Ask Mickey and his friends around for a party and it’s not so much a question of bring your own beer as bring your own ice — 8,260 sq ft of ice to be precise — all refrigerated at the SECC for the Walt Disney’s World on Ice show, Mickey’s Magical Tales. It’s not magic but hard graft that lays the 5th x 140ft ice floor, though I suspect the roadies unloading the four 40ft containers wish a fairy godmother would lend a wand-waving hand with the 30 hours of continual spraying needed to create the 3in thick ice rink. But what exactly do you do with all that ice when it’s time to move on? You can’t exactly flush it down the loo. ‘We just take it out the back door,’ says Company Show Manager, Phil Misiura.
The show’s songs and dances are loosely linked together with a story involving all our favourite Disney characters playing around with a time machine. The cast of thousands includes Roger Rabbit and Jessica (high risk of ice-melt there, I would’ve thought), Ariel the mermaid,“ Baloo the bear and King Louie from The Jungle Book, and Minnie and Mickey, who time-hop all over the place, dropping in on ancient Eygpt and the far distant future along the way. Being Disney, everything ends happily ever after, ‘all
with the help of friends,’ says Misiura. I, having been to one too many children’s shows. assume this means yet another form of audience participation, and am suitably mind- boggled at the thought of toddlers being invited onto the ice. ‘Oh no,’ he says. ‘lt’s just a little moral to the story, you know, how friends help each other.’ Where would the world of Disney be without its little morals?
Although Mickey’s Magical Tales hasn’t yet succeeded in taking ice to the Antarctic, it’s been just about everywhere else. 0n the road for four years, the show travelled from its home base in Florida to Japan, South America and South East Asia, and has just started a six-month European tour. After Glasgow and Aberdeen, the show moves on to Holland. The 59-strong cast and crew can look forward to an exhausting schedule until they finish up in Germany in April 1995, but at least somewhere along the line, they’ll be sure of a white Christmas.
Which is just the sort of feeble link needed to retell my all-time favourite joke. What is the difference between Walt Disney and Bing Crosby? Bing sings, and Walt disnae. (Gabe Stewart) Mickey’s Magical Tales, SECC, Glasgow, 22-27 Nov; SECC, Aberdeen,
29 Nov-4 Dec.
Rain or shine, our at-a-glance guide will see you through. Events are listed under outdoors or indoors columns, and then divided by city. Kids listings compiled by Gabe Stewart.
utdoors
Activities and Fun
I Secret Agents Club Strathclydc Country Park. Visitors Centre. 0698 266155. Sat 1‘) Nov. 10am—noon. 8—12 years. All agents are invited to be part of mission number three — the pet project! I Treasure Hunt Mugdock Country Park. Visitor Centre. 946 6100. Sun 27 Nov. 1pm. Mugdock Moles do some detective work to track down the treasure of Captain Cranshaw.
I Water Divining Strathclyde Country Park. Visitors Centre. 0698 266155. Stm 20 Nov. 2pm. Try the age-old practice of
Paris. See panel.
I Scottish Mask and Puppet Theatre 8—10 Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 33‘) 6185. 2pm. £2.50 (£1.50). Sat 1‘) Nov. Whistlestop Puppets presents ASSIptlfl/t.‘ am] the .S'murtt-nrm. a puppet play based on an ancient Orkney and Shetland legend. 5—1 1+ years.
Sat 26 Nov. Perfect Chaos Puppet Company presents l-‘is/iy 'Iii/t'x. an optimistic envirtmmental fable ttsing spirited glove puppets. masked actors. giant puppets and incorporating circus skills and live music. 7—12 years.
Activities and Fun
I Saturday Stories thllcrbow Gallery. Netherbow Theatre. High Street. 556 957‘). Sats 1‘) and 26 Nov. 2.30~4pm. £3. 6-9 years. The popular storytelling. arts and activities sessions return to the Netherbow. with watercolour painting inspired by children's
reading of T/lt' I’l'l't'birt/ on Sat 1‘) alld
locating underground water. and find out if it really works. Divining rods supplied. I Tree Identification Scottish Wildlife Trust. Calderglen Country Park Visitors Centre. Elspeth Allan. 641 1574. Stm 20 Nov. 2pm. Do you know your arbour from your elder‘.’ Walk around the country park and get to know some trees on first name terms.
Activities and Fun
I Ferry Go Round Meet at Ferry Quay at Cramond. lnfo Malcolm Porteous. 447 ()53‘). Sun 20 Nov. 10am—l2.30pm. 10p for ferry. This trip from Cramond to South Queensferry will finish up under the Forth railway bridge sltore road. ()stensibly to observe wildlife. the trip promises some wind in your cheeks along the way. Check with organiser before setting off.
