K C A J
I E B B O R
Theatre
■ THEATRE ROYAL 282 Hope Street, 0844 871 7647.
✽✽ Scottish Ballet: Sleeping Beauty Sat 17, Wed 21, Fri 23,
Wed 28 & Fri 30 Dec, 7.30pm; Tue 20, Thu 22 & Thu 29 Dec, 2pm & 7.30pm; Sat 24 & Sat 31 Dec, 2pm. Scottish Ballet revives its version of the classic fairytale as choreographed by award- winning artistic director Ashley Page.
■ TRAMWAY 25 Albert Drive, 0845 330 3501. FREE Fresh Faced Sat 17 Dec. See Kids listings.
■ TRON THEATRE 63 Trongate, 552 4267. Mister Merlin in A Pure Magic Panto ●●●●● Until Sat 31 Dec, times vary. £9.50–£17. See review, page 114. The Night After Christmas Until Fri 23 Dec. See Kids listings. EDINBURGH
■ BRUNTON THEATRE Ladywell Way, Musselburgh, 665 2240.
✽✽ Aladdin Until Sat 7 Jan. £13.75–£16 (£10.75–£13; family
£47–£56). See Stage Whispers, page 12.
■ CHURCH HILL THEATRE 33a Morningside Road, 529 4147. Hello Dolly Until Sat 17 Dec, 7.30pm (Sat mat 2pm). £12 (£9). Balerno Theatre Company presents an amateur version of the musical. Mother Goose Fri 23 –Sat 31 Dec (not 25 Dec), 7pm (except Mon 26, Tue 27 & Sat 31 Dec, all 2.30pm only). £10 (£8). Edinburgh People’s Theatre present their annual family pantomime, in which Mother Goose and the evil Squire McGreedy get a whiff of untold riches. Will Fairy Fortune prevail or will Demon Discontent win ‘Baddie of the Year’?
■ THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE 18-22 Greenside Place, 0844 847 1660.
✽✽ We Will Rock You Until Sat 7 Jan, times vary. £20.50–£47. A run through all your Queen favourites in this musical penned by Ben Elton and members of Queen.
■ EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE 13–29 Nicolson Street, 529 6000.
✽✽ The King and I Until Sat 7 Jan, times vary. £17.50–£33. The Curve
Theatre brings you Rogers and Hammerstein’s well loved tale of a young mother who goes to Siam to work under the eccentric palace roof of the King. Suitable for the whole family, and full of classic Broadway hits such as ‘Getting To Know You’, ‘Shall We Dance’, and ‘I Whistle A Happy Tune’.
■ KING’S THEATRE 2 Leven Street, 529 6000.
✽✽ Cinderella ●●●●● Until Sun 22 Jan, times vary. £10.50–£24.50 (children £9.50–£21.50). See review, page 114.
■ NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS CENTRE 15a Pennywell Court, 315 2151. Sleeping Beauty Thu 15 Dec, 10.30am, 2pm & 7pm; Fri 16 Dec, 10.30am. £1.50–£2.50. A Christmas panto from Telford College students aimed at ages 5–12 ‘and those who’d still like to be’.
■ ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE Grindlay Street, 248 4848. Beauty & the Beast ●●●●● Until Sat 31 Dec, times vary. £18–£24 (£9–£22). See review, page 113. ■ SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE 43–45 High Street, 556 9579.
VISUAL THEATRE FESTIVAL #5 30 JAN – 4 FEB 2012 TRAVERSE THEATRE
INNOVATIVE INTERNATIONAL THEATRE AND FILM Presented by PUPPET ANIMATION SCOTL AND at the TRAVERSE THEATRE
WWW.MANIPULATEFESTIVAL.ORG
EXUBERANT, EMOTIVE, POETIC THE HERALD
118 THE LIST 15 Dec 2011–5 Jan 2012
REVIEW NEW PLAY THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 24 Dec ●●●●●
The central conceit of Jo Clifford’s new play is an interesting one. Two influential figures from 18th century Scotland find themselves in early 21st century Edinburgh, surveying the world they helped create.
