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Kelly Apter

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Parents Like Us offers a new approach to entertaining children

Parents Like Us offers a new approach to entertaining children

The festival offers free events and de-stress massages for parents

22 May 2012

The journey from the box office to the auditorium can be an expensive one these days. Even the most charming children’s shows have a plethora of merchandise to tempt tiny hands (and grown-up purses) as you struggle to take your seat. Since its…

Scottish Ballet's Family Challenge Day

Scottish Ballet's Family Challenge Day

A fun event for the whole family to try out some basic ballet steps

22 May 2012

‘When you’re a parent, quite often you’ll do things with your child that you wouldn’t do on your own,’ says Catherine Cassidy, associate director of education at Scottish Ballet. How very true. Or at least that’s what Scottish Ballet is banking on, when…

John Irving - In One Person

John Irving - In One Person

A fascinating and engaging novel set against the backdrop of gay culture in America

(4 stars)22 May 2012

Write about what you know, we’re told, and John Irving is certainly a big subscriber to that particular maxim. For his 13th novel, Irving once again inhabits the worlds of New Hampshire (his birthplace) and wrestling (his preferred sport). Our…

Scottish Ballet's Martin Lawrance on Dance GB

Martin Lawrance on Dance GB

The Scottish Ballet choreographer will share a bill with English and Welsh national dance companies

15 May 2012

‘Am I allowed to swear?’ asks Martin Lawrance politely, before going on to describe how he felt when Scottish Ballet first knocked at his door. Suffice to say, he was a little nervous. A dancer with Richard Alston Dance Company for many years…

The Magical World of Mackintosh makes the famed designer accessible to kids

The Magical World of Mackintosh makes the famed designer accessible to kids

The architect is the subject of a Festival of Museums activity day

26 Apr 2012

It went from a place of learning, to a place to learn about learning – but whatever its use, the brilliance of its architect shines through. Designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1904, Scotland Street School Museum has many of its creator’s signature…

Aerial for Kids provides high-flying excitement for youngsters

Aerial for Kids provides high-flying excitement for youngsters

Sessions led by aerial company All or Nothing on a weekly basis

24 Apr 2012

Two teenage girls are hanging from a bar, their legs twisted around a rope, heads upside down. This may not sound like the most comfortable of positions, but the smile on their faces suggest they’re having a ball – and they are. As is the young boy who…

Interview: Tony Reekie - director of Imaginate children's festival

Interview: Tony Reekie - director of Imaginate children's festival

Children's theatre festival has a strong international flavour

19 Apr 2012

He may spend most of his life scouring the world for quality children’s theatre, but even Tony Reekie finds time for a bit of Killing. The Killing, that is, not cold-blooded murder. A big fan of the Danish television crime series, Reekie was less…

Danza Contemporanea De Cuba tours UK

Danza Contemporanea De Cuba tours UK

Exceptional Cuban dance company with European influence

18 Apr 2012

Watching Danza Contemporanea de Cuba on stage, you quickly start to form an opinion. Full of energy, dressed in colourful costumes, these talented dancers are here purely to entertain. But keep watching, and new sides to the company start to emerge. In…

Breakin’ Convention 12

Breakin’ Convention 12

Hip hop dance festival featuring many groups from throughout UK

17 Apr 2012

There are so many things to love about Breakin’ Convention, from the pre-show action in the foyer to the charged atmosphere that fills the Festival Theatre. But perhaps the most inspirational aspect of this bi-annual hip hop festival is the way local…

Let your kids learn French through puppetry with Le Petit Monde

Teaching kids French through puppetry

Bilingual puppetry company Le Petit Monde present their Easter show, Lapin Wants an Easter Carrot

26 Mar 2012

As any adult who has undertaken a language class will tell you, it goes in quicker when you’re younger. Learning French as a child, when that little sponge-like brain is firing on all cylinders, isn’t just easier, it’s a lot more fun since Tania Czajka…

CBeebies Live brings TV stars into the real world

CBeebies Live brings TV stars to stage

Mister Maker, Mr Tumble, Postman Pat and LazyTown's Robbie Rotten star in live show

21 Mar 2012

If enthusiasm could be bottled and sold, then Phil Gallagher would be a very wealthy man. Better known as Cbeebies’ Mister Maker, Gallagher has been creating works of art from bits and bobs in his ‘Doodle Drawer’ for the past four years. Endlessly…

