kids@list.co.uk
Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to kids@list.co.uk, by post or by fax on 0131 557 8500. Listings are compiled by Ruth Hedges.
Activities and Fun
Falconry Sat 4 & Sun 5 Jan. noon. 1.30pm & 3pm. Normal admission charge £6.50 t£4.50). (ilasgoys Science (‘entre. 50 Pacific Quay. 430 5000. Professional falconer (iraeme .\'eilson brings a selection of birds of prey. from the diminutive \Vhite liaced Scops ()\\l to the impressiye 'l‘urkmaninan liagle ()ys'l. learn about these ama/ing hirds tip close in all their glory.
Knights and Castles Art Workshop Sat 4 & Sttn 5 Jan.
noon 3pm & 3.30 4.30pm. l-‘ree. Btirrell ('ollection. 3060 l’ollokshayss Road. 387 3550. Ages 5 8. (let into the tnedieyal ages w ith this specially designed workshop to design a coat of arms. tnake a stain glass panel or eyen create a mythical monster. Booking essential. Back to School Sttn 5 .lan. 3 3pm. £1.50. Scotland Street School .\lttsettm. Museum of liducation. 335 Scotland Street. 387 0500. Join teacher Miss Baxter for a li\ ittg history class set in Victorian times. :\rriyc l5 tninutes early to dress up in period costume before seeing props. a genuine gas mask and the dreaded hell.
Belinda Guidi - Digital Harmony Sat 11 8; Sun 13 Jan. llatn 4pm. £13 (53 10). (CA. .550 Sauchiehall Street. 553 4000. Ages 0 16. :\l'llSl Belinda (ittidi presents a two-day animation \sorkshop for children.
Glasgow on Ice (icot'gc Square. 336 6550. l‘ntil Sun 5 Jan. 10am 10pm.
£4 £5 (£3 4); fantin ticket £15. ('hristmas market. hars and cafes \y ith an open air ice rink at its centre. right iii the heart of (ilasgott.
lrn-Bru Christmas and New Year Carnival Sli(‘(‘. l‘innicston Quay. 0870 040 4000. l‘ntil Sttn 13 .Ian. .\'oon 10pm. £3 £15.50.:\1tttosl as much of a (‘hristmas institution as Father (’hristmas himself. the annual carnival rolls hack into town.
Film
The Crooked Mile ll’(il Sat 11 Jan. 10.30am. (ilasgoys l-"ilm 'l'hcatre. 13 Rose Street. 333 8138. £3.50. See l‘ilm index for details.
Human Body tl’(i): Everest tt'i; Dolphins tt't; Into the Deep tl‘i and Cyberworld tcert the). times \ary. check liilm listings for shoys ing times. {51135.50}. l.\l:\.\ 'l'healt'e. (ilztsgoyy Science (l‘ltlt'c‘. .50 l’acific Quay . 430 Soon. '
Theatre & Dance
The Snowman liri 3 Sat 4 Jan. Tue 7 Sat 11 Jan. 7.15pm: Sat noon & 4.30pm. £8 £18. 'l‘hcatrc Royal. 383 Hope Street. 333 0000. Scottish Ballet presents its magical adaptation of Raymond Bi‘iggs‘ story hook. choreographed by Rohert .\'oth and with Howard Blake's original score from the animated classic.
Edinburgh
Activities and Fun
Hogmanay Gardens Princes Street Gardens liiisl. Princes Street. 473 3600. The carniyal joins the lidinhurgh \shcel
For complete listings of all Christmas shows and pantomimes taking place in Glasgow and Edinburgh, see Theatre listings, p51
this year offering the whole family a wonderful \y inter playground.
Winter Wonderland Princes Street (iardens liast. Princes Street. 473 3600. l'ntil Sun 5 Jan. 10am —l0pm.
£4.50 £5.50 (£3.50); £16 for family. A spectacular ice rink is set up in the centre of lidinhtirgh also featuring a tohoggan rttn. coy cred cafe area and fairground rides.
The Edinburgh Wheel Princes Street (iardens. l'ntil Sttn 5 Jan.
10am 1 1pm. (‘ome and join in the fun w ith the iconic lidinhurgh \sheel. Acrobounce Princes .\lall Rooftop l’la/a. Princes Street. 01630 870 318. l'ntil Sun 5 Jan. 10am 8pm. £4.1injoy this high flying c\pericnce as you're catapulted 0m high to \seightless l‘t‘eedotn.
Artefactory l'ntil Sttti 5 .lan. free. Discos ery ('entre. Museum of Scotland. ('hamhers Street. 3.17 4000. Make your oyyn replica museum object in the :\rtefactot'y. may he a 31) train. a fossil finger puppet or a carny \ to scare off the Romans.
Legend of the Saltire and Lion Sat 4 Jan. £8 (£3 £6). l'idinhurgh ('astle. Royal .‘\1i1e.335 0846. l.iying llistory Scotland tells the story hehind the Saltire and the Lion Rampant of our national and royal flags.
Game on Challenge Royal Mitsettm. 3 ('hamhcrs Street. 347 4310. Sat 4 Jan. llatn 13.30pm. lirce. Do you haye a great idea fora \ idcogame‘.’ If so. the challenge is the game for yott. [p to ten teams of fottr people of all ages map their ideas on slot'y liottl‘tls \\ ill] pri/cs aplenty tip for grabs.