The witty lines flow thick and fast, as philosopher David Hume and founder of free market economics Adam Smith awake from their deathly slumbers and question their re-birth. Actors Gerry Mulgrew (Hume) and Neil McKinven (Smith) instantly draw us in with their conviviality and comic timing, aided by Ben Harrison’s astute direction.
So far, so innovative. But as the play unfolds, Clifford’s sparkling intellectual
wordplay edges closer and closer to cliché and generalisation. Joined by 21st century Scottish everywoman, Eve – also back from the dead – Hume and Smith discover the humanity they played a part in shaping. Except they don’t, they discover a small and not terribly likeable part of it.
Eve recalls the mundanity of working on a silicon chip production line – an activity Hume claims is not ‘fit for human beings’ – and describes the abusive husband who raped and beat her. Smith, freshly out of the closet, finds cold and disconnected anal sex online, but asks ‘where is tenderness, what kind of world is this?’
And why wouldn’t he? Clifford paints the world we live in with broad strokes, giving scant regard to the wonders of modern life, our enormous capacity for love and the regular displays of tenderness Smith mourns. Instead she points out the pitfalls of 21st century life few, if any of us, hadn’t already noticed. (Kelly Apter)
The Very Snowy Christmas Fri 23 & Sat 24 Dec. See Kids listings.
■ TRAVERSE THEATRE Cambridge Street, 228 1404.
✽✽ Lost Sock Princess Until Fri 23 Dec. See Kids listings and preview,
page 90. The Tree of Knowledge Until Sat 24 Dec (not Sun/Mon), 7.30pm (Thu 15 & Sat 17 Dec mat 2.30pm; Sat 24 Dec 2.30pm only). £15–£17 (£6–£13). Suitable for ages 14+. See review, above. Lyceum Youth Theatre’s Kick Ass Christmas Thu 15 & Fri 16 Dec, 7pm & 8pm. £8 (£6). Senior groups (ages 14–18) from the Lyceum Youth Theatre perform pieces they have devised over the last term.
■ USHER HALL Lothian Road, 228 1155. Raymond Gubbay presents: The Pirates of Penzance Wed 28 Dec, 7.30pm. £14.50–£33.50. See Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
OUTSIDE THE CITIES
■ BYRE THEATRE Abbey Street, St Andrews, 01334 475000. Aladdin Until Fri 30 Dec, times vary. £10–£17.50. A musical performance of the classic panto favourite from Byre Theatre in association with NLP Theatre. ■ DUNDEE REP Tay Square, Dundee, 01382 223530.
✽✽ Cinderella Until Sat 31 Dec, times vary. £15.50–£17.50
(£12.50–£14.50; children £7; family ticket £42). Ages 5+. See review, page 113.
■ MACROBERT University of Stirling, Stirling, 01786 466666. Too Many Penguins? Until Sat 24 Dec. See Kids listings. Polar Molar Until Sat 31 Dec. See Kids listings.
✽✽ Jackie And the Beanstalk ●●●●● Until Sat 7 Jan, times vary.
£7–£16.50. See review, page 114.
■ PAISLEY ARTS CENTRE New Street, Paisley, 0141 887 1010. Snow White Until Sat 31 Dec, times vary. £13.50–£17.50 (£10.50–£13.50). Annual panto from PACE Theatre Company with Paisley’s favourite dame, David Wallace, in the starring role. ■ PAISLEY TOWN HALL Abbey Close, Paisley, 0141 887 1010. Vive Le Christmas Cabaret Thu 15 Dec, 7.30pm. £15 (£12). ‘Tis the season to be saucy as Vive le Cabaret take over Paisley Town Hall for a strictly over-18s festive show.
■ PERTH THEATRE 185 High Street, Perth, 01738 621031. Jack and the Beanstalk Until Sat 7 Jan, times vary. £17–£20 (£14–£17; children £12–£13; family £52–£60). What do you get when you cross a young boy, some magic beans and an ogre? Rip-roaring panto fun, that’s what.