Kith/Kin dance double bill from Company Chameleon

Kith/Kin dance double bill from Company Chameleon

Pieces explore journey to adulthood, friendship and bravery

21 Mar 2012

The recent departure of Janet Smith from Scottish Dance Theatre (SDT) highlighted not just her achievements over the past 15 years, but the alumni she helped foster. Two such dancers are Kevin Turner and Anthony Missen, both of whom had a compelling…

Tightrope dance piece fosters re-evaluation of who can and cannot dance

Tightrope dance piece fosters re-evaluation of who can and cannot dance

Indepen-dance reworking of AMICI show follows ageing circus troupe

21 Mar 2012

Down on its luck, an ageing circus troupe sticks together in an attempt to survive. On paper, Tightrope’s storyline doesn’t sound like much fun, but in reality the work has been lauded for its wit and poignancy. The show was originally created for…

Nederlands Dans Theater 2

Nederlands Dans Theater 2

Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman discusses his playful new piece, Cacti

9 Mar 2012

Watching a piece of modern dance often provokes an irresistible urge to analyse it. Unlike narrative ballet, there’s no story, so viewers can be left wondering ‘what does it all mean?’ More often than not, the answer to that question is ‘whatever you…

Jo Nesbø - Phantom

Jo Nesbø - Phantom

A new, hard-hitting instalment of the Norwegian author's Harry Hole series

(4 stars)28 Feb 2012

(Harvill Secker) Like all great fictional detectives, Harry Hole is always one step ahead. Not only of us, the reader, but those around him. Which, when you’re trying to solve a crime, is a definite bonus. Less so when it comes to affairs of the…

Johanna Skibsrud - This Will be Difficult to Explain and other stories

Johanna Skibsrud - This Will be Difficult to Explain and other stories

Short story collection fails to meet the medium's strict demands

(2 stars)28 Feb 2012

(Heinemann) Time is not on the short story’s side. There are no leisurely chapters in which to manufacture a slow build to a devastating denouement; no space to take us on a character’s full-length journey. To succeed, therefore, a short story has to…

New production ANA from Stellar Quines and Québecois company Imago

New production ANA from Stellar Quines and Québecois company Imago

Traverse show consists of 'gallery of portraits of women'

27 Feb 2012

Serge Denoncourt is sitting in the middle of a playground. There are no swings or slides, no sand pits or climbing frames – but it’s a playground none the less. To him anyway. In reality, we’re sitting in an empty rehearsal room, downstairs from the…

Errol White Company presents new group work IAM

Errol White Company presents new group work IAM

New emotional work based on loss set for Tramway

27 Feb 2012

There are moments in our lives that hit us more than others. Events that alter the shape of who we are. It was one such moment that led choreographer Errol White onto a creative path that produced first a solo, and now a new group work, IAM. ‘The…

Ballet West: Swan Lake

Ballet West: Swan Lake

Production combining professional and students tours Scotland

3 Feb 2012

When you’ve left school and moved onto a new life, going back to where it all began could feel like a backward step. If the school in question is in a beautiful location – the Scottish Highlands – it starts to sound more appealing. Throw in a fantastic…

Parent-and-toddler group Dads Rock provides a musical outlet for fathers and tots

Parent-and-toddler group Dads Rock provides a musical outlet for fathers and tots

Edinburgh playgroup for fathers and children aged 0-4

3 Feb 2012

Walk through the doors of any parent and toddler group in the land, and chances are most of the males in attendance will be wearing nappies. Such gatherings are notoriously female affairs (adult-wise at least), with the odd – and I mean occasional…

Choreographer Bawren Tavaziva talks Sensual Africa

Choreographer Bawren Tavaziva talks Sensual Africa

The dancer's new performance explores African tribal rituals with contemporary dance

3 Feb 2012

Born in rural Zimbabwe, Bawren Tavaziva was well aware of the tribes living in his area. But having moved to bustling capital Harare at the age of four, he soon became more concerned with football, Michael Jackson and martial arts movies, before moving…

Visible Fictions to revive Zorro

Visible Fictions to revive Zorro

The theatre company's popular swashbuckler to play at Scottish Youth Theatre

2 Feb 2012

In case you didn’t know, the word ‘zorro’ is Spanish for ‘fox’, and that’s exactly what this cunning fictional hero does – fox those around him, not just with his deeds but his entire persona. Starting life as a serial in a 1920s US magazine, the tales…

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery want your children to become Portrait Detectives

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery want your children to become Portrait Detectives

