competition from the likes of The Choir Of Man and The Shark Is Broken. After receiving the award with a shocked ‘amazing . . . fuck!’, McArthur paid warm tribute to Andy Arnold, the Tron and Glasgow. Now’s your chance to see what the prize-laden fuss is about. (Brian Donaldson) n Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Tuesday 18 October–Saturday 5 November.

PET SOUNDS

An ever-changing 19-strong ensemble absorbing stylistic influences from across the globe, Snarky Puppy are no ordinary musical outfit. While catching up with founder Michael League, Fiona Shepherd discovers the group’s heart is still in Texas

By Michael League’s reckoning, his band Snarky Puppy have played in 55 countries; quite a tally for any grou ne er mind iece outfit. ut n rky u y re not like other ensembles. or st rt these ble instrument lists h e rob bly bsorbed music l in uences rom most o those countries. heir line-up comprises multiple guitarists, keyboard players, drummers, percussionists and brass players orbiting round b ssist b ndle der e gue. o r hr se the l te ll rontm n rk mith i it s e gue nd your gr nny on bongos it s n rky u y. nd e gue rob bly would m ke the best o th t stri ed b ck line u .

e know th t we c n cce t ny gig t ny time s long s I m il ble he s ys nd then i nybody in the b nd c n t m ke it we h e two or three more members we c n sk. It doesn t re lly m tter bec use e erybody knows ll the music so we c n switch on the y nd there s no issue. ec use e erybody t kes c re o business this m kes the entire org nis tion little more gile. or the mount o eo le it s sur risingly light on its eet. I e been in trios th t were more high m inten nce th n n rky u y.

e gue origin lly ormed n rky u y in with some o his ellow students t the ni ersity orth e s bec use he s ys he w sn t good enough to m ke it into ny o the o fici l ensembles. his teen ge rock guit rist cut his teeth in high school co er b nds but mo ed to b ss nd w s switched on to when he he rd teely n still key in uence on the grou .

His u st rt u y grew rms nd legs s it entured out into the rich di erse music community o ll s bro dening sonic style to encom ss unk rock nd world music in uences nd e entu lly dding b nd members rom rgentin n nd the s well s including l swegi n sound engineer ich el H rrison mong the wider mily. e gue mo ed to rooklyn in the l te s nd now li es in in close to the rench border when we s e k he h s ust ho ed o er to oulouse to roduce ub n i nist H rold e uss . ut des ite

SOUNDS

being an international operation these days, Snarky Puppy remains rooted in Dallas, paying tribute to their home town on new album Empire Central

‘Dallas is the place where Snarky Puppy went from being an average college band to a band that knows what it is and plays with heart and soul and conviction,’ says League. ‘That’s something that we didn’t learn in college; that’s something that most of us in the band learned from being in Dallas and experiencing the music scene there and playing with our many friends and heroes from that scene. Texas in general has created a disproportionately large mount o in uenti l nd renowned musici ns com red to the m ority o meric n st tes so we ust w nted to shine little light on its cultur l leg cy and say thanks for all that it’s given us over the years.’

The album features 16 new tracks, composed by various members of the group, then spiced up by their bandmates and recorded in Snarky Puppy’s signature fashion: live and grooving in a bespoke venue in front of an audience who are kitted out with headphones so they experience the session in the same way as the musicians.

This unusual set-up has served Snarky Puppy well, to the tune of four Grammy Awards with their most recent gong arriving for Live At The Royal Albert Hall , a releasefrom 2020. Empire Central , however, was recorded in the more intimate environs of the Deep Ellum Art Company in Dallas. ‘It was nice to return to this format after six years of not doing it because the band has grown

as a collective and individually,’ says League. ‘I thought it would be a really wonderful combination of the familiar with the new and surprising.’

For League, the album has acquired a greater emotional weight since the passing of keyboard player Bernard Wright, a Dallas funk heavyweight who died in a car crash earlier this year. Empire Central features his last professionally recorded performance but his passion for mentoring younger musicians endures in Snarky Puppy’s GroundUP Music Foundation. As League insists, ‘he was the spirit of the recording.’

Snarky Puppy play O2 Academy Glasgow, Tuesday 4 October.

Written & directed by John Binnie

It's light and shade, warts and all. Don't look away. Learn about the past

“

Historian Lucy Worsley is known for re-evaluating the legacy of women from our past. Now she has turned her lens onto Queen Of Crime, Agatha Christie, with a new biography and stage tour examining the author’s life and work. She chats to Christie fangirl Lucy Ribchester about middlebrow female authors, toffee lollipops and the indomitability of little old ladies

Can you tell me a bit about your first encounter with Agatha Christie’s work? I don’t have a lovely origin story. She’s always been there as far as I can remember. I think she is sort of like the wallpaper in a lot of people’s lives. I do remember checking out an Agatha Christie as a treat from the library at the start of my school holidays. I remember getting The Blue Train just after finishing my GCSEs and diving in and sitting in a chair until I’d finished it.

You mention the Christie Archive in your book. I wondered if you could tell me about using those to research your work? Well, if you had met Agatha Christie in person, she could be shy and withdrawn and watchful. But on paper, perhaps because she was a writer, she was so different. She was chatty and exuberant and vulnerable. Reading her correspondence was amazing. There’s this rollercoaster of correspondence when she’s trying to decide whether or not to marry her second husband. I was completely gripped by that. He was 14 years younger than her and there were all sorts of reasons not to marry him. Anyway, eventually her ten-year-old daughter worked out what was going on. And my favourite letter says, ‘Rosie’ (that was the daughter’s name) ‘has guessed about the proposal, and she will give her consent to the marriage, if you send by written two dozen toffee lollipops from Selfridges.’

All ten-year-olds should be required to negotiate marriage . . . on behalf of their parents. Yes.

In terms of the tour you’re doing, how did you go about condensing a life that rich into a show which is just under two hours? It’s really hard. I've been panicking about it all summer. All my family members have heard the show in various draft forms. At one point my dad said, ‘well, I didn't fall asleep’, which is high praise from him.

It’s clear from your book you want to confront head-on the problematic nature of some of Christie’s novels, for example, the subjects of class and race. Are there any of her books that you consider too problematic to still be part of her canon? No, I don’t. I think, actually, the trouble is when people read these books just expecting entertainment. That’s when your expectations confront an uncomfortable reality. But we should read them because they are records of social history as well. And we need to know what people thought; we need to know how prevalent these attitudes were, so that we can confront that and make the present better. It’s light and shade, warts and all. Don’t look away. Learn about the past.

Do you think Agatha Christie’s legacy might be different if she was a man? Would she be taken more seriously? That’s hard to answer because she wouldn’t have written the way she wrote unless she was female. There’s been a whole strand

tal sk•sklat• talks

PREVIEWS

of 20th-century criticism which is to position yourself as a highbrow person by giving Agatha Christie a kicking. But it’s often said the bestselling books in history are Shakespeare, the Bible and Christie. What I find astonishing is that no one ever follows that by saying, ‘she did that in a world made by men’. And the fact that her stories are crime stories, and that they are middlebrow; she was very proud of being middlebrow. When she got one of her many honours (I think it was Dame Commander) she said, ‘that’s one up for the lowbrows’.

She owned it? She did, and she also had problems making any claims for her work. I’m pretty sure this is partly to do with her gender and her Victorian upbringing, but also to do with this big public shaming she had in 1926 [Christie triggered a national manhunt when she left home, abandoned her car and mysteriously disappeared for 11 days, prompting headlines around the world]. Before then, you do see her making statements about her ambition and career. But after 1926, she always talks of herself as a lucky little old lady.

Are there any other authors you would like to see re-evaluated, particularly women? Monica Dickens, Barbara Pym, Rosamond Lehmann, Elizabeth Bowen, Elizabeth Taylor, Elizabeth Jane Howard. Mid-century, middlebrow female novelists are a favourite of mine. I'm not ashamed to enjoy their work.

I’m going to ask you a really horrible question to finish. Do you have a favourite of Christie’s books? I’m going to go for Murder At The Vicarage because it introduces my favourite Christie character, Miss Marple. What’s brilliant about Murder At The Vicarage is that to the first readers, they wouldn’t even have known that this slightly funny old lady was the detective. I mean, we know it’s Miss Marple. But you wouldn’t know that if you were picking up the first edition of that book. This week, I’ve been thinking about a picture of Agatha Christie, the Queen Of Crime, meeting the actual Queen at the film premiere of Death On The Nile. I’ve been thinking about indomitability and longevity and the way that you mustn't underestimate little old ladies.

In the late 80s and early 90s, British film output seemed to be markedly split between the social realism of Mike Leigh and Ken Loach, and the arch grandiosity of Peter Greenaway and Derek Jarman. Plunging headfirst into this battle royale was Sally Potter with the film that made her name, the 1992 adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s novel which had previously resided in that busy box marked ‘unfilmable’. It did take Potter seven years to complete but the effort was well worth it as it launched Tilda Swinton onto a new level in the title role of the androgynous nobleman while this gender-mixing continued as Quentin Crisp played the dying Elizabeth I. A highly experimental affair, Orlando featured time travel, fourth-wall busting and the acting of Billy Zane, while quoting everything from Shakespeare to the Quran. This lavish treat is part of the GFT’s season of films (including The Favourite and Velvet Goldmine) celebrating costume designer Sandy Powell. (Brian Donaldson) n GFT, Glasgow, Tuesday 4, Thursday 6 October.

An Evening With Lucy Worsley On Agatha Christie, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, Sunday 9 October; Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman is out now, published by Hodder & Stoughton.

