Latest news with #Bissett
The Herald Scotland
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Fringe: Billy Connolly and Alasdair Gray
When Billy Met Alasdair Scottish Storytelling Centre When Alan Bissett steps up to play the two heroes of Scottish culture who give his new solo play its title, for much of the next hour he switches between telling the life stories of each. From Billy Connolly's move from the shipyards to folk clubs to international stardom, a quick pair of glasses later and we see Alasdair Gray's visionary life of writing and painting. The latter was finally recognised in 1981 when Gray was 47 with the publication of his novel, Lanark. This criss-crossing primer is framed by Connolly's star studded 60th birthday bash, which Bissett imagines with a showbiz sweep that couldn't be further from Gray's ascetic existence. Connolly relates how the two men met at the launch of Lanark at Glasgow arts lab the Third Eye Centre. We know this is true from the photograph beamed out behind Bissett that shows the two men together. This image was taken by George Oliver and was later gifted to Bissett by his friend, novelist Rodge Glass, who was given it by Gray in lieu of payment while working as his personal assistant. Read More: Oliver's photograph was the spark for this co-commission from the Alasdair Gray Archive and Glasgow Comedy Festival, which Bissett brings to life beautifully enough through the biographies and the imagined conversation between the two men. When Bissett steps out of character and addresses the audience as himself, however, it goes beyond any notions of fanboy tribute act to create a moment that becomes the heart of the play. So, while Bissett's well-studied homage captures the essence of both its subjects, Kirstin McLean's production becomes something more than a portrait of the artists as young and not so young men. In Bissett's hands, it becomes a study of the working class male artist in all its mix of class hopping ambition, imposter syndrome, self-destructive tendencies, and, in Gray's case, what feels like endless poverty. Bissett recognises all this in his own trajectory as a writer and performer in a way that is brutally honest even as it gives him inspiration enough to keep going just as Connolly and Gray did before him. That picture of these two towering figures, it seems, says a lot more than words in a brilliant study of what it means to be an artist. Until August 23, 8.30pm. For festival tickets see here
Boston Globe
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Meet the neighborhood cats running for Somerville's ‘Bike Path Mayor'
Which, per local legend, Berry does. 'Mayor Berry,' they call her, and she is recognized as such by neighbors and on various Somerville-focused social media pages. But maybe not for long. For the past several weeks, amid an actual campaign for Somerville's human mayor, cat challengers to the cat incumbent have emerged as well, each touting their campaigns via lawn signs on the path, complete with photos of neighborhood pets and various slogans. An imaginary campaign for "bike path mayor" is underway in Somerville. The presumed front-runner is Berry, an outdoor cat known for lounging on the pathway, and who locals have dubbed "the mayor." Chiara Hill Advertisement Among the growing collection of lawn signs near where the path meets Davis Square, there is Puzzles, a black-and-white kitten whose pitch reads 'Vote for me because naps.' And there is Freya, an all-black cat that appears to have only one eye, and, per the sign, is running as a member of the 'Com-meow-nist Party.' For the first time since Mayor Berry took her imaginary office by fiat, the race for 'Bike Path Mayor' is on. Berry, the presumed front-runner, is arguably the best known of the bunch, due to the long stretches of time she spends outside mingling with the public. According to her owner and 'campaign manager' Mallory Bissett, Berry roams the bike path endlessly, sometimes not coming home for days at a time. Advertisement She refuses to wear a collar, which has led to confusion among those who see her on the busy path, worry she's a house cat who's strayed from home, and rush to social media to report her as missing. Some have gone even further. Once, Bissett had to go claim Berry from a vet's office, after the cat had been brought there by a passerby. Another time, she had to reclaim her from Animal Control — in Cambridge. People on the bike path, well intentioned as they might be, would simply not leave Berry alone. So concocting an imaginary political career was, in part, born of necessity. 'Basically we decided to elevate her persona, because we wanted people to recognize that she belongs there,' Bissett said. 'Now people just say, 'Oh yeah. That's the mayor.'' But not everyone accepted that this cat, who is just one of the many higher-profile pets in the neighborhood, should be in charge. 'Mallory determined her cat was the Bike Path Mayor. Just announced it one day,' said Janet McNamara, a friend and neighbor, with a scoff. 