New events to get kids interested in the refurbished Gallery

9 Jan 2012

Under wraps for the past two and a half years, the newly re-opened Scottish National Portrait Gallery cuts quite a dash. But for younger visitors, the wow factor generated by a £17 million spend can be hard to see. Which is why events like Portrait…

Scottish Ballet - Sleeping Beauty

Scottish Ballet - Sleeping Beauty

Dynamic and opulent restaging of Ashley Page's 2007 hit

(4 stars)6 Jan 2012

Choreographed by Ashley Page in 2007, as part of a triumvirate of winter ballets he has made with designer Antony McDonald, Sleeping Beauty is opulence itself. Opening in a Victorian hothouse, the guests at Princess Aurora’s christening are lavishly…

Edmund White - Jack Holmes and His Friend

Edmund White - Jack Holmes and His Friend

A beautifully written tale of sex and male friendship

(4 stars)5 Jan 2012

(Bloomsbury) Edmund White has never shied away from putting himself on the page, scribing autobiographical fiction and memoirs for over 30 years. Jack Holmes and His Friend is no exception. White attended boarding school in the American Midwest…

The Hot 100 2011: 100-40

The Hot 100 2011: 100-50

The definitive list of Scottish creative talent

16 Dec 2011

100: Gordon Ferris. Kilmarnock crime author makes good. The already packed Scottish crime writing field has finally found a bit of elbow room for another burgeoning talent. Joining the likes of Rankin, Brookmyre, McDermid and co is this Ayrshire-born…

HOT 100 2011 - 49 to 1

Hot 100 2011 - No. 49 to 1

The definitive list of Scottish creative talent

16 Dec 2011

The Hot 100 is the definitive list of Scottish creative talent. From fashion designers to performance artists, everyone who has made a sizeable splash in 2011 has a place in this countdown. It’s for people who’ve created a buzz, but it’s also about…

Lost Sock Princess

Lost Sock Princess

A puppet theatre performance that lets you join in – all you need is an odd sock

13 Dec 2011

Try as you might to wash and dry them together, socks have a way of parting company somewhere between the laundry basket and underwear drawer. It’s at that point you need the Lost Sock Princess to help you reunite the estranged pair. Or do you? One…

The Tree of Knowledge

The Tree of Knowledge

David Hume and Adam Smith point out obvious pitfalls of 21st century life

(3 stars)12 Dec 2011

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…

Michel Schneider - Marilyn’s Last Sessions: A Novel

Michel Schneider - Marilyn’s Last Sessions: A Novel

Poorly structured fictional history of star's final sessions on the couch

(2 stars)12 Dec 2011

(Canongate) By including the words ‘a novel’ in his title, Schneider has bought himself a rather enormous caveat. Namely that some aspects of this semi-biographical account of Marilyn Monroe and her psychoanalyst Ralph Greenson are true – others not.

Nowwhatnow?

Nowwhatnow?

Dance Base presents new work from Andy Howitt, Alan Greig, Steinvor Palsson and Matthew Hawkins

15 Nov 2011

She’s one of the biggest champions of contemporary dance in Scotland, but Morag Deyes isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. The artistic director of Edinburgh’s Dance Base has put together a programme of choreographic comedy that takes an affectionate dig…

Family Christmas concerts: Christmas Swingalong and Christmas Magic

Family Christmas concerts: Christmas Swingalong and Christmas Magic

A festive family show for each city in December

15 Nov 2011

When you’re in the business of children’s entertainment, a flexible attitude to costumes is a definite advantage. In the past few months alone, Owen Cox and Oliver Gunnell (aka Owen and Olly) have walked onstage in their dressing gowns, shiny lycra…

Phoenix Dance Theatre: Declarations

Phoenix Dance Theatre: Declarations

Four innovative pieces from the acclaimed dance collective

15 Nov 2011

When Phoenix Dance Theatre (formerly Company) was created in 1981, the founders could scarcely have known how appropriate the name would prove to be. On many occasions over the past 30 years, the company has been re-born from the ashes of what went…

Axel Scheffler (illus.) - The Gloomster

Axel Scheffler (illus.) - The Gloomster

Julia Donaldson's favoured illustrator fails to justify the asking price of this slim poetry adap

(2 stars)15 Nov 2011

(Faber) Any parents out there picking up this book would be forgiven for thinking it was some kind of Gruffalo sequel. Only this time, the central character is seeking therapy rather than a mouse. Translated by children’s author Julia Donaldson, and…

