Arts Edinburgh Festival: The best of what to see and hear

Theatre

Caligula

In a radical production of Camus's play, the horse-worrier directs himself during an existential crisis via an onstage cameraman and video screens.

Playhouse (2-3 Sept) (0131 473 2000)

Phedre

Acclaimed Festival veteran Luc Bondy directs Racine's tragedy .

King's (2-5 Sept) (0131 473 2000)

Mr Puntila And His Man Matti

The Right Size took last year's Festival by storm, and were scandalously

ignored by the Perrier panel. This year they're back in a co-production with the Almeida of Brecht's most highly-regarded comedy.

Traverse (7-31 Aug) (0131 228 1404)

Cinema

Velvet Goldmine

The opening movie of the film festival (on the 16th), Todd Haynes's glam- rock epic, starring Ewan McGregor and Eddie Izzard, is a euphoric roller- coaster ride.

Made in Britain/The Firm

In stark contrast to the glitz of Velvet Goldmine, the late Alan Clarke's retrospective is a powerful reminder of his challenging work.

The Book of Life

Can Hal Hartley return to the sublime film-making that made his name (The Unbelievable Truth, Trust) after the excruciating pretension of 1996's Flirt?

Information hotline: 0131-229 2550

Comedy

Jason Byrne: Camping on the Moon

Anarchic improv and adrenalin-fuelled sketches from Ireland's hottest new comedian.

Pleasance Cavern (5-31 Aug)

Paul Merton: And This Is Me

The poker-faced under-manager of comedy returns to stand-up for the first time in a decade.

Pleasance (23-31 Aug)

Mandy Knight: I Might Be Single - But The Voices Keep Me Company

An hour of virtuoso tragi-comedy and audience participation.

Pleasance Upstairs (7-31 Aug)

All bookings: 0131-556 6550

music

John Zorn

In his first UK appearance for 10 years, the avant-garde boundary-distorting maverick brings together some of New York's best performers.

Aug 28, Queen's Hall

Roddy Frame

A long-awaited return for the songwriting talent behind Aztec Camera.

Aug 20, Jaffa Cake

Both part of the Flux Festival (Tickets 0131-667 7776)

Jackie Clune

After the success of last year's "Chick With A Flick", Clune returns with her outrageously arch showbiz cabaret. Dusty, Sandy and Cilla rolled into one...

Assembly Rms (0131-226 2428) Dalibor

Richard Armstrong conducts the premiere of a new production of Smetana's homage to the Czech nation, directed by David Pountney.

3, 5 Sept, Edinburgh Festival (0131-473 2000)