'I don't think it's fair.' McNamara, a stand-up comedian, also lives near the bike path and owns an outdoor cat. He's an orange cat named Orange Cat, who has been known to greet visitors who pass through Grove Street and is, McNamara said, 'just as important as Berry.' A sign in support of Orange Cat indicates it is "paid for by the catalyst party." Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff So they decided to let the public decide. To publicize their candidacies, Bissett printed out a pair of campaign signs using the site Canva, and planted them beside the bike path. Advertisement The one for Orange Cat says simply 'Vote Orange Cat,' and discloses that the ad is 'paid for by the catalyst party.' Berry's is a bit more provocative: 'Re-elect Mayor Berry,' it reads. 'Make Cats Outside Again.' An imaginary campaign for "bike path mayor" is underway in Somerville. The presumed frontrunner is Berry, an outdoor cat known for lounging on the pathway, and who locals have dubbed "the mayor." (Mallory Bissett) Mallory Bissett Soon, and without prompting, new weatherproof signs emerged on the grass next to theirs. Some they recognized as other outdoor cats from the neighborhood. Others they don't recognize at all. One cat named Minerva, whose sinister-looking sign reads, simply, 'CRIME,' has added intrigue to the race. Another sign emerged for a candidate named 'Pirate.' 'More kibble for all,' it reads, adding, 'Especially Pirate.' There are even two French bulldogs in the race, running on a combined ticket, named Duke and Ella. The slogan on their sign: 'You got anyone betta??' 'We're not happy about it,' said McNamara, about the intrusion of canines into the cat election. But that's democracy for you. Sometimes, you get a dog. As far as Somerville's pet candidates go, most agree Berry is the one to beat. She has even gotten an endorsement from Somerville's human mayor, Katjana Ballantyne, who herself is up for reelection this year. 'Berry is an experienced, proven leader,' Ballantyne said in an email, adding, 'I also admire her approach to rat control.' Signs along the path. Meow. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff Spencer Buell can be reached at
The National
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
When Billy Met Alasdair: Alan Bissett on new Edinburgh Fringe show
Alasdair Gray is one of the towering figures of Scottish letters, Billy Connolly is the nation's greatest comic. Stature aside, they might seem like slightly unusual bedfellows, writer Alan Bissett told the Sunday National, but the two men had more in common than might first be assumed. Bissett's one-man play When Billy Met Alasdair at this year's Fringe follows the lives of both men, culminating with their meeting at the launch of Gray's magnum opus Lanark at the Third Eye Centre in Glasgow in 1981. 'In some ways, they're a study in contrasts because they're from completely different worlds: Billy's an entertainer, worked in the shipyards; Alastair's very highbrow and learned. It's like he absorbed the whole canon of Western literature,' said Bissett. 'Those contrasts are what drew me towards them. But actually, they are more similar than you think because Billy is also a very well-read person and he has a very keen eye for the arts – he's a painter as well. 'He's an incredibly articulate and intelligent man and cultured. And Alastair's also very funny. So while they seem like they seem like two very contrasting figures, underneath it, they've got much more in common than you think.' (Image: Gordon Terris / The Herald) Bissett (above), the writer behind The Moira Monologues and novels such as Boyracers and Lazy Susan, was inspired to write the play when he found a photograph of Connolly having his book signed by Gray. 'Because the two of them have meant so much to me individually, to see a photograph of the two of them in the same in the same shot, to see Billy getting his book signed by Alastair at the launch for Lanark, I was just always really fascinated by what they might have talked about or how Billy ended up there – what that shot meant, basically,' he said. Researching the script was the most time-consuming aspect of its writing says Bissett, digging into his friend Rodge Glass's biography of Gray, informed by his work as the author's secretary, as well as books by or about Connolly. 'You can feel the material to start to sing to you, it lifts out of the pages of research and the characters come with it and you might get some scenes that present themselves or lines of dialogue and that starts to gradually coalesce,' he said. 'It's almost like the project telling you that you've been prepping long enough and now it's time to give birth.' Redrafting was done partly in rehearsals with the play's director Kirstin McLean, who helped Bissett with his portrayal of both men. Playing both parts, plus a third, unnamed character, poses its challenges: 'If you forget your line and you're the only person on stage – wow. 'You just need to jam for a bit until it comes back to you.' Bissett's passion for both men is evident, describing them as his heroes. 