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Trinity's Daily diary
UK premiere of Monty man's new film
After the shock of seeing a green-bearded Billy Connolly turn
up to yesterday's premiere of Gabriel and Me, it was on to the
first big Brit flick of the fest. Peter "I did the Full Monty"
Cattaneo's latest, Lucky Break, was given the red carpet treatment
at the UGC.
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Feeling lucky:
director Peter Cattaneo (2nd from right) and cast are in
the running for Standard Life most popular film award. (Click
for hi-res pic)
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In front of a large crowd, most of whom were hoping to glimpse
a sight of James Nesbitt, the first people down the carpet were
a pair of transvestites resplendent in full evening wear.
 After
this rather bizarre introduction, Cattaneo, and Lenny James and
Raymond Waring (two of the film's stars), were subjected to the
Liquid News treatment.
Unfortunately, filming for Cold Feet kept Nesbitt away, and he
left many ladies, old and young (though mostly old), heartbroken.
Party on!
The evening's entertainment included the opening party of the
Delegate's Club - the place to hang out and network - which featured
cool jazzy sounds from Big Beat's Stuart Bennett.
Fight breaks out, but lucky nothing broke
The Lucky Break party, hosted by Film Four, took place in the
elegant setting of the Tower Restaurant, in the new Museum of
Scotland building. It started just as the Edinburgh Military Tattoo
was reaching its climax at the castle. Party-goers, supping fine
wines and bottles of German lager on the terrace, were rewarded
with spectacular views across the Old Town rooftops of the fireworks
bursting over the castle.
Unfortunately, your hard-working diarist was a little tardy and
had to struggle upstream against the mass of humanity pouring
from the Edinburgh tattoo at the castle.
But inside was an oasis of calm and sophistication - at what
was a smaller, more low key affair than your average premiere
shindig.
Waiters buzzed around attentively and guests satiated themselves
with delicious, small potted pies (shepherd's pie, fish pie, toad-in-the-hole),
French cheeses and berries.
As well as the Lucky Break cast, guests included Brian Cox, in
town for LIE, and the two striking transvestities (towering over
everybody with their heels on).
 Turns
out they had nothing to do with the film - but have brought their
show Working Girls (see
their site) from Rotterdam to the Fringe. The two have been
struggling with what is essentially a late night cabaret act on
a 2.30pm slot (they booked the venue "late" - February!).
They remain undaunted, especially after having been asked while
in Edinburgh to play a small part in a Canadian-Scottish production.
Taco, husband of Paul, the darker-haired of the two, says he's
also getting some good footage "for the documentary".
I chatted to Julian Barratt who gives an amusing performance
in the film as an acting therapist. Interestingly, he never went
to drama school, but his background is in stand-up comedy. This
is his first big break (no pun intended) in film - he said when
he heard he got the part he went around his flat yelling with
joy.
All was going swimmingly well, until in the last hour of the
party - with few people left - a small gescuffle broke out on
the terrace. The incident was so unexpected that at first none
of us reacted.
I was chatting with the young writer from the the camp, kilted
Fringe show, Changeling Rooms, when there was a sudden raising
of male Scottish voices from a table beside us.
A woman and two men. Mid-to-late Thirties. The larger of the
men, stood up and landed a punch on the other, lankier, who remained
seated and continued to call the other names like "fatty".
The one standing landed another punch.
At this point, one of the cast of Changeling Rooms and I stepped
in to restrain the larger one, particularly as the other was not
letting up with the insults. Having made his point, the pugilist
got this coat and left.
The other at the table, now mopping his bloody face with a freshly
pressed linen napkin, then turned his tongue on the Changeling
Rooms crowd standing nearby with their kilts and cut-off t-shirts
accusing them of standing around ("like Judy Garland")
doing nothing. A brief bout of verbal slanging ensued before the
cast and crew of the Changeling Rooms wisely decided to exit stage
left.
What the first short fracas was about, I've no idea. But it certainly
added some colour to the night's proceedings.
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