When you hear that EMI is distributing a film in the UK on an entirely non-profit basis, you know that there must be something very special in the pipeline. Teddy Leifer (producer of We Are Together) is brimming with pride as he tells me that in their history EMI have only ever done this twice: the first time being in 1985 for Live Aid, the second being in 2007 for the film he produced in conjunction with director Paul Taylor. We Are together (Thina Simunye) follows the life of Slindile, a twelve year old girl who lives at the Agape orphanage in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, a home for children, most of whom have lost their parents to AIDS. She is a member of the orphanage choir, which under the guidance of ‘Grandma’ Zodwa Mqadi strives to raise money by travelling to England and performing.

A documentary that features issues related to AIDS and orphans - not just any orphans, but African orphans who sing - may well be greeted with a certain degree of jaded scepticism. Thankfully We Are Together renders such concerns obsolete. This is not a contrived, over-sentimentalized documentary, but in Leifer’s words, a “brutally edited” piece which denies us an optimistic or cathartic conclusion, instead ending “on a thoughtful note,” which highlights the ongoing nature of South Africa’s struggle against AIDS.

Today Leifer has particular reason to feel proud, as the film has just picked up the coveted Standard Life Audience Award at this years Edinburgh International Film Festival. This is not the first, but in fact the fourth audience award that the documentary has scooped since its debut at the 2006 International Documentary Film Festival. When asked why he thinks it has been so popular with audiences, Leifer’s answer is simple: “it’s the amazing characters.” For anyone who has seen the film, this response makes perfect sense; the children are quite simply amazing.

Leifer feels that the film derives much of its resonance from the fact that director Paul Taylor initially lived and worked with the children of the Agape orphanage without any intention of making a film. It was only later that he and Teddy returned to make the documentary, having already established close bonds with the children.

It is this dedication and commitment to the children of the Agape orphanage which has taken the film above and beyond the average approach to documentary film making. The entire project is run on a non-profit basis, all takings going to the RISE foundation which was set up by Taylor and Leifer as an endowment fund enabling all the children at the Agape orphanage to attend private schools. They are also working in conjunction with Keep A Child Alive which, among other things, strives to provide Anti-retroviral (AVR) drugs for Sub-Saharan African’s with AIDS. This film does not stand in isolation, but rather functions as part of an ongoing project which will give these children the opportunity to create a brighter future for themselves. Leifer is adamant that education is the key: “as ‘Grandma’ Zodwa Mqadi says, ‘education liberates’.” It is this genuine commitment to the on-going nature of the project which makes this a truly special cinematic event, one which has understandably inspired many people (celebrities and public alike) to rally around it.

When asked what he ultimately wants the film to achieve Leifer is humbled: “I think it’s already gone way beyond what we expected. We want it to raise money, because the real legacy of this film is the children’s education.” It is with these words that you realise We Are Together is not a finished product, but rather a beginning.

To find out more visit www.wearetogether.org

If someone were to ask you where the River Avon is, would you know the answer? The pioneer of Land Art, Richard Long didn’t only enrich my aesthetic eye today. The outing to The Modern Art Gallery turned into ...]]> 2007-08-27T22:02:41+01:00 Jenny Richards (jenny@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/art/537 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/art/540

1.Richard Wright @ St. Georges Well (As part of Jardin Publics)
Careful, exquisite site specific work, brings new life to this remarkable, overlooked building.

2007-08-27T22:02:04+01:00 Jenny Richards (jenny@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/art/540 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/feature/576

The elegant interior of Cameo 1 is the ideal setting for Once, a musical film of a new kind. You won’t find the brass and high kicks of Moulin Rouge or The Producers here – instead, the film tells the naïve story of two down-at-heel lovers who find each other on the streets of Dublin through their shared love of music. The director John Carney has dubbed it a kind of “visual album” – an apt description.

