Kids
Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to suzanne@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Suzanne Black. Glasgow Activities and Fun FREE Hina Matsuri Sat 6 Mar, 1–3.30pm. Kibble Palace, Glasgow Botanic Gardens, 730 Great Western Road, 334 2422. A day of Japanese celebrations. Light and Shadow Puppets Workshop Sat 13 Mar, 10am. £7. Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. Explore the world of shadow puppets and create your own. Part of Glasgow International Comedy Festival. FREE Burrell for Families: Wacky Weaving Sat 13 Mar, 2pm. Burrell Collection, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, 287 2564. Who says weaving has to be done with wool? Ages 5–12. Please book. FREE Doon the Watter: Shipbuilding Splash Sat 13 Mar, 2pm. People’s Palace & Winter Gardens, Glasgow Green, 276 0788. See if you can make a boat that floats.
Theatre, Dance & Comedy Disney Live! Presents Three Classic Fairy Tales Fri 5–Sun 7 Mar, Fri/Sat 6pm (Sat mat 11.30am & 3pm); Sun 1pm & 4pm. £15.50–£19.50 (£13–£15; family ticket £50–£70). Braehead Arena, Kings Inch Road, 0870 277 6062. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast join Mickey Mouse and co. The Paper Bag Princess Sat 6 Mar, 2pm. £5.50 (children £4.95). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. Show from Pavla’s Puppets. Ages 3+.
The Singing Kettle: Calamity Castle Sun 7 Mar, noon & 3.30pm. £7–£11 (family ticket £40). SECC, Finnieston Quay, 0844 395 4000. Everything’s going wrong at Calamity Castle, where Archie has got to get things shipshape before Lord Spout returns. Glasgow Kids Comedy Club Sun 7, Sat 13 & Sun 14 Mar, 3pm. £3. The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. Live comedy for ages 8–12. 13 & 14 Mar is part of Glasgow International Comedy Festival. If I Was a Mouse I Would Hide in Your Hood Mon 8 Mar, 2pm. £8 (£3.50–£4.50). Platform, The Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road, Easterhouse, 276 9696. See preview. Doctor Austin and Doug Safety’s Time-Tastical Time Tale Sat 13 & Sun 14 Mar, 2pm. £6 (£4). Glasgow Science Centre, 50 Pacific Quay, 420 5000. An action-packed live science show. Part of Glasgow International Comedy Festival. Jango the Clown Sat 13 Mar, 2pm & 3.45pm. £5.50 (children £4.95). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. A magically funny hour. Ages 3+. Part of Glasgow International Comedy Festival. The Mildly Terrible Revenge of the Slightly Evil Brainwashing Puppets Sat 13 & Sun 14 Mar, 2pm. £7 (family ticket £28). Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. Interactive puppet show. Ages 5–9. Part of Glasgow International Comedy Festival. Pobby & Dingan Sat 13–Thu 18 Mar, 7.30pm (not Tue & Thu); 1pm (not Sat); also 10am Tue & Thu. £8 (£6). Scottish Youth Theatre, The Old Sheriff Court, 105 Brunswick Street, 552 3988. Twelve-year- old Ashmol goes on a quest. Ages 8+. Storytelling Family Story Time Sessions Sat 6 & Sun 7 Mar, 10.30am. £5 (family ticket
£15). Scottish Youth Theatre, The Old Sheriff Court, 105 Brunswick Street, 552 3988. Interactive storytelling sessions for families with children under 7 years. Patrick Monahan: Stories and Fables For Kids That Sit at Tables Sat 13 Mar, 1pm. £7. Gilmorehill G12, 29 University Avenue, University of Glasgow, 330 5522. Storytelling from Monahan and his magic carpet. Part of Glasgow International Comedy Festival.
