GAVIN O’TOOLE examines the fatal relationship between environmental crimes and politics in Brazil and the inspiration provided by Indigenous people
‘The house of commons is a posh white peoples’ rap battle’
JAMES WALSH applauds the observations of a new Chinese master of stand-up
ONE TO WATCH: Alvin Liu
[Courtesy of Alvin Liu] 
MARIA DUARTE and LEO BOIX review Little Trouble Girls, Big Boys, The Roses, and Caught Stealing
MARY CONWAY admires a study of environmental idealism that aspires to Chekhov but is arrested in a deluge of middle-class opinion
ANGUS REID questions whether a human scriptwriter is behind the multiple plagiarisms of Disney’s much-lauded and vacuous extension of the Alien franchise
ANDREW FILMER welcomes the reopening of Glasgow’s landmark theatre after a seven-year transformation
CHRIS SEARLE encourages you to go hear a landmark performance, and introduces some of the musicians
Rice, Alvin Liu
ALVIN LIU is from China, where a thriving stand-up scene has developed in the past few years in Shanghai and Beijing — though your entire venue might get shut down if someone makes a joke that could even vaguely be construed as a slight against the motherland.
No such problems in Britain — yet — and there are some very funny Chinese comics up-and-coming on the London scene, including Chin Wang and the brilliant Blank Peng. Liu definitely has the chops to join them, with his by turns universal and deeply personal observations building up to an excellent debut hour.
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