Theatre & Dance
Sleeping Beauty the 7 Sat II Jan. 7pm; Sat 3pm ck 7pm. £13 £33. l-‘estiyal 'l‘hcatrc. 13 30 Nicolson Street. 530 6000. ’l‘his enchanting and lay islt adaptation comes courtesy of the \yonderfttl St l’etershurg Ballet 'l'heatre. Sec prey icys in 'lihcatre.
Exhibition
The Golden Ages of Toys t'ntil Sat 7 Jun. l‘ree. Mtisenm of ('hildhood. ~13 lligh Street. 53‘) 4143. Share the magic of .\1eccano. llornhy trainscts. teddy hears and the \sonderful array of toys that came to life hetyyeen 1800 and 1030.
My Queen Elizabeth l‘ntil Stm I0 .latt. National Portrait (iallery. 1 Queen Street. 634 6300. In association \s itlt BB(”s It’lue I’t’lt’l‘. this cshihition highlights the 50 pri/c \y inning entries in their (iolden Juhilcc portrait competition by children aged 15 or under.
Outside the Cities
Activities and Fun
New Lanark Christmas Experience l'ntil Sun 5 .Ian.
llant 5pm. £6.05. New l.anark Visitor ('entrc. Neys l.anark .‘ylills. Nest l.anark. 0155.5 6613-15. Rccapttn‘c the magic of (’hristmas at New l.anark‘s grotto. the Spirit of ('hristmas ride and panto fun for all the family.
Unpicking the Past t‘ntil Sun 27 Apr. 1‘rec. l.o\\ l’arks Museum. 130 Muir Street. Hamilton. 01608 338333. l‘nrayelling the story behind the oldest costume in the museum's collection.
Theatre & Dance
A Christmas Carol liri 3 Sat 4 Jan. Wed 10am & 3pm: Sat 3pm & 7.30pm; Mon. Tue. 'llnt & l‘ri 10am. £8 (£4 £5). .\lacRohert. l‘niycrsity of Stirling. Stirling. 01786 466666. \Vee Slot'ics and .‘ylacRohert collahoratc for a production of('har|cs Dickens' cl;l\\ic talc 01 Scrooge. gllosls ptlsl. present and future and the ('ratchit family. .\lagic. music attd audience participation feature in this sPct‘illlly deyised \ct'sittll \\llicll lacks
THE SINGING KETTLE ooo THE HAPPY GANG’S FAIRYTALE CHRISTMAS! u
Rounding up Scotland’s seasonal singing shows
Kids
Cilla, Artie, Gary and Kevin drag their tried and tested Singing Kettle formula out for the umpteenth time - find a kettle, say the rhyme, pull out a clue, sing a song. Same old same old. This year they’re in Toytown, masquerading as a doll, soldier, robot and cowboy respectively.
The kids love it so they must be doing something right, and Cilla always prises a few laughs from the grown-ups. Though as ever, the Kettler’s show cries out for a real narrative; something more substantial, involving and (shh, whisper it) educational than a merry sing-a-long. In its favour, the set and costumes are elaborate and fun, staving off boredom from their toddler-heavy audience. But while the odd magical moment gives you a Christmas tingle, essentially this is kiddie theatre by numbers; a merchandising machine that’s almost on the brink of autopilot.
Meanwhile in Happy Gang-land (run ended 30 Dec), Mr P, Spatz and Nikki returned for another season and this time they were in a fairytale forest. The evil Prince Charming had nicked the magic dust that went in the magic pond that kept everything alive. But the prince hated music, which gave our three overgrown delinquents an excuse to pad out the show and murder us all softly with soporific sing-a-Iongs.
Not really a patch on the Gang’s past energetic shows, they seemed to be cruising on auto-pilot through a series of mainly unfunny jokes, plugs for their CDs and rather obvious set-ups, all tinged by a vague hint of homophobia. The kids seemed to love it though, so what can you say, but they also seemed to love the three enormous balloons that were bounced through the audience at the beginning of the show. (Kelly Apter and Paul Dale)
I Me Singing Kettle (It’ll? be seen Sat 4 Jan, noon 8 (9pm. Aloe/t Hal/s. Still/rig; the / lap/N Gang; beg/n tot/ring again on 25 Jan With The Manor Gangs Fairytale forest (f()/ more details check out their woosvte th/W.NHPUVQU/lg.(IO.ilk}.
the company ‘s usttal spark.
The Singing Kettle’s Christmas in Toytown Sat .1 Jan. ttoon & 3pm. £0; family ticket £30. :\1hcrt llalls. l)umharton Road. Stirling. 01786 473544. Songs aplenty in the Singing Kettle's popular festise shots. ('omc
dressed as your fayotirite loy. See res ieyy.
The International Purves Puppets Biggar l’uppet 'l‘heatre.
Broughton Road. 01800 330631. £5 (£4):
family tickets £33 & £36. Book in
ads ancc as times are suhjecl to change. Reductions for parties of fiye or more. Shoxss on offer in er the nest tyyo necks
Cinderella 1hu 3 Jan. 3pm & Sat 1 1 .lan. 3.30pm. Ages 7+. Did you knots that ('inderclla had a little mouse called 'l'imothy‘.’ And that the [no silly l'gly Sisters had a nasty cat called ('ornelitis‘.’ Oh yes they did!
Pips and Panda in Magic Land Hi 3 & Sat 4 Jan. 3pm. .v\ges 3 7. l’ips the little monkey and silly old panda go on a journey to Magicland to find
(is inkle. .\lr Magic's cheeky white rabbit. ()n the way they meet tinderysater creatures. \yatch magic tricks. and sing songs \\ ith the Music Man.
‘0 Jan 300.3 THE LIST 75