Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to iules@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Jules Graham.
Glasgow
Activities And Fun
IKEA Winter Festival l'ntil Sun 17 Dec. Free. IKEA. 99 Kings lnch Drive. 0845 355 2266. See Around Town Hitlist. page 29.
The Magic of Masks and Puppets l7ntil Thu 21 Dec. Mon-«Fri. 10am-5pm: Sat noon «1an Collins (iallery. 22 Richmond Street. 548 2558. An extensive collection of colourful puppets and masks from far-flung corners of the world. Santa’s Grotto l'ntil Strn 24 Dec. awn—6pm: Sat/Sun 10am-8pm. £5. (ieorgc Square. Meet the main man and pass on your Christmas requests. Saturday Art Club Free. Sat 2 & 9 Dec. (iallery of Modern Art. Royal Exchange Square. 229 1996. Fun art activities for children aged 3 1 1.
The Great Christmas Puppet Making Workshop Sat 2 Dec. 10am & 2pm. £6. Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre. Balcan‘es Aventte. Kelvindale. 339 6185. Creative workshop with all materials supplied. Ages 4+.
Sunday Craft Club Free. Sttn 3 it 10 Dec. (ilasgow Museums Resource Centre. 200 Woodhead Road. Nitshill. 276 9375. Drop-in craft club with a different theme each week. Ages 5 l2.
Pollok House Discoverers: Victorian Christmas Card Making Sun 3 Dec.
1 2.30pm. £5. Pollok House. 2060 Pollokshaws Road. 649 0875. Make some pretty cards the old fashioned way.
Mini Music Makers Tue 5 Dec. 10am & 10.45am. £2. City Halls. ('andleriggs. 353 8000. Songs. games and simple rhymes for babies under 18 months ( 10am) and 18 months 3 years ( 10.45am).
Pantomime Skills Drama Workshop Sun 10 Dec. 1. 2pm. £3 (£2). Tron Theatre. 63 'I'rongate. 552 4267. Discover the recipe for the perfect panto. Ages 6 10. Grandparents Day Sun 10 Dec.
1 -3.30pm. Free. (ilasgow Botanic (iardens. 730 (ireat Western Road. 334 2422. Celebrate this national day in the llillhead Children‘s (iarden. with music. food. pictures and craft items.
Christmas Science Party Tue 12 Dec. 6.30—9.30pm. £9.95. (ilasgow Science Centre. Pacific Quay. 420 5000. Party games. live science shows and a special
v isit from the mart in red and white.
MUSIC
Children’s Classic Concerts: Tinseltime Sat 2 Dec. 1pm 6’; 3pm. £10 (£6). Royal Concert Hall. 2 Sauchiehall Street. 353 8000. Christopher Bell conducts the Orchestra of Scottish Opera in a glittering programme of seasonal treats.
Theatre & Dance
Them with Tails Fri 1 Dec. | 1am & 2pm. £3.50. (iilmor‘ehi11(il2. l'niversity Avenue. 330 5522. Improvisational fttn from one of Britain’s finest children's theatre companies. Tall Stories. Ages 5+ Martha Thu 7 Thu 14 Dec (not Mon). Times vary. £6. Tron Theatre. 63 Trongate. 552 4267. Catherine Wheels return with the tale of stubborn Martha. who lives by the sea all on her lonesome. Ages 4+.
The Magic of the Mummy Sat 9 Dec. 2pm. £4.50 (£4). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre. Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 339 6185. Clydebuilt Puppet Theatre tell the story of Osiris and his evil brother Set. Ages 3+.
Little Christmas Eve Thu 14 8; Fri 15 Dec. 10 11.45am 6’; 1 2.45pm. £3. Collins (ialler‘y. 22 Richmond Street. 339 6185. Talking Heads tell the tale of Eve w ho. alter many years at the top of the family tree. is replaced by a star and fears she may never see Santa again! Ages 3+. ' The Singing Kettle: Christmas Wonderland Thu 14 Sun 17 Dec. Thu 10.30am & 1.30pm. Fri 10.30am & 5pm:
Sat/Sun noon & 3pm. £10(family ticket £36). Braehead Arena. Kings Inch Road. 886 8300. Festive fun with the ever—popular Kettlers.
