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CHILDREN’S INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL
Tuesday Tue 24 May-Mon 30 May, various venues, Edinburgh
As artistic director of the Children’s International Theatre Festival, he believes he should stretch expectations of what theatre for young people should do.
In this, his line-up for the 2005 event is no different - how will audiences react to 8 Snow White with a remarkable resemblance to the Virgin Mary, for example? - but the overriding mood this year is one of good-natured fun. ‘I enjoyed spending time with these shows,’ he says.
It wasn’t that he was avoiding serious themes, it’s just that the strongest shows he came across were lighter in spirit. ‘These are the shows that came up,’ he says. ‘The deeper or darker plays were not the ones that were working. These are telling a story in a really imaginative way, being creative and engaging with their audiences. As a programmer, I’m looking for pieces that work on all levels and these plays are all complete in what they are.’
But don’t equate happy with stupid. Reekie is clear that even when he programmes the silliest of clown shows, it has to be about something. ‘Typo, for example, is all about struggle,’ he says of Canadian Jamie Adkins’s anarchic physical comedy. ‘The shows should be fun but they should also be
about exploration.’
And there is plenty to explore in the 14 shows from Scotland, Wales, Russia, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Canada. The home team fields a powerful foursome in the form of Wee Stories reviving the brilliant Labyrinth, the excellent Catherine Wheels upturning the old myths in Cinderella’s Sister, much talked about newcomers Cat in a Cup with Such is Nature and a new dance commission from Ruby Worth called Hoops, hAtS & AcrObAtS.
From further afield, there is clowning from Canada and Belgium in the form of Typo and Zouf‘fl, strange sensory experiences in Italy’s Children ’s Cheering Carpet and a Chekhov short story, Kashtanka, adapted by a Russia’s Ekaterinburgh Theatre Company. (Mark Fisher)
Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to kldsQllst.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Morag Bruce.
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Activities & Fun
Sunday Craft Club Sun 15 May & Sun 22 May. 1 1am—1pm. Free. Glasgow Museums Resource Centre. 200 Woodhead Road. Nitshill. 276 9300. Drop-in craft club with a different theme each week. Suitable for 8—12-year-olds.
68 THE LIST 12-26 May 2005
Saturday Art Club Sat 14 May & Sat 21 May. 10am-1pm. Free. Gallery of Modern Art. Queen Street. 22‘) 1996. Fun art activities for children aged 3--l0 relating to an on display with drawing. collage. sculpture making and games — parents can get stuck in too.
Skillshops Thu 12 May ck Thu 1‘) May. 2.30—4.30pm. £3—£4 (£2). Tron Theatre. 63 Trongate. 552 4267. Join in these fun sessions teaching drama. voice and movement to children and young people. Ages 57-7 from l-2pm. followed by ages . - 12 between 2.30—4.30pm.
Skillshops Sat l4 May 8; Sat 21 May. 6.30—8.30pm. £4 (£2). Tron Theatre. 63
Tony Reekie is a programmer who likes to surprise people from—Emet—o‘time.
Trongate. 552 4267. Fun drama. voice and movement sessions for 3—19-year-olds. Booking essential.
Planet Earth - Refurbishment! Sat 14 May. 10am—2pm. £5. CCA. 350 Sauchiehall Street. 352 4900. How would you change the world‘.’ Taking inspiration from the current exhibition RISK and collaboratively create our own 3D globe
Eco Weekend Thu 26—Tue 31 May. 10am—6pm. Glasgow Science Centre. 50 Pacific Quay. 420 5000. Go green at the Science Centre with lots of eco workshops. Experience indoor thunder and lightning in the Climate Change show and find out ways to conserve energy and generally be a good greeny.
Theatre & Dance
Rainbow Magic Sat 14 May. 2pm. £4.50 (£3.50). Scottish Mask & Puppet Theatre Centre. 8—10 Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 339 6185. Grumble .\'ose and his brothers will stir tip storms forever unless the elves can paint a rainbow. See if you can help them on their challenge.
Sigurd the Dragonslayer Sat 21 May. 2pm. £4.50 (£3.50). Scottish Mask & Puppet Theatre Centre. 8—10 Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 339 6185. Folding Theatre Puppet Company present this tale of heroes. gods and monsters based on Teutonic myths. Ages 7+.
Books
Theresa Breslin Thu 19 May. 11am. Free. Borders Books. Fort Retail Park. 390 Provan Wal '. 773 2910. Join the popular children's author as she signs copies of her new book Divided City. the tale of two young boys whose loyalties are put to test in the face of sectarian violence.
Storytelling
Children’s torytime L'ntil Sun 15 May & L'ntil Sun 22 May. noon. Borders Books. Fort Retail Park. 390 Provan Walk. 773 2910. Weekly weekend storytelling session for the kid's.
Tall Tales in the Tower Sat 21 May. noon—12.45pm. Free. Tron Theatre. 63 Trongate. 552 4267. Fun interactive storytelling sessions in the Tron's Clock Tower for ages 3—5.
Edinburgh
Activities & Fun
Artefactory L'ntil Sat 25 Jun. I lam—4pm. Free. Museum of Scotland: Hawthomden Court. Chambers Street. 247 4219. Try out lots of fun activities. create museum objects and make a fossil finger puppet or your own carnyx. an ancient war trumpet used to scare off Roman invaders.
