2016, the best bits

BEST OF THE YEAR

History may not look kindly on 2016, with considerable evidence on offer of the depths to which human stupidity can sink. Let us hope it will not also be seen as the precursor for much more dangerous times ahead.

But I prefer to end the year reflecting on the positives. On a personal level it's been another enjoyable twelve months. A big part of that enjoyment comes from getting ourselves out to see live entertainment, and films, and my accompanying hobby of writing reviews to all that I get to. This becomes a handy reference point when I want to recall the best (and worst) bits I've been privileged to see. So, as I did last year, here's my list of my favourites broken down into various categories.

It was a quieter year in terms of numbers, especially for comedy - probably because we didn't feel 100% well during August and went to far fewer Fringe shows than we had the year before. In the end I've been to 24 comedy shows, 45 music gigs, 27 drama events, 28 films, and a couple that don't slot comfortably into any of these categories. I've also been to a large number of ice hockey matches....

1) Comedy 

As was the case last year it would be easy just to say Mark Thomas and move on. Still the best. Or I could plump for others we've seen before like Stewart Lee, Mark Steel or our friend Aidan Goatley (twice!), all of whom delivered the quality expected. 
But my preference is to recall someone I haven't seen before and has left a lasting impression. My first thought was Jonathan Pie, which was funny, thought provoking, and clever in the manner in which it adapted the YouTube character to an our long stage show. But the show was as much drama as it was comedy, and I'd like to choose a more pure comedy act. So my selection is Paul Currie. Inventive, bizarre, childish, involving, hilarious and utterly daft. Definitely a man I want to see again next year.

2) Music 

As above it would be so simple to just say that by far the best gig of the year was provided, once more, by the mighty Lau. Or another amongst our established favourites - Kris Drever, Moishe's Bagel, Merry Hell, the wonderful Dallahan..... Instead I'm choosing an act in which only one of the performers was already familiar. Seonaid Aitken and the Tokyo Django Collective delivered a magical event where virtuoso performances were combined with a sense of fun and enthusiasm. So memorable. With a special mention to an unlikely group of heroes, also performing in the Jazz and Blues Festival. The Bratislava Hot Serenaders didn't come close to providing the greatest musical experience of the year. But they did deliver by far the most charming.

3) Drama 

We got to all ten productions in the two seasons of A Play, a Pie and a Pint at the Traverse, and enjoyed almost all of them, with Dr Johnson Goes to Scotland the stand out performance. But I think my choice needs to head somewhere with more meat on the bones. Teatro Delusio was the unforgettable drama experience of the Fringe. Thon Man Moliere had much to recommend it. But... I'm going with Right Now, the funny, twisted, disturbing French Canadian family drama we saw back in April. There are images from that evening which have stayed with me ever since.

4) Film 

So often, when asked what our favourite was, we tend to provide the easy answer and just go for the last thing we enjoyed. But, although Paterson, was the last film I saw in 2016, I have no doubt about my choice. Quietly beautiful and inspiring. I can't look back at 2016 and not mention the film that provoked the greatest anger and empathy in me, I, Daniel Blake, which is a powerful condemnation of the society we've become. Most of the films I saw this year were as part of the Film Festival in June and July, and four stood above the others for me. The Carer, The Olive Tree, 24 Weeks and A Man Called Ove (from the UK, Spain, Germany and Sweden respectively) were all excellent, with the last of these evoking that word Charm once again.

5) Book 

I don't review them and I haven't read nearly as many this year. But looking back over those I have, the best by far was The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson. Exploring the boundaries of religious faith, myth and fantasy, it shows up the credibility and credulity of we humans in a tale that questions reality. My favourite thriller was C J Sansom's Winter in Madrid, bringing with it a real sense of life in the Spain of the Civil War and the early years of the Franco regime.

6) Hockey Match 

I don't write reviews or keep notes, so I may be guilty of falling victim to 'recent memory' syndrome, but for atmosphere I can't recall anything to beat the Caps match against Fife Flyers on 2 October. The Edinburgh Capitals had never previously qualified for the quarter finals of the Challenge Cup. Win this match and their place was guaranteed. Maybe the atmosphere wasn't quite so good at the end of the second period. 0-1 down after the first, we'd fallen to 1-4 after the next twenty minutes. But the third was .... different. 
Matt Tipoff got one back after a couple of minutes, and the comeback definitely looked on just over a minute later when Mason Wilgosh made it 3-4. Another four minutes and there was Mr Tipoff again to equalise. All square, twelve and a bit minutes to go, and anybody's game. But now the home side had the momentum, and the noise from the crowd, to carry them. 
Less than five minutes left and Ian Schultz scored to take the lead for the first time. The Edinburgh fans were on their feet. And stayed up. Pretty much anyone who was capable of standing was doing so. And shouting, and chanting and generally going crazy, even the most normally staid amongst our number. When Pavel Vorobyev fired the puck into the empty net with a couple of minutes left we knew our Xmas had come very early this year. What a night to be a Caps fan....

And finally.... As I did last year, just to show I don't always make wise choices of shows to go and see, here are a few of the worst of the year. Musically Gol did little for me, and Orkestra Del Sol proved a disappointment when I'd expected so much. In the Film Festival I found Suntan and Mr Right lightweight and pointless. Surprisingly there was one of the Play, Pie and Pint series that proved to be a big let down, with One Thinks of It All as a Dream so much poorer than the others in the series. And my Turkey of the Year award is once again going to a Fringe 'comedy' show - The Simpsons Taught Me Everything I Know was even worse than the title suggests, an hour of 2016 I'd like to wipe from memory.

Here's to an entertaining (and Armageddon-free) 2017.