Reviews CHARLOTTE’S WEB

Citizens‘ Theatre, Glasgow. Until Sat Dec 31 000.

The pitch Farting to grasp the realities other father’s tarrnrng husrness. young lern reseues the runt of a prg lrtter. ealls hrrn Wilbur anrl r.‘.'at<:hes hrrn grow rnto a preee of prrrne pork. The only thrng keeping hrrn trorn the trying pan rs Charlotte. a syrnpathetrr: sprrler. who spins enrgrnatrr: y'xorrls rn her wet) anzl rrnpresses the hurnans who helre‘xe rt rs \'\."rlhur's '.'./ork. \"Jrnnrng a speeral prr/e at the tan. the prg realises Charlotte's (l; ys are tttlltlt)(}t'(3(i anrl learns a lesson ahout trrenrlshrp.

The verdict A story rn ‘.'.rhr(:n your trtle

(:har‘aeter (lies and your hero (toes lrttle

more than look cute rs an orrrl one to (trarnatrse. hut Joseph Rohrnette's arlaptatron of the l- B White (:lassrt: with arlrlerl Seottrshrsrns rn \lererny Harson's gootlrlookrng protluetrorr keeps things lr‘uely. lhe songs are not great anrl :t's a shame thrs rnusreally griterl ensernhle don't get to play lrye all the way through. hut there are engagrng pertorrnanees trern the whole east. rnelurlrrrg loin l reernan anti Veronrr:a leer. (Brae at a spin. rMark l rsher,

CINDERELLA

King's Theatre, Glasgow, until Sat 14 Jan 00

The pitch You know how rt goes: unrekerl steprnother rnoxes in with her two Irrrnher hungry ueg oaugnters and poor old ()rnriers rs tor'<:e<l rnto a lrte of ser‘.rtu(le :n the eellar. l arry godmother. rnagre purnpkrn. ery'stal s.rpper. everyone lry'es happrly ever after. The enzl.

The verdict lhe pantornrrne of pantonrrrnes rs gry'en rts yearly arrrng onee agarrt. put thrs trrne rt's got about as rnueh lrte as ()rnrlereila's rntrrn. Jonathan \‘r’atson anrl ‘lorn Urre as the rnanrtatory rnen rn tentale (tress laek the spontaneity of gootl panto rlarnes. ant: leaye the laughs to" Buttons r(3erar(i Kelly r, who manages to hurlrl a "apport wrth hrs young 'pals' rn the stalls hut loses the rest ol us wrth hrs fall» flat on therr arse jokes. The teehnreal srrie st‘ll manages to r.'.'o.'r./. though; lay'rsh eosturnes and ever ehangrng sets :rtt the leel ot ‘.'.rhat rr‘ even, other respe<:t rs a pretty

hurnrlrurn snoyz: Il <l~.‘.'ar<l lhorntonr

THE SELFISH GIANT

Arches Theatre, Glasgow. Until Jan 7 0..

The pitch the puppet (:hrlrlren are 'ray'rng a loyer trrne playing rr‘. the big garrlen unt.l the ou'xner. a rnzsanthroprr: gratit. returns horne anti RICKY) thern ()tli for trespassing. l or hrs sins, he satiers an eternal y‘xrrrter anrl a srt flown strrke from the plant |li(;2 It takes a ’ruast relrgrous y'sron of a srnail boy. too puny to elrrnlr a tree. to snap hrrn ’m'. of h.s frosty Isolation arrrr hrrrrg the {L’H-fl'th't ~£ttt<l the sen track to the gar<rerr

The verdict \Jerrr ()arr‘pliell's (resign. aorr‘plete .'."tn outsr/e tlyrng rnse<3ts. t(:‘.’t'tt;ri)r(} flowers anri hulhous grants

l"£r‘;l\. .s nel‘ rn ergarrrr: (,narrn. So too

rs /\las:tarr Maeraes ‘.’;rtlr:<l and eye'

present il‘.(: seore. Hut arttreugn ()srar

\“Jrltle's story ‘.'.'orl\s l)()‘.'.’(:tit.tl‘, er‘ tfre page. it rs low on (irarnatrrt e rerg‘, n Antly Arnolrl's atiaptatron. Yeuntrer (:hrlrlren wrlr he hegurletl r). Ith:

heautrlul atrrtosprtr-re anti the low Mt,

(:harrn of Stewart l arm; as the r‘ar'atsr

runiess they "ye heen il(3{li\(:(} out i),

Allan lall's unlrrentll, g;ar‘t;; others

wish for a stronger prota; 'Zf‘rlf)! t:, :rrm:

the aetron tornzarris. 'i\.4tt.’l\ i'.f3.".t’:tr

THE SINGING KETTLE’S CHRISTMAS MAGIC

Braehead Arena, Glasgow, until 18 Dec 000

The pitch lhe Singing Kettie's tar) 72» IAKA (Irlla. Arfre. Cary artrl Keyrrr are ‘.'.rorl<rng lll their there's rnagrs shat; .r‘. the run up tr; ()rrrrstrrras. (:Ll'f} a ilt'tti'n (:ataiogue of trarlrtrerral tucks. Harry; x.'.rrtr<:h (‘rar‘y rs say'xn in nail ant: (Lilia ley'rtates. /\s exer. eart'r taslx rs r'e'-.'.'ar(te(i .‘rrth a shiny singing kettre.

l"“}.lr‘.'1t'rft;tt:,‘$

The verdict ‘.'."t‘ the l tar/5;, t'Earig;

{it ‘i',,' ri‘: ‘M/' x“ I, t‘ i] Ii " r rKr-I'r , ' t ' §/;jt l“.