Royal Museum Art Cart Sun 15 May 8.- Sun 22 May. noon—5pm. Free. Royal Museum. 2 Chambers Street. 247 42l9/4422. Look out for the Art Cart with free materials for you to use to draw and colour pictures all around the museums. lel‘y at the Library L'ntil Wed 27 Jul (not Sun). Mon-Thu 10am—8pm: Fri 10am—5pm; Sat 9am—1pm. Free. Central Library. George [V Bridge. 242 8121. An interactive exhibition for pre-schoolers celebrating the 50th anniversary of Dick ana’s famous bunny.
Puzzles and Illusions Thu 12 May-Mon 13 Jun. 10am—5pm; Sun noon—5pm; Tue 10am~8pm. l’ree. Royal Museum Science Zone. 2 Chambers Street. 247 4219/4422. l-‘ool your brain and exercise your mind at this interactive exhibition.
Drop in art workshop Sat 14 May. 10am~noon 8; 1.30—3.30pm. Free. Museum of Childhood. 42 High Street. 5294142. Meet the museum's very own version of Rolf Harris and watch him work. Bring along your favourite toy and get a caricature done of it.
Star Wars Art! Sat 14 May. Ilium—noon & 1.30-3.30pm. l-‘ree. Museum of Childhood. 42 High Street. 52‘) 4142. Make funky 31) characters frotn the Star Wars films. plus quirky characters from the Muppets.
Tiny Music Makers Sat 21 May. ill—10.30am. 10.45—1 l.30am &
l l.45am—12.30pm. £4 (£1.50—£2). North Edinburgh Arts Centre. 15a Penny-well
Court. 315 2151. A fun session of music making involving games. puppets. rhymes and movement to music. The first workshop is for kids aged 1-3. the second two for 3—5 years.
80s Art Workshop Sat 21 May. 10—11.30am. 12.30—2pm & 2.30—4pm. Free. Museum of Childhood. 42 High Street. 529 4142. Have a go at designing comics and masks inspired by 805 superheroes. or make a My Little Pony textured poster. Booking essential.
90s Art Workshops Tue 24 May, 10—11.30am. 12.30—2pm & 2.30—4pm. Museum of Childhood, 42 High Street. 529 4142. Be inspired by Harry Potter to create fantastical images. 3D castles. Booking essential.
Theatre & Dance
Scooby-Dool in Stagefrlght Until Sat 14 May. 7pm (also Fri/Sat 4pm. Sat mat 1pm). £15.50—£19.50(£7.75—£9.75). Festival Theatre. 13—29 Nicolson Street. 529 6000. Live theatre production based on the classic cartoon. Entertainment for the whole family.
Cinderella's Sisters Sat 14 May. £5-£18 family of four . Brunton Theatre. Ladywell Way. Musselburgh. 665 2240. Story of ambition. broken dreams. sibling rivalry and ballroom dancing from Catherine Wheels. Ages 8—12. Part of the Children '3 International Theatre Festival. See preview.
Children’s Cheering Carpet: The Japanese Garden Tue 24—Thu 26 May (not Wed). Tue & Thu 10.30am & 1pm (also Tue 7pm. also Thu 6.45pm). £5; family ticket £16. Gateway Theatre. Elm Row. Leith Walk. 317 3939. Italian company TPO broadens the horizons of participatory theatre with this sensory piece. Part of the Children '3 International Theatre Festival. See preview.
1900 Tue 24—Thu 26 May. 12.30pm (also Tue-Wed 7.30pm). £5; family ticket £16. Gateway Theatre. Elm Row. Leith Walk. 317 3939. Spellbinding puppet show inspired by Allessandro Baricco‘s novella .\'ovecentro. Ages 12—14. Part of the Children '5 International Theatre Festival. See preview.
Cinderella’s Sisters Tue 24-Thu 26 May (not Wed). 7pm. £5: £16 family ticket. Traverse Theatre. Cambridge Street. 228 1404. See Bunton Theatre and preview. Part of the Children's Intemational Theatre festival.
Kashtanka Tue 24—Thu 26 May. 7.30pm. £5: £16 family ticket. Traverse Theatre. Cambridge Street. 228 1404. Russian theatre Ekaterinburg retells Chekhov"s moving tale of a lost mongrel who gets taken in by a circus family. Ages 9—14. Part of the Children 's Intentational Theatre festival. See preview.
Dorthes Heart Thu 26 & Fri 27 May. Thu 10.15am: Fri 11.45am. £3.50. North Edinburgh Arts Centre. 1521 Pennywell Court. 315 2151. Dorthes Heart is a warm. gentle and funny performance about feelings. told with song and music. Part of the Children 's Intemational Theatre festival. See preview.
Labyrinth Thu 26—Sat 28 May. Thu 7pm: Fri 10.15am & 3pm; Sat 10.30am. £5: family ticket £16. Gateway Theatre. Elm Row. Leith Walk. 317 3939. The mythological tale of Theseus and his daring adventures are brought to life in this award- winning production from Wee Ston'es. Part of the Children 's Intemational Theatre I-‘estival. See preview.
Books
Janet Lee Carey Thu 12 May. 2pm. Free. Blackwells (formerly James Thin South Bridge). 53—59 South Bridge. 622 8222. The popular children‘s author comes to Blackwell‘s to publicise her beautifully crafted and emotive novel Wenn Has Wings.
Storytelling
Musical Storytelling Tue 24 May.
1 lam—12.30pm. £3 (£1.50—£2). North Edinburgh Arts Centre. 15a Pennywell Court. 315 2151. Margaret Smith creates some fun tales and fantastic noises at this interactive session.