'Billy Connolly has been a part of my life since my childhood, watching his videos with my family, all of us pissing ourselves laughing – probably the same story everyone in Scotland can tell,' he said. Meanwhile Gray loomed over him for some time as a young writer and Bissett described Lanark's reputation as being like a 'mountain that had to be scaled'. 'Then you get to the top of the mountain and there's this incredible view,' he said. Speaking about performing, Bissett takes on an almost religious edge. 'There's a really interesting phenomenon when you've performed in front of an audience for long enough, you get to be able to read a silence,' he said. 'Even if there's complete silence in front of you, you can tell the difference between a bored silence and an engaged silence. There's something about the quality of that silence that transmits; either frustration on the audience's part or willingness to go with you. You have to be able to react to tiny pressures in the room that are coming from the audience and that then feeds your performance. 'The audience gives you energy; if you're getting absolutely nothing from them, it's difficult to keep going. I mean, you do keep going but if you get the feeling the audience are warm and encouraging, it gives you so much power in your performance that it becomes a pleasure and that's why a performer does it, it's for that feeling.' Alan Bissett performs When Billy Met Alasdair at the Scottish Storytelling Centre at the Edinburgh Fringe from Thursday, July 31 to Saturday, August 23, with no shows on August 1, 6, 8, 13, 14, 20 or 21. To find out more or buy tickets, go to
CTV News
18-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Evacuation order lifted in Manitoba community
Trees burned by wildfires in northern Manitoba are shown during a helicopter tour in the surrounding area of Flin Flon, Man., on Thursday, June 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mike Deal-Pool Dozens of evacuees have been given the green light to return home after another evacuation order was lifted in a Manitoba community. According to the province's latest fire bulletin Tuesday, the evacuation order in Bissett, Man., ended as of 8 a.m., allowing about 80 people to start returning home. They were first forced out at the end of last month after a wildfire near Nopiming Provincial Park threatened the southeastern Manitoba community. Bissett A map showing the location of Bissett, Man. An evacuation order was issued for the community on May 30, 2025. (CTV News Winnipeg) However, the province noted the fire danger level on Tuesday was high despite improving conditions, noting new fires could start from lightning or human causes. There are currently 20 active wildfires burning across Manitoba, the province said, which is up two from Monday's bulletin. However, the number of out-of-control blazes was unchanged at 10. The largest near Sherridon and Flin Flon was pegged at 370,780 hectares Tuesday, which is also unchanged from the previous bulletin. Meanwhile, the province reminded those returning home that while the immediate risk to some communities may have decreased, wildfires are still active. 'Smoke and visible flames may still be present. Manitobans are reminded to stay informed by regularly monitoring wildfire updates,' the bulletin said.
CTV News
12-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Communities impacted by wildfire eligible for free mail forwarding service
Several Manitoba communities impacted by wildfires are eligible for free mail forwarding service by Canada Post. Uploaded June 11, 2025. (File photo) Residents from more Manitoba communities impacted by wildfires are eligible for free mail forwarding service by Canada Post. In a media release, the Crown corporation said that wildfires are affecting mail and parcel delivery in some communities and that contingency measures have been put in place to keep them connected. Free mail forwarding service for up to a year is now available for residents from Bissett (R0E 0J0, R0E 0B1), Cranberry Portage (R0B 0H0, R0B 0B3), Snow Lake (R0B 1M0, R0B 0B4) and Split Lake (R0B 1P0, R0B 0E1). Impacted residents from the four communities have until July 11 to register for the free service, according to Canada Post. Since June 5, the offer has been available to residents from Cross Lake (R0B), Flin Flon (R8A), Lynn Lake (R0B), Norway House (R0B 1B0), Pukatawagan (R0B) and Sherridon (R0B) who have until July 5 to register. Affected residents can request the free service online using a credit card to authenticate their identity. No fee will be charged to the credit card, according to Canada Post. Residents can also go to a post office with a government-issued photo ID to request the service. Canada Post says that by registering, they can ship mail to a different address 'on a short-term basis or for longer periods, even if the address is temporary.' 'It also provides a vital link with government and relief agencies going forward,' says the media release. Residents can view the closures and service interruptions and delivery service alerts pages on Canada Post's website for updates, including when postal services resume in impacted communities.