Jordan & Skinner’s feminist retelling of The Time Machine has been six years in the making. Rachel Ashenden caught up with the duo to talk about cynicism, the burden of Gen Z and laughing in the face of impending doom

eht a tre • the a ert

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Melanie Jordan and Caitlin Skinner make joyful theatre about the things that anger them. Prioritising the perspectives o women nd non bin ry eo le their first roduction Sanitise won a Scotsman Fringe First in 2014. During the wake of Donald Trump’s election and the EU referendum, they turned to H ells sci fi cl ssic The Time Machine . Swinging between feelings of ‘hope and doom’, the feminist duo took to adapting the speculative story for theatre, using it to navigate their emotional pendulum as well as their own entrenched cynicism.

Cynicism wasn’t always the order of the day for Jordan & Skinner. hey both grew u in the s when the uture elt uite bright re ects Jordan. As they reached adulthood, this brightness dimmed. With the rise of populism, the climate emergency and growing class divisions, they came to the realisation that human progress doesn’t always equate to moving forward in a positive way. For this reason, the plot of Wells’ The Time Machine struck a chord. Set in the Victorian era against a booming industrial revolution, Wells’ protagonist is confronted with a strange future, one that no one could have anticipated.

In Jordan & Skinner’s adaptation of this groundbreaking text, a group of four feminists prepare a bunker for the end of the world. The cause of their imminent deaths is unknown, though the writers indicate it could be due to environmental breakdown, fascism or nuclear war. In their bunker, a space that symbolises the rejection of capitalism and current structures, the characters imagine what a feminist utopia might look like.

Skinner observes that their characterisation draws upon the pressure that Gen experiences to minimise the damage caused by older generations: ‘they feel the burden of being the hope and the nurture which will bring about a better world’. Although united over the common cause of combating

the patriarchy, there is disparity between the characters’ isions or the uture which le ds to inter erson l con ict To counterbalance such devastating themes, Jordan & Skinner employ comedic relief through the means of passive aggression; they agree that negotiating communal li ing is uni ers lly unny. ord n confirms th t e en when faced with Armageddon, people can still be divided into two camps: those who leave Post-it notes about the washing up, and those who ignore the Post-it notes along with the washing up. She laughs, disclosing that her character is firmly in the ormer c tegory.

Jordan believes theatre offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with a room full of artists. Much like the characters in their play, the cast would generously challenge any perceived notions of what a feminist future could or should be. kinner re ects th t ll o the work they do ‘comes from a genuine question about the state of the world . . . it’s a process of going through the cynicism and the frustration and turning it into a joyful performance.’

Jordan & Skinner: The Time Machine, Platform, Glasgow, Friday 7 & Saturday 8 October; Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Wednesday 26–Friday 28 October; Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Thursday 3–Saturday 5 November.

PICTURE: MARIA STOIAN

Iza Tarasewicz never danced the mazurka while growing up on her family farm in the rural Polish village of Koplany. Indeed, it w s dec de go when she first disco ered the prevalence of this 16th-century folk dance that brought farm worker serfs together in w y th t h s in uenced simil r e ressions o choreographed community across the world.

Tarasewicz has applied the mazurka’s spirit to her first solo e hibition. t r mw y the dance’s circular rhythms become a life force to her large-scale sculptural constructions which have been crafted from agricultural machinery rendered redundant by industrialisation. Following research based on the decline in farm labour, agricultural problems and controls on produce distribution in the wake of Russia’s in sion o kr ine r sewic gi es wh t she calls ‘traumatised objects’ a new lease of life that mirrors a real need for community in a turbulent world.

‘The whole world is in a crazy state just now,’ says Tarasewicz. ‘There are major political, social and ecological problems that are the same everywhere. But the biggest problem is how our communities have divorced people from being together. he m in ocus in the e hibition is on folk traditions within communities which are disappearing everywhere. That’s the saddest part for me and is related to how modern production of food and agriculture is manipulated by politicians; we can see that with wh t is h ening in kr ine.

r sewic s e erience stems in rt rom moving back to her village at the start of the pandemic. ‘It's beautiful to come back to my village again to do this research,’ she says,

‘but after industrialisation, agriculture looks tot lly di erent so big rt o the e hibition will be about that crisis in our communities.’ This will manifest itself in a modular system of sculptures, including a large brass work pieced together with several thousand small parts.

‘It looks a little bit like garden tools,’ says Tarasewicz. ‘But actually it is little hands making circular movements on the wall and is related s ecific lly to the m urk . course this is about dancing in a circle, but I also read about figures o uddh with m ny h nds which h e a collective power that connects with cosmic forces. So for me, this work is a tribute to labour that is disappearing, and a need to connect.’

Tarasewicz is also planning a group of largescale sculptures at the gallery’s entrance, ‘like farmers making barricades against the go ernment fighting or better ood roduction . ccom nying the e hibition will be a set of performances overseen by Polish choreographer Pawel Sakowicz, who will work with Glasgow-based dancers on a piece based on the mazurka. This celebrates the collective rhythm of life that drives Tarasewicz’s e hibition. I think it would be nice i eo le st rt to re ect on their own roots bec use we are disconnected,’ she says. ‘I think something ositi e could h en i ter ll this con ict and crisis, there was some new energy that brought power to the people.’

Iza Tarasewicz, Tramway, Glasgow, Saturday 8 October–Sunday 29 January; performances choreographed by Pawel Sakowicz will take place on Friday 7, Saturday 22 October and Saturday 5 November.

I am equally as hard on the poor as I am on the rich ” “

Ruben Östlund once again wields satire to stunning effect with his new movie. James Mottram met the Swedish filmmaker in Cannes as he ponders ideological strife, human nature and how to be good in the digital age

When Swedish director Ruben Östlund was growing up, family dinners were a lively affair. ‘During the 60s, my mother became a part of the left-wing movement, and she’s one of the few that still calls herself a communist. And in my home, when my brother grew up, he became a right-wing conservative.’ He was caught between these ‘constant ideological battles’, he says, as his mother argued for a socialist utopia. his olitic l b ttleground un uestion bly eeds into his new film the stounding prize-winning satire Triangle Of Sadness . Set around an elite cruise for the superwealthy (oligarchs, weapons dealers, supermodels, tech moguls), the captain of this luxury ship is a Marxism-spouting drunk, played by Woody Harrelson. Yet this is not a dry film bout deb ting di ering ideologies but sc thing study o hum n n ture nd the delicate hierarchies we form.

A brutal storm sees the passengers throw up their haute-cuisine meal in one of the most deliciously excessive scenes of vomiting since Mr Creosote exploded on his wafer-thin mint in Monty Python’s Meaning Of Life. Then the ship sinks, leaving sur i ors on desert isl nd where the only erson who knows how to fish is the super-yacht’s toilet cleaner Abigail (Dolly De Leon). The power dynamic soon shifts as Abigail becomes master of the island, even demanding sexual favours from male model Carl (Harris Dickinson).

he film which loosely rec lls comedy The Admirable Crichton , has already won this ye r s to ri e t the nnes ilm esti l which uts stlund in th t r refied grou o directors who h e won two lmes d r. His re ious film s rt world

take-down The Square, also claimed the coveted award; in the aftermath, the Swede met plenty of wealthy people, doubtlessly planting seeds for this follow-up. ‘I think that people automatically read that I hate rich people,’ he warns. ‘No, I am equally as hard on the poor as I am on the rich.’

Still, Östlund has more respect for ‘the old bourgeoise’ than new money nd the w y it s bl t ntly unted. hen I w s ye rs old, I was in Copenhagen with my father, and I wanted to go and look t c r. e thought it w s olls oyce but it didn t h e the figure on the ront. hey h d unscrewed it bec use eo le were spitting on the car. Back then you didn’t show off your wealth. od y showing o we lth is how you osition yoursel .

Sitting in a tranquil garden during Cannes, Östlund is just a few hundred yards away from the Martinez Hotel, where he had an argument with his then-girlfriend, now-wife. After he paid for several dinners, she said she’d get the next one, only to slyly let him pick up the bill. It precipitated a revealing row that lasted into the wee small hours, a breakthrough moment in their relationship. ‘You become completely transparent,’ he says, ‘and you dare to talk to each other without trying to show your best self; then you also reach each other in a different way.’

his delicious rickly con ict ound its w y into Of Sadness , another example of Östlund’s willingness to selflacerate. After making several documentaries and shorts, plus a cou le o little seen e tures his intern tion l bre kthrough Force Majeure detailed the fall-out from an avalanche, when ther im ulsi ely b ndons his mily. e ssured he d be u or n c demy w rd he nd his roducer decided to film re ction ideo s the nomin tions were nnounced. hen it w s o erlooked they turned it into ou ube sens tion wedish director freaks out when he misses out on Oscar. ‘Dark humour becomes a tool to do something fun,’ he shrugs.

Yet even with this wry approach to life and work, some things re ine lic ble. hree months ter we meet the Triangle team were left utterly shocked by the death of Charlbi Dean, who plays y the su ermodel in uencer girl riend to ickinson s rl. he ye r old outh ric n died suddenly ter being dmitted into a New York hospital at the end of August, shortly before the mo ie w s due to m ke its orth meric n bow t the oronto Intern tion l ilm esti l. he thought th t she will not be by our side in the future makes me very sad,’ Östlund wrote on Instagram. stlund s dignified res onse w s well udged in n ren th t c n o ten be otherwise. s nyone who sees his film will re lise the idity o soci l medi is nother t rget. ck in he was left outraged by people posting black squares on their feeds in support of Black Lives Matter. ‘If you didn’t do it, you’re a mean, cold-hearted person.’ But as he insists, the reality is people were simply providing free content for platforms that are making millions. ‘And we think we are positioning ourselves with good thoughts. In tod y s olitic lly correct minefield stlund eels like the perfect guide.