Glen Hansard of Irish band The Frames, whose only other work as an actor was a bit part in Alan Parker’s The Commitments, gives a competent if slightly staid performance as the guy; whilst relatively unknown Marketa Irglova, only 17 at the time of filming, is vital and convincing as the girl. Their seamless transitions from words into music, particularly during scenes in which we see them actually composing, lend the songs a sense of spontaneity and a certain charm, although a few begin to err on the side of mawkishness in their direct descriptions of love.

Once is a simple idea well executed, particularly in the slow burning relationship which builds between Hansard and Irglova, and its understated use of music is something genuinely original. However, while it differs from the spate of musicals we have seen on the big screen in recent years, it undoubtedly owes its existence to them, and could therefore be seen as somewhat derivative.

This documentary follows the lives of the children in the Agape orphanage in South Africa, who, under “Grandma” Zodwa Mqadi’s guidance, have formed a talented choir, in order to help raise money for their orphanage. The film focuses on the choir’s progress, giving special attention to one of its principal soloists, 12 year old Slindile. In a country devastated by the effects of AIDS, it is not surprising to learn that most of the children (including Slindile) have been orphaned by the disease, and this sad film documents the on-going struggle against AIDS and the impact the disease has had upon the lives of these children. Like South Africa itself, We Are Together is a film of immense contrasts: joy and laughter co-exist with unimaginable suffering. Director Paul Taylor dispels the myth of South Africa as a country drowning merely in intense poverty and ethnic conflict, instead giving a window into a world where the strength of human spirit rises above such adversities.

Despite its difficult and at times harrowing subject this film does not leave one despondent, but rather convinces us of the very real ability these people possess to better their own lives. This is not a vision of South Africa wallowing in problems, but a vision of a new generation striving to make a better life for themselves; in light of all that has happened to her, it is an incredible thing to see Slindile beaming as she tells the camera of her ambitions to become a nurse and run her own home.

It is not a stylistically arresting film, nor does it need to be. It is a beautiful and intensely moving documentary that does exactly what a documentary should do – it tells a story that needs to be heard. It is rare to sit in a cinema and realise that everyone around you is quietly crying, but then this is a rare film - one of overwhelming emotion; one that needs to be seen.

Charged with the weight of embittered feelings, wartime dramas demand the drawing of a carefully considered line between historical fact and fiction. Sprouting from the very soil that bears the all too clear footprints of a sinister genocide, The Counterfeiters crosses the terrain with great prudence.

“I felt it is still important to tell the stories about the Nazis and about the Holocaust,” claims Austrian director Stefan Ruzowitzky, “and as I’m trying to reach a young audience, I have to tell the story in an attractive way. You can’t force them to see a movie so you have to seduce them with all the skills you have as a filmmaker.”

With two coexisting priorities of honouring the victims of the Third Reich with factual accuracy and enticing an audience with the promise of a thrilling experience, Ruzowitzky’s line twists and bends, vigorously aiming for the firm ground that will support both.

Based on Adolf Burger’s autobiography, The Devil’s Workshop, the film eschews synthetic sensationalism with relative ease. “The whole story is so full of bizarre details: music playing all day long to motivate the workers, the ping-pong table, the dancing... we didn’t have the need to invent anything on top because reality was absurd enough.”

In The Counterfeiters Jewish prisoners are pictured existing in surprising comfort with their Nazi oppressors willing to provide linen, hot water and even weekend entertainment to ensure the smooth running of operation Bernhard. And it all actually happened.

But this is more than just an extraordinary revelation. The Counterfeiters is about moral predicaments that are no less pertinent in today’s world. “The counterfeiters live in a very privileged situation but all the while they know that behind the wooden wall there is hell going on and their friends and family are being killed. And they don’t know how to deal with that morally. I think we who live in wealthy Western countries are in a similar situation; we know there are millions dying from starvation... but what are we supposed to do- not enjoy a good meal anymore? There are no easy answers and this is what I tried to convey through the heroes in my film.”

