Festival takes walk on the wild side with Iggy, Bowie and Lou

Controversial choreographer Michael Clark will use the music of David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed as the starting point of a new work specially produced for Edinburgh.

The piece will mark the return of the Scots-born enfant terrible of dance to the EIF for the first time in two decades.

The 63rd Festival, which boasts Enlightenment and Homecoming as its themes, will also feature a 100-strong cast performing Faust at the Royal Highland Showground, a recital from popular Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, the premiere of a play telling the story of Scotland's last "witch" and a reworking of JM Barrie's classic fairytale Peter Pan.

The Festival will open with Handel's Judas Maccabaeus, which Evening News classical music critic Sandy Scott claimed showed a lack of tact in the context of a Scottish Homecoming theme as it was "designed as a compliment to the Duke of Cumberland, upon his returning victorious from Scotland".

Announcing the 2009 programme, Festival director Jonathan Mills said: "In this Year of Homecoming, exploring notions of identity, of home and homecoming is an important theme running through the programme.

"The Enlightenment was the inspiration for this year's programme. It was a period of technological developments, philosophical provocation and scientific discoveries.

"A visit to Edinburgh in the 18th century brought one to the source of the ideas and inventions that laid the foundations for much of the modern world."

Scotland in the 18th Century also features in The Last Witch, by Rona Munro. The show is a co-production with the Traverse, which will be directed by Dominic Hill, and tells the story of Janet Horne, the last woman to be executed for witchcraft in Scotland.

Providing an emotional connection with JM Barrie's homeland, Lee Breuer and Mabou Mines present a new production of Peter and Wendy, their 1996 re-imagining of Peter Pan which mixes puppets and live action.

Evening News theatre critic Thom Dibdin said: "The theatre thread looks to have a solid backbone of strong productions.

"There's a season of Brian Friel plays from Dublin's Gate Theatre to be looked forward to, however, the most exciting production is the EIF/Traverse co-production The Last Witch, which should finally put the Traverse back where it belongs.

"I also imagine that Faust will be the big spectacle, with more than 100 actors promenading in the Lowland Hall, at Ingliston."

The music thread of the 2009 EIF, which runs from August 14 to September 6, includes performances of Verdi's Macbeth, Handel's Rinaldo and The Caledonia Sessions, four concerts at The Hub exploring the musical scene in 18th Century Scotland and before, featuring guests including Michael Mara.

Mr Mills added: "Festivals are exceptional opportunities to immerse oneself and escape from the everyday. Nowhere is this more so than in Edinburgh."

THE HOT TICKETS THIS YEAR

The highlights of this year's International Festival include:

Opening Concert: Handel's Judas Maccabaeus, with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and William Christie.

The first staged production of Robert Henryson's epic poem The Testament of Cresseida starring Scottish actor Jimmy Yuill.

St Kilda, Island of Birdmen, a staged opera performed in Gaelic, French and English.

Dublin's Gate Theatre takes up a Festival residency to explore its unique relationship with Brian Friel through three of his masterworks.

Christain Spuck's The Return of Ulysses danced by the Royal Ballet of Flanders.

Der Fliegende Hollander performed by the Hamburg State Orchestra.

The Enlightenments: Seven commissions and two projects new to Scotland from nine major visual artists.

Scottish Ballet in a programme of Ashton's Scenes de Ballet.

The world premiere of Ian Spink's Petruska with the original Stravinsky score performed by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Festival debuts include Bach Collegium Japan, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Michael Marra, The Emmerson String Quartet and Australian conductor Simone Young (pictured).

The Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert, performed by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, on September 6.