TheNationalStudent

Tucked away in the halls of the Methodist Church in Sidmouth, some of the most dedicated folkies are spending their week acting, playing and dancing their way towards a showcase at the end of the festival. All of these folkies are aged 12-18 and this is Shooting Roots, one of the most exciting, dynamic and – frankly – hilarious places at Sidmouth Folk Week.

★★★★☆ As far as noir thrillers go, The Treatment starts off as something that seems quite generic, a path well-trodden in this genre. There’s the tortured cop with a past, the subtle lighting, the no-holds barred crime scene full of strange clues designed to look like they mean more than they really do. What sets it apart, horrific story line and all, is the performance from lead, Geert Van Rampelberg.

Qatar is not a tourist destination. I imagine it would like to market itself as such, but it is just not the place you would look at and choose to spend your hard-earned money visiting. To be honest, there just isn’t much there. I went to the country to visit some friends who have made it their home, people who have joined the almost 90% expat population in a country that is growing rapidly year after year. Just after the Second World War, Doha (the capital) was little more than a fishing village.

After storming into Hollywood in 1997 with his much-celebrated sci-fi head-scratcher Gattaca, and following this up a year later with his Oscar-nominated script for the now-classic drama The Truman Show, Andrew Niccol became known for his well-honed political edge. His latest effort, drone-focussed war thriller Good Kill, looks to continue this trend, digging deep into the very nature of the American military’s latest weapon in the war on terror.

Off the Shelf is a celebration of all things literary, featuring authors such as Lee Child and comedian Robert Webb. The festival offers a range of workshops from the 7th to the 28th of October. Getting involved is a great way to meet new writers and work in an environment charged with creativity. Here's our guide of how to sign up for the festival's workshops.