THEATRE
GORGEOUS AVATAR
Theatre Royal, Dumfries, Mon (01387 260 447); Village Hall, Ballachulish, Wed (01855 811 979); An Lanntair, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Fri (01851 703 307)
The first full-length play by the young Borders writer Jules Horne, Gorgeous Avatar is wry, tender and fantastical story about love and loneliness in the digital age.
MUM’S THE WORD 2 — TEENAGERS
King’s theatre, Glasgow, Tue-Sat (0141 240 1111)
Sequel to the hit comedy about the highs and lows of parenting. Set 10 years after the events of the first play, this time around the mothers are managing the hopes, dreams and tantrums of their teenage offspring.
MONKEY
His Majesty’s theatre, Aberdeen, Wed-Jun 3 (01224 641 122)
The Dundee Rep Ensemble and Scottish Dance Theatre present this stage action-adventure about the escapades of a mischievous monkey god in 6th-century China.
ELIZABETH GORDON QUINN
Royal Lyceum theatre, Edinburgh, Wed-Sat (0131 248 4848)
The National Theatre of Scotland presents Chris Hannan’s classic drama set during the Glasgow rent strike of 1915.
ART
Mull Theatre, Mull, until Jun 8 (01688 302 828)
Yasmina Reza’s award-winning comedy about the darker side of friendship.
MUSIC
THE WEE CHILL
Queen’s Park Glasshouse, Queen’s Park, Glasgow, today (0870 220 1116)
A mini-festival of live music and DJs in the bucolic surroundings of Queen’s Park with performances from the Nextmen, Kid Carpet and the People.
GOO GOO DOLLS
Barrowland, Glasgow, today (0141 204 5151)
The veteran alt-rockers from Buffalo, New York tour their 10th album Let Love In, an overblown mix of pop-punk power chords and cheesy love-lorn lyrics.
ISOBEL CAMPBELL
Liquid Room, Edinburgh, Tue (0131 220 3234); Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, Wed (01224 642 230)
After stunning critics with her latest album Ballad of the Broken Seas, a collaboration with former Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan, Campbell rounds off her European tour with a few dates on home soil.
NIKI KING & MARCUS FORD
Tron theatre, Glasgow, today (0141 552 4267)
Rising jazz-chanteuse, Niki King is joined by virtuoso guitarist Marcus Ford for the launch of their new collaborative album Twelve O’Clock Tales.
JASON MRAZ
Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, today (0131 668 3456)
The Virginian singer-songwriter who has wowed critics with his second album Mr A-Z, a combination of with hook-laden melodies and twisting lyrics with a light-hearted funk-pop sensibility.
EDITORS
Carling Academy, Glasgow, today (0870 771 2000)
Theatrical, Birmingham-based revivalists who spent a large part of 2005 supporting Franz Ferdinand through Europe and the UK. Full of verve and raw aggression, their quick tempo numbers recall the dark drama of Joy Division while their ballads cast them in the role of earnest rockers like U2.
GIRLS ALOUD
SECC, Glasgow, today (0870 040 4000)
The television talent show survivors show why they are one of the few universally loved manufactured pop bands with their catchy blend of sassy pop and quirky cover versions.
THE FUTUREHEADS
Carling Academy, Glasgow, Mon (0870 771 2000)
Best known for their jerky, post-punk cover of Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love, The Futureheads’ second album News and Tributes is a much more thoughtful affair, reigning back the exuberance of their eponymous first album for a more subtle accessibility. A sturdy collection of songs about love and loss with an excellent title track that pays homage to the victims of the 1958 Munich air disaster.
ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN
Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Wed (0131 668 3456)
The Liverpudlian indie legends are still going strong after reforming in 1997 to the delight of a second generation of introspective students. Fronted by the original singer Ian McCulloch, the band have already released four albums since their return including last year’s Siberia.
DAME SHIRLEY BASSEY
SECC, Glasgow, Sat (0870 040 4000)
The Welsh diva performs songs from her 50 year back catalogue including hits such as Diamonds Are Forever.
