list.co.uk/kids Previews | KIDS
CONCERT SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: STAN AND MABEL Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, Sat 18 Feb
Some books are crying out for adaptation, and as far as CBeebies presenter Chris Jarvis (pictured) is concerned, Jason Chapman’s tale of instrument-playing animals is definitely one of them. ‘What’s interesting about Stan and Mabel is it was written as a
book first but really lends itself to being transformed into a musical piece – I’m sure it was always the intention,’ says Jarvis. ‘Because it’s all about a cat and dog who make their way to Italy to enter a music competition to be the best orchestra in the world, and they gather players – cows and other animals – on the way. I won’t spoil the ending, but it’s a happy one.’ Chapman’s book has been adapted by composer Paul Rissman
for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s latest family concert, with Jarvis out front narrating. A regular storyteller, both on stage and television, Jarvis is no stranger to a good yarn and memorable tune – but hearing him effuse about Stan and Mabel, it’s clear this gig in particular has caught his interest.
‘So much care and thought has gone into composing this,’ he
says. ‘There are four songs which the audience can join in with, and each one is instantly catchy and easy to learn. But at the same time they’re not basic – they’re sophisticated in their own special way.’ He’s also passionate about introducing young children to good quality live classical music (Stan and Mabel is aimed at ages 4 to 8) – something missing from his own childhood.
‘When I was young it was a world that wasn’t really for us, that
felt a bit boring and almost forbidden,’ says Jarvis. ‘Whereas now it really isn’t – the doors have been thrown wide open and orchestras are welcoming children in. So much music children hear comes out of a speaker, but to see it played live by so many talented musicians, and realise how that sound is made, that’s mind-blowing.’ (Kelly Apter)
COMEDY BOB’S BLUNDABUS: COMEDYOPOLY / HOW 2 DRIVE A BUS ComedyOpoly, McPhabbs, Glasgow, Sat 11 & Sun 12 Mar; Riverside Museum, Glasgow, Sat 18 & Sun 19 Mar; How 2 Drive a Bus, Riverside Museum, Glasgow, Sat 18 & Sun 19 Mar
Promotor Bob Slayer is one of the true mavericks of Britain’s comedy scene. He’s been at the forefront of the ‘Pay What You Want’ movement at the Edinburgh Fringe, broke his neck during an ill-advised wheelie-bin crowdsurfing stunt, and appeared on Judge Rinder in the mysterious case of an unpaid debt. And last August, he received recognition from the Edinburgh Comedy Awards judges by receiving the Panel Prize for putting together Iraq Out & Loud, a month-long public reading of the entire Chilcot Report. Now, his BlundaBus (a double decker that’s also a pop-up comedy venue) will host two kids’ events at this year’s Glasgow International Comedy Festival: ComedyOpoly and How 2 Drive a Bus. The former is ‘a very fun, irreverent show that is part chat show and all game show,’ states Slayer. ‘When I was working on converting the bus with some comedians, we would end long days of pulling out seats with a little game of Cluedo or Monopoly. The bus was parked in a yard which had a restaurant on another bus. We were having so much fun with the board games that our laughter attracted an audience and ComedyOpoly was born.’
Meanwhile, the How 2 Drive a Bus format evolved from kids simply having fun and playing. ‘There are 30 kids interacting on a bus, taking it in turns to drive and tell their own jokes,’ says Slayer. ‘They ask questions of the genius giraffe and meet the hungry caterpillar.’ As for the BlundaBus itself: ‘it couldn’t be called anything else, could it?’ (Brian Donaldson)
DANCE BARROWLAND BALLET: WOLVES Tramway, Glasgow, Sat 18 Mar; Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock, Sat 25 Mar
Whether we’re in primary school or retired, there’s always somebody ready to tell us how to live our lives. Choreographer Natasha Gilmore has pulled together a cast of over 50 children, teenagers, adults and older people to illustrate that point in her new show, Wolves. Together, they’ll perform alongside Barrowland Ballet’s professional dancers, to deliver a show that explores what happens when we don’t conform to the norm, deciding instead to take our own path.
‘Each generation brings something different to an intergenerational company, which creates an environment of respect that has a vibrant atmosphere,’ explains Gilmore. ‘And the different age groups bring out the best in each other: the carefree playful attitude of the young kids helps everyone shake off their self-consciousness and become more playful, combined with the discipline and focus of the older groups.’ We all take risks, but how people react to that can depend on our age, gender, ethnicity and
place in the world. ‘None of us is immune to the pressures of society,’ insists Gilmore. ‘So I think it’s important that people see themselves represented on stage, to show that all our stories matter and are of interest. Wolves gives a voice to people of different ages, different genres and races, and doesn’t stick to the confines of the clichés in those groupings.’ (Kelly Apter)
1 Feb–31 Mar 2017 THE LIST 67
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