Triangle Of Sadness is in cinemas from Friday 28 October.

TOBIAS HENRIKSSON

•ydemoc comedy•

VENUE

3 TO SEE AT . . . ORAN MOR

Comedian, podcaster, influencer and author Sofie Hagen (Wednesday 5 October) takes her Fringe show, Fat Jokes, on tour and promises a show that is about ‘fat, jokes, and fat jokes’. The Dane has achieved her place in the comedy firmament with a series of very personal shows, but this one aims to be a bit more wide-ranging and political.

‘From Spandau Ballet’ comes Martin Kemp: Back To The 80s (Sunday 9 October), an ‘unstoppable singalong’ covering a decade in which he, his brother Gary and his mates (‘from Spandau Ballet’) dominated the UK singles charts (‘True’, ‘Gold’, all that jazz). You can expect to hear the likes of Chaka Khan, Bros, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Madness and Rick Astley. There might even be the odd tune ‘from Spandau Ballet’.

Pretty much the ‘king of anti-comedy’ (you’ll understand what that means if you’ve ever seen him live), Neil Hamburger (Monday 10 October) is the shambolic and guttural creation of Gregg Turkington. Throughout his show he’ll wrestle with a glass of beer under his arm while sweating profusely and coughing up phlegm as he lobs out one offensive gag after another about everyone from the very famous to obscure American musicians from the 90s. Be warned: if there isn’t a decent number of walkouts, Gregg/Neil won’t be doing his job properly. (Brian Donaldson) n oran-mor.co.uk

COMEDY MY COMEDY HERO Harriet Kemsley on Sean Lock

My comedy hero is Sean Lock. I don’t think I’ll be alone in that. When he died, most of the comedy industry wrote about how brilliant he was. Despite not having social media, he dominated it for days. I think what we loved about him so much is that he was very real; he felt like your dad or your dad’s friend. In fact, I called him my dad a few times on 8 Out Of 10 Cats, and he went along with it; something my own dad doesn’t always do. But he also had this magical silliness about him that was so hilarious but also very creative and unexpected.

It was intimidating to be in a room with Sean because he was the best, and everyone knew it. He wasn’t easily impressed, and I don’t think he would have ever been able to be fake; I over-laugh which is a horrible habit, and he never did that. So if you did make him laugh, that was the best feeling in the world.

I feel very lucky that I got to work with him on 8 Out Of 10 Cats. I think I learned from Sean to always see the silly side of something, to always be 100% yourself and say what you’re thinking. The world definitely feels worse for not being able to know what Sean would think.

n Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh, Sunday 9 October; The Stand, Glasgow, Wednesday 30 November.

PICTURE: MATT CROCKETT

PICTURE: MATT

Sofie Hagen

“a deliciously dark Irish comedy”

by Martin McDonagh

FUTURE SOUND

Our column celebrating music to watch continues with hard-rocking indie outfit, Dead Pony. With a new EP just released, the Glasgow-based four-piece tell Fiona Shepherd about their DIY work ethic, love of Mad Max and plans for world domination

Artistic inspiration strikes in many forms. Indie rocking four-piece Dead Pony can trace the roots of their new EP to a night spent watching steampunk sci fi ction cl ssic Mad Max: Fury Road e d ust w tched one o the big ch se scenes s ys guit rist l ir richton nd I st rted l ying ri . In the film there s guy th t d ngles o the ront o the truck nd l ys guit r so I w s emul ting th t i you were the guy h nging o the big bus wh t would you l y

sy. ou would l y e d ony s ullet rm the song th t w s born rom th t ri . ut why sto there he ne t d y richton enned ollow u tr ck directly ins ired by the ction in the film.

e went to town on r oys m king ll the lyrics fit in with the theme he e l ins.

SOUND

‘We love that movie, the visuals, the story, everything about it; we felt we could see these songs on the soundtrack,’ says frontwoman Anna Shields, who developed the accompanying artwork by handpainting the EP song titles on to denim for the band to model, biker gang-style. Shields’ bespoke artwork also belongs to some fans in the form of customised T-shirts and hand-drawn sketches. ‘It’s so nice to make something for your fans,’ says Shields. ‘It feels quite intimate.’

This is all part of the Dead Pony DIY work ethic, evident since the Glasgow band hit the ground running in early 2020, drawing a line under previous individual and collective efforts with a new name, new songs . . . and no foreseeable route to being able to share them live. ‘We started at the best and worst time,’ says Shields. ‘We were just a bit more clear about what we wanted and how we wanted to evolve. But we’d been a band for well o er ye r nd h l be ore we h d our first ro er gig. Said gig was a sold-out hometown show at King Tut’s, followed by a UK tour supporting

Twin Atlantic and debut appearances at TRNSMT and Glastonbury where they played the BBC Introducing Stage. Powered by bassist Liam Adams and relative new boy Ewan Lyons on drums, their gigs have, by Shields’ reckoning, ‘got a bit more nuts as the songs have become more energetic and heavier’.

The band are set to continue on that heavy trajectory. New songs are being written with a debut album in mind, but in the medium term Crichton says his basic aspiration is to go on a UK tour and meet all the fans that enjoy the EP. ‘The sky’s the limit. I want to be doing an arena tour of the world, selling millions of albums, the biggest rock band ever!’ He breaks off and laughs at his ambitions. Shields, however, is laser-focused in one direction: ‘I want one of our songs to be used on the new Mad Max soundtrack.’

Dead Pony play Barras Art And Design, Glasgow, as part of Tenement Trail, Saturday 8 October; War Boys EP is out now on LAB Records.

association with

A gripping and romantic detective story, Decision To Leave scooped Best Director for South Korea’s Park Chan-wook at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Emma Simmonds declares it a total triumph from a director at the height of his powers

Movies fusing heartache and thrills are rare and wonderful beasts that quicken the pulse and hammer us emotionally. Decision To Leave is one such film. t le o murder ssion nd coming li e inside this deliciously det iled woo ily rom ntic detecti e story comes courtesy o celebr ted uteur rk h n wook the outh ore n filmm ker behind such unforgettable cinematic masterstrokes as Oldboy Stoker and The Handmaiden

Helmed with Hitchcocki n ud city the film sn gged rk this ye r s nnes est irector ri e no me n e t be ring in mind his consider ble com etition there elly eich rdt l ire enis uben stlund nd the rdennes to n me but ew . o written with re uent coll bor tor eong eo kyeong the ir bring male and female perspectives to an original story that nevertheless draws fruitfully on some genre classics.

ith the dogged ursuit o mysterious ob ect o obsession t its core Hitchcock s Vertigo provides the most obvious inspiration. But there are shades o ob elson s groundbre king nd under r ted c t nd mouse thriller BlackWidow st rring ebr inger nd heres ussell longside Memories Of Murder the brilli nt second film rom rk s eer ong oon ho. su orting st r o the l tter rk H e il t kes the le d here l ying kn ckered olice ins ector H e oon whose in bility to slee m kes him re lly gre t t st keouts.

Decision To Leave begins with the us n b sed detecti e nd his younger less ob iously com etent rtner oo w n o yung yo in estig ting the de th o businessm n nd m teur climber whose body is ound t the oot o mount in. It might ust be n o en nd shut ccident but m tters re uickly com lic ted when the m rried H e oon becomes fi ted on the dece sed m n s younger wi e eo r e ng ei rom Lust,Caution ). The pair observe this hin born nurse t king imm cul te c re o her elderly tients nd yet her m nner during inter iews r ises red g she seems eerily un erturbed by her husb nd s demise while on er their rel tionshi m kes little sense. here s much more to this long nd winding story which relishes kee ing us guessing shi ts loc tion nd includes the olice duo s rcic l ttem ts to c tch ir o other crimin ls. n the domestic ront we witness the rently utile e orts o H e oon s de oted wi e ee ung hyun to kee their m rri ge li e. he s b sed in sm ll co st l town nd only sees her husb nd t weekends. lluding to the film s so histic tion nd the subtlety th t e ists longside its more eye c tching elements rk h s described his first e ture in si ye rs s story or dults . He s tended tow rd ro oc tion in the st nd here sw s the se u lly e licit ntics o TheHandmaiden and the ultra-violence of his Vengeance Trilogy (comprising Sympathy For Mr Vengeance Oldboy and Lady Vengeance for something less bloodthirsty and surprisingly chaste.

m loying striking dissol es nd i id nt sies nd working be uti ully with cinem togr her im i yong the director im gin ti ely c tures H e oon s inner li e nd the w y eo r e in des his mind. tre ks o s irit li ting bsurdist humour see the in estig tors bound together to sc le sm ll mount in s they w lk the th the de d m n took nd dr wing some eccentric conclusions less murder c ses these d ys nice we ther erh s while the writing on the whole is im ressi ely ul y nd l y ul killing is like smoking only the first time is h rd .

n ro ri tely mesmerising nd enigm tic ng gi es us fine hum nised t ke on the cl ssic mo ie emme t le with rk H e il s det iled work s H e oon n bsolute delight des ite his ttem ts to hide them H e oon s eelings or eo r e re written ll o er his ce while his orlorn re ctions to the un olding e ents re riceless when he finds his ro ession lism com romised. s this dull nd duti ul detecti e is w kened emotion lly wh t we re witnessing e rs to be the m king nd ine it ble bre king o ery modest m n. utside o this engrossing nd consuming lo e ir the su orting st rs cr nk u the eccentricity ro iding welcome comic relie .

nother trium h rom m ster director o er ting t the ery height o his owers rk s l test is film to get lost in. ri ing nd bewitching o er subst nti l but s tis ying running time this is eleg nt nd enormously im ct ul filmm king th t holds you close in the moment and is sure to leave a lingering mark.