Wee and Big Inspiration Festivals

Wee and Big Inspiration Festivals

An impressive range of activities including theatre, puppetry and workshops for kids young and old

28 Oct 2011

Looking through the Big and Wee Inspiration Festival brochures, the first thing that strikes you is the range. From balletLORENT’s adventurous new dance work Underneath the Floorboards to light and video installation The Light Garden and Oliver Searle’s…

Africa in Motion Children's Day

Africa in Motion Children's Day

Programme of kids' activities at the film festival aim to strengthen Scottish-African links

28 Oct 2011

With many Scottish schools forging links with Africa, more and more children are learning to appreciate the highs and lows of life on another continent. To that same end, this year’s Africa in Motion (AiM) film festival is offering families a…

Company Chordelia introduces us to the beautiful-but-dark dance piece Miranda

Company Chordelia introduces us to the beautiful-but-dark dance piece Miranda

Chordelia's artistic director Kally Lloyd Jones discusses the production

21 Oct 2011

If you find yourself slightly puzzled at the start of Miranda, the new show from Company Chordelia, then don’t worry – the lead character is, too. ‘Miranda is lost,’ explains the company’s artistic director, Kally Lloyd Jones. ‘She’s been at a party…

Rambert Dance Company's Seven for a Secret

Rambert Dance Company's Seven for a Secret

Composer Stephen McNeff reworks Ravel score for new production

21 Oct 2011

He’s one of Britain’s finest opera composers, garnering awards and commissions at home and abroad. Yet even Stephen McNeff had a moment of trepidation when it came to re-arranging the work of one of his heroes. Choreographed by Rambert’s artistic…

DANCE: FILM festival roundup

DANCE: FILM 2011 festival roundup

Films about Bill T Jones, Tanja Liedtke, Mariemma and Pina Bausch feature at the 2011 fest

21 Oct 2011

When you’ve got a meaty filling, there’s nothing wrong with wrapping it in a bit of frivolous puff pastry. That’s the strategy taken by DANCE:FILM director, Steph Wright with this, her fourth festival celebrating the coming together of movement and…

Adele - Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 24 Sep 2011

Adele - Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 24 Sep 2011

The London 'misery pop' singer overcomes illness to deliver outstanding show

(4 stars)21 Oct 2011

With dates cancelled before and after her Usher Hall date, due to ongoing health issues, the fact that Adele appeared at all is cause for celebration. Albums 19 and 21 have garnered the young Londoner a strong fan base, so when she asks us to ‘bear with…

Liv Lorent, choreographer with balletLORENT

Liv Lorent, of balletLORENT - interview

The Newcastle-based company are touring Scotland with sensual new work La Nuit Intime

17 Oct 2011

What made you want to be a choreographer? I couldn’t be the dancer I wanted to be, but felt compelled to marry the dancers I did adore with the music I loved. I still feel that this is something I need to do, and enjoy collaborating with others towards…

Kes

Kes

Poignant adaptation of the grim Northern English fable

(4 stars)21 Sep 2011

This sensitive stage version of Barry Hines’ award-winning book opens with utter chaos on stage. Tables lie on their sides, a sofa is upturned, and remnants of 1970s life are strewn amongst them. The central conceit of the adaptation is that a grown-up…

Sonia Sabri, of Indian dance-meets-hip hop show Kathakbox

Sonia Sabri of Kathakbox - where Indian dance-meets-hip hop

The choreographer on shared musical and rhythmic roots

21 Sep 2011

Picture the scene – you meet somebody from a different country, you can’t speak their language, they can’t speak yours, but somehow you find a way to communicate. Well that’s exactly what Sonia Sabri has been doing for the past nine years, only for her…

Arthur, the Story of a King

Arthur, the Story of a King

Colourful family-friendly production about the legendary king from theatre group Wee Stories

(4 stars)21 Sep 2011

Nobody really knows for sure what King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table got up to – a fact quickly acknowledged by Wee Stories in its lively historical drama. Each book documents different facts and figures, so Wee Stories offer us ‘an…

Scottish Storytelling Festival 2011

Scottish Storytelling Festival 2011

21st festival includes Homer’s Odyssey and contributions from Corsica, Cypus and Sardinia

20 Sep 2011

Reaching 21 is a landmark event for everyone, and the Scottish Storytelling Festival is no exception. From fairly humble beginnings at the former Netherbow Theatre, the Festival has grown to encompass not just Edinburgh and Glasgow, but Dundee…