Operation Bernhard, a large scale counterfeiting scheme implemented by the Nazis in 1942, saw a team of 142 Jewish prisoners working from their concentration camp in Sachsenhausen to forge British banknotes, and later American do...]]> 2007-08-23T01:49:38+01:00 Junta Sekimori (junta@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/film/564 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/feature/580

Gus Van Sant has become a dab hand at wrongfooting his followers. After Good Will Hunting, he made Psycho, a topsy-turvy piece of avant-garde experimentation parading as a cash-in. Then he repeated the process, following <...]]> 2007-08-22T23:49:02+01:00 Leo Robson (L.N.Robson@warwick.ac.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/film/575 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/theatre/578

The Greedy Scratchers team promise to whisk an audience through six million years of human development through the eyes of one family. Quite what the purpose of this epic task is seems unclear before the group commence their time travelling...]]> 2007-08-22T23:48:07+01:00 Evan Beswick (evan@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/theatre/578 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/books/579

Wonderfully, though the end of the book festival looms, a number of highlights still remain. Just as this year’s festival has embraced eclecticism throughout an all-too-brief two week run, a number of fascinat...]]> 2007-08-22T23:45:52+01:00 Nick Garrard (nick@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/books/579 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/theatre/563

So a slave ship pops up in the Hudson river, right next to the Statue of Liberty. Naturally, this causes somewhat of a stir. It's a striking image in itself, even before the added complication of entangling its standalone potential with a narrat...]]> 2007-08-22T22:30:36+01:00 Evan Beswick (evan@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/theatre/563 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/theatre/577

Mark Soper, creator and sole perfomer of the Guy Masterson-produced An Age of Angels, knew he was onto something when he saw a child’s football go flying over a 20ft high chain-link fence. This single event, transf...]]> 2007-08-22T22:20:02+01:00 Alison Lutton (alisonlutton@hotmail.com) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/theatre/577 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/music/574
With more celebrity friends than you can shake a stick at, and bringing Scandinavia's take on new-wave to this year's T on the Fringe are the Sounds, a synth-laden quintet of beautiful people from Helsingborg, Sweden. Whilst not impressing the likes of Pharrell, Tarantino or Grohl, (he only went and wore one of their t-shirts during a video shoot didn't he) the Sounds have been taking Scandinavia and much of the US by storm since their first release in 2002. The band, fronted by Debbie Harry-a-like Maja Ivarsson are purveyors of glorious synth-laden rock and roll with which toe-tapping comes as standard. With two albums under their belt and with the kind of infectious ditties that most bands wait a lifetime for (see "Living in America" and "Queen of Apology") maybe the the Sounds' time is now. ]]> 2007-08-22T19:18:27+01:00 Jon Seller http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/music/574 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/theatre/573
This likeable and energetic show is essentially a showcase for some impressive feats of rollerblading and high-energy dancing, wrapped up with some random observations about life in the city. The stage has four low skate ramps on it, which are the primary focus of attention for much of the time, as five talented rollerbladers use them to jump, spin and somersault from one end to the other. Meanwhile, four limber ladies stomp, glide and breakdance on the dancefloor in front, pulling some pretty breathtaking moves.

While the performers get their breath between stunts, there are some recorded anecdotes about urban alienation, such as why kids wear hoodies and what it’s like for a stranger to ejaculate on your leg on the tube. They’re not hugely thought provoking, but they fill the gaps and are reasonably effective in tying the whole act together. The mimed scenes, mostly about being on the tube again, are a little overacted and not really necessary, but they’re short enough not to spoil the fun. The show’s probably best enjoyed if you get a bit involved, whooping at the bits you like, as you would if you were watching your friends rollerblading in the park. Anyone remotely interested in urban sports or dance would be well advised to check it out; for everyone else, it’s a pleasant enough way to spend forty minutes.]]> 2007-08-22T18:46:51+01:00 Tom Hackett (tomjameshackett@googlemail.com) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/theatre/573 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/572
This is one of those great little Fringe shows that’s essentially a bunch of students having a whale of a time twatting about on stage, but with enough talent, warmth and genuinely funny material that you actually have a brilliant time with them. The premise is that we’re in IKEA, where a bunch of weird and wonderful characters are spending the day shopping. Among them, there’s a leprechaun, some vampires, an insufferably middle-class couple named Arthur and Guinevere who are looking for a suitably round table, a couple of crap superheroes and a previously big and bad wolf who has since had a sex change and become a celebrity chef, going by the name of Nigella Wolfson.

