Make It Happen, Festival Theatre: whoever in the Edinburgh International Festival’s marketing department compared James Graham’s play on the 2008 collapse of Royal Bank of Scotland to Shakespeare has insulted the greatest playwright in the English language. The production is more Jerry Springer – the Musical meets The Big Short, without the entertainment of the former nor the … [Read more...] about Make it happen: Fred the Shred goes head to head with Adam Smith
Reviews
Ten predictions for how the EU evolves in 2024
These short look forwards on ten big issues for the EU in 2024 are written by Kirsty Hughes (KH) and by David Gow (DG). (1) Gaza: Will the EU remain divided and powerless on the sidelines? The relentless destruction of Gaza by Israel is set to continue into the new year. The EU will remain divided even though 17 of its 27 member states did, by late 2023, back an immediate … [Read more...] about Ten predictions for how the EU evolves in 2024
Another now, another Scotland
Can you imagine a Scotland where commercial banks are redundant, companies are owned by workers and land is held in ‘the commons’? Yanis Varoufakis’ new book, Another Now, envisages what a post-capitalist present could look like. The former Greek Finance Minister has written a number of best-sellers since his dramatic, albeit short-lived, battle with ‘The Troika’ in 2015. … [Read more...] about Another now, another Scotland
A pedestrian’s view of the Edinburgh Art Festival
The paradox of a city like Edinburgh is that to do anything spontaneous involves extensive planning.Despite its closes and little streets, for locals Edinburgh does not often afford itself to hidden gems. Very rarely does it come up with something you haven't seen before, or at least not heard of; seldom is there such a thing as a pleasant surprise that isn't pre-booked in … [Read more...] about A pedestrian’s view of the Edinburgh Art Festival
The prime that never comes: on Muriel Spark’s Miss Jean Brodie
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie will resonate with an Edinburgh locale in ways perhaps different from an international audience. We are talking here of a city where the marker of your identity is not distilled to the question of where do you come from, but what school did you go to. In Edinburgh the school you went to pierces through your upbringing before it, and anything in … [Read more...] about The prime that never comes: on Muriel Spark’s Miss Jean Brodie