The Edinburgh Festival

Day planner Monday 14 August The Best of the Fest selected by our critics

The Smallest Cinema in the World A mini-cinema in the Pleasance courtyard, with real MGM seats, and showing "microbusters". All day. Pleasance (venue 33), 60 The Pleasance, 0131-556 6550

The Meridian Debate: The Western Debate Feeling strong this morning? The literary theorist Harold Bloom defends his attempt to create a Western literary canon that consists of 26 dead writers. On the attack are Frank Kermode, Colm Toibin and Germaine Greer. 11am. Book Fest, Charlotte Sq Gdns, 0131-220 3990

Animal Farm Guy Masterson, who last year performed his one-man Under Milk Wood to acclaim, and who is also acting in George Dillon's Hamlet (see 3.50pm) - has a crack at George Orwell's porcine parable. 11.30am. Assembly Rms (venue 3), 54 George St, 0131-226 2428

Bach's Cello Suites Delightful four-hour marathon in which Yo-Yo Ma plays all six of Bach Cello Suites. 2pm.Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. EIF Box-office: 0131-225 5756

The Big Book for Girls Enjoyable musical jolly-hockey-sticks romp from the National Student Theatre Company. Fiendishly ridiculous. 2.05pm. Assembly Rms (venue 3), 54 George St, 0131-226 2428

George Dillon's Hamlet Does Shakespeare know? The virtuoso Berkoff devotee and six of his companions take on the Dane. 3.50pm. Assembly Rms (venue 3), 54 George St, 0131-226 2428

Peter Sellars The opera director in conversation with Ruth Mackenzie. 5pm. Royal Lyceum, Grindlay St. EIF Box-office: 0131-225 5756

Zany of Sorrow: The Life of Oscar Wilde The Irish company Balloonatics present a "serious comedy in a surrealistic style". 5.45pm. Theatre Workshop (venue 20), 34 Hamilton Place, 0131-226 5425

Just Below the Surface The Kosh, one of Britain's foremost dance-cum- physical theatre companies, present a new double-bill in which the circus meets flamenco. 6pm. Gilded Balloon II (venue 51), Stepping Stones, 112 West Bow, 0131-225 6520

Short Fat Kebab Shop Owner's Son Deluxe Version Bravura autobiographical one-man show from Omid Djalili. How did a kebab shop owner's son become a Grade A luvvie? Djalili's elephantine disco-dancing alone reduces audiences to tears of laughter. 6pm. Assembly Rms (venue 3), 54 George St, 0131- 226 2428

Richard Herring Is All Man Last year, his panegyric to Mr Kipling, god of cake, was one of the funniest things on the Fringe. Now he's back, he's butch, and, oh, he's still fat. 7pm. Assembly Rms (venue 3), 54 George St, 0131-226 2428

Don Giovanni Concert performance. Charles Mackerras conducts the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Chorus. Felicity Lott sings Donna Elvira. 7pm. Usher Hall, Lothian Rd. EIF Box-office: 0131-225 5756

The Jacobin This lighthearted story about a family schism, performed by Scottish Opera, kicks off the official festival's Dvorak season. 7.15pm. Festival Theatre, Nicolson St. EIF Box-office: 0131-225 5756

Lanark Glasgow's Tag Theatre, who had a huge hit in 1993 with A Scot's Quair, adapt for the stage Alasdair Gray's rich and strange (too rich and strange for some) modern Scottish classic, Lanark. 7.30pm. Assembly Hall. EIF Box-office: 0131-225 5756

I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky Peter Sellars directs a new opera about the impact of the Los Angeles earthquake by John (Nixon in China) Adams. 7.30pm. Royal Lyceum, Grindlay St. EIF Box-office: 0131- 225 5756

The Lost Continent Last year it was Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch; this year Bill Bryson's comic travelogue gets the one-man-show treatment. Steve Steen (of Whose Line Is It Anyway? fame) plays the ex-pat American writer returning home. 7.40pm. Assembly Rms (venue 3), 54 George St, 0131-226 2428

Klatwa (The Curse) The Polish company Wierszalin - whose touching tale of one boy and his pea was a surprise hit of the 1993 Fringe - return with a tale of illicit passion and dark doings in the countryside. 8pm. Theatre Workshop (venue 20), 34 Hamilton Place, 0131-226 5425

Mark Morris Five shorts from the incomparable American dance group. 8pm. King's Theatre, Leven St. EIF Box-office: 0131-225 5756

Savlon 2000 Harry Hill and his diminutive son Alan are back with a brand- new show. The man's fame just keeps growing. 8.05pm. Pleasance (venue 33), 60 The Pleasance, 0131-556 6550

Graham Norton and His Amazing Hostess Trolley Former Mother Theresa of Calcutta and Carpenters fan wheels out his new comedy vehicle. 8.10pm. Pleasance (venue 33), 60 The Pleasance, 0131-556 6550

After Eight Mince. Ford Kiernan and John Paul Leach. Supremely confident homegrown stand-ups, who shone last year in The Best of Scottish Comedy, branch out with their own show. Two to watch. 8.15pm. Gilded Balloon II (venue 51), Stepping Stones, 112 West Bow, 0131-225 6520

Panther Mario van Peebles (director of New Jack City) turns his gaze on the Black Panther movement in 1960s America, skilfully blending fact and fiction. 8.15pm Filmhouse 1, Lothian Rd, 0131-467 7664

Boothby Graffoe Whimsical comedian of the surreal school. He sings. He plays his guitar. He's named after a Lincolnshire town. He's very funny but don't ask anyone to tell you why. 9.25pm. Pleasance (venue 33), 60 The Pleasance, 0131-556 6550

Kevin Day The nearly man of festival stand-up and former teenage Nazi keeps the flag flying for political and sexual comedy. A class act. 10pm. Gilded Balloon (venue 38), 233 Cowgate, 0131-226 2151

Disgracefully Yours Richard O'Brien, inventor of The Rocky Horror Show turned Crystal Maze-master, invites you to the devilish Club Inferno. 10.30pm. Pleasance (venue 33), 60 The Pleasance, 0131-556 6550

Appetite Lesbians in sleazy trapeze shock! Promises to be this year's first succes de scandale. 11pm. The Palladium (venue 26), Broughton Place, 0131-556 6969)

Ole! The Jaffa-juggling musician Paul Morocco joins forces with the formidable flamenco guitarist Antonio Forcione. Totally dotty. If you haven't seen them before, go. If you have, go again. 11.45pm. Assembly Rms (venue 3), 54 George St, 0131-226 2428

Late 'n' Live The city's number one late-night festival hangout. Over- priced and over-crowded, but somehow unavoidable. 1am. Gilded Balloon (venue 38), 233 Cowgate, 0131-226 2151