Edinburgh
Activities And Fun
Satan’s Grotto! L'ntil Sttn 24 Dec.
Mon --Fri. 1 lam—4pm; Sat/Sun 10.30am»4.30pm. £l 1.95 (£8.95). Edinburgh Dungeon. 31 Market Street. 0870 8460 666. An alternative Santa's (irotlo with elves impaled on spikes and robins roasting on an open fire.
lKEA Winter Festival Until Sun 17 Dec. 10am--l()pm (Sat/Sun 10am—7pm). IKEA. Straiton Road. Loanhead. 0845 634 4252. See Around Town Hitlist. page 29.
Green Christmas Festivities L'ntil Sun 17 Dec. Sat 6’; Sun 10.30am- 12.30pm 8: 1.30- 3.30pm. Free (£4 to see Santa). Royal Botanic (iarden. lnverleith Row. 552 7171. Visit Santa in his grotto and make beautiful cards and decorations for Christmas. Plaster Casting Sat 2 Dec.
10.30am- 2.30pm. £12.50 (£10-£6). North Edinburgh Arts Centre. Pennywell Court. 315 2151. Learn how to make copies of your hands and feet. Ages 8+. lnspireKids ist Birthday Sat 2 Dec. Times vary. Yoga Stable. 3a Montgomery Street Lane. 556 9526. The voluntary organisation celebrates its first birthday with a day of fun. including free storytelling sessions (under 5s 2.30pm. over 5s from 4.15pm). a taster iyengar yoga session for parents ( 12.30pm). toy sale and a raffle.
Santa’s Breakfast Sun 3 Dec. 10.15am & 12.30pm. £10 includes breakfast. pressie and entertainment. Jenners. 48 Princes Street. 225 2442. Dine with Santa as he drops into Jenners for breakfast.
Books for Babies Tue 5 Dec.
1030-] 1am. Free. North Edinburgh Arts Centre. Pennywell Court. 315 2151. Stories. songs and rhymes to introduce very wee ones to books. Ang 0—3 years. Christmas Tales in the Grotto Fri 8 Dec. 2pm. Free. Royal Botanic (iarden. lnverleith Row. 552 7171. Enchanting storytelling sessions in the Botanic's beautiful grotto.
Breakfast with Santa Sat 9 8; Sun 10 Dec. 9.30 1 1.30am. £8.95 (kids £5.95). Hard Rock Cafe. (ieorge Street. 260 3000. Costume comp. party games and a chance to have your photo taken with Santa. American-style buffet included.
Santa’s Reindeer Garden Opening Sat 9 Dec. 10- 1 lam. Free. West Princes Street (iardens. 01479 810725. Father Christmas welcomes his reindeer back to Edinburgh. where they're staying for two weeks. You can visit them daily from 10am 6pm. with Santa coming to feed them at 1pm at 4pm each day.
Make a Christmas Kaleidoscope Sat 9 Dec. 1 1am. lprn & 3pm. Free. Royal Museum. Chambers Street. 247 4422. Make a festive kaleidoscope to dazzle friends and family. Ages 3+.
Christmas at the Castle Sun 10 Dec. 1230- 3.30pm. £10.30 (£4.50-- £8.50). Edinburgh Castle. Royal Mile. 225 9846. An afternoon of music. storytelling and comedy in the Castle.
Festival
Edinburgh’s Christmas L'ntil 6 Jan. 10am 10pm. Princes Street (iardens. 529 4310. Festive fun in the heart of the capital. including the Winter Wonderland ice rink. giant ferris wheel and the (ireat Scottish Santa Run (Sun 10 Dec. 1 lam). (it) to www.cdinburghschristmascom for further information.
MUSIC
Children’s Classic Concerts: Tinseltime Sun 3 Dec. 1pm 8; 3pm. £10 (£6): family ticket £29. l'sher Hall. Lothian Road. 228 1 155. See (ilasgow.
