Jonathan Trew: An audience with James Cosmo

By Jonathan Trew
Published on 16/02/2013 00:00

THERE is no excuse for melding with the sofa this weekend thanks to a delicious panoply of vibrant events taking place in the Central Belt. Biggest of them all is the Glasgow Film Festival, which got underway on Thursday.

New Brazilian cinema, James Cagney and gaming are the main strands for this, the ninth festival of its kind. Among this weekend’s highlights will be a free talk given by Andy Dougan, lecturer in the Screen Department at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, which examines Cagney’s Oscar-winning career. Taking place at the GFT this morning, the talk precedes a screening of Angels with Dirty Faces.

Also likely to be hugely popular is this afternoon’s audience with the Scottish actor James Cosmo. From Braveheart via Trainspotting to Game of Thrones, Cosmo’s craggy features have glowered out from many a scene. He also acts in Citadel, a creepy, paranoid chiller in which he plays an unusual priest. With many scenes shot in Glasgow, Citadel is shown this evening and tomorrow morning at the GFT.

If you would prefer to get out and about rather than sitting in a darkened room then the Snowdrops by Starlight event at Cambo Estate in Fife could be just your cup of chai latte. Cambo’s snowdrop trail is illuminated with dramatic lighting effects and dotted with environmental sculptures.

A similar event takes place at Rouken Glen Park in Giffnock this weekend. Produced by Culture Creative, Electric Glen will light up the boating lake, waterfall and glen with visual art installations and characters from Rouken Glen’s past. At the time of writing, the event was sold out but the release of more tickets was being mooted.

At Glasgow’s City Halls, the Scottish Ensemble will attempt to drive you crazy with La Follia or musical madness. Tonight’s programme is dedicated to ear worms, those catchy tunes which, once heard, never leave your brain. Prominent are Henryk Górecki’s Harpsichord Concerto and 3 Pieces in Old Style. You will be whistling them for weeks.

• www.glasgowfilm.org; www.snowdropsbystarlight.com; www.electricglen.co.uk; www.scottishensemble.co.uk