Jonathan Trew: It aims to turn the swimming pool into an art space

Published on 20/02/2012 00:00

THE Glasgow Film Festival is sizzling up the silver screen at the moment and, as always, it’s a glorious mix of the popular and the chin-scratchingly esoteric.

In the latter camp is an event called Wet Sounds which takes place tomorrow evening at North Woodside Leisure Centre. Part of the Festival’s live music strand, it aims to change the Victorian swimming pool into an art space which will resonate to two different sound systems – one broadcasting above water and one below. Joel Cahan’s electronic modulations will be doing battle with La Horrox’s voice and live electronica. The event premiered at the Festival last year and was such a hit that the artists have been invited back.

Ever since nearly drowning, on account of trying to wear inflatable armbands on my ankles (I know, I know, Darwin Awards shoo in), this scribe has been wary of trying to do anything other than stay alive when in water. For those who can manage to listen and stay afloat without shipping too much liquid, Wet Sounds should be a blast.

It’s probably less advisable to turn up at the Film Festival’s other events in your swimmers. Although it’s possible one could make an exception for this afternoon’s showing of Singin’ in the Rain. This year marks the centenary of Gene Kelly’s birth and the Festival is celebrating his twinkling toes and golden larynx with a retrospective.

There will be less dancing and considerably more singing at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre this evening as Scottish Opera tucks into Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. Director Bill Bankes-Jones is said to be taking the tale back to its darkest Grimm roots so expect less gingerbread enchantment and more psychological torment. Kai Rüütel, a recent graduate of the Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, sings Hansel, and Irish soprano Ailish Tynan is Gretel, a role she recently played at Covent Garden. Leah-Marian Jones pulls on the prosthetic nose and crooked chin ensemble for the part of the Witch.

• www.glasgowfilm.org; www.scottishopera.org.uk