Family Fun Music Day

Family Fun Music Day

Programme of music events aimed at opening up the Glasgow Concert Halls to younger music-lovers

19 Sep 2011

Mission Impossible-style light beams that play musical notes as you cross them, a giant labyrinth of music and light, and a dark room filled with scary sounds – hardly business as usual at Glasgow’s City Halls. Organised by Svend Brown, director of…

Wayne McGregor / Random Dance - Far

Wayne McGregor / Random Dance - Far

The choreographer discusses his latest work, Far, which is inspired by the Age of Enlightenment

19 Sep 2011

While it’s true that behind every piece of dance lies hours of thought, few choreographers can lay claim to quite the mental heavy work of Wayne McGregor. In recent years, his exploration into the world of cognitive science has helped generate a large…

Scottish Ballet: Kings 2 Ends and Pennies From Heaven

Scottish Ballet: Kings 2 Ends and Pennies From Heaven

Artistic director Ashley Page discusses the upcoming ballet double-bill

13 Sep 2011

What made you want to be a choreographer? I’ve always been interested in the creative process across all the arts, and as a dancer at the Royal Ballet I had the good fortune to be involved in the creation of new work with some of the finest…

Drought and Rain (Re-creation 2011) at Edinburgh International Festival

Drought and Rain (Re-creation 2011) at Edinburgh International Festival

Ea Sola dance piece gives voice to the pain of war

24 Aug 2011

In 1995, when Vietnamese choreographer Ea Sola created her original version of Drought and Rain, she cast elderly women who were once dancers in their youth. Due to circumstances – a war raging through their country – the women had swapped dancing shoes…

Sriyah

Sriyah

Ancient dance in a modern era

24 Aug 2011

Studying for ten hours a day, six days a week for six years, the dancers at the Nrityagram school near Bangalore know that to truly absorb Indian classical dance takes time. The first student to emerge from the residential course, Surupa Sen graduated…

EIBF 2011: Christopher Brookmyre adopts subtle pseudonym for latest work - interview

EIBF 2011: Christopher Brookmyre adopts subtle pseudonym for latest work - interview

Chris, not Christopher, for Where the Bodies are Buried

23 Aug 2011

When Christopher Brookmyre has three syllables thrown at him, he knows he’s done something wrong. Despite his full first-name appearing on every book jacket since his debut novel in 1997, those around Brookmyre have called him Chris for years. ‘I tend…

Revolting Rhymes

Revolting Rhymes

Lively rendition of Roald Dahl tales

(3 stars)22 Aug 2011

The two performers at the helm of this manic hour may be young (one of them had just received their A Level results the day I saw them) but already they’ve honed considerable performance skills. Not only that, they’ve also amassed a considerable…

Hurry Up and Wait

Hurry Up and Wait

Clown show that fails to live up to potential

(2 stars)22 Aug 2011

With a parade due any minute, two friends are forced to wait patiently for its arrival. Their stools sit either side of a giant clock – an ever-present reminder that time is passing just too slowly. In a bid to speed it up, these colourful characters…

Jo Nesbø

Jo Nesbø

Crafty Oslo crime scribe brings us his fiendish ’tec

17 Aug 2011

There are many ways to cause a fatality, and crime writers are renowned for finding the most imaginative route to the grave possible. But Norwegian author Jo Nesbø has really outdone himself in his latest novel The Leopard. His serial killer’s…

Mirazozo

Mirazozo

Inflatable world of fun and relaxation

(4 stars)15 Aug 2011

‘Have we been in here yet?’ said the girl next to me to her friend. It’s an easy mistake to make, the rooms and corridors of Mirazozo are all similar but different and, like a maze, it’s hard to know where you’ve been and where you’re going. This…

Bubblewrap and Boxes

Bubblewrap and Boxes

Mayhem in the mail room

(3 stars)15 Aug 2011

Australian company Asking For Trouble has much in its favour in Bubblewrap and Boxes. A set comprised of large, medium and small cardboard boxes, ripe for manoeuvre and exploration; two performers highly skilled in clowning and acrobatics; and a…

Patrick Monahan: Stories And Fairytales Of Travels For Kids Who Dance Like Camels

Patrick Monahan: Stories And Fairytales Of Travels For Kids Who Dance Like Camels

Comic silliness with a disco beat

(3 stars)15 Aug 2011

In an ideal world, Patrick Monahan would be available every weekend to babysit my children. I doubt they’d get much sleep, but there would certainly be no tears. This amiable comedian, who branched out a few years ago into entertaining younger audience…