The cast have eked a lot of satisfyingly absurd situations and witty one-liners out of this central premise. The performances are larger-than-life and hugely enjoyable: the old device of a very quick prop or wig change is used to signify a change of character, but more importantly, each character feels sufficiently well-conceived that the audience never feels it’s just the same actor with a different accent. There’s no backstage area at the venue, so the cast mingle with the crowd when they’re offstage, and have an endearing habit of laughing at the performances of their fellow comedians. This just adds to the sense of amateur fun. Sure, there are times when the pace slackens and some lines fall flat; but this is a lot of talent for a small room.]]> 2007-08-22T18:40:54+01:00 Tom Hackett (tomjameshackett@googlemail.com) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/572 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/music/482
“When we used to play support slots, our philosophy was always: ‘let’s nick the other band’s fans’. We still like to play better than everyone else.” So Nick ‘Peanut’ Baines, keyboardist for the Kaiser Chiefs, tells Fest prior to their stadium spectacular for T on the Fringe. That openly competitive, laddish attitude is central to the band’s appeal. With the successful release of second album Yours Truly, Angry Mob they have cemented their position as one of the very biggest bands in the UK, with admirers reputedly including the arch-duke of pop himself, Sir Paul McCartney. And the Kaisers’ aggressively catchy hooks, swaggering breakdowns and rousing choruses make their music ideally suited to the live arena; fans can expect a high-energy performance, and in return for their hard work the Kaisers will know they have the most vocal legion of followers going. Like a beer-fuelled karaoke session for thousands, this is sure to be a hoot.]]> 2007-08-22T18:17:18+01:00 Dylan Reed http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/music/482 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/570

This panel had a shared goal of wanting to improve the quality of people’s diet, their knowledge about food and to raise awareness of consumer power. Unlike many book events, here we had facts, figures and statistics that provided an informed discussion on that everyday subject: food.

James Fergusson, author of The Vitamin Murders: Who Killed Healthy Eating in Britain?, begins by showing the audience an orange. He is here to argue why an orange is no longer exactly what it appears as apparently it has lost 50% of its Vitamin A since 1940s. He asks the problematic question of: what vintage are the government’s GDA of vitamins and minerals? This drastic depletion in a food’s nutritional content happened in line with increased industrialisation of the food process. As a result the average human body contains between 300-500 chemicals, including potential carcinogens.

His book isn’t simply horror stories but investigates the brutal tabloid murder of Jack Drummond – the scientist who coined the term 'vitamin,’ brought milk into schools and organised the ration system in WWII. These were all whilst he worked at the Ministry of Food, where he transformed people’s lives. Yet in 1945, he left to work for Boots, where he became one of the leading figures in the industrialisation of our food industry by creating pesticides. Fergusson tries to uncover why he changed from being a hero to a harbinger of evil.

Hattie Ellis, author of Planet Chicken, guides us on her development from wanting to write a book of chicken recipes from around the world to producing a critique of the chicken producing industry. After visiting a chicken abattoir, she realised that the price of cheap chicken was animal welfare. She stresses that consumers have the power to change this, as they have driven for there to be a European wide ban on battery cages in 2012. Basically she wants us to eat only happily reared chickens.

