Theatre
■ PAVILION THEATRE 121 Renfield Street, 332 1846. The Magic of Scotland Thu 17–Sat 19 Nov, 7.30pm (Fri & Sat mat 2pm). £13–£14 (£12). Back for a seventh year, this traditional Scottish variety show has the likes of The Alexander Brothers, Amber Ives and Clanadonia taking part. The Magical Adventures of Peter Pan Wed 30 Nov–Sat 21 Jan, times vary. £16.50–£21 (family tickets £66–£82.50). Family panto packed with adventure, music and gags starring Jim Davidson, Cat Havey, Nieve Jennings and Dean Park.
■ PLATFORM The Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road, Easterhouse, 276 9696. Ménage a Trois Wed 30 Nov & Fri 2 Dec, 7.30pm. £8 (£3.50–£4.50). Award- winning performer Claire Cunningham performs a new piece commissioned for Unlimited, a project celebrating disability, arts, culture and sport as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Hansel and Gretel Sat 10–Sat 24 Dec, times vary. £9 (£4–£5; Sat 10 & Mon 12 Dec previews, all tickets £4). A festive storytelling production in which a rather modernised version of the sibling duo try to find their way back through the woods. ■ QUEEN MARGARET UNION 22 University Gardens, 339 9784. FREE Cult Classic Cabaret Thu 24 Nov, 7pm. Glasgow Uni’s Cult Classic theatre group presents song and dance from cult film and musicals including The Little Shop of Horrors and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
■ ROYAL CONCERT HALL 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. Sally Morgan Thu 17 Nov, 7.30pm. £22.50. Controversial psychic demonstrates her powers.
■ ROYAL CONSERVATOIRE OF SCOTLAND 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. Into the Woods Tue 29 Nov–Sat 3 Dec, 7.30pm (Sat mat 2.30pm). £10.50 (£7.50). Stephen Sondheim’s Tony-award winning fairy tale mash-up musical is performed by students from the BA Musical Theatre programme. Not recommended for under 10s. Aladdin Thu 8–Sat 17 Dec (not Sun), 2pm & 7pm (Sat 10, Wed 14 & Fri 16 also at 10am). £14 (£10). Take a ride on the magic carpet from China to the pyramids, via Sauchiehall Street courtesy of students from the Conservatoire and their annual panto, written by Alan McHugh. ■ SCOTTISH MASK AND PUPPET CENTRE 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. Pocketsful of Wintertime Tales Sat 19 Nov. See Kids listings. The Magic Horse Sat 3 Dec. See Kids listings.
■ SCOTTISH YOUTH THEATRE The Old Sheriff Court, 105 Brunswick Street. Booking via Tron Theatre box office, 552 4267. Truant Thu 17 & Fri 18 Nov, 7pm; Sat 19 Nov, 2.30pm. £4 (£2). A co- production from the National Theatre of Scotland and Company of Angels, this Glasgow-set story explores relationships between teenagers and adults, and what happens when it’s the adults that go AWOL from their responsibilities. ■ THEATRE ROYAL 282 Hope Street, 0844 871 7647. South Pacific Until Sat 19 Nov, 7.30pm (Thu & Sat 2.30pm). £14.50–£42. Set on a tropical island during World War II, this is the romantic story of two couples, threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices. See review, page 113. Peter Pan Mon 21–Sat 26 Nov,
116 THE LIST 17 Nov–15 Dec 2011
Top Hat
Former winner of Strictly Come Dancing Tom Chambers and Olivier nominee Summer Strallen (The Sound of Music, Hollyoaks) star in Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ legendary Hollywood hit of the 1930s. The screwball comedy centres around tap dancer Jerry Travers, who meets the girl of his dreams, Dale Tremont, and pursues her across Europe, attempting to woo her with such Irving Berlin classics as ‘Cheek to Cheek’, ‘Top Hat, White Tie and Tails’ and ‘Let’s Face the Music and Dance’. ■ Edinburgh Playhouse, Tue 22–Sat 26 Nov.
7.30pm (Wed & Sat mat 2.30pm). £11–£22.50. Soar into the sky with this musical version of JM Barrie’s classic tale, presented here by the Apollo Players and a 13-piece live orchestra. Scrooge Mon 28 Nov–Sat 3 Dec, 7.30pm (Thu & Sat mat 2.30pm). £18.50–£39.50. Tommy Steel stars in the heartwarming Christmas musical, with special effects provided by magician Paul Kieve, who was responsible for the magic effects in the Harry Potter films.
■ TRAMWAY 25 Albert Drive, 0845 330 3501.