BON JOVI
Hampden Park, Glasgow, Sat (0870 220 1116)
The enduring stadium rockers, fronted by the ever-young Jon Bon Jovi, are back in Europe to tour their new album, Have A Nice Day, as saccharine a collection of soft rock ballads as it sounds.
AVERAGE WHITE BAND
Liquid Room, Edinburgh, Fri (0131 220 3234); Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, Sat (01224 642 230); Rothes Hall, Glenrothes, Sun Jun 4 (01592 612 121)
Scottish funk-soul legends who, in the 1970s, were briefly the most famous band in the world with hits such as Pick Up the Pieces and Person to Person.
JOURNEY
Playhouse, Edinburgh, Fri & Sun Jun 4 (0870 606 3424)
American prog-jazz rockers, recently inducted onto the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, who had hits in the late 1970s with power ballads like Don’t Stop Believing, Open Arms and Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).
COLOURSFEST
Braehead Arena, Braehead, Glasgow, Sat (0870 220 1116)
Scotland’s biggest dance festival returns with a line-up of top DJs and live dance acts including Armin Van Buuren, Judge Jules, Fergie and Timo Maas.
SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Kirkcudbright Academy, Kirkcudbright, Wed (01387 253 383); Annan Academy, Annan, Thu (01387 253 383); Volunteer Hall, Galashiels, Fri (0845 270 1812)
Alexander Janiczek leads the SCO on a tour of south Scotland with a quartet of works by Mozart including Three movements with violin solo and Symphony in D.
OPERA
DON GIOVANNI
Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Thu (0141 240 1133)
Peter Savidge stars in a new Scottish Opera production of Mozart’s stunning opera based on the famous legend of master seducer Don Juan.
CARMEN
Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Tue & Sat (0141 240 1133)
A revival of Scottish Opera’s 1999 co-production with the Welsh National Opera with Andrea Szántó singing the title role.
DANCE
COMPANHIA DE DANCA DEBORAH COLKER
Edinburgh Festival theatre, Tue & Wed (0131 529 6000)
Rio de Janeiro-based dance company famed for mixing classical and contemporary dance.
MOTIONHOUSE DANCE THEATRE
Dundee Rep, Dundee, Wed (01382 223 530)
A strangely enchanting and surreal work that explores perceptions of time.
BALLET CENTRAL
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Fri (0141 353 8000)
The touring company returns to celebrates its 21st year with a programme of classical and contemporary dance including excerpts from Coppelia and Le Corsaire alongside a new jazz piece by dancer and choreographer Lucy Potter, Waltzing is Hip.
COMEDY
CRAIG HILL
Dundee Rep, Dundee, Sat (01382 223 530)
The uber-camp Glaswegian comedian hikes to Dundee for his latest stand up show.
ART
EOGHANN MACCOLL
Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Fri-Jul 2 (0131 624 6200)
An exhibition of new works by the 2005 Salvesen Scholar, the largest independent art scholarship in Scotland, documenting his trip around the fringes of the North Sea, Iceland, Greenland and Nova Scotia with particular focus on the influence of Gaelic culture in Nova Scotia.
REMBRANT AT 400: MASTER PRINTS
National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, Sat-Aug 27 (0131 624 6200)
A display of etchings by the Dutch artist to commemorate the 400th anniversary of his birth. Rembrandt’s etchings encompass the artist’s most popular subjects including self-portraits, scenes from the Bible and studies from everyday life.
WORD ORDER
Peacock Visual Arts, Aberdeen, until Jun 17 (01224 639 539)
Curated by poet and artist Thomas A Clark, this exhibition explores the historical and inspirational links between poetry and visual art, including new work by David Bellingham, Thomas A Clark, Alec Finlay and Julie Johnstone.
ANATOMY ACTS
City Art Centre, Edinburgh, until Jul 9 (0131 529 3993)
Exploring the human body inside and out, Anatomy Acts is an exhibition of rare objects and specimens from Scottish scientific collections from centuries old human remains to the latest in body imaging technologies.
