Something For The Weekend: Lupita Nyong’o, Ian Wright, Ed Gamble and more
Wild robots, comfort food podcasts and a scathingly satirical musical will keep you company in our regular round-up of the finest cultural happenings across the central belt
AROUND TOWN
The world’s largest celebration of storytelling is back for its 35th year. The Scottish International Storytelling Festival (Friday 18–Thursday 31 October) offers a packed programme of more than 130 events taking place in Edinburgh and across Scotland.
Also happening right across the country is the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (until Sunday 27 October). Channelling this year’s theme of ‘In/Visible’, it explores how the arts and creativity can help people lead mentally healthier lives.
Revel in the beauty of the season and learn more about Japanese culture at Autumn Japan Sakura (Sunday 20 October) at Edinburgh’s Lauriston Castle. Featuring crafts, activities and performances.
MUSIC
We don’t like to toot our own trumpet but it’s great to have ListLive (Thursday 24 October) back and this next one’s a doozy. Glasgow institution Nice N Sleazy plays host to an evening of divine tunes from Goodnight Louisa, Health And Beauty and chizu nnamdi.
One of the legends of the UK rap scene, Dizzee Rascal (Sunday 20 October) has been sending audiences ‘Bonkers’ on his latest tour, promoting eighth studio album, Don’t Take It Personal. Expect plenty of crowd-pleasers when the show hits Glasgow’s O2 Academy this weekend.
Be part of one of the most highly anticipated nights in the Scottish musical calendar by heading to the Scottish Album Of The Year (SAY) Award Ceremony (Thursday 24 October) which returns to Stirling’s Albert Halls for live performances and the presentation of the prestigious prize.
STAGE
Glasgow’s Tramway have a fascinating prospect for you as they present the Scottish premiere of theatre company Quarantine’s durational performance 12 Last Songs (Saturday 19 October). Part exhibition, part performance and featuring no actors, it has real workers performing paid shifts in the main theatre space over 12 hours.
Multi-award-winning musical sensation The Book Of Mormon (until Saturday 2 November), from South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, makes its way to the Edinburgh Playhouse with its story of mismatched missionaries.
If you know him from Taskmaster and podcasts The Traitors: Uncloaked and Off Menu, you’ll want to catch Ed Gamble (Sunday 20 October) as he returns to the stand-up stage for some ranting, raving and spluttering in new show Hot Diggity Dog. Catch him at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, this weekend.
SCREEN
Kids and adults should be equivalently enchanted by animated adventure The Wild Robot, which balances charming visuals with messages about peace, parenting, AI and the environment. Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O’Hara and Bill Nighy provide the voices.
Marvel star Sebastian Stan is the young Donald Trump in the stylish but somewhat insubstantial biopic The Apprentice. Stan is very good but the show is stolen by Succession’s Jeremy Strong playing Trump’s lawyer Roy Cohn.
Jilly Cooper’s beloved ‘bonkbuster’ Rivals gets the lavish Disney+ treatment in a fun, suitably filthy eight-part adaptation, featuring David Tennant, Aidan Turner and Katherine Parkinson.
PODCASTS
Two sporting stars join forces for new women’s footie podcast Crossways. Arsenal legend and beloved broadcaster Ian Wright, and recently retired England/Man City favourite Steph Houghton will be chatting about the WSL, Champions League and more.
Following the axing of his Absolute Radio show, Frank Skinner has bounced back and revived it in podcast form. Frank Off The Radio reunites him with co-hosts Pierre Novellie and Emily Dean for something that sounds reassuringly familiar.
New on Wondery+, Kill List follows tech journalist Carl Miller as he uncovers a list targeting hundreds of innocent people on a murder for hire website, and finds himself in a race against the clock to warn them.
VISUAL ART
Opening this weekend at Edinburgh’s Royal Scottish Academy, Tidelines (Saturday 19 October – Sunday 17 November) is an exhibition exploring Academicians’ varied responses to the coast and the sea. Featured artists include Kate Downie, Paul Furneaux and Frances Walker.
Tate Britain touring exhibition Women In Revolt! Art And Activism In The UK 1970-90 (until Sunday 26 January) is currently showing at the National Galleries of Scotland: Modern Two. This major survey of feminist art is filled with powerful and provocative pieces and well worth checking out.
And finally, If only we had the space (Thursday 17 – Saturday 26 October) is a new exhibition responding to the politics of housing, property rights and access to space, featuring works from Jeni Allison, Deirdre Nelson, Fionn Duffy and Jack Brindley. Catch it at Glasgow’s Platform.
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