Decision To Leave is in cinemas from Friday 21 October.

REVIEWS

COMEDY

STEVE HOFSTETTER

Returning to these shores for the first time in three years, Steve Hofstetter is, by UK standards, direct and unabashed in his political leanings. The New Yorker’s reputation precedes him, thanks to a popular YouTube channel full of him ‘owning’ hecklers. And if the former nursery teacher has a shtick, it’s patronising conservatives; or at least their lunatic fringes.

Musing on the impact or otherwise of the #MeToo movement and defending transgender rights, Hofstetter is an upfront progressive who’s acutely conscious of and acknowledges his straight white cis male privilege. Even so, he eases into the identity politics with lighter gags about the pre-eminence he enjoys as a 6ft4 high tower. A reformed teenage sexist, it’s a pity he doesn’t share the regressive gag he once told that shamed him into feminism.

On the knotty subject of trans women in female sport, he doesn’t claim to have the answers. But it’s enough for him to rip apart the views of knuckle-dragging blowhards, identifying the fear behind their newfound interest in women’s athletics. A thoughtful stand-up, he challenges anti-vaxxers with recourse to maths gags, savours the dark irony of natural disasters actually saving lives, and advocates for a female US president, wittily dismissing the sexist orthodoxy that blocks it. (Jay Richardson)

n Reviewed at The Stand, Glasgow; digital show on Monday 3 October via stevehofstetter.com

FILM THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN (Directed by Martin McDonagh)

Colin Farrell delivers a career-best turn in this pointed, witty and allegorical fable which unfolds on a fictional Irish island in 1923. It sets a feud between two friends against the backdrop of the Irish Civil War, raging audibly on the mainland. Writer-director Martin McDonagh follows the Oscar-winning ThreeBillboardsOutside Ebbing,Missouri with a film told in a more minor key but that’s still outstandingly executed.

Farrell stars as the simple-minded donkey-lover Pádraic, who is left reeling at the outset when his best mate Colm (Farrell’s In Bruges co-star Brendan Gleeson) breaks up with him. Colm’s reasoning? With his lack of cultural nous and unselfconscious obsessions, Pádraic is suffocatingly dull. Refusing to accept the situation, Pádraic won’t leave Colm be, and his former friend resorts to drastic action to persuade him he’s serious. Pádraic’s much smarter sister Siobhan (lovely work from Kerry Condon) supports him through the turmoil, as does Barry Keoghan’s Dominic, the only person on the island regarded as being less bright.

McDonagh initially plays things purely for laughs, and there’s an abundance of those, with the film amping up the absurdity of island-life in a Father Ted-esque way, poking fun at the reliance on routines and hunger for gossip. If Farrell has a nice line in flabbergasted and Keoghan matches him for comedic flair, then Gleeson’s role is straighter, with Colm like an immovable object against which Pádraic puffs and pants as he tries to get him to change his position.

There are shades here of Calvary, that marvellous film from Martin’s brother John Michael, yet The Banshees Of Inisherin wins you over in its own way. There’s plenty pathos in Pádraic’s predicament (watching him suffer is rather like watching a puppy get kicked), but for all its comedy you really do care about these characters. (Emma Simmonds) n In cinemas from Friday 21 October.

FILM THE LOST KING (Directed by Stephen Frears)

Reuniting those behind the Oscar-nominated Philomena, The Lost King is a tale of one woman’s search for a kindred spirit. Co-scripted by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, it centres on real-life Edinburgh mother Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins). Suffering from ME, she’s also separated from her husband John (Coogan) and, in an indifferent world, facing her own winter of discontent.

Life changes, however, when she joins a group of amateur historians concerned with Richard III, the Plantagenet king immortalised by William Shakespeare as a nephew-killing hunchback. Philippa becomes fascinated by the notion that his remains have never been found. As many will remember, her investigations led to his bones being unearthed in 2012 underneath a car park in Leicester.

Directed with his usual no-frills approach by Stephen Frears, the story does take an unusual turn, with Philippa believing that Richard is accompanying her on this journey. Dressed in his finery, Richard (Harry Lloyd) silently sits with her on the train and elsewhere. It’s a curious device, and one that doesn’t entirely work, though it does give us an insight into her obsessive qualities as she goes on this extraordinary hunt.

Coogan’s role is very much a supporting one, but it’s pleasing to see him playing an ex-partner who is a basically decent chap and still cares for the mother of his children. Mark Addy also pops up as Dr Richard Buckley, the reallife archaeologist she approaches about seeking Richard’s remains before facing institutional sexism from the academics at Leicester University. Dramatically, the film lacks the punch and power of Philomena, as Philippa is left seeking credit for her find. Hawkins again plays a woman struggling (as she did in The Shape Of Water and Eternal Beauty), something that feels all too familiar for her. But this is still a welcome David v Goliath tale with an eccentric Britishness to it. (James Mottram)

n In cinemas from Friday 7 October.

theatre of the month

A Depression-era musical play packed with reworked versions of Bob Dylan’s back catalogue? It’s not the most obvious crowd-pleaser on paper but Girl From The North Country proves to be a show filled with joy, says Kelly Apter

There are a number of reasons why Girl From The North Country shouldn’t work. Set during the Great Depression, it’s populated by people who are down at heel, down on their luck and (for a good proportion of the story) down on each other. Yet in the hands of writer-director Conor McPherson, their perennial hopes and battered dreams resonate almost a hundred years later. The show is also filled with songs th t h e no rel tionshi to the lot or ch r cters wh tsoe er c r ed s they are from Bob Dylan’s back catalogue. nd yet somehow they ll fit. he lyrics m y not match the scene that precedes them, but the eeling they e oke is itch er ect.

When wannabe writer Gene Laine (more soaked in booze than literary commissions) turns to his sweetheart Katherine Draper and sings Dylan’s ‘I Want You’, their longing bounces off the stage. Or when his mother Elizabeth Laine, a woman skirting the fringes of dementia, belts out ‘Like olling tone you c n eel e ery h rd knock th t s e er hit her. his is hel ed in no small part by Frances McNamee not only inhabiting the role with the necessary uctu tions but h ing oice so be uti ul you ne er w nt her to sto singing.

But this is an ensemble piece, with no room or st rs but s ce or e eryone to fill their roles nd yl n s songs with the emotion l integrity they deser e. imon Hale, who rightly won a Tony Award

or his music l orchestr tions nd oc l arrangements, has taken Dylan’s creations nd gi en them whole new li e. I you re n o yl n you ll lo e this show bec use you lo e his songs but i you re not don t worry e en the most well known numbers eel y o e Hurric ne ore er Young’) feel born again.

The fact that McPherson set the show in Duluth, Minnesota (Dylan’s birthplace), is a touchingly sentimental nod to the man who under ins the n rr ti e. o too is H le s decision to only use instruments that would h e been in e istence in the ye r the show is set. he l tter ro es you don t always need electronic bells and whistles to gi e l rge sc le music l n edge.

c herson nd H le h e ro ided the cast with multiple gifts, but as with anything in life, it’s what you do with them that counts, and much adulation must be laid at the ensemble s eet. li e our iece b nd is constantly augmented by the characters who we e in nd out o the ine mily guesthouse, often picking up instruments and knocking out killer harmonies while they’re there. Happiness may be in short su ly here but this is still show filled with joy.

Girl From The North Country, Edinburgh Playhouse, Tuesday 18–Saturday 22 October; reviewed at Theatre Royal, Glasgow.

THEATRE BOOK OF MORMON

The smash-hit musical written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, with music from Frozen’s Bobby Lopez, has gathered enough clout (not to mention Tony Awards) in 11 years to become one of the highest grossing musicals of all time. Following an unlikely pair of young Salt Lake City Mormons on their first mission, the story’s main protagonists are the exemplary Elder Price and his stalkier sidekick Elder Cunningham (played hilariously by Conner Peirson in this touring production) with the pair being sent to Uganda to baptise locals into the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints.

While unsubstantiated gags about female genital mutilation and Cunningham’s continued inability to pronounce an African name correctly feel lazy and outdated, songs like ‘Turn It Off’ and ‘Spooky Mormon Hell Dream’ (which place Mormonism in the firing line) showcase the show’s musical and lyrical prowess. Alongside Peirson, Jordan Lee Davies (Elder McKinley) and Aviva Tulley (Nabulungi) provide the strongest solo performances. However, Robert Colvin (Elder Price), who has the show’s biggest ballads and most interesting narrative arc, can’t quite find the power or clarity to match his co-stars.

All that aside, the palpable sense of discomfort mixed with boisterous laughter in tonight’s theatre infer that The Book Of Mormon still manages to provoke, entertain and shock in equal measure. Even if parts are beginning to age like already soured milk. (Megan Merino) n Edinburgh Playhouse, until Saturday 8 October; Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Wednesday 9–Saturday 26 November.

