from Elaine C. Smith as Britney Spears and a breast-implanted Lara Croft. Loads of dancing and singing. but a little short on the funnies. By the end everyone's on their feet singing and clapping along to a weird mix of Bob the Builder and Mambo No.5. (Davie Archibaldl
KAGUYAHIME THE MOON PRINCESS
Theatre Workshop, Edinburgh, until Sat 29 Dec 00.
A bamboo cutter and his wife are childless. until one day they find a tiny baby among the bamboo. She grows up a beautful giri, much sought after as a spouse by the oca? aristCCraCy. She senos each of her SclltOI'S off to perform nigh impossible tasks. and finally the emperor takes an .nterest .n her. But will she return to the moon. W’WBI‘CG she came. If she falls In love?
Magc and adventure \4: Slapstick and knockabou: E J0kes and iapes 3
Love and romance :3:
Smut and innuendo - Baddies and bounders i Celebs and soapstars -
Top tunes :3:
Singalongs -
Sweetie showers 3 GI tz. glamotir and pizazz 3
A rather sweetly romantic ta‘e from Theatre Workshops mixed company 's enlivened by some wonderful clowning from Raymond Short as a twat»le prince and a dodgy sailor. and a good turn or two from Jonn Hollyx'iood as the eponymous moon child's father. All the same. some loiigeurs in the middle stages mean the piece rather outstays its welcome. with detrimental effect on the tensiop o‘ the finale. :Steve Crameri
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 5 Jan 0000
\‘i/zti" an ailing old b0y. a par of nasty sisters with \“xi’eegie accents not In accord with her own. and a disappearing .main squeeze. the last thing Beauty needs is an aesthetIcain-chal-eriged beasty boy with the note for her. But she grows aCCustomed to his ugly mug. and with the hep 0‘ an incontinent dog overcomes both a bulimc .vitcn and a 'hOrally ambivalent gob .n.
Magic and adventure 6 Slapstick and knockabout 21:; Jokes and yapes :3;
Love and romance 6
Shot and innuendo - Baddies and bounders 3; Ce:ebs :3:
Too tunes :2:
Singalongs -
Glitz. glamotir and pizazz :4;
Stuart Paterson's touching script stylishly directed Tony Coin/hie. Cora Bssett s radiantfy as Beauty. whi'e AtlSO" Re bies thorotighy enioys herself as the tch and Steven McNICOIl n‘ugs l“is o'utrag ‘ously ttTrOugt‘ his ultimately harmless Goblin. A qute moving proouctio". unthich never oses its sense of fun. Re ‘O’T‘lT‘C'TCtCO. lSteve Cra'reri
THE NEW ADVENTURES OF PETER PAN
King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sun 13 Jan 0000
DeSpite the word ‘new' in the title. J. M. Barrie's classIc tale of the boy who wOuIdn't grow up remains untarnished. YOUle Wendy. Michael and John fly off to Neverland with Peter. c0urtesy of Tinkerbell's fairy magic and some nifty aerial rigging, where they battle against nasty Captain Hook and his hapless assistant Sihee 'played by Superb comic duo Andy Gray and Gerard Kellyi.
Magic 8. adventure 6 Slapstick & knockabOu-t gt: Jokes 8. Japes
Love & romance 3 Sn‘ut 8. Innuendo :2: Baddies & bounders 6 Celebs & soap stars 31: Top tunes
Sngalongs Q
Sweetie showers :3:
Glitz. glan‘our 8. pizazz 6
Cracking performances fron‘ the lead roles. plus a star turn froir‘ International tun‘biers The Acron‘anzacs. I“ore thai‘. makes up fcr a rather lack-lustre chorus and several unnecessany c ai‘ce rOut-nes. Pienty of shout'ng Out for the kids. daft ,‘OKGS ‘o-r the adults and a fun night out for all. «Kelly pie“
SLEEPING BEAUTY
Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, until Sat 5 Jan 000.
Attractive young Is revived ‘rOIr catatonic state by randy royal. Traditional t'airy -tale yarn, €".t7\’€"GCl by means of a popular Steps anthem. an eer iy androgynOus Itastn. boy and a com cal drag—queen.