Jill Fullerton-Smith is the documentary maker behind the BBC series and affiliated book The Truth About Food. She startles the audience with the statistic that it took her 9 months to persuade her science team to do a programme on nutrition. She offers us a sequence of useful gems about foods: fibrous foods keep you full longer; spinach can help prevent deterioration of eyesight and tomatoes can increase UV protection 3-fold. Her main adage is that the higher the percentage of fruit and veg in your diet, the healthier you will be. Nothing new but certainly reassuring.

Nutrition is at the forefront of scientific research and it is the constant learning that lead to confusion. This panel offered some tips, advice and reasons about why our nation’s health has deteriorated. Their key advice is simple: eat more fruit and vegetables, cook your own food and learn to find pleasure in eating and cooking.

“Birdwatching is like hide and seek, only you do the hiding and the seeking and the birds don’t know you’re playing.” This is typical of Alex Horne’s humour: self-deprecating and a bit quirky. Why self-deprecating? Well...]]> 2007-08-22T18:09:09+01:00 R.J. Thomson (rupert@skinnymag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/569 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/music/528
Ushering in what is arguably the most star studded week on the Fringe are two bands very much on the way up. Sergeant open proceedings with a tuneful, lively and harmonious set that recalls some of the best bits of Merseybeat. Their repetoire is not particulary innovative, but there's an energy about these revivalists that compensates, and it's easy to bounce along when they're clearly having such a good time.

The sound of Figure Five is not a million miles away from that of Sergeant, it just packs a slightly heavier punch. With their influences again worn proudly on their sleeves, the Glasgow five-piece draw heavily from the Scouse movements, with an injection of psych-pop. In keeping with the earlier performers, the zest with which they go about their business is the most infectious and enjoyable aspect, their lad-rock tinged sound delivered with much pose striking and pizazz. On the basis of this quality performance, the band is definitely one to watch. Whether they can convert this effervescence onto record remains to be seen, but on show tonight showcased the makings of a very decent first album. ]]> 2007-08-22T17:58:07+01:00 Finbarr Bermingham http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/music/528 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/music/499

The weird noises and beats that welcome Union of Knives to the stage take so long to die down that no one seems to know the point at which the set actually begins. Certainly, the band is at least half way through their opening song before the chatter of the crowd begins to quiet. Playing beneath the ominous glow of “XFM On Air” signs, the band stands deathly still, playing note-perfect renditions that fail to engage an increasingly restless audience. The chatter rises; people take photos of one another and the drift away from the floor becomes progressively more apparent as the set wears on. Only the debut of a new track and the timely use of the singles gets people moving on what is, otherwise, a flat performance that continually comes third best to the call of the bar and the lure of a trip outside for a fag.

A quiet night at the Jazz Bar may not be the best time to see Samba Sene: his smooth African funk is dance music rather than cool jazz, but tonight’s audience are sparse and shy. Three percussionists and a dancer push the b...]]> 2007-08-22T17:42:27+01:00 Gareth K. Vile (ignatian@btinternet.com) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/music/461 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/music/450

“Has anyone ever been to Withenshaw?” asks Stephen Fretwell. “Well, this one’s based on a Withenshaw bossa nova. It’s called "Dead."”

Stephen Fretwell is of a dying breed of singer/songwriter. Sporting a haircut and a new suit (“My mum bought me this, in case you’re wondering”), he spends the first half hour of his set onstage alone with his guitar, a tactic which commands the attention of the whole room. Big hitters like "Run" and "Emily" take on a spine-tingling intimacy when stripped back, while his often hilarious between-song banter keeps the mood from slipping into melancholy.

When joined by his band, his playful side shines, as does his startling new material. But it’s Fretwell’s refreshingly old school approach to performance that really thrills tonight. A genuine talent creating simply beautiful music is increasingly rare, and that is why Fretwell should be treasured.

