LISTINGS KIDS
S
First there was Postman Pat. Almost overnight he and his faithful moggy were transported from screen to stage ‘ and Postman Pat the big stage star was born. This time it’s the turn of BBC TV's Playdays team to come over all thespian as they take to the boards with Playdays Live on Stage.
Felgate Productions, who’ve been mating the TV show for over eight years, have stuck closely to the on- screen fonnat. ‘We wanted it to be so the kids would recognise it from TV,’ says Paul Elwen, production manager for the show. And that they will. All the kids’ favourite puppet characters are there, courtesy of the Playdays puppeteer. ‘Poppy the Cat’, ‘Whybird’ and various other__characters from the TV show are brought magically to life by a cast of four actors, as they sweat for their art in assorted fake fur cossies. Also putting in an appearance are the famous ‘Playdays’ bus-stops (all of them!), and a giant roundabout
“Pass the pan-stick,’ say BBC'TV’s latest stage stars, the ‘Playdays’ team =
which takes the characters from one stop to the next.
it’s all very jolly, but the plot thickens when the big, bright colours of the Playdays stage-set are set upon by a downright nasty band of colour snatching thieves. From then on it’s all hands on deck, as the Playdays team, and the kids, go all out to get the missing colours back to their rightful place.
Yes, it’s audience participation time. And that doesn’tiust mean the kids. Mums, dads, aunties, uncles and stray hangers-on are all expected to join in with Panto style sing-a-longs. At some 2 venues there have even been reports of en-masse dancing in the aisles, and that includes the front of house staff. My advice is, go easy on the old half- time ice-creams. (Ellie Carr)
Playdays Live on Stage, Edinburgh Festival Th atre, 529 6000, Wed 15 Feb, 4.30pm; 16—18 Feb, 10.30am/ 2.30pm. £6.50 (£5.50).
ltain 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 : Ellie Carr. l
Outdoors
Activities and Fun
I Winter Frieze Chatelherauit Country Park. Femiegair near Hamilton. 0698 426213. Sun 19 Feb. 1—4pm. Free (bookable in advance). 8-12 years. Discover the delights of the park in Winter with the Chateiherault’s own countryside ranger at your side. Then it's back into the warm to make a giant wall picture from materials gathered in the
' Meet at car park beside loch. Sat 18 Feb.
park.
EDINBURGH ‘
Activities and Fun I Birdwatching at Buddingston loch
9—1 1am. General birdwatch organised by the Young Ornithologists' Club. all welcome. Call Malcolm Porteous on 447 0539 (evenings) for details.
Indoors
Activities and Fun
I Playtime Scotland Street School Museum. 225 Scotland Street (opposite Sheilds Road Underground Station). 429 1202. Take a trip back in time to the classrooms of yesteryear. right through from the Victorian and Edwardian eras to
the 60s'.‘ inside the reconstructed classrooms. you can do your sums with a real nib pen and ink and find out what it felt like to don the Dunce's cap.
I Build a Lighthouse Scotland Street School Museum. 429 1202. Mon 20 Feb 10.30am-12.30pm. 1.30-3.30pm; Wed 22 Feb 10.30am—12.30pm. I.30~—3.30pm. £2. 8— l 2 years. A chance for children to learn about the construction of lighthouses and make their own model to take home. Linked with the Robert Louis Stevenson exhibition at the same venue (see below) and inspired by the Stevenson family history of building lighthouses.
I Camalan Workshops Strathclyde Arts Centre. contact Michael Zolker (332 4258) or Sophie Pragneii (334 9017). Every Sunday from 19 Feb onwards.
1 1am. £1 to join. 20p a session thereafter. A chance for children to have a stab at making their own music'.'using the wide range of instruments to be found in the traditional Javanese percussion orchestra known as the ‘Gamalan'. Start off by striking the gongs. and build up to complex patterns on the drums.
Exhibitions I Robert Louis Stevenson 1850—1894
Scotland Street School Museum (Ground Floor Gallery). 225 Scotland Street (opposite Sheilds Road Underground Station). 429 1202. Until 26 Feb. Mon—Sat. 10am—5pm; Stm 2—5pm. Free. The life and times of Scotland's own Robert Louis Stevenson. with a special emphasis on 'I'reasure Islam! and Kidnap/ml for the little 'uns. in addition to the exhibits there will also be regular daily showings of films relating to Stevenson and regular fifteen minute readings from his most popular works. Also look out for intrepid songwriter Ewan Mcvicar, who leads sea-faring
singsongs for all. on Sun 12. 19 and 26.
2.30—3.30pm (open sessions. no booking required).