Magic and adventure 21: Sapstick and knockabout Jokes and tapes
Loire and rename 6 S'l‘ut and 'inuendo Baddies and bounders 6 Celebs and capstars - Too tunes :4: Singalongs Sweetie showers :4: Glitz. glamour aI‘d bizan 6
3/
As usua. the annuai Brunton Theatre panto defivers the sweetzes. Stiri‘ptuous :osttxnes. breath-taking Specza: effects. ge'tu'ne'y funny one-liners and a v ilaIn who il nap": yo;rr darkest dreams tor a‘l eterrvty a gooo tin‘e is had by gtgg 'ng tots anti cr nging adults am. The Barton panto'r‘iri‘e sets the standard every year. alt'tougt‘ this latest ron‘o yes: .’“lSS(-BS the panto-perfectior It‘ark t“8"><S to a c0uple of crappy tunes. Olly Lass'nani
ALADDIN
Motherwell Theatre, until Sat 5 Jan .000
Aladdin a poor boy from Peking. .Ives
with his brother Wishee \i‘i/asliee and mother Valiuow Twanky. Our hero embarks on an. exciting adventure to ‘inu a mag-c lamp. Along the may he battles an evil wirartl. and falls In love w tr‘ tl‘e Dcatlt‘ttl. Princess Tai~~Lu.
Magic a"d adventure :3;
Theatre
Slapstck and knockabOuI @ Jokes and gapes @
Love and romance
Smut and Innuendo :4: Baddies and DOUl‘derS :3: Celebs and soaostars Q Top tunes 3:
Singalongs
Sweetie S'iCWS'S :3:
G Itz. glamour and pizazz 34:
All the essential ingredients for a traditional family panto are present and correct. from anoient puns to contemporary muSIc. Clearly the cast are enJOyIng themselves as much as the audience. Indeed. some fluffed lines and Quick ad-libs actually enhance the already jovial atmosphere. Tony Roper excels as Wishee Washee. espeCIally when he “magically' transforms into Harry Potter. (Scott Montgomery)
ALADDIN
Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline, until Mon 24 Dec 000
Aladdin Is a lad I!" love. but to get the princess he must help wicked Abanazar recover a niagac lamp. containing the all-powertu' genie. Meanwhile. Aladdin‘s manly mother and numpty brother try to keep the family laundry business runiting on a spin cycle. It can only end in matrimony.
Magic and adventure Slapst'ck and knockabo-ti‘. :3: Jokes and tapes @
Love and ron‘anc Smut and Innuendo :1: Baddies and DOLInderS 6 Celebs and soap stars :3; top tunes :4:
Singalongs
Sweetie showers :2: Glitz. glamOur and pizazz
Hairy Christmas: Beauty And The Beast, Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh
Definitely more for the bairns than the growns here. Dunfermline has all the perennial panto pizazz. from men In frocks to local in-Jokes. but lacks energy. The cast. Including High Road's Mary Riggans (the Empress) and Simon Weir lAbanazarl. seems to be JUSt gOIng through the motions at times. but between John Hannibal‘s Widow Twanky and Lawrie McNicol's genie there's plenty to hold the wee-ones' attention. Shout. Sing and laugh along. You'd be a humbug not to. (Gareth Daviesl
PUSS IN BOOTS Dundee Rep, until Sat 5 Jan 0000
When Rab's ma kicks the bucket. she leaves her flour n‘ill to his nasty big brothers. Poor old Rab; all he gets is a cat. But there's magic at work and this ain't just any old moggy.
Magic and adventure 6 Slapstick and knockabOut C3) Jokes and tapes 6
Love and romance 6
Sn‘ut and Innuendo - Baddies and bOunders 6 Celebs and soap stars - Top tunes -
Singalongs -
Sweetie showers -
Glitz. glairour and pizazz @
Stuart Paterson's new take on this tale Will enthral all ages. The costumes are stunning. the humOur iS delightfully innocent and even the lovey-dovey ending is In good taste. Irene MacDOugall Is fantastically frightfui as the Witch who wears garish Viyienne Westwood-like numbers and enjoys a dram or two. This truly Is a magical evening. It's oddly liberating to shout 'shut your face' at Rab's brothers and the actual appearance of the giant Crowns It all. {Klk Reidl
13 Dec 23()‘—3 Jan 2032 THE LIST 63
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