Utilising Atwood’s invention of the LongPen, a machine that incorporates a video-link to the author’s location and creates legally binding replications of the author’s signature, Margaret Atwood in Edinburgh speaks to Alice Munro in her local bookshop in Ontario. The technology required for this invent astounds the audience, as the first question isn’t about her work but asking about the LongPen. Whilst the technology makes the event possible, the interactions between the two friends’ sarcastic wit (Atwood) and sharp tongue (Munro) transform a potentially stilted event into an exhilarating night.

Tonight Munro promotes her 13^th book, The View From Castle Rock, which explores her Scottish roots and the interaction between her imagined view of them and her life today. Here, real letters by her ancestors, including the Scottish author James Hogg, sit alongside imagined conversations and are deftly woven together. Munro reads with expression and laughter but spends most of the time talking with Atwood and an adoring audience filled with writers. Liz Lochhead tells Munro that her work has provided her more pleasure than any other living writer. At the signing both Ali Smith and Maggie O’Farrell scream to her ‘We love you. We love you. We love you.’

An almost de rigeur question at these events is asking for tips on getting published. Munro’s were: "Keep at it, don’t expect it to be easy, initially write in obscurity as it gives greater freedom and if it is an absolute need then you must do it."

Despite Munro not being physically present, her charisma, passion and enthusiasm left the audience enamored. Atwood was a wonderful chair; their friendship led to a flowing conversation. An absolute delight.

Before an all too familiar backdrop of summer rain, Fest caught up with Interpol lead guitarist and songwriter in chief, Daniel Kessler. "Welcome to Scotland. Have you had a chance to play in the mud yet?" It is put to hi...]]> 2007-08-22T16:22:44+01:00 Finbarr Bermingham http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/feature/64 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/568

Some things can really spoil a good mood: food poisoning, reading up on contemporary Russian foreign policy or remembering Gary Glitter hasn't died yet. So it really begs the question, why, after such a strong set, does Sean Hughes think its ac...]]> 2007-08-22T16:17:35+01:00 Ben Judge (ben@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/568 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/567

Generally speaking, there is very little one can do with literary classics when it comes to adapting them to the stage. Even more generally speaking, it is exceptionally hard to create a classic piece of theatre without following said classics to t...]]> 2007-08-22T15:24:02+01:00 Ben Judge (ben@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/562 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/565

Julian Fox lives alone in his South London flat. He scours the internet for cheap flight deals and European city breaks and spends large amounts of time at his local lido. You've Got to Love Dancing is an hour's narrative of his lif...]]> 2007-08-22T15:19:25+01:00 Dominic Hinde (d.m.hinde@sms.ed.ac.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/565 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/books/506
There is more to the Book Festival’s apparently spurious pairings of authors than initially meets the eye. Jed Mercurio and Gerard DeGroot are unlikely to be friends, or colleagues, and they will never write similar or even complimentary books. Mercurio is a lauded television writer and novelist, who hits greatness when he is handed the right project (Bodies), but throws up dirt when he messes in suspect territory (Invasion Earth). DeGroot is a professor at the University of St Andrews and a popular conflict-historian, responsible for the grim analyses of The Bomb: A Life and Blighty.

But for their most recent work, they have each set their sights on space. Mercurio’s second novel, Ascent, is the story of a self-possessed Soviet fighter pilot-turned-cosmonaut. DeGroot’s history of the space race, Dark Side of the Moon, is also a document of the Cold War, although far more conclusive: “Hubris…everything that is good resides on Earth.”

Despite the grotesque spending, political abuse and NASA’s failure to realise the promise of the sci-fi pulps of the forties and fifties, the ‘voyage out’ is still a collection of ideas tainted with optimism. DeGroot quashes this entirely. The push for the moon, and beyond, was a story told to the American public by “cynics, demagogues and criminals.” More cash was used up reaching the moon than was spent on developing the atomic bomb, and it was all “to kick lunar dust in Soviet faces.” Needless to say, the book has not sold well across the Atlantic, and the hate mail and lawsuits coming DeGroot’s way have been plentiful. He bemoans an America addicted to “shallow gestures,” and finds an unlikely villain in JFK, who cynically appropriated the space programme to assist public and international relations, and an unlikely hero in Eisenhower, whose belated warning of the military-industrial complex is a ghostly voice likely to trouble us for some time.