✽✽ Pass the Spoon Thu 17–Sat 19 Nov, 7.30pm. £14 (£10). Foodie
opera featuring vegetables, a dung beetle and a veritable who’s who of exciting Scottish talent: theatre company Magnetic North (Walden) are presiding over artist David Shrigley, composer David Fennessy and contemporary musicians the Red Note Ensemble. Scottish Dance Theatre: Letters from America Wed 23 & Thu 24 Nov, 7.30pm. £12 (£8). Recent works from American choreographers, performed by the Dundee-based company in its 25th anniversary year. Among a variety of pieces performed are Kate Weare’s Lay Me Down Safe, which explores humans’ clumsy handling of desire and loss and Benjamin Levy’s Khaos, a search for balance between deprivation and excess. Suitable for ages 12+. Both performances are preceded by a free talk from 6.30pm. Jean Genet’s Walls, Speaking of Revolt, Media and Beauty Sat 10 Dec, 7.30pm. £6 (£4). French artist Lili Reynaud-Dewar presents a new Tramway commission exploring the complex ideals of writer and activist Jean Genet, taking as a starting point a recent set of sculptures conceived by Reynaud-Dewar as a monument to Genet’s political writings. FREE Albert Drive Sun 11 Dec, 3pm. A work in progress from Tramway-based group Glas(s) Performance, who work with ordinary people to build theatre ‘autobiographical performance work’. This piece looks at the immediate locality of the venue, its surrounding community and history.
■ TRON THEATRE 63 Trongate, 552 4267.
✽✽ Blackbird Until Sat 19 Nov, 7.45pm (Sat mat 2.30pm). £7–£15.
A painful but non-judgemental look at the taboo relationship between an older man and a young girl, presented by Pilot Theatre Company and York Theatre Royal. Mister Merlin’s Pure Panto Magic Fri 2–Sat 31 Dec, times vary. £9.50–£17. Last performed in 1989, Peter & Penny’s Panto has been given a modern-day makeover by creator Alex Norton. The Night After Christmas Sat 3–Fri 23 Dec, times vary. £6.50–£7.50. The Tron Theatre present a show for ages 3–6 full of Christmas spirit, magic and feasts.
EDINBURGH
■ BEDLAM THEATRE 11b Bristo Place, 225 9893. Harry Panto and the Goblet of F**k Yeah! Tue 29 Nov–Sat 3 Dec, 7.30pm. £5 (£4.50). A panto adventure full of magic and explosions from Edinburgh University Theatre Company. ■ BRUNTON THEATRE Ladywell Way, Musselburgh, 665 2240. Aladdin Tue 29 Nov–Sat 7 Jan, times vary. £13.75–£16 (£10.75–£13; family ticket £47–£56). Family fun in this classic panto at the Brunton, written by Liam Rudden and set in the little-known Scottish enclave of Musselburgh in ancient Peking.
■ CHURCH HILL THEATRE 33a Morningside Road. Booking via Queen’s Hall box office, 668 2019. The Accrington Pals Thu 17 & Fri 18 Nov, 7.30pm; Sat 19 Nov, 2.30pm. £9 (£7). Leitheatre presents Peter Whelan’s play about the experiences of a unit of soldiers in World War I. NEWsical Wed 23 & Thu 24 Nov, 8pm. £12.50 (£10.50). Full-time students at the MGA Academy of Performing Arts present an evening of previously unperformed musical theatre. Once Upon a Fairytale Fri 25 & Sat 26 Nov, 8pm. £12.50 (£10.50). The Fierce Theatre Company presents a
festive package of magical musical hits. Hello Dolly Wed 14–Sat 17 Dec, 7.30pm (Sat mat 2pm). £12 (£9). Balerno Theatre Company presents an amateur version of the musical. ■ THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE 18-22 Greenside Place, 0844 847 1660. Sally Morgan Fri 18 Nov, 7.30pm. £23.50. See Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow. Top Hat Tue 22–Sat 26 Nov, 7.30pm (Wed, Thu & Sat mat 2.30pm). £16.50–£42.25. Tom Chambers and Summer Strallen star in Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ legendary Hollywood hit of the 1930s. We Will Rock You Tue 29 Nov– Sat 7 Jan (not 31 Dec, or Sundays), 7.30pm (Wed & Sat mats 2.30pm; Sat 24 Dec 2.30pm only). £20.50–£47. A run through all your Queen favourites in this musical penned by Ben Elton and members of Queen.
■ ELECTRIC CIRCUS 36–39 Market Street, 226 4224. ShotGun Joe’s Zombie Freak Circus Tue 22 Nov, 7pm. £20 (£15). Shock horror vaudeville freak show set to amaze and terrify. Acts include an escape artist, a tribute to Sweeney Todd, contortionist, the blockhead and ‘a mind blowing finale’.
■ EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE 13–29 Nicolson Street, 529 6000. Alston: Triple Bill Tue 22 Nov, 7.30pm. £12–£18. Three pieces, including Richard Alston’s signature piece Roughcut danced to Steve Reich’s New York Counterpoint and Electric Counterpoint for clarinet and guitar.
✽✽ Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker Tue 29 Nov–Sat 3 Dec, 7.30pm
(Thu & Sat mat 2.30pm). £12–£35. Matthew Bourne camps up the Christmas classic with his trademark wit and theatrical flair. Post-show discussion with cast and crew on Wed 30 Nov. See Q & A, page 114.
✽✽ The King and I Wed 14 Dec–Sat 7 Jan (not 24 Dec, 2 Jan, or
Sundays), 7.30pm (Tue, Thu & Sat mats 2.30pm). £17.50–£33. The Curve