REVIEWS

FILM PIGGY (Directed by Carlota Pereda)

This twisted vengeance fantasy sees an alienated and overweight teen enter into an uneasy alliance with a similarly ostracised yet deeply deranged individual. Spanish writer-director Carlota Pereda builds on her award-winning 2018 short to create a confident and compelling feature that superficially recalls De Palma’s Carrie yet distinguishes itself with its moral quandaries, rural Spanish location and the unusual relationship at its core.

Laura Galán plays the film’s sullen and put-upon protagonist Sara. Daughter of the village butcher, Sara is subjected to breath-taking cruelty from female peers who dub her ‘Piggy’, including her former friend Claudia (Irene Ferreiro). When three of the girls are kidnapped by a serial killer (Richard Holmes) in the aftermath of a particularly unpleasant bullying episode, Sara forms a tacit understanding with the perpetrator to keep schtum.

The narrow frame encourages compassion and identification with Sara in a taut, darkly funny and stunningly shot film that also leaves us interestingly conflicted. A tanklike Holmes brings immense physicality and an almost Frankenstein’s monster-esque incomprehension to his role, and there’s nice work from Carmen Machi as Sara’s merciless mother. But it’s Galán who commands our attention, with a performance that’s totally, utterly fearless. (Emma Simmonds)

n In cinemas from Friday 21 October.

ART OUTSPOKEN ARTS

The Big Art Show

Unabashedly Scottish with something for everyone, The Big Art Show is Paisley’s biggest ever open-art exhibition. The Art Department (formerly Allders Department Store) in The Paisley Centre shopping complex is housing almost a thousand pieces by communities and artists of all ages and techniques. The open space becomes a well-lit window to hundreds of perspectives, expressions and styles from local art-makers and collectives.

Many of the works showcased in Scotland’s biggest town paint dreamy pictures of dreary Glasgow streets and sights that most of us are familiar with. ‘The Glasgow Underground’ by Ruaraidh Berry depicts the pale greenish tunnel of Cowcaddens subway station in all its creepy liminal glory. Kim Appleton’s ‘Hydro & Armadillo’ shows the two unmistakably horrid metal hunks of Glasgow’s iconic events venues, as their reflections swim in the icy night-time blue of the Clyde. Noticeable from the exhibition’s display window on Causeyside Street is ‘The Devil’s Pulpit’ by Nancy Sheppard. Anyone who’s visited Finnich Glen will be familiar with the orangeyred sandstone and intense greenery of the hidden Stirlingshire gorge, which Sheppard captures alluringly with ink and acrylic.

As well as pieces unique to this area, the show is a textured and energetic burst of any and all types of art, including paint, photography, digital art, music, and crochet. Most of the works are available to buy, with a 12-page price list of pieces to be found at the show’s helpdesk. With its enormous volume of works and variety of flavours and tastes, this vibrant collection is well worth a wander.

From still-life paintings of Baxters Scotch Broth (Melissa Hugo’s ‘Soup II, There’s Money In Soup’) to community-made collages of paper hands (Gateway Autism Support’s ‘Take My Hand’), The Big Art Show presents art as an inclusive and accessible means to create joy. (Rachel Cronin)

n The Art Department, Paisley, until Saturday 26 November.

OTHER THINGS WORTH GOING OUT FOR

An interactive exhibition for all ages, a record-breaking comedian and an indie dream-pop artist are among the treats heading our way as autumn finally makes its presence known

ART OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND

The work of more than 200 people will be shown in Scotland’s largest mental-health art exhibition featuring lms, paintings and sculptures. n Summerhall, Edinburgh, Wednesday 12–Sunday 30 October.

COMEDY

JORDAN BROOKES

In the record books as the act who held the Edinburgh Comedy Award for the longest time (three years, thanks to cov*d), Brookes is on tour with This Is Just What Happens

n Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh, Saturday 1 October; Glasgow, Wednesday 19 October.

HARRY HILL

The big-collared semi-surrealist is back with his Pedigree Fun tour. Accompanying him on stage is, of course, Stouffer The Cat.

n Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Sunday 9 October; Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow, Thursday 13 October.

FILM EMILY

Emma Mackey (of Sex Education and Death On The Nile fame) stars in this biopic of the Brontë sister who wrote WutheringHeights. Frances O’Connor makes her directorial debut.

n In cinemas from Friday 14 October.

TAIWAN FILM FESTIVAL

The third Taiwan Film Festival is on its way, with this year’s event featuring more in-person screenings than the last two. Among the movies being shown are The Cabbie, Treat Or Trick and When The Dawn Comes n Everyman Cinema and Summerhall, Edinburgh, Saturday 15–Thursday 20 October.

KIDS

KATIE SCHWAB

A large-scale interactive exhibition for all ages in which textures, surfaces and sculpture are designed to be touched and allow learning through play.

n Collective, Edinburgh, Saturday 8 October–Sunday 5 March.

MUSIC BEABADOOBEE

The Beatopia tour comes to Scotland with an array of tunes that allude to the radio hits of the 2000s and a dreamworld she created in her childhood. n Barrowlands, Glasgow, Saturday 15 October.

THEATRE

SOUTH PACIFIC

‘Some Enchanted Evening’ and ‘I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair’ are two big numbers from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic. n Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Tuesday 4–Saturday 8 October; Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Tuesday 25–Saturday 29 October.

THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE

Martin McDonagh’s Tony-winning comedy thriller is also a pinpoint critique on the Irish belief in the sanctity of family.

n Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Wednesday 19–Saturday 22 October.

Jordan Brookes (and bottom from left), Katie Schwab, Harry Hill, Emily

PICTURE:

MATT CROCKETT

I HATE YOU

A TV title with an element of violent emotions or threatening actions will always catch the eye: I May Destroy You, Kevin Can Fuck Himself and I Hate Suzie for three. In the latter’s vein comes this new six-part comedy from Robert Popper, the rst thing he’s released since the untimely death of Paul Ritter effectively brought Friday NightDinner to an end. This stars Tanya Reynolds and Melissa Saint as two pals in their 20s who are hugging like crazy one minute and chucking metaphorical daggers at each other the next. Adding credibility to the show’s potential excellence are Chetna Pandya and Jonny Sweet. (Brian Donaldson)

n Starts on Channel 4, Thursday 13 October.

staying in

PREVIEWS

GAMES TANYA FLOAKER

The old Dungeons And Dragons reputation of roleplaying games is shifting thanks to figures within the indie gaming community. Lucy Ribchester meets Edinburgh writer and player Tanya Floaker who is part of a movement which is exploring new realms

If you’re enjoying a pint in Edinburgh’s Kilderkin on the last Saturday of each month, you may casually notice a group of people wandering into the back room. You’re unlikely to hear what they’re up to over the noise in the bar, and you’d have no idea that within this inner space, whole worlds are being created, battles enacted, politics discussed, things beyond the realm of human creation conjured into existence with nothing more than words, the occasional roll of a dice, and a set of rules. This is the world of roleplaying games, differentiated from that other, more lurid and famous form of gaming (video) by its quiet, underground scene and slightly geeky reputation.

‘Basically you’re telling a story together,’ says Edinburgh-based games writer Tanya Floaker. ‘You pick a game you want to play, which will tell you something about the setting, genre, mood and tone the story is going to take. It also has a set of rules.’ There can be props: dice, counters, cards. But that is often it. ‘You’re mainly playing roles, and the game changes the direction the roleplay goes in.’

Floaker, who earlier this year released their first gamebook, entitled Be Seeing You, has been a stalwart in the gaming community from an early age. They discovered Fighting Fantasy gamebooks aged seven and fell in love with the ability to shape their own adventures. Once at high school, they began to play regularly in clubs, which continued through university, where they set up a club dedicated to indie games, in order to combat the culture of blockbuster gaming that was taking over the mainstream. Now they play regularly for Edinburgh Indie Gamers as well as co-editing the club zine.

Floaker’s game focuses on a dystopian world, exploring surveillance, compliance and power. Gaming, Floaker says, has a ‘a unique vector compared with a novel or film’, in that it is only one part of a toolkit that creates the ‘magic circle’ of the story world. ‘When you’re actively creating a character, it can allow for interesting exploration of all sorts of topics without being preachy.’

Along with this shift in the tone of games, Floaker says the demographic of the gamers (typically white, male, cis) is quickly shifting too. Inclusivity is one of the cornerstones of this Edinburgh group, with a venue accessible to power-chairs, a strict code of respectful conduct regarding racism, sexism and transphobia, as well as travel expenses available to those who otherwise couldn’t afford to attend.

‘The roleplay games world is not without the problems of other spaces, whether that be computer games, board games or the street,’ Floaker says. ‘Your play informs what you start to think about, and you can take that away. Like any other art, you’ve got that sort of ephemeral moment that you can take with you, that you can think on and talk about.’

n Be Seeing You by Tanya Floaker is available at timeoftribes. itch.io/be-seeing-you; Edinburgh Indie Gamers meets online at edinburghindiegamers.com on the second Saturday of each month, and in person at Kilderkin, Edinburgh, on the fourth Saturday of every month.

Our alphabetical column on viewing marathons reaches J

In these troubled times, a man with a fuzzy bubble of hair, a soothing Florida accent and a light brush stroke is the ideal antidote. The Joy Of Painting (BBC iPlayer) features the laconic icon that is Bob Ross, a guy so laid-back at his easel that he was dubbed ‘the godfather of ASMR’. Since his death in 1995 at the criminally young age of 52, his reputation as a painter for the people has merely grown.