' t'r r\lrll ,;"'t '-"t" ' llr"r\r‘t ‘*' .' r- '.r /i :’t " . "~ '.t;r7.’ il , r !\!ft:i/ til 1' to l r'r\ ii: " 1'" ii, ti " '

r 1’)" " t ti)" r rifle (t' l K;,t'. r" tr‘ "r ' t .t' in r l\- ,' r" .' t 't "l t .ii li' i ' 1!“; I‘t'i r t t [Art

,'\r:r:;r.'i~r izrlr,‘(,.‘.r:‘:t‘.". lfttr'ini .. l’l(l]{1’!(i‘,y.‘\ fulfttl'ltiill' ttlvitti',1,ftr

‘i\/! :i'. A; fit :'

WEANS IN THE WOOD

Tron Theatre, Glasgow. Until Jan 7 O...

The pitch lrr,,.r::r;s a‘me: rl\ l’,:r it Zarrrl

l’r 'rar‘. .'.'r.-r:r«,-; apt; are gerrg

Theatre

rx‘ tars Acarier r}, up the rural stealrr‘r; 'rrzsh t'rlt;:‘.t ter its r>.g stage

SlirnfiitCJritlT;

7 (Ir/trrtl It i)(: a": an! r" Vister trorn (leer) in the terest .'.i:t:re rt‘a. llx-gr gre, szrrrrrrefs are stealing the

3’.) (:\,rliti :1 iriritfttii ser‘.rrtgp1<>t l}, l tt.lt){l

ttir.‘; et the-.r gritrier (:etrszr‘u

l :rt‘r1.>t'k, a lxrnti of {Hill ‘.‘.'rr|y ‘.‘.’::r:l-\:r a'gi the ‘nasty t3:).’t oi a tjtll\(:l”:) The verdict l orlres Masszrn hrs “LL/{l‘ultttl the lllélli\(}t r'l rneta parrto arrnstterrly. a genre he r,retty rnarjh rrr.r,-'r:r-;r'r a'rrl r‘orrtrnues to (leirght rn "-rs tenth“ seasonal lion show Hi the trot, As fresh. trrnrry anti tezerrsh as latte." l unrtoe‘rx's lorrrrarrt *anttres.

.t,'tr’.“: a” ;'?r? .

loot; is at erree a <retmrrstrutttxzn an:l a (re-lepratzrnr of lit,- art ;;t pr'rto Gertieri [)oaggr‘l's UtIJL'l‘ strung r'ast a'e tre'rter‘rriotr~;_ Pfurnserrs serrgs are a hoot :r'rrr‘. rt trr- l\ was Agrarierny ezer (lees stea‘ thr; iifl har‘t tetrrn. tiltrftf rl ta: rttrttrrrr'

rr ttrr'f‘lllt) rr‘. lartar‘ra. r‘.'lart\ l rstrere

BABES IN THE WOOD Paisley Arts Centre, until Sat 31 Dec 0...

The pitch (Itrrrstrnas rs coming hut the inreserrts are not. Santa's srxe toy tltt'lrrltitTItllm rs rrrttler thrrxrt tn: lulrrtrr‘a and her lxleptornarmri sulelvg‘m; tttr‘yt} stolen the riontents ot the

loyrantl tautory antl rts up It: A'lre the

i it vA'an ()rn \“Jrzlo'r. (Zreclxett illt‘rt \"(allarte tr'rrl her (laughters to go, to the twee-tr tllltl get the t)t<'.’./|r::3 ruck The verdict Henri: l’eapfes' rxtrle.ttt;:;<‘:>r>rtt set rs rntttrtrtett l), a l‘r:r<l e? ll'r.t'lr(‘ (fl‘.tltll(:l‘; who are preof t':.rt ltrtgrlsr! isn‘t the ow, answer, ~.'.t rt:- lrzt: t rrtrrography not so trgtrt rt wealrr in? chaos. \‘x’arlarxi anti the you-"g ()rr are as rsrrrntortairre as a tit/u t‘rat‘lxrrrg elri starttt trp:;_ arrt’i Ma'r Hogarth“; Molina rs ‘.'.lr;rt you’tl t‘Al't'Ui it) Taft": ii ,rh.’ irfii (:ttrriiitt HUV'! rrrtrrtmrmi rr‘ /\1lrert Strum-e t,>r a rwtrtit' tit years Satire ot the prrrrrpa rtr.r".t:t:r:; ta:l a hit tltrt txrt the energy is frenxrerl anrl the heiry rows are ltr'tltrti'ttt As prrrtor; go this one}; a

irt‘iil'i ll rt‘.'.trrtl iiit)!lii\/itl

THE LIST 1 01