Theatre 8 Dance
Olga the Brolga lintil Sat 16th Dec. Times vary. £6 (£3 £4); family tickets £15--£30. North Edinburgh Arts Centre. Pennywell Court. 315 2151. See preview in
KIDS THEATRE GREEN WHALE
Traverse Theatre, Thu 7-Sun 24 December
Panto season may be amongst us, but one woman is making sure there’s a
viable alternative in at least two of our theatres. Virginia Radcliffe and her Lickityspit theatre company will be taking up residence at the Byre Theatre, St Andrews with Molly Whuppie, while a large green whale will be beaching
up at the Traverse this Christmas.
Written and directed by Radcliffe, Green Whale follows three Scottish children who join the crew of a ship to raise money for their family. Once onboard they meet a nasty whale hunter, a reformed pirate, the Queen of Spain and a Basque-speaking young girl. Journeying down to the bottom of the ocean inside a giant bubble, they learn the truth about the large
mammal’s kind ways. As kids stories 90, Green Whale is certainly a busy one.
‘It’s quite challenging in terms of the amount of story there is,’ says Radcliffe. ‘But I think young children are really underestimated. The show’s very funny, has really strong characters, lovely music and lots of action on the ship. 80, as long as the characters keep checking that the children are 2 still with them, then they don't need to get every single aspect of it.’
It’s also the largest set Lickityspit has ever worked with. A huge boat with a giant mast magically transforms into the eponymous whale, while Chinese lanterns illuminate the stage. As with all of Radcliffe’s shows, there’s plenty to fuel young imaginations. ‘The wonderful thing about making theatre for this age group is nothing is wasted,’ she says. ‘They store it all up and take it
away to play with later.’ (Kelly Apter)
Theatre. page 82.
Molly Muddle’s Big Cafuffle Fri 1 Dec.
1.30pm. £3. St James Hall. John‘s Place. Leith. 308 3532. Join Molly as she sings. dances and tells stories both old and new. For ages 2—7.
Pinocchio Fri l—Sat 30 Dec. Times vary.
' £14—£20 (£7—£10). Royal Lyceum Theatre.
(irindlay Street. 248 4848. Charming panto fun about a naughty puppet whose nose grows every time he lies. Ages 4+.
The Man who Planted Trees Sat 2 Dec. 1 1am. £5 (£3). St James Hall. John's Place. Leith. 308 3532. Puppet State Theatre Co presents the tale of a simple
shepherd who transforms a desolate area by
planting hundreds of trees — with a special
advent twist! For everyone aged 7+.
The Singing Kettle: Christmas Wonderland Sun 3--Tue 5 Dec. Sun. 2pm
I 8; 5pm; Mon 10am 8; 1pm; Tue. 10am &
5pm. £10. Festival Theatre. Nicolson Street. 529 6000. See Glasgow.
Green Whale Until Sun 24 Dec. Times
vary. £6.50 (family ticket £24). Traverse
, Theatre. Cambridge Street. 228 1404. See
preview. above.
Outside the Cities
Activities And Fun
Santa at Almond Valley Until Sun 24 Dec. 10am—5pm. £3 (£2—£10 family). Almond Valley Heritage Centre. Milliield. Livingston. 01506 414957. Visit Santa and receive an early Christmas present. Christmas at the Farm Sun 10 Dec. 10am—5pm. £4.50 (free~£3). National Museum of Rural Life. Wester Kittochside. Philipshill Road. East Kilbride. 247 4377. Festive fun on the fann with Santa.
Christmas activities and this year's cutest
Clydesdale foals.
Supersonic Christmas Sun 10 Dec. noon—2pm. £5; includes gift. Museum Of Flight. East Fortune Airfield. North Berwick. 01620 880308. Come and meet Supersonic Santa and find out if Concorde is as fast as Rudolph and his reindeer
chums. Ages 2— 12 years.
30 Nov—14 Dec 2006 THE LIST 61