I Foragers and Fungi Meet at main gate ofCammo listate on Cammo Road (off Queensferry Road). Damien \Villcock. 556 5856. Sun 20 Nov. l0am~noon. Come and explore the wild woodland surrounding the tumbledown remains of Camtno House (thought to be the house described in R. 1.. Stevenson‘s Kidnapped). The surrounding estate has been left untended to encourage a now flourishing wildlife.
Indoors
W i
Activities and Fun
I Arts and Crafts classes Maryhill Community Centre 111111.304 Maryhill Road. 33‘) 6546. Tuesdays. 3.304.30pm. £2.10 per hour. 3—7 years. Recycle discarded rubbish into art. I Christmas Fayre N'l'S. (.ii-eenhanlt Gardens. lnfo Jim May. 63‘) 3281. Sat 26-—Sun 27 Nov. llam——4pm. l’ocket money-priced goodies for kids to buy, plus a chance for them to practise their carol-singing from 2pm.
Exhibitions
I Samplers: Patterns of Childhood Atiltl Kirk Museum. Kirkintilloch. 775 1185. Until Sat 3 Dec. Tue—151i (not Thurs) lOattl—llooll. 2—-5pm: Thurs l0am—-5pm: Sat 10am—1pm. 2—5pm. Free. ()ver 40 framed samplers depict childhood from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Theatre
I Walt Disney’s World on Ice SliC‘C. Finnieston. 248 999‘). Tue 22——Sun 27 Nov. Various times. £9.50 «£18.50 (£4.75—£l5.50). You never know. if you set off the day before and take the scenic route. you may even be able to fool the little ones you've transported them to
games and music arising out of The
Awmtgult'mu 'I'rt't' on Sat 26.
l I The Design Works Experience City Art
Centre. 2 Market Street. 52‘) 3541. Until
l Sat 7 Jan 1995. Mon—Sat. 10am~5pm.
: liree. This unique hands-on
i activity/exhibition continues to inspire
l children to observe. make. design and
experiment.
I Green Woodworking lixhibition Hall.
5 Royal Botanic Garden. lnverleith Row.
552 7171. Demonstrations of
; woodworking by Ken Grieve of Brotus
3 Rural Crafts Centre. Sat 26 and Still 27
Nov. l--3pm. Free; Workshop Still 27 Nov.
1 11am—3pm. £4 (£2).
i I Junior Dolphins Club l.citlt \Vaterworld.
; 377 Easter Road. 555 6000. £5 per six-
week block. Under 8s. Phone for more
1 details.
1 Cinema
3 I Filmhouse Matinees Lothian Road. 228 2688. £2.20 (£1.50). Films start at
' 2.30pm. Sat 1‘) Nov Splash (PG); Sat 26
Nov/1131M T/lt‘ .1lut'it' (PG).
; Exhibitions I Treasure lslands Royal Museum of
; Scotland. Chambers Street. 225 7534. ‘1 Until Jan 1995. Mott—Sat 10am—5pm;
' Sun noon—5pm. £2 (£1). A brief but
~ illuminating insight into Robert Louis
‘ Stevenson's real and imagined fantastic : islands.
Theatre
I Treasure Island Lecture Theatre. Royal
Museum of Scotland. Chambers Street.
225 2534 ext 21‘). Fri 25—Sun 27 Nov.
2.30—3.30pm. £2.50 (£2). Live action stage adaptation specially commissioned
by the Royal Museum. promising all the
drama and excitement of R. 1..
Stevenson's pirate adventure.
mm.
1 Activities and Fun I Children’s Nature Club Clyde Mttirshiel
Regional Park. Castle Semple Centre.
0505 842882. Saturdays. 2-—4pm. £5 per
annum membership fee; come along for free to see if you want tojoin.
I Livingston Children’s Carnival The Forum. Almondvale. 0506 413432. Sat 26
Nov. 50p. A crowd of up to 3000 is expected at this all-day entertainment for children.
I Rhythm Nation Bellshill Cultural Centre. 0698 266166 ext 2387. l'il‘l 18 Nov. 7.30pm. £3 (£1.50). Motllerwell District Youth and Children's Dance
companies tread the boards. I Young Dancer of the Year Motllerwell Concert Hall, 0698 266166 ext 2387. Still
20 Nov. Noon. The finale of Dance Steps
: 94 arrives as hundreds of tiny feet
compete to win the coveted title in three age groups — under 8s. 8-1 1. and 12+. 1
Tl
lc List 18 November 1 December 1994 63