That year also marked the arrival of Jake’s Progress (All 4), Alan Bleasdale’s four-part family drama starring Robert Lindsay and Julie Walters as the stressed-out parents of a troubled young lad. Once you get through this, do yourself a favour and drop back to a trio of letters from earlier in the alphabet with Bleasdale’s 1991 classic, GBH , lso st rring inds y in rgu bly his finest role s h rd line bour councillor. Certainly better than MyFamily, right? (Brian Donaldson) n Other binges: John From Cincinnati (NOW TV), Jerk (BBC iPlayer), Jessica Jones (Disney+)

The Devil Is In The Detail

HellSans is a rip-roaring sci-fi thriller with big questions about the way society treats disabled and chronically ill people.

Author Ever Dundas shares the inspirations behind her novel with Lynsey May

Imagine a world where a typeface has the power to affect us physically. Where the mere sight or thought of the text on a billboard or ier c n ro oke bliss or n llergic re ction. here words c n wound in iscer l hysic l sense. his is the ision er und s sets out to e lore in her im gin ti e nd enthr lling no el HellSans

hile Hell ns the e onymous ty e ce was inspired by much-maligned styles such as omic ns nd Hel etic und s belie es that there’s no problem with those typefaces per se; it’s their misuse that rubs people up the wrong w y. und s w s working in n o fice when a colleague sent an email in Comic Sans.

nother soon ollowed suit rom ting the writer to rem rk to her husb nd it s s re ding like dise se . In th t inst nt HellSans was born.

his hellish ty e ce isn t the only inno ti e element to the no el. Its first two sections c n be re d in either order nd s the book rogresses the uestioning o con ention l n rr ti e storytelling becomes n intriguing str nd. I m ery interested in the w y eo le tell stories why they tell them th t w y the ower dyn mics in ol ed und s e l ins. ut it s lso ust how my br in works. instre m n rr ti e con entions re ssumed to be the norm nd the st rting oint or e eryone but th t s not the c se. It s lso resum ti e nd limiting ssum tion.

bo o sk

This is an area which has provoked recent commentary from neurodiverse storytellers and people of the global majority, who are questioning and problematising the norms of white, neurotypical, western storytelling conventions.

HellSans is not for the fainthearted; the body horror element is strong and prominent, and its dystopian (and utopian) themes are a welcome addition to the canon. Aldous Huxley’s BraveNewWorld gets a mention and Nicola Barker’s H(A) PPY is a favourite of the author. Dundas’ filmic in uences re wide r nging too from James Cameron’s TheTerminator and Ridley Scott’s BladeRunner to Julia Ducournau’s Raw and David Cronenberg’s oeuvre. ‘I’d love a HellSans film d t tion ll th t body horror splattered across the big screen . . . ’

Dundas also acknowledges her admiration for performance artist Jacqueline Traide. ‘Dystopia is often anthropocentric but Traide confronted us with the hidden dysto i o non hum n nim ls in l bs when she was tortured for hours in a shop window in front of a shocked public. Agustina Bazterrica’s novel Tender Is The

Flesh has a similar impact, but focuses on the horrors of the meat industry. Both hold up a mirror. Dystopia isn’t elsewhere, it isn’t an imagined future; it’s now.’

The characters in HellSans all have their own erson l doll like cyborg erson l assistant, called an Inex, which is both a helpmeet and a constant monitor. These devices highlight the dichotomy between utopia and dystopia perfectly. When asked if she would accept an Inex if it was offered to her right now, Dundas replies with an emphatic yes.

As with typefaces, she sees no problem with the technology, only the application. She believes an Inex would be particularly useful for chronically ill people; they could monitor health and give instant access to medical information without the mediation of a doctor, diagnose immediately, do admin and banking, and fetch things. A potential future? Dundas thinks it’s a ossibility ny bio engineers re ding this o er to you . . . but no non hum n animal testing, please.’

HellSans is published by Angry Robot on Tuesday 11 October.

FIRST WRITES

In this Q&A, we throw some questions about ‘firsts’ at debut authors. For October we feature Carly Reagon, author of The Toll House, a ghost story about two families who lived in a spooky dwelling 150 years apart

What’s the first book you remember reading as a child? The Very Hungry Caterpillar definitely e tures in some o my e rliest memories but one o the first books I re d inde endently w s Asterix The Gaul . I w s obsessed with the steri comics or long time nd et fi the druid is still my hero.

What was the book you read that made you decide to be a writer? y gr nd ther w s writer nd lthough he ne er ublished his work he h d big in uence on my decision to write. I h e ond memories o re ding his books in his r ther eccentric house surrounded by nti ues nd clocks. dly he died in but he would h e been re lly roud o The Toll House

What’s your favourite first line in a book? I write this sitting in the kitchen sink rom Capture The Castle by odie mith. It s such n unusu l first line nd in ites so m ny wonder ul ossibilities. hy the kitchen sink hy not somewhere more com ort ble h t is she writing

Which debut publication had the most profound effect on you? bi r s TheGirlWithTheLoudingVoice is such ower ul book. It s h rd to belie e it s debut. y the time I re ched the end I elt stunned.

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up on a writing day? hen I m writing first dr t I go t it ull elt. I set my l rm or . nd bolt out o bed be ore I e e en toyed with the ide o lie in. he ery first thing I do ter stumbling downst irs nd owering u my l to is m ke mysel strong cu o co ee. I I m lotting I might ollow th t u with run o er the mount in. ll my lot oints re worked out on the tr ils.

What’s the first thing you do when you’ve stopped writing for the day? ke the kids dinner. lthough in re lity I m o ten writing and m king dinner. I find it ery h rd to switch o so usu lly I m doing something like m king notes on my hone or skim re ding wh t I e ust written while stirring be ns.

In a parallel universe where you’re the tyrant leader of a dystopian civilisation, what’s the first book you’d burn? I shudder t the thought o burning books but it would rob bly h e to be Hitler s Mein Kampf or something simil rly bhorrent. ny book th t incites undeser ed h tred belongs on the bonfire.

What’s the first piece of advice you’d offer to an aspiring novelist? on t cre te ment l b rriers. I you re lly w nt to chie e something you ll find w y to m ke it h en.

The Toll House is published by Sphere on Thursday 6 October.

PODCASTS

CLASSICAL FIX

ClassicalFix, BBC Radio 3’s podcast for orchestral-music newbies, celebrates its 100th episode at the end of October. Host Linton Stephens, bassoonist in Chineke! Orchestra, curates classical playlists for celebrity guests (whose interest in the form is variable) which they discuss throughout the show.

Since its pilot in 2018, original host Clemency Burton-Hill and now Stephens have rendered orchestral music and opera more accessible and easily understood. Their conversational style transforms the topic from something that might feel out of reach into an easy-to-grasp subject. For evidence, hear Sigrid’s reaction to the world’s first ensemble of professional disabled instumentalists, or find out why The Umbrella Academy’s Ritu Arya quit her childhood piano lessons (they tried to make her learn a sad song).

Classical Fix is no stranger to a special episode, having hosted themed instalments for International Women’s Day and Mental Health Awareness Week; such inclusivity adds to the overall charm with it proudly showcasing pieces old and new by female composers and musicians of colour. Reaching a century of episodes is no mean feat for a programme that brings classical music out of the opera house and into everyone’s living room. (Rachel Cronin) n New episodes available from Sunday 23 October.

album of the month

It’s not easy being an indie rebel. Ahead of their second album, Burn The Empire, The Snuts contrived a full-scale moan at their record label Parlophone for not releasing the album early, a fracas they’re embroiling themselves in so fans can hear it in full before their tour. Paraded across their socials is #releasetherecord, as though it were a placard against an authoritarian regime.

This ersatz rebellion reeks of a band desperate for something to kick against, a strange move since the real controversy of this record may stem from its title alone; the rallying call of opening track ‘Burn The Empire’ a few weeks after the Queen’s death sounds more punk than the band could ever have intended. From that promising start, the album seems like it’ll play from the Sam Fender gamebook of hiding despair inside buoyant indie bangers, particularly when frontman Jack Cochrane launches into a confrontational chorus of ‘burn the empire and bring a souvenir’.

State-of-the-nation lyricism continues on ‘Zuckerpunch’, a spikey bop-along which breathlessly decries sweatshops, Amazon, clickbait news articles and the deleterious effects of a society in thrall to phones. It’s a messy collage of modern talking points throwing out easy jabs at the political landscape, the kind of 11pm ramble you’d bark at your mates in the pub for a collective agree-‘em-up. But it’s also a welcome sentiment in a rock landscape that rarely displays its socially responsible cojones.

And, well, that’s it for the protest lyrics, the remaining eight songs concerning themselves with vague character studies and merciless stretches of nonsensical rambling. Frontload your album with rabble-rousing sentiments and its later vaguer lyrics will sound toothless by comparison; the inconsequential cooing of ‘Pigeons In New York’ or ‘Hallelujah Moment’ fade into little more than a pleasant background hum.

Sonically, the track list barrels between the punchier end of TRNSMT-friendly rock to acoustic numbers with the earwormish insistence of Jake Bugg. The clearest point of comparison is Kasabian, but without the delirious imagination of Serge Pizzorno to send any song skyward. ‘Cosmic Encounters’ gets closest to that level of songwriting strangeness, juggling 90s trip-hop beats with a lurching guitar-strummed chorus and synthesised vocals s ochr ne confidently cl ims th t cosmic electronic s t king on a new generation’ (whatever that means).

