New Year's Day). Performances at I.30pm; 2pm: 3pm; 5.30pm; 7pm. Call box office to check which times apply. £7.50—£14.50(£5.50—£lI50). Welsh comedy singer Mas Boyce is the celebrity who gets ltis magic beans playing Jack in the King's annual knees- up of a family panto. Boycie‘s contribution is bolstered by the trsual array of TV arid stage stars. including Ross Davidson. Gladiator Siren. Allan Stewart and Natalie Robb.
NETHERBOW ARTS CENTRE
43 High Street. 556 957‘). [Access: R. I.. Facilities: WC.WS. O. C]
The Doctor And The Devils Until Sat 6 Dec. 7.30pm. £5 (£3.50). Napier University Drama Society present Dylan Thomas‘s play about the Edinburgh murderers Burke and Hare and the corrupt surgeon Dr Robert Knox. who hired them to supply human subjects for dissection.
PLAYHOUSE THEATRE
Greenside Place. 557 2590. lAccess: R. l.. Facilities: WC. WS. (i. C]
Grease Until Sat 10 Jan. Mon—Sat 7.30pm; Wed & Sat tnats 2.30pm. Mon-Thu eves £l0 s£25 (£ l0 £22.50); I‘ri & Sat eves £ l 2.50--£26 (no concs); Wed mats £7.50 -£20 (£6.5()/£I0.5()); Sat mats £l0-£25 (no concs). Call for details ofgrotrp bookings. Big-budget. fun and frothy version of the 50s rock 'n‘ roll ‘n' adolescent angst musical — arid yes. we all know the words. even if we'd rather not admit it.
QUEEN'S HALL
Clerk Street. 668 201‘). The Beast Of John Shuttleworth Sun 7 Dec. Spin (bar from 7pm). £9.50 (£7.50). See Comedy listings.
ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE
(irindlay Street. 22‘) 9697. 'I'I‘. [Accessz P. l.. Facilities: WC. WS. II. (3. C. T. Help: A. AA] Closed Suns.
Hansel And Gretel Fri 5 Dec—Sat 10 Jan (not Suns. Christmas Day or New Year's Dayt. 7pm; 2.30pm mats Sat 6. Sat l3. Sat 20 Dec t‘k Mon 22 Dec Sat 3 Jan.
£S- £I5; cltild tickets £4-£S.50 (£7 -£l 2). Scottish children's writer Stuart Paterson comes up with the Christmas goodies once more. witlt this brand new production of the classic fairy tale of two cltildren lost iii a magical wood. Stars Michael Mackenzie (Dr Turner in Curr/I'm Arrest) as the Faerie-King. Irene MacDongall as the wicked witch and Billy Boyd and Caroline Devlin as Ilarrsel and Gretel.
THEATRE WORKSHOP 34 Hamilton Place. 226 5425. [Access: PPA. ST. R. I‘acilities: WC. WS. II. C. C.
Hel ): AA]
Badi Kahani L’ntil Wed 24 Dec (not Suns). Performances at 10.30am; 1.30pm; 3pm; 7.30pm. Call box office to check which times apply. £6.50 (£3): family ticket £14.50. Theatre Workshop lays on something a wee bit different from the usual panto fare. with this guaranteed soap star-free show from the same team as last year's excellent 0/ Nell/es Am/ Rows. Boasting a cast of established Scottish actors. pltis a guest musician and two actors from India. Brit/i Ku/tuni is based on a powerful Indian story dealing with the hopes. fears and dreams of young people. See review. page 65. TRAVERSE THEATRE Cambridge Street. 228 [40-1. 1T.
[.Access: 1., Facilities: WC. WS. H. C}. C] CIOsed Mons.
Greta Until Sat 20 Dec. £7 (£3.50). WeeI-kent Scottish actor Russell Hunter as you've never seen him before. in this first stage play by James Dtithie. which takes a darkly comic look at what goes on behind the net curtains in this extraordinary tale of ordinary folks.
The Happy Gang's Fantastic Funhouse Tue 9—Star [-3 Dec. Tue ‘)-Fri I2 I0.30am & I.30prn: Sat I3 l.30pm at me; Strn I4 |.3()pm. £4; four tickets for £I4; schools and nurseries £2.50. Scotland's tireless
children‘s entertainers return wrtlr more primary-coloured performance. Seeing as it's Christmas. the gang are throw mg a party at the Happy Manor. where all kinds of adventures lie irt store. Although prestrmably we can leave the Twiglets and cans of Tennents at the door. Rehearsed Reading Tue 9 Dec. 7.30pm. £l. Edinburgh-born first-time writer Alan Wilkins provides this month‘s rehearsed reading. (‘lrilrlr‘s/i Things.