Edinburgh FREE Cedar Mystery Until Tue 16 Mar, 10am–5pm. Royal Botanic Garden, 20a Inverleith Row, 552 7171. Explore the cedars in the gardens and solve an ancient mystery. Ages 5+. Early Years: Creative Play Wed 10 & 17 Mar, 10.30am. £5 per adult and child (extra children £2). Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, 248 4848. Drama workshops to develop communication skills. Ages 2–4. Play in French Sat 6 & 13 Mar, 10–10.40am & 11–11.45am. £4–£6. Stockbridge Library, Hamilton Place, 07910 045743. French fun with Tania Czajka and Le Petit Monde. Ages 0–3 at 10am (£4); ages 3–5 at 11am (£6). Booking essential. FREE Writing and Illustration for Children Mon 8 Mar–Fri 4 Jun, 10am–5pm; Thu 10am–7pm. National Gallery Complex, The Mound, 624 6200. An exhibition for children featuring original illustrations and sketchbooks by children’s authors. FREE Fantastic Forests Sat 13 & Sun 14 Mar, 1–4pm. Royal Botanic Garden,
20a Inverleith Row, 552 7171. Meet the scientists working at Forest Research and the amazing discoveries they’ve made about our forests. Ages 5+. FREE Naturally Native Wed 17 Mar–Fri 2 Apr, 10am–5pm. Royal Botanic Garden, 20a Inverleith Row, 552 7171. Discover our native Scottish plants on a fun trail through the gardens with the Garden Rangers. Under 16s must be accompanied. FREE Spring Stargazing Wed 17 Mar, 7–9pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 247 4369. Clydesdale Astronomical Society help you explore the fascinating objects visible in the night sky. Booking essential.
Theatre & Dance Pobby & Dingan Until Sat 6 Mar, 7.30pm (Wed mat 1.30pm; Thu mat 10.30am). £8 (family ticket £15–£28). Traverse Theatre, Cambridge Street, 228 1404. See Glasgow. If I Was a Mouse I Would Hide in Your Hood Fri 12 Mar, 10.30am & 2.30pm. £6 (£5; £18 for four tickets). The Mock Turtle, 7 Holyrood Road, 01224 443377. Also Mon 15 Mar, 11am & 2pm. £6; family ticket 22. Brunton Theatre, Ladywell Way, Musselburgh, 665 2240. See preview. Storytelling Horrible Histories Bus Tour Thu 18–Tue 23 Mar, times vary. £12 (children £5; family ticket £28). Waverly Bridge. Hear about the dark side of Edinburgh’s history. Ages 7+. Tour departs every 30 minutes (every 15 on Saturday and Sunday). Part of Mary King’s Ghost Fest.
NEW SHOW IF I WAS A MOUSE I WOULD HIDE IN YOUR HOOD Howden Park Centre, Thu 4–Sat 6 Mar; Platform, Glasgow, Mon 8 Mar then touring
The myth that creating work for children is the easy option may have been busted years ago, but clearly not everybody got the memo. Musician, composer and presenter Paul Rissman is an enthusiastic champion of children and young people’s music who still finds he has to defend himself. ‘Somebody once asked me whether I thought it was a lesser thing to
write music for kids,’ says Rissman. ‘And I think that actually, it’s almost the opposite of that. It could be the first time they’ve heard an orchestra or been to see a show at the theatre, and it feels like an incredible privilege and a very important job to get it right.’ Rissman’s latest creation is the underscore for If I Was a Mouse I Would
Hide in Your Hood, a new play for 3–6-year-olds by Glasgow-based theatre company, Reeling & Writhing. The show centres on a shy rodent who longs for adventure but spends most of her time hiding. Until a new family moves into the house where she lives and magical things start to happen.
Rissman’s music has been tailor-made for young ears and sets the scene, gives each character their own theme and helps the two performer- puppeteers drive the narrative along. ‘My job is to present a world which is both exciting and believable,’ he says. ‘I don’t have to dumb down my musical language for children, just choose the right kind of sounds. And I’m so used to writing music for this age group that I have a good sense of how long things need to be from an attention span point of view. It’s a world I feel quite comfortable in – which says a lot about me!’ (Kelly Apter)
60 THE LIST 4–18 Mar 2010