DeGroot’s case against the futility of future exploration of space – he condemns Bush’s plans for Mars (“another futile planet”), for example – is so compelling, Mercurio’s novel gets limited attention, although his reading is good. His work, though, seems marginally more optimistic – any description of the wastes of space is bound to be tinged by some sense of wonder. And he provides the best confutation to DeGroot’s book, which is that NASA’s budget would have likely gone nowhere near social welfare, but into the arms race. The $35 billion spent on space is, after all, cheaper than a year in Vietnam.

Late in the talk, there was a sly dismissal of science-fiction (“based on faith rather than reason” according to DeGroot), which I did not applaud. The genre is big enough to make all cases, including the professor’s. With any luck, this will be demonstrated by Mercurio’s next project, an adaptation of Frankenstein for ITV, perhaps the best-known interrogation of the tragic implications of urgent dabbling, and big gestures.]]> 2007-08-22T15:17:08+01:00 Thomas Hutchinson (stirringtimes@hotmail.com) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/books/506 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/558

Even if you don’t already know Mrs Barbara Nice, you might well recognise her. A housewife and avid Take A Break reader from Stockport, her blend of maternal fussing, gentle innuendo and general confusion in the face of modern te...]]> 2007-08-22T15:14:33+01:00 Alison Lutton (alisonlutton@hotmail.com) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/558 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/549

Medical students are more famous for their drinking and liberal use of Pro Plus than for any kind of artistry. And while St. George’s Medics give a brave stab at the world of sketch comedy, you c...]]> 2007-08-22T15:06:42+01:00 Chris Williams (chris@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/548 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/film/500

Max (Spencer Berger) is a terrible playwright with big hair. One day, he makes a split decision to rob a bank, and discovers he’s got some talent after all. It’s a good starting point, but ultimately this debut film f...]]> 2007-08-22T15:05:29+01:00 Nine () http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/film/500 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/film/510

Stardust is the latest offering from director Mathew Vaughn (Layer Cake). It is a star-studded fantasy epic that tells the magical tale of one man’s quest to capture a fallen star and bring it back to the girl he loves. Trist...]]> 2007-08-22T15:03:24+01:00 Amy Cook (s0341750@sms.ed.ac.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/film/510 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/film/529

The Home Song Stories tells the story of Rose and her two children Tom and May. As their mother, Rose behaves less like a parent and more like a partner in crime, shuttling her children from home to home in tandem with h...]]> 2007-08-22T14:57:08+01:00 Nine () http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/film/533 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/film/545

Shot on HD film at a sumptuous 24 frames a second, Faro: Goddess of the Waters beats down on you in the darkness of the cinema like the hot Malian sun in the film. It is this kind of authenticity and attention to detail that makes director ...]]> 2007-08-22T14:48:41+01:00 Sandy Ritchie http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/film/545 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/552

Justin Moorhouse is peturbed. There's children in the front row and he's about to swear... alot. "Is this a comedy show or a creche?" he barks. "You're barely older than my little lad and I'd not let him fucking come.&...]]> 2007-08-22T14:46:19+01:00 Hannah Thomas (hannah@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/552 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/542

You have to feel sorry for Tom Allen. His show has been staged under the banner of Fringe Comedy but this is is by no means stand-up. It occupies a strange position somewhere between the rambling monologues of Talking Heads and the chatty b...]]> 2007-08-22T14:34:39+01:00 Dominic Hinde (d.m.hinde@sms.ed.ac.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/542 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/536

The phrase "Fringe Veteran" is overused but, now performing at his 25^th Edinburgh Festival Fringe, no other title could describe John Hegley so precisely. Having garnered an army o...]]> 2007-08-22T14:17:51+01:00 Chris Williams (chris@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/536 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/535

Songs about vaginas? It must be some kind of witty word play, surely? I don’t know, something along the lines of… No, I can’t quite think of any witty word plays around that one.