Concerts
I Children’s Classic Concerts Glasgoyv Royal Concert Hall. 2 Sauchiehall St. 227 5511. Sat 11 Feb. noon. £6.50 (£3.50); family ticket, £17.50. Hum your way through the ads with this month‘s classic concert for children. ‘Advertising the Classics‘. Petroc Trelawny. star presenter with Classic FM makes his first visit to Glasgow to lead his audience through some of the great classical sounds that
: have become familiar through adverts on
TV and radio.
I theatre
I Keeper of the Keys Pat-tick Burgh H all. . 227 551 1. Tue 21 Feb. 7.30pm. Adults
3 £3.50. children £2.50. Tag Theatre
. Company present a brand new fantasy-
thriller for 11— 14 years olds. I Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre 8—10
Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 339 6185. Little Klaus and Big Klaus Sat 1 1 Feb.
2pm. £2.50 (£1.50). 7+. Pavla’s Puppets tell a delightful and magical tale of misfortune that leads to good luck.
Jack and the Beanstalk Sat 18 Feb. 2pm. £2.50 (£1.50). 5—8 years. Phil Speilacy re- tells the classic children's tale of the boy. the giant and the beanstalk. with the help of his trusty hand and rod puppets.
Film
I Beethoven (U) Kids Club. Cannon Clarkston Road. Muirend. 637 2641. Sat 11 Feb. 10.30am (doors open 10am). £1.60 (kids and adults). Much loved mutt movie. starring a tiny St Bernards pu'p who escapes from the clutches of an evil vet and. having adopted himself a new family. proceeds to grow to gigantic proportions and cause slapstick mayhem aplenty.
I Dennis (U) Kids Club. Cannon Clarkston Road. Muirend. 637 2641. Sat 18 Feb. 10.30am (doors open 10am). £1.50 (kids and adults). Home Alone-type tale that follows the mischievous exploits of a lovable wee rogue and his long suffering neighbours.
I Black Beauty (PG) General release. from 17 Feb. See Film listings for details. I Andre (U) General release from 17 Feb. See Film listings for details.
I Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book (PC). General release from 17 Feb. See Film listings for details.
Him
I A Night At The Opera (PG) Filmhouse. , Lothian Road. 228 2688. Sat 11 Feb. '1 2.30pm £2.20 (£1.50). Classic Marx Brothers fare. with Groucho. Chico and Harpo destroying Ruman’s opera with the greatest ofease.
I Aardman Animation (PG) Filmhouse. Lothian Road. 228 2688. Sat 18 Feb. 2.30pm. Another chance to see the best of the Aardman animations. including the Oscar winning Creature Comforts and the awesome adventures of Wallace and Gromit in .4 Gram] Day Out and The Wrong Trousers. which also took art Oscar last year.
I Black Beauty (PG) General release. from 17 Feb. See Film listings for details. I Andre (U) General release from 17 Feb. See Film listings for details.
I Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book (PG) General release from 17 Feb. See Film listings for details.
Exhibitions
I it’s a Small World Museum of Childhood. 42 High Street. 529 4142. Until 11 Feb. Mon—Sat. 10am—5pm. Free. Last few days of this special exhibition of dolls‘ house furniture and miniatures fashioned in everything from precious silver to cheap plastic and dating from early to modern times
I Star Trek: The Exhibition City Art Centre. 2 Market St, 529 3993. 4 Feb—7 May. Mon. Tue and Sat 10am—5pm; Wed—Fri 10—9pm and Sun noon—5pm. £3.50 (£2 kids/cone); famin ticket £9. Earth‘s bigest ever Star Trek exhibition is now well under way and awaiting your visit. so get down there and sample the delights ofTrekkiedom. from original models from both the feature films and series to costumes. props. photographs. illustrations. video clips and lots of high tech. hands-on fun for all the family.
Theatre
I Cinderella on Ice King’s Theatre. Leven Street. 220 4349. until 11 Feb. 7.30pm (Sat matinee. 2.30pm). Tickets from £9 (£4). Last few days to catch Cinders and her pumpkin speeding across an ice-covered stage in this magical fantasy performed by the accomplished Russian All Stars skate team.
OUTSIDE THE CITIES
Activities and Fun
I Nature Day Clyde Muirshiei Regional Park. Castle Scmpie Centre near Largs. 01505 842882. Wed 22 Feb. phone in advance for times. and to book your place. Enjoy a day roving round the countryside in the company of those friendly countryside rangers.
I Linlithgow Loch Wildfowl Count Meet at lay-by beside east end of loch. Sun 12 Feb. 9.15am. Refreshment available after count. contributions always welcome. Contact Malcolm Porteous. Young Ornithologists' Club for details. 447 0539 (evenings).
The List 10-23 Feb 1995 73