Burn The Empire may be wildly inconsistent, but it’s also crammed with invention. A song like ‘The Rodeo’, with its punchy ‘la-la-la-olay!’ chorus, has the good-natured chug of a great Budweiser ad, while the acoustic balladry of ‘Yesterday’ illustrates Cochrane’s range beyond the lad-rock spectrum as he strains his vocal cords towards a falsetto.

Enough ideas are thrown at the wall to lend the album a ‘god loves a trier’ charm, even though most tracks fail to stick the landing. The Snuts’ anti-authority pose may be irritatingly paper thin, but Burn The Empire shows the promise of solid craftsmen.

Burn The Empire is out now released by Parlophone Records.

Crammed with invention but wildly inconsistent, The Snuts ’ sophomore effort is a disappointment. Kevin Fullerton finds a band with plenty of ideas but few moments that are bang on the money

PICTURE: EDWARD COOKE

BOOKS MARIANA ENRIQUEZ Our Share Of Night (Granta)

Recent translations of two short-story collections revealed Mariana Enriquez as a master of that form, providing slim glimpses of contemporary Argentina through her distorted horror lens. Our Share Of Night faces no such restriction, its 722 pages a literary canvas stretched over four decades of that country’s turbulent history. In it, an occult medium aims to protect his young son from The Order, who see him as an heir for use in their macabre rituals.

The book’s horror exists on our mortal plane, while also reaching through from an overlaid otherworld, from doorways where the dividing membrane has worn thin. Is it worse to disappear into a nightmare world of Lovecraftian gods or be disappeared by a brutal totalitarian regime?

The work is thematically rich and varied. Enriquez views trauma and repression as a national stain and ongoing inheritance. She asks what lies beneath, what causes it to build and burst through; the personal and political, class and sexuality. It is also a novel of love and protection; scar tissue reveals past violence yet represents healing. Cauterisation is a constant emblem in these pages. Pertinently, the universal theme of privilege is ever-present, such as those preying on the poor and forgotten. These occult alchemists with aims of immortality understand that to make gold, you must first have gold. Money is a nation in itself.

Some might question whether the narrative warrants the page extent. Possibly not, but travelling through this world is never dull with more reflective parts building to grotesque, technicolour-set pieces as pay-off. A number of sections initially feel disjointed from the whole but are stitched closer through later reveals. As much lives in the novel’s negative spaces as its foregrounded imagery.

This is a literary work of huge significance and outrageous ambition. Our Share Of Night is the fully unfurled psychic map of a country, the claustrophobia and inescapable horror of a haunted house story told over the length and breadth of a nation. (Alan Bett)

n Published on Thursday 13 October.

TV THE OLD MAN (Disney+)

An intriguing American thriller that imagines the CIA’s relentless pursuit of a deserter who absconded from them decades before, The Old Man is an adaptation of Thomas Perry’s 2017 novel of the same name. Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges) may appear a harmless senior citizen (his phone text settings are on max font size and he always takes his acid-reflux tablets) but lying dormant beneath his aged exterior is a man capable of unfiltered and unimaginable violence.

The Disney+ original, created for television by Jonathan E Steinberg and Robert Levine has a slow start but picks up in fine style by its third episode. While earlier fight scenes between Chase and the authorities appear as deliberately long-winded and desperate scuffles (perhaps to emphasise his advancing years), the character settles back into his old heinous habits as the opening episodes progress. The show has little backing music which creates an atmosphere that feels less dramatised and much grittier.

John Lithgow, Alia Shawkat and EJ Bonilla play the team of intelligence officers going after this infamous absconder. Harold Harper (Lithgow) has his own past with Chase, which he must either face or bury. Flitting between the connected plots, this worthwhile watch is a curated package of slowly revealed secrets, surprise twists and high-intensity action. (Rachel Cronin) n New episodes available every Wednesday.

game of the month

For 15 years, British games designer Sam Barlow had been toiling away on a number of forgettable titles until, in 2014, he changed tack and became an indie game developer focused on interactive fiction. he ollowing ye r he rele sed Her Story, an extraordinary, unique experience in which players had to sift through a database of police interview clips in order to solve the mystery o missing m n. It w s stunningly origin l use o ull motion ideo sub genre th t brie y dominated gaming in the early 1990s before falling out of our ust ew ye rs l ter. rlow s genius w s to combine a solidly performed mystery with appropriate interactive mech nics. wo ye rs l ter he rele sed Telling Lies , a smart ollow u th t ro ed he w s no one hit wonder.

Immortality is rlow s third inter cti e film nd it s the ne lus ultr o the genre. It ocuses on the mysterious dis e r nce o fiction l ctor riss rcel non ge who st rred in three films m de in nd . ccording to the g me s introduction none o these films w s rele sed but oot ge rom ll three h s been recently discovered and is presented to the player as part o n inter cti e cinem tic rchi e. eginning with single clip, players use Moviola editing tools to scrub through ideo se uences gr du lly une rthing more oot ge. his is achieved using a process of match cutting whereby l yers use the film nd click on ctors nd ob ects select crucifi in one scene nd it might o en u br nd new section e turing cross. his rocess is dee ly s tis ying nd ro ri tely isu l nd it s it lly ided by init es i s so ring soundtr ck.

s well s finding m teri l rom rcel s three films there s lso lenty o c ndid behind the scenes nd document ry oot ge to e lore. he whole thing clocks in t lmost ten hours lthough l yers will finish the g me long be ore seeing e ery cli . ruci lly the c st is e cellent. hile the films themsel es re melodr m tic each one is presented in keeping with the era in which it w s m de . It s best to en oy Immortality knowing no more th n th t. hile this re iew won t s oil nything the ne t r gr h will e nd little on the mystery.

ter s ending se er l hours with rcel disco ering her various performances and getting to know the actor much more intimately, something startlingly sinister happens, exposing an underlying narrative working against the found oot ge. r du lly the l yer is dr wn into this newly un olding story nd there s im ecc ble technic l m stery behind the w y it l ys out.

It wouldn t work t ll i the l yer h dn t ut in hours o re r tion lthough some might find their tience is stretched be ore the enny dro s. h rlott ohlin Agents Of SHIELD deserves praise for her extraordinary work in these scenes, alternating between malevolent entity and misunderstood ictim. nder inning it ll is bre kout er orm nce rom non ge. I she w sn t utterly con incing s the story s doomed ing nue then the whole n rr ti e would ll rt. Immortality is a remarkable moment in g ming nd it s h rd to im gine how m rlow could e er to it.

Out now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

Sam Barlow’s third interactive fi lm, the absorbing mystery Immortality , marks a new highpoint for the genre. Murray Robertson praises a remarkable moment in gaming history

TV RED LIGHT (Channel 4/All 4)

This promising crime series set in Amsterdam’s sex-work district has many twists and turns, but loses its way a bit en route to a slightly preposterous denouement. Things start out well, taking a nuanced look through various façades; not just behind the famous windows in Amsterdam’s Red Light District, where the seemingly progressive, safer and regulated workplace not only conceals a grim, illegal network of human trafficking, underage sex and gang violence, but a few sham marriages and professional betrayals too.

Carice Van Houten (GameOfThrones’ Red Woman) plays Sylvia, a savvy sex worker training the new lap dancers in a nightclub, while locked in an abusive and controlling relationship with her husbandpimp. Esther (Halina Reijn) is a successful opera singer, completely oblivious to her husband’s regular visits to brothels until his body is found and a murder investigation dredges up his dark secrets (Van Houten and Reijn co-founded Man Up, the female-driven production company which made the series). Evi (Maaike Neuville) is the Belgian detective assigned to the case, while struggling to juggle family life and the nagging feeling that she isn’t cut out for motherhood.

The ten-parter begins as a gritty crime series and morphs into a far-fetched action thriller, albeit one with an enjoyable Thelma And Louise escape fantasy sewn in. Red Light clearly has good feminist intentions and an anti-patriarchal message, but it weaves together too many threads: a failed IVF journey, an abortion dilemma, a secret lesbian crush, a young female student infatuated with her older male lecturer, and an alcoholic mother burying herself in her job, among several others. The acting plus the murder whodunnit and female emancipation plots are compelling, but become tangled with too many implausible details in the last few episodes. (Claire Sawers) n Starts on Channel 4, Sunday 9 October, 11pm; all episodes available on All 4, Friday 7 October.

ALBUMS CLOTH Low Sun (Rock Action Records)

If any shimmers of light shone through on Cloth’s 2019 debut, they have made sure to blot them out on this follow-up EP. Here, this Glasgow dreampop duo seem to be plunging themselves into the darkness, beckoning the listener to follow. Across four tracks, they resist any opportunity to scale up their sound, relying on throbbing and unassuming rhythms that play out in the background while spectral melodies dot each song.

Although their music can be bewitching, a lack of ambition can be frustrating and prevents them from carving out a sound beyond influences such as Cocteau Twins and the xx. ‘Lucid’, the EP’s lead single, does hint at a sense of momentum in its back half, where a driving piano chord melds with Rachael Swinton’s icy vocals to create a sweeping and dramatic soundscape. However, the song falls away before it’s allowed to offer us a final act.

They’re a bit more successful on final track ‘Sidecar’, which has echoes of Beach House’s Teen Dream/Bloom cinematic splendour. As a stop gap before a presumed second LP, Low Sun is an effective reintroduction to Cloth. While there’s not a thing wrong with any of these four pieces, they ultimately float away without leaving much of a memory. (Sean Greenhorn) n Released on Friday 7 October.