EDINBURGH DANCE
EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE
I3/2‘) Nicolson Street. 52‘) 6000. [.Access: I.. l-‘acilittes: WC. WS. AS. H. C. T. Help: A]
La Fille Mal Gardée Tue l6—Sat 27 Dec. 7.30pm; 2.30pm tirats Thu IX. Sat 20. Tue 23. Wed 2-1 6; Sat 27 Dec. £4.50 ~£.‘~() (£4.50—-£27). See Touring and review. page 65.
CENTRAL DRAMA
CUMBERNAULD THEATRE
Kildrtrm. Cumbernatrld. ()l 236 732887. 'l'T‘. [.Acces‘s: l’l’A. l.. ST. R. l‘acrlitres: WC. WS. H. (3. C. Help: A. AA] Aladdin — The True Story tintil Sat 27 Dec (not Strns or Christmas Day). Performances at l()ani; lpm; 7pm. Check with box office for which times apply. £6.50 (£4.75): fatnin ticket £I‘). Cumbernatrld Theatre polishes tip its magic latnp for the panto season with this family show based on the orginal Ant/mm Nights story. and written and directed by Simon Shar'key. See review. page 65. MACROBERT ARTS CENTRE
University of Stirling. Stirling. 0| 786
1 ~16l081.[:\ccessj r’. rim. 1.. R. rat-traits;
WC. WS. H. (3]
Merlin The Magnificent l'ntil Sat 27 Dec (not Suns or Christmas Day l, Performances at I030am; 2pm; 7. §()pm. Clteck with box office for which times apply. £9.50 (£6.50). Prolific Scottish
filllllllllllillllfi TR@N
THEATRE COMPANY
7.30pm and matinees
children‘s play w rrgltt Stuart Paterson dips his pen in the magic of the Arthurian legends with this Christmas show based on the ancient tale oftbe wizard Merlin and the secret of the sword in the stone. See res iew. page 65.
TOURING
This section lists all future dates in the central belt of shows that are on
tOUI'.
La Fille Mal Gardée No more
Nutrmr laws for Scottish Ballet. as the company knocks its long-running seasonal fave on the head and replaces it with this colourful family ballet by quintessentially linglish choreographer l-"rederick Ashton. Due to the company's much»reported wrarrgles w itlt the Scottish Arts Council. this is not the new Christmas ballet the company hoped to stage and had already advertised. But festive balletgoers cart rest assured that this vrbrarrt pantotnrrite-orientated ballet. w itlt costumes arid sets lent by Birmingham Royal Ballet. will fill the places that rrtrtcrackers usually do. See review. page 65. Call Scottish Ballet. ()l~ll .Wl 29$] for details.
l’exrri'u/ ‘l‘lreurri'. Iii/in/nujeli Tue 16 Sat 27 Dec Mon Sat 7.30pm". mats Thu IS. Sat 20. Tue 23. Wed 2-1 A; Sat 27 Dec 2.30pm. No performance Christmas Day. Bosing Day or Suns.
Thur/re Is’mul. (i/risguw Mon 2‘) Dec Sat lt).lan_ .\lon Sat 7.l5pm; Sat mats
2. | 5pm: The 30. Wed 3| Dec. 'l‘htr S Jan I.‘s0pm. No perfbrnrance Thu I or fit 2 Jan or Suns.
Jingle Bells The Singing Kettle team. stats of children's TV and numerous videos. return wrtlt a brand-new show for Christmas. (‘ome dressed III bells and
‘ tinsel. and see rfCrlIa. Artie and co can
go a whole show without losing their kettles this trrne. See review. page 65 (‘all venues for details.
Iii/in/ittre/i I-'('.\Irt'u/ Theatre l'rttil Sat l.‘
10 December I997 - 10 January 1998
Dec. various times.
34103211
A Christmas Carol
It is Christmas Eve and this man is so miserable he makes Victor Meldrew look like Santa Claus
Bah Humbugl...
Before the clock strikes I? he will save Tiny Tim, and make Santa look mean.
See Scrooge transformed before your eyes as Communicado brings Dickens' classic Christmas tale to life. A stunning show created to warm the heart of everyone who is. or ever has been a child.
Tkts £9 adults (£5.50 concessions and children)
Tron Theatre. 63 Trongate. Glasgow GI Dl41552 4267/0l4l 287 55"
drama & dance THEATRE
FAscriyrArme AIDA
The it, wit, don ’t give a sh *t girls
Box Office
0131529 6000
we
EDINBURGH
EEITIVAL
THEATRE
18 Dec 1997 THE llST69