theatre

panto reviews

Aladdin The True Story

Central: Cumbernauld Theatre, until Sat 27 Dec. a a w

A tale of extraordinary riches is attempted on a modest budget, but what the production misses out on fantasy it makes up for in kiddie fun With a game of rounders in the imperial palace and the ever-present cuddly panda Chi-Chi. Baddie Abanazer JUSi ain’t scarey enough but Rab Christie as Aladdin is a wee trouper

magic and adventure 3, slapstick and knockabout 4 Jokes and tapes 3 love and romance 3 smut and innuendo 1' baddies and bounders '2 celebs and soap stars top tunes 2 singalongs —- sweetie showers 1. glitz, glamour and pzazz 3

A panto which is brimming With enthusiasm and keeps the kids interested, but there's nothing fOr the adult Viewer (except the chance to impersonate a handmaiden).

(Fiona Shepherd)

BadiKahani

Edinburgh: Theatre Workshop, until Wed 24 Dec. “tr a

Fake holy man Bhairava Will stop at nothing to have his Wicked way With the beautiful Kanchi, even if that means turning her brother into a dog and drivmg her mother to the grave. Theatre Workshop teams up wrth Indian company Spandana to offer an alternative to cheesy Panto cliche, With plenty of traditional and local elements to keep the kids cheering.

magic and adventure 4 slapstick and knockabout 4 Jokes and japes ? love ar‘d i_\iiiar‘.ce .i smut and innuendo

baddies and bounders 5 celebs and soap-stars

tot) tunes 3

singalongs sweetie showers (a solitary Mars Bar) glitz, glamour and pzazz t

Sean Hay steals the show as villainous Bhairava, whose maniacal laugh, corkscrew Wig and pencil moustache Suggest a cross between Dick Dastardly and Phil Lynott An imaginative show and a welcome change. (Peter Ross)

The Singing Kettle - Jingle Bells

Edinburgh Festival Theatre, until Sat 13 Dec; Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sun lA-Wed 31 Dec. «H is is

The Singing Kettle songsters, clad in Victorian costume, burst Onto the stage and into song before an audience decked Out in the family's Christmas tree decorations At the ring of a bell, colourful, larger-than-life characters appear, complete With the obligatory singing kettle and a new, easy-to-learn song to sing Lots of festive and old faves, and everyone's encouraged to 10m in With the actions and choruses. And for the oldies in the Muse a rock 'n’ roll number thrown in for good measure

magic and adventure ? slapstick and knockabout lOkC‘S and iapes i

love and romance smut and innuendo baddies and b0unders celebs and soap-stars top tunes

singalongs s sweetie showers (not a bean) glitz, glamour and pzazz

(JUSI Santa)

Aimed at Smaller fry, plots and stOrylines are not The Singing Kettle's bag, but ling/e Bel/s is a fun singaloiig show. And perhaps that's the secret of their huge success (Helen Monaghan)

La Fille Mal Gardée

Edinburgh: Festival Theatre, until Sat 27 Dec. Glasgow: Theatre Royal, Mon 29 Dec—Sat 10 Jan.

Scottish Ballet's Crimbo show is a pantomime thinly disguised as a ballet The plot - bOy meets girl, but girl's overbearing mum has other plans involwng the daft son of a wealthy

landowner ~ is minimal, leavmg plenty of time for iolly peasant dance routines, larger-than-life slapstick and cheesy sound effects. All that's missmg is the dame but hang on, who's the hairy one dressed as Widow Simone7

magic and adventure 3 slapstick and knockabout

Jokes and iapes‘

love and romance 5 smut and innuendo

baddies and bounders

celebs and soap-stars

top tunes 4 (BBC sOund FX 'R' us) singalongs (it's ballet, darling .) sweetie showers (ditto) glitz, glamour and pzazz

It may not be The Nutcracker, but Scottish Ballet’s seasonal show is sweet enough to satisfy most ballet fans. The dancing is variable and the pace a little laboured, but the pantomime element and the show's star turns ensure a happy ending (Ellie Carr)

Merlin The Magnificent

Stirling: MacRobert Arts Centre, until Sat 27 Dec. w a it

Despite the Wicked schemes of lulorgana Le Fay and the best efforts of Sir Hector and Lady Baffy to gain the crown for their spoilt son Kay ~v lvlerlin's magic is JUSi potent enough to lead young Arthur and his faithful pal Gwen out of the haunted forest to retrieve Excalibur from the stone and Win the day

magic and adventure 3 slapstick and knockabout 4 JOkOS and iapes 4 love and romance 3

smut and innuendo

baddies and bounders

celebs and soap stars ~ top tunes 3’ singalongs

sweetie showers

glitz, glamour and pzazz 5

Stuart Paterson's take on the Avalon myth is patchy on magical mystery Merlin's role mostly involves intoning dodgy poetry But the comic characters are energetically funny and Neil Murray's designs are top-notch (Andrew Burnet)

The big man: Douglas Irvine (centre). with less friendly giants in The 8.F.G

panto reviews THEATRE

l The B.F.G.

Glasgow: Citizens’ Theatre, until Sat 20 Dec. s as “is at

Lonesome Sophie is abducted from her horrid orphanage by a massive scary bloke With glow-in-the-dark ears who turns out to be a kindly vegetarian With a nice line in spoonerisms His true nature revealed, the Big Friendly Giant and Sophie set about saying England from hordes of child- chomping ogres, in Kenny Miller's distinctly rock ‘n' roll production

magic and adventure

slapstick and knockabout 2 Jokes and Japes '2 love and romance

smut and innuendo ?

(and that's jtlSi for the farting) baddies and bounders .-.

celebs and soap stars i top tunes s singalongs t

(if the farting song counts) sweetie showers glitz, glamour and paw '2

Songs by Spice Girls, Prodigy and Oasis, cool FX, and decapitated Teletubbies iriake The 8 F G a huge success One for slightly older kids and parents who still watc h Top Of The Pops (Peter Ross)

Avalon calling: Victoria Hardcastle as Morgana in Merlin The Magnificent

STAR RATINGS it t * 1r * Unmissable fr it a a Very 00d it v. n Wort a shot * it Below average You’ve been warned

5—18 Dec 1997 THE UST85

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