ALBUMS SORRY Anywhere But Here (Domino)

North London noise-makers Sorry deliver their anticipated second album, a collection of achingly angsty and observant tracks as well as a few songs that could get lost in the industry’s ever-growing mass of grungeindie-pop-rock. Anywhere But Here is a follow-up to their 2020 debut 925 which peaked at number 13 on the UK’s independent albums chart.

Recorded with Portishead’s Adrian Utley, Sorry’s newest addition to their anti-pigeonhole discography is a medley of indie, pop and grunge, interwoven with hints of jazz. Sprinkles of brass instrumentals throughout the album echo some trending independent music from recent years (think Phoebe Bridgers’ ‘Kyoto’ and The 1975’s ‘Sincerity Is Scary’), while it all opens with indie-pop dance single ‘Let The Lights On’. Its generic bouncy riffs and repetitive lyrics would make an apt soundtrack for a coming-ofage contemporary movie and is the type of song that would wind up being your favourite on a background-music mix.

Another single, ‘Key To The City’, contains some slightly clichéd lyrics that diminish the album’s status to something a little less intoxicating but the song is undoubtedly saved by its swirling 90s grunge-ish aura and dreamy background vocals. Louis O’Bryen’s gritty voice weaves in and out between the tracks intermittently, gelling with Asha Lorenz’s sweet melodies, creating a recognisable resonance between two long-standing friends and bandmates.

This link is most apparent in ‘There’s So Many People That Want To Be Loved’. Easily the album’s most unmissable track, its child-like voice and simple conversational melody create a sweet song for lovers of melancholy and people-watching. Closing with a Nirvana-esque reflection on angst and fear, ‘Again’ makes for an apt ending to a layered but uncomplex record that can’t be defined by a single genre. (Rachel Cronin) n Released on Friday 7 October.

PODCASTS SMOKING GUN (What’s The Story? Sounds)

This forensic-focused true-crime podcast is back for a second season, with each episode homing in on a single object that has gone on to provide key evidence in a historic murder investigation. Smoking Gun is helmed by actress/director Romola Garai, who brings a smooth, cutglass delivery to the narration, alongside President Of The British Academy Of Forensic Sciences, Tracy Alexander, whose careful examinations of case details are accessible enough to get to grips with in the show’s bite-size format.

Innocuous episode titles such as ‘The Coke Can’, ‘The Potato’ and ‘The Chinese Takeaway’ conceal ferocious levels of violence and human depravity at the heart of each crime. Garai’s introductions almost always include a tantalising, scene-setting description of these objects in their more natural environments, making the podcast slant towards crime as mystery, as opposed to looking at the victim or a social context in which each murder occurred.

Consequently, this results in episodes feeling a little cold. Still, the show is classily produced and, with its neat solving of a riddle through ordinary clues, is one that will appeal to Agatha Christie fans as well as those with a general interest in forensic science. (Lucy Ribchester) n New episodes available every Wednesday.

OTHER THINGS WORTH STAYING IN FOR

The spooky season is not far off, so why not stay indoors and be terrified by TV dramas about vampires and devils? Or lighten things up with a pop legend’s new album or a ‘beloved’ broadcaster’s latest podcast

ALBUMS

TAYLOR SWIFT

Swifties can get properly excited now that the clock is ticking towards Midnights, Taylor’s upcoming album which is the subject of intense secrecy and, by extension, much speculation.

n Republic Records, Friday 21 October.

EWAN MACFARLANE

The former Grim Northern Social and Apollo 440 guy keeps ying the solo ag with his latest album, Milk, which he has called ‘a concept album all about the same woman, my wife Jo’. n Royale Stag, Friday 28 October.

BOOKS

IAN RANKIN

We catch up with Inspector Rebus at a rather bleak moment, as he stands accused of a crime that could see him being sent away for a very long

time. Does A Heart Full Of Headstones nally signal the end of the road for our Auld Reekie copper?

n Orion, Thursday 13 October.

CORMAC MCCARTHY

The Passenger is the rst novel of a two-parter (the second one is due out in late November) and revolves around a mysterious plane crash in 1980 off the coast of Mississippi. When our protagonist Bobby uncovers some dark truths about the ill-fated ight, a number of serious people get very unhappy about that.

n Picador, Tuesday 25 October.

PODCASTS

FROM THE OASTHOUSE

The rst batch of Alan Partridge’s podcast was a lockdown delight, and this second lot should be similarly excellent. Across 11 episodes, the North

Norfolk digital DJ tackles weighty topics such as machismo, the solar system and potholing.

n Audible, available now.

TV

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Based on the hit Swedish novel and lm, a father tries to cope with the fact that his daughter is a vampire. This means letting her out to roam the streets at night and sometimes bringing some human blood back for her.

n Paramount, Saturday 8 October.

THE DEVIL’S HOUR

Lucy wakes up every single night at precisely 3.33am. Annoying, right? But what if there are more sinister strings being pulled to bring her out of the dream state? Peter Capaldi and Jessica Raine co-star.

n Prime Video, Friday 28 October.

Let The Right One In (and bottom from left), The Devil’s Hour, Ewan MacFarlane, Ian Rankin

&

THE

PICTURE: TOM OXLEY

Qback

It’s been a whole 13 years since The Lightning Seeds released an album, but they’re back with new music and a live tour. In our Q&A, the band’s leader Ian Broudie tells us about guitar tuners, recording desks and, inevitably, 1966

Who would you like to see playing you in the movie about your life? Who do you think the casting people would choose? Gary Oldman. I’m not sure who the casting people would choose, but I always really enjoy his films.

What’s the punchline to your favourite joke? And the next Prime Minister is . . .

If you were to return in a future life as an animal, what would it be? A dolphin with superpowers. That would be fun!

If you were playing in an escape room, name two other people you’d recruit to help you get out? James Bond and Sherlock Holmes. I think between them they could figure out a way to get me out of there!

When was the last time you were mistaken for someone else? It’s happened so many times that I can’t even remember the last time or the circumstances around it but it’s always David Baddiel.

What’s the best cover version ever? I can’t think of many better than ‘Twist And Shout’ by The Beatles. One of my favourite vocals ever.

Whose speaking voice soothes your ears? David Attenborough’s.

Tell us something you wish you had discovered sooner in life? Guitar tuners!

Describe your perfect Saturday evening? A good Italian meal followed by playing a gig followed by Match Of The Day

If you were a ghost, who would you haunt? I can’t think of anyone I’d haunt. That is a tricky question. I wouldn’t want to upset anyone like that!

If you could relive any day of your life, which one would it be? The day my son Riley was born.

What’s your earliest recollection of winning something? England winning the World Cup in

1966. One of my earliest memories, although I can’t claim any credit for that one.

Did you have a nickname at school that you were ok with? Kingbird. I went under that name for a while as a record producer too.

If you were to start a tribute act to a band or singer, what would it be called? Nick Cave & The Lightning Seeds.

When were you most recently astonished by something? Every time I switch the TV on and see what’s happening in the world.

What tune do you find it impossible not to get up and dance to, whether in public or private? ‘I Feel Love’ by Donna Summer. Such a great track.

Which famous person would be your ideal holiday companion? Jürgen Klopp.

As an adult, what has a child said to you that made a powerful impact? Never listen to grown-ups!

Tell us one thing about yourself that would surprise people? I didn’t play live until the third Lightning Seeds album. I love playing gigs now and I’m really excited to be back on tour later this year.

What’s the most hi-tech item in your home? I’d say that would have to be my new recording desk. It’s still in my house but I’ll be taking it to the studio very soon and I’m very excited to record new music through it.

What’s a skill you’d love to learn but never got round to? Swimming. I’ve never been able to swim but wish I could. Maybe there’s still time to learn.

By decree of your local council, you’ve been ordered to destroy one room in your house and all of its contents. Which room do you choose? The spare room. All the stuff I’m meaning to throw away always ends up back in the spare room, so they’d be doing me a favour.

When did you last cry? I’m sure it was probably at some point this season watching Liverpool FC. It’s been painful so far, but I’m hoping they’ll improve soon.

If you were selected as the next 007, where would you pick as your first luxury destination for espionage? I think it would have to be Mexico. We played a festival there last year and I loved it.

The Lightning Seeds’ new album See You In The Stars is released by BMG on Friday 14 October; the band play Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, Sunday 6 November.

NEXT TIME

Where has this year gone, you’re probably thinking? Well, fear not, there’s a whole lot of culture going on to keep us busy till the end of 2022. For our November issue, we have a whole heap of musical delights such as Sudan Archives, Alex Kapranos, Andrew Wasylyk, Weyes Blood, Selena Gomez, Scottish Opera, and the movie version of Matilda The Musical. Filmmaker Mark Cousins launches his debut art exhibition and poetry festival Push The Boat Out is back for its second adventure.

n Next copy of The List will be out on Tuesday 1 November.

hot shots

In an age where truth seems like a permanently evolving concept, the tale of Pinocchio couldn’t be more pertinent. Rosana Cade and Ivor MacAskill have been working on this show for four years. It reaches Glasgow’s Tramway on 28 October as part of a wider evening featuring an art projection by Australia’s Club Ate and a live DJ.

Singapore-British sculptor and Edinburgh College Of Art graduate Hannah Lim creates small and large-scale works which explore her dual identity. Edinburgh Printmakers host this exhibition which aims to reframe 18th-century European interpretations of East Asian art and design.

Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra extends the DC Universe with Black Adam, a super(anti)hero movie which features Dwayne Johnson as the titular chap who was imprisoned in the ancient city of Kahndaq only to be released (full of rage) into modern times. The Justice Society Of America embark on halting his rampage.