Alan Cumming, Neighbours and the TV debates

The Independent’s entertainment newsletter [View in browser]( [The Independent]( July 30, 2022 [The Independent]( Written by Jessie Thompson   The IndyArts Newsletter   What blew your mind the most this week: the new Beyoncé album or the fact that Neighbours finally came to an end after 37 years? I’ve been playing “Break My Soul” relentlessly all summer, but Harold Bishop will remain a cultural titan forever – so I couldn’t possibly choose. Whatever your preference, do read [Mark Beaumont’s verdict on the dancefloor-friendly Renaissance](, and Michael Hogan’s [fond tribute to Ramsay Street power couple Scott and Charlene](. Less enticing: the relentless Tory leadership debates on TV. There is a swotty, good-citizen part of me that feels I should watch them to try and get a measure of who might end up running the country. But [Louis Chilton’s excellent State of the Arts column]( points out that they prize image over ideas, which isn’t giving us the kind of politicians we need. Oh, and they’re truly wretched to watch. Were Scott and Charlene the original Ross and Rachel? (Fremantle Media/Shutterstock)   Much of the arts world is getting ready to up sticks to Scotland next week, when the Edinburgh Fringe returns for the first time since 2019. We’ll be bringing you coverage throughout the festival; to kick off, [here are some highlight](s chosen by Isobel Lewis and myself. PS: [Emma Corrin is going to star in a West End production of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando](. Who’s excited? (Me.)   [The Saturday Interview – Alan Cumming]( [Oscars image]( Alan Cumming will be at the Edinburgh International Festival with his dance show 'Burn' (Gian Andrea di Stefano) Alan Cumming making his dance debut at the age of 57, and it's exactly the kind of risk he likes to take. This weekend, [he talks to Sarah Crompton]( about his Edinburgh show Burn, which takes us past the "biscuit tin" version of Scottish poet Robert Burn, as well as male desire, why Marvel films confuse him, and casting for the new James Bond. [Oscars image]( Alan Cumming with Halle Berry in 'X-Men 2' 9Moviestore/Shutterstock) Read an extract from our Saturday Interview below… He stops mid-thought and rolls back his sleeve. “Did I show you this?” he says, and puts his arm in front of the camera to reveal a tattoo that reads “Only connect”, EM Forster’s famous epigraph to his great novel Howard’s End. Forster was a gay man who hid his sexual identity; Cumming is an outspoken campaigner for LGBT+ rights. “It’s not just about making sure you have a true connection with people, but also connecting your desire to the way you live your life. That’s something Forster couldn’t do, and I think he wrote eloquently about the sadness of that. I am fascinated about how men struggle and make a bit of a mess of it.” [Read the full interview here]( [What to binge this week]( Cristin Milioti and William Jackson Harper in ‘The Resort’ (Peacock) [The Resort]( The Resort has already been compared to the The White Lotus, which is recommendation enough for me. It's about a woman who becomes obsessed with an unsolved murder, and [Ellie Harrison spoke to its star, Cristin Milioti](. The Resort’ is available on Peacock exclusively on Sky and NOW, with new episodes dropping weekly Out and about 101 Dalmatians – Open Air Theatre This new musical version of Dodie Smith's classic story doesn't quite hit the, um, spot. Isobel Lewis loved Kate Fleetwood's larky turn as Cruella de Vil, but the show's multiple references to social media are cringey. [Read the full review]( Chasing Hares – Young Vic Sonali Bhattacharyya's play about a factory worker in West Bengal won 2021 Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting Award. Annabel Nugent checked it out for Sunday's Week on Stage column, and found it to be a fascinating, if occasionally too polemical, play of ideas. [Buy tickets here]( Sister Act – Eventim Apollo Beverley Knight and Jennifer Saunders make a dream team in Sister Act, which finally made it to the stage this week. It was originally supposed to star Whoopi Goldberg, but it's still a five-star show without the Oscar winner according to our critic Nicole Vassell. [Read the full review](   INDYBEST / [BEST BUYS](   Stranger Things and Quiksilver launch an Eighties-inspired collection that’s worn by the cast in season 4 As the second half of series four unfolds, inject some retro style into your wardrobe [Read more](   Essential reading [The 17 absolute worst sex scenes in movie history]( [The 17 absolute worst sex scenes in movie history]( [The 17 absolute worst sex scenes in movie history]( [The 17 absolute worst sex scenes in movie history]( [9 movie recommendations for the perfect date night]( [9 movie recommendations for the perfect date night](         If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's entertainment newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. 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