PER ANNUM: PAINTING THE SEASONS
City Art Centre, Edinburgh, until Jul 9 (0131 529 3993)
The changing Scottish seasons, from lazy summer evenings to the bleak mid-winter, form the basis of this exhibition featuring works by Scottish artists from the past and present including impressionists William McTaggart and James Lawton Wingate and contemporary artists such as Iain Patterson.
DADA’S BOYS
Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, until Jul 16 (0131 225 2383)
Man is stripped bare in this exhibition exploring male identity in the context of a post-dada tradition with works by Knut Asdam, John Bock, Roderick Buchanan, Marcel Duchamp, Keith Farquhar and Douglas Gordon.
THE RHYTHM OF LIFE
Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling, until Fri (01786 471 917)
A joint exhibition between printmaker Doreen Robinson and landscape painter Judi Fairbairns.
ROSS SINCLAIR
CCA, Glasgow, until Sat (0141 352 4900)
Ross Sinclair’s new show the Real Life Painting Show strips his work back to the most basic building blocks of the creative process. Last chance to see.
DIVIDED SELVES
Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh, until Sat (0131 650 2210)
A survey of self-portraiture in Scottish art from the early 18th century to the present day featuring work by Douglas Gordon, Allison Watt, David Wilke, Kenny Hunter and Elizabeth Blackadder.
MARK NEVILLE: JUMP FILMS
Streetlevel Photoworks, Glasgow, until Jun 3 (0141 552 2151)
A film installation of the daredevil artist jumping from bridges in Amsterdam, using a high-speed film camera that is commonly used in scientific research and car-crash testing.
A LIFE IN PICTURES: MARJORIE CAMPBELL 1936-1999
Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, until Jun 11 (01786 471 917)
A retrospective of Scottish artist Marjorie Campbell charting her eclectic career in still life, portraiture, graphic design, book illustration, landscape and glass design.
INDIAN BOTANICAL DRAWINGS FOR ROBERT WIGHT/RUDOLF STINGEL
The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, until Jul 9 (0131 248 2983)
Highly detailed drawings from the Botanic’s archive made by southern Indian artists for the Scottish botanist Robert Wight between 1825 and 1853. Rudolf Stingel presents an installation of paintings and sculpture made to accompany Wight’s exhibition.
VISITING PICASSO
Dean Gallery, Edinburgh, until Jul 9 (0131 624 6200)
An exhibition documenting the friendship between Roland Penrose and Pablo Picasso who met in 1936 and remained friends until Picasso’s death in 1973.
THE AULD ALLIANCE 2006
Institut Français d’Ecosse, Edinburgh, until Jun 30 (0131 225 5366)
The Scottish Cartoon Art Studio exhibits over thirty original cartoons comparing Scottish and French art, cuisine, history and popular culture.
FOLIO SUITE 06
Peacock Visual Arts, Aberdeen, until June 24 (01224 639 539)
A collaboration between students, tutors and invited artists including David Henderson, Ruth Beardsworth and Lennox Dunbar combining traditional and contemporary printmaking techniques.
INSECT SAFARI: BARBARA REED
Collins Gallery, Glasgow, until Jun 24 (0141 548 2558)
Inspired by the artist’s passion for Africa, Insect Safari brings together a selection of textiles celebrating the culture, landscape and wildlife of Botswana.
MATERIAL WORLD
Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, until Sep 25 (0141 229 1996)
Sculpture from the Arts Council Collection featuring work by Claire Barclay, Damien Hirst, Michael Landy, Sarah Lucas and Rachael Whiteread.
CHILDREN
A CLOUD JOURNEY
North Edinburgh Arts Centre, Edinburgh, today & Mon (0131 315 2151); Tron theatre, Glasgow, Tue (0141 552 4267); Paisley Arts Centre, Paisley, Wed (0141 887 1010)
A curious cloud travels around the globe in search of new people, countries and oceans to explore in this clever and educational show from German company Schnawwl Kinder und Jugentheater am Nationaltheater Mannheim.
DAYS OUT
THREE HARBOURS ARTS FESTIVAL
Various venues in Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton, Fri-Jun 10 (01875 819 922)
Visual arts, music, drama and literature festival featuring work by Peter Howson, John Bellany, George Birrell and Jolomo.