Snow Play

Snow Play

Fun and frolics in the snow

(4 stars)14 Aug 2011

It may have caused the grown-ups a few problems earlier this year, but for children, snow is never a burden. Faced with falling flakes and a snowy white landscape, traffic infrastructure is far from their mind. Scottish/Italian company, Lyngo Theatre…

3D Hamlet: A Lost Generation

3D Hamlet: A Lost Generation

Strong acting secures the Bard a place in the 21st century

(4 stars)12 Aug 2011

Were this show set in a different venue, with decent sight lines, a proper projection screen and space bigger than a postage stamp for the actors to perform on, it would be a shoe-in for five stars. Abridged, but retaining all the salient points and key…

The Wheel

The Wheel

Innocence lost in war-torn Spain

(4 stars)11 Aug 2011

When we think about war, it is the civilian casualties or soldiers who lose their lives we remember. The children whose innocence is stripped from them, observing the horrors that surround a war zone rarely, if ever, get a mention. In the west, we worry…

Last Orders dance piece based on Sawney Bean

Last Orders dance piece based on Sawney Bean

Al Seed Fringe piece on 16th century Scottish cannibal

10 Aug 2011

Anthony Hopkins’ quivering lips, as he extols the fava beans, Chianti and human liver combo, is one of the most disturbing yet compelling images in Silence of the Lambs. For while serial killers might be scarily fascinating, they’re ten a penny compared…

Christopher Brookmyre set for Edinburgh Book Festival appearance

Christopher Brookmyre set for Edinburgh Book Festival appearance

Name-shifting Scottish scribe retains his trademarks

9 Aug 2011

When Christopher Brookmyre has three syllables thrown at him, he knows he’s done something wrong. Despite his full first-name appearing on every book jacket since his debut novel in 1997, those around Brookmyre have called him Chris for years. ‘I tend…

Fringe 2011 kids - interactive shows

Interactive children's shows at Edinburgh Fringe 2011

Our tips on the best shows to get children up and moving

8 Aug 2011

The Enormous Turnip, Magic Porridge Pot, Peter Pan on Dinosaur Island, Robinson Crusoe the Lost Jedi Knight Spotlites Theatre Productions don’t just dabble in interactive theatre, it’s their raison d’être. ‘Little ’uns come onstage!’ is the…

Soweto Entsha

Soweto Entsha

South African songs from the heart

(4 stars)8 Aug 2011

In 2008, Morgan, Lwazi, Jabu and Zensele were ekeing out a living, busking on the streets of Soweto. Hearing that a French producer was dining in a nearby restaurant, the a cappella singers headed down there to try and impress him. They did. Three years…

Silent

Silent

Witty and moving portrayal of life on the streets

(5 stars)8 Aug 2011

Shuffling across the stage under a blanket, Pat Kinevane slowly makes his way towards the audience. Peering out from underneath the dirty and torn material, glittery eye shadow adorning each lid, he starts to speak. What are we expecting him to say? A…

Simon Callow in Tuesday at Tescos

Simon Callow in Tuesday at Tescos

Transgender monologue that’s dressed to kill

(4 stars)8 Aug 2011

Anything performed by Simon Callow comes with a certain guarantee: that you’ll be entertained, impressed by the Shakespearean actor’s masterly skill, and perhaps moved to laughter and/or tears. Almost all of which Tuesday at Tescos achieves. Emmanuel…

Under The Baobab Tree

Under The Baobab Tree

Animal tales from Africa

(3 stars)8 Aug 2011

Do you know how the hyena got its laugh or the ostrich got its long neck? The answers in this show may not be entirely true, but they’re certainly fun. Performed by Edinburgh-based Toto Tales and Singapore’s I Theatre, Under the Baobab Tree is an hour…

Bagpuss

Bagpuss

Stage adaptation that’s just about purrfect

(5 stars)7 Aug 2011

In 2001, Bagpus came fourth in Channel 4’s 100 Greatest Kids’ TV Shows opinion poll – and for good reason. Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin’s 1970s programme had a warm simplicity that hooked you in with imaginative tales, then rocked you gently in its…

The Tim Bat Trick Show

The Tim Bat Trick Show

Slickness and silliness in equal measure

(3 stars)7 Aug 2011

Tim Bat has been doing the Fringe for so long, he could probably deliver his act with his eyes