THEATRE REVIEW
cards...
PAISLEY
BABES IN THE MAGIC WOOD
Paisley Arts Centre, until Sat 6 January.
The wicked Queen of the Forest and her bungling accomplices Rob and Bob steal all the presents from Toytown. With the enthusiastic help of Toytown residents (played by members of Paisley Youth Theatre), widow Crockett (writer/director David Wallace) and her family are out to
rescue Christmas.
magic and adventure (9 slapstick and knockabout ® side-splitters ® cheesy groaners C5) smut and innuendo - vile villains © rnen in frocks (D celeb count - top tunes ® sloppy smooches - loin-ins and hand-outs @ glitz, glamour and pzazz G) In relation to Babes in the Wood, but the kids love this homegrown fare, despite the lack of stars. Two hours, however, is a bit long for some. (PJC)
EDINBURGH
VASSALISSA AND THE BABA YAGA
Theatre Workshop. until Sat 23 December:
Russian folk tale sees put-upon peasant girl forced into the forest by wicked stepmother and identikit glimmer-twin daughters. Aided by a magic doll who comes to life, she has to get fire from
Twelve plays of Christmas
Oh yes, it is that time of year again, and Scotland’s peforrners are raising curtains, laughs, eyebrows and — in some cases — false bustlines. But should young audiences raise their expectations? Andrew Burnet, Ellie Carr, Neil Cooper, Philip J. Cowan, Claire Prentice and Fiona Shepherd filled
Vassallssa and the Baba Yaga: four out of five for baddles
out I
heir report
local bogeywitch Baba Yaga to stave off mass hypothermia. Vassalissa makes it back to see her stepmother bumped off. and inexplicably ends up getting hitched to the Czar. She should be careful there.
magic and adventure ‘5) i slapstick and knockabout C?) I side-splitters (D i
just the one i certainly niet;
cheesy groaners smut and innuendo
vile villains (4) men in frocks — celeb count 0‘ I top tunes Q) I sloppy smooches — join-ins and hand-outs ®
glitz. glamour and pmzz (i?)
Darker than most, like Hammer Horror doing Cinderella, but there's enough fun to keep kids' attention span. Amazing what you can achieve without patronising. Oh, those Russians! (NC)
EDINBURGH
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
St Bride's Centre, until Sat 23 December.
Big guy in sky kidnaps local princess, betrothed to Jack, the daft sod who flogs the fanily cow for a bag of beans. The resulting tritfid-Iike growth enables daring Sits-type assault on giant’s lalr. Everybody plays straight man to star oi the show Bammy Sammy (who’s extremely harnmy).
magic and adventure slapstick and knockabout side-splitters
cheesy groaners
smut and innuendo
l@l@l
i Seen at St John ’5 Primary School,
vile villains 0) men in frocks - celeb count - top tunes (2) sloppy smooches CD join-ins and hand-outs @ glitz, glamour and pzazz (0
Community music hall vehicle for old trouper Ronnie Coburn. Far too many songs make for a noisy, slightly restless kiddy audience. Free ice cream though. (llC)
EDINBURGH GINDERELLA
K ing 's Theatre. until Sat 27 January. Petite. pretty. goody-two-shoes Cinderella has drawn the short straw , with her dead-common-but-thinks- she's-dead-posh stepmother (Una Mchan) and two gaIIus. ugly sisters Senga and Agnes (Andy Gray and Paul Young). As usual. Cinders' attempts to go to the ball are scuppered by the trio that charm school forgot until her fairy godmother. boyish Buttons and legg ' Princejoin forces to save the day.
magic and adventure 2) slapstick and knockout '74.) I side-splitters 3"
_j cheesy groaners £4) smut and innuendo '14." I vile villains ’3‘: I men in frocks 3‘. l celeb count 1’5) ; top tunes 73) ' sloppy smooches (3) join-ins and hand-outs é) glitz, glamour and pzazz. (4‘,
Pure gag-a-minute panto with all the usual frills including super—cheesy dance routines, unstoppable audience participation. spectacular cossies, and —- i scoring a big ten on the ‘aw‘ factor ( with the kids — Luckens' Shetland Ponies. (EC)
rounmc I THE HAPPY GANG AND THE MAGIC SNOWMAN
Portobello. See listings for venues.
Cheesy grins all round from The Happy 1 Gang as they adventure through a i singalong winter wonderland. However, when Rudolph’s nose turns I
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blue and Portobello beach freezes over in July, Spatz, Beth and Mr P, with boy scout resourcefulness, arm themselves with salt cellar and hairdryer to battle against Jack Frost and save flu-ridden Happyland.
magic and adventure (2‘) slapstick and knockabout CD side-splitters ® cheesy groaners o) smut and innuendo —
vile villains 0) men in frocks (0 celeb count —
top tunes '3} sloppy smooches -
join-ins and hand-outs (5) glitz, glamour and pzazz (1)
Cheap and cheerful cracker with
; catchy tunes and compulsory foot-
tapping, belly-rubbing, bum-wiggling fun. Age 8 and under, but Dads can come too. (CP)
PETER PAN
'l‘ln‘am' It'ayal, until Sat .r'l') December. J..\l. liarrie's famous tale ofthe boy
‘ who never grew up comes in for the all- . dancing. all—flying treattnent in this festive offering from Scottish
BalletTwirIing high on (almost) invisible wires into supersparkling night skies, our impish boy-hero and his fairy-frican Tinkerbell take Wendy. John and Michael on a fantastic airborne adventure to NeverIand.
magic and adventure @ slapstick and knockout — side-splitters — cheesy groaners — smut and innuendo — vile villains (33
men in frocks — (no. but plenty in tights)
; celeb count — top tunes (3) sloppy smooches — join-ins and hand-outs G) glitz, glamour and pzazz .5)
It's no pantomime (see lack ofcheesy jokes and men in frocks) and a trifle 0n the long side, but Scottish Ballet's danced-up Peter Part is a dazzling. dreamy. fun-filled adventure with the best flying apparatus in town. (EC)
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Top of the ’dlle: Peter Pan
75 The List I5 Dec 1995-11 Jan 1996