Stuffing pillows down one's top to simulate mild obesity doesn't turn a young person into George Galloway. Producing an uncanny likeness of his accent and unleashing bursts of oratory which include the word "popinjay", however, very nearly does. And it's here where the Oxford Revue gets the most brownie points: while some of the sketch writing is inconsistent, the performers obviously have the ability to produce some comedy gold.

Clearly, there is a lot to commend the group's writing. Sports coverage, show tunes and rhyming dictionaries are all plundered successfully for satire. There's even a gay kiss between two toffs. Sod the Archers – no smoochy sound effects here. Weaker sketches, a workshop on improvised comedy, for example, are carried by the unwavering energy of the group's members.

But Oxford is an established enough university, and the Oxford Revue are now an established company. Surely they could, together, offer a degree course in revue writing? It's a risky suggestion, open to curmudgeonly grumbles along the lines of, "hmph, well there probably already is, these days." There isn't. Which is a shame because Sacred Roadworks feels more like a collection of overly short sketches than a coherent revue. There's a nice attempt at using Condollezza Rice to unify the performance, but the main problem remains: like the fibre in a balanced diet, one can't help but feel that a few longer sketches might enable the six performers to add substance to their character acting. Tellingly, one of the longest of the sketches is actually the best. It's the gay one, again.

A lot of people prefer not to like Stephen K Amos. Talking about that narrow range of issues that exist between being black and being gay, he really is the ultimate cliché. His egocentric comedy takes you on a long winded tour of the various ...]]> 2007-08-22T14:05:11+01:00 Chris Williams (chris@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/517 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/527

Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scousers, debt-consolidation companies, US foreign policy, agnostics, chavs, 4x4s, climate change deniers: enraged Independent-reader Marcus Brigstocke hates them all, eloquently and vociferous...]]> 2007-08-22T14:03:27+01:00 Alison Lutton (alisonlutton@hotmail.com) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/527 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/525

Edinburgh is, as Jason Manford observes, a hilly city: "I've been here two weeks and not walked downhill yet." Good so far. "It's like it's been designed by Dali or something." Ah. A small quibble: one suspects Mr Man...]]> 2007-08-22T13:58:19+01:00 Evan Beswick (evan@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/525 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/524

It's a neat reviewer's trick to begin by usurping the performer's opening line, providing of course, that said quip is a real belter. But eschewing loud music, flashy lighting or acerbic openings, Terry Saunders wanders ever so slightly ...]]> 2007-08-22T13:51:22+01:00 Evan Beswick (evan@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/524 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/523

"Fuck golf! Make it dangerous!" Henry Rollins isn't taking any prisoners; inspired by the plight of a naked crack addict mauled by an alligator in Florida late last year, he seems sure that the threat of being ravaged by the anim...]]> 2007-08-22T13:36:38+01:00 Dave Kerr (dave@festmag.co.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/523 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/522

Put simply, Howard Read is awful in bed but can draw rather well and is handy at talking to people in a humourous way. The result is a show in which he proudly boasts of his tendency to jump the gun and draws irreverent sketches to make people chuck...]]> 2007-08-22T13:32:53+01:00 Dominic Hinde (d.m.hinde@sms.ed.ac.uk) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/522 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/511

Janey Godley is tired of being labelled by reviewers as "too Scottish." So, this year, the Glaswegian comic has stopped trying to outrun her critics. Instead, she's embraced her Scottish roots, mo...]]> 2007-08-22T13:32:37+01:00 Yasmin Sulaiman (yasmin.sul@googlemail.com) http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/511 http://www.festmag.co.uk/sections/comedy/519