“DID you hear about the woman who went into the cocktail bar? The barman says, ‘What will you have?’ She says, ‘I think I’ll have a Double Entendre.’ So he gave her one.” Robbie Coltrane is cracking jokes. He’s always cracking jokes. He’s a cracker. Sometimes, quite blatantly, he’ll say something funny if he feels… Read more »
Donald Findlay QC
First published August, 2007 in The Sunday Herald
COURTROOM three of the High Court in Edinburgh is panelled in light wood and draped in the heavy memories of a thousand murder trials. Peter Tobin, accused of killing the Polish student Angelika Kluk, sits between two prison officers as Donald Findlay QC questions a hostile witness. The 60 year old prisoner keeps his head… Read more »
Elliott Gould
First published November, 2003 in The Sunday Herald
STATELY, plump Elliott Gould answers the door in his boxer shorts; six foot three and built to match, he fills the frame like Samson between two pillars. He lives in an apartment in a quiet Los Angeles neighbourhood, the location of which – somewhat to the left of Beverly Hills – seems apt enough. “Armed Response” security notices… Read more »
Donna Tartt
First published November, 2002 in The Sunday Herald
DONNA Tartt is a little late. But that’s okay. Like the rest of the reading public, I have grown used to waiting for her. We have, after all, waited ten years for her to follow up her first novel The Secret History, a book which really ought to come packaged with an index of breathless… Read more »
Rik Mayall
First published September, 2005 in The Sunday Herald
RIK Mayall is standing in the middle of West George Street, trying to stop traffic. He wants desperately to be photographed having a fight with a taxi driver, but Glasgow’s cabbies just zoom past, honking and waving. “Fuck!” he exclaims. “People are too nice up here! What we need are some Cockneys!” Then he grabs… Read more »