The REALIST
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MUSIC Have Yourself a Honeybloody Christmas
Far from your average Christmas night out, Cat Myers and Nina Tweeddale hand out sonic gifts in the shape of the Ninth Wave, Man of Moon, and the Spook School. See Highlights, page 110. O2 ABC, Glasgow, Fri 22 Dec.
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THEATRE Arabian Nights
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MUSIC Cold Turkey
Aladdin, Sinbad and Ali Baba take to the Lyceum stage in this Joe Douglas-directed festive show. How will the daydreaming Scheherezade take on the nasty Sultan in this version? See preview, page 116. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Sun 26 Nov–Sat 6 Jan. Christmas month gets off to a cracker with this special Nothing Ever Happens Here edition featuring Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison, Withered Hand, Hollie McNish and Michael Pedersen. See Highlights, page 110. Summerhall, Edinburgh, Fri 1 Dec.
P H O T O : J O H N J O H N S T O N
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THEATRE Alice in Weegieland
This take on the traditional panto from Johnny McKnight (pictured in last year’s The Snaw Queen) goes straight down the rabbit hole into a world of ballet exams, Brexit and a banter-filled white bunny. This is Lewis Carroll’s Alice but not as you’ve ever known her or her iconic pals. See Highlights, page 120. Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 1 Dec–Sun 7 Jan.
N W O R B H S M A H
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S T U A R T W E S T W O O D P H O T O G R A P H Y
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MUSIC Gerry Cinnamon
Selling out the Friday show in remarkably swift time, Gerry Cinnamon’s fans are flocking to prove just what a remarkable year he’s had. These gigs from the neo-folk social media sensation show that talent can still sometimes go further than a massive marketing machine. See Highlights, page 110. Barrowland, Glasgow, Fri 22 & Sat 23 Dec.
TV 8
The League of Gentlemen ‘You will never leave’ might be the motto of Royston Vasey, but it’s their creators, The League of Gentlemen, who can’t seem to let go. That’s great news for loyal fans of their darkly twisted comedy as three festive segments prepare to warm the cockles and freeze the bones. BBC Two, dates tbc.
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CHOSEN BY SCOTTISH BALLET PRINCIPAL DANCER SOPHIE MARTIN
The Prodigy December is usually a very busy month for me at work. We perform The Nutcracker at the Festival Theatre eight shows a week for three weeks straight which doesn’t leave much time
for anything else. Scotland has much to offer when it comes to live music and, while living in Glasgow, I love to see bands that I know of or just take a gamble in smaller venues like King Tut’s. I would really like to see the Prodigy live. I remember my ballet teacher using one of their tracks, ‘Breathe’, in our annual gala back in 1997 for a modern dance and I loved how crazy it sounded in what was expected to be a ballet show. I’m sure some parents were probably a bit frightened to see their kids dance to electronic music but, although we were only 12 at the time, we loved it! Scottish Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 9–Sat 30 Dec; Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Thu 4–Sat 13 Jan; The Prodigy, O2 Academy, Glasgow, Mon 18 Dec.
1 Nov 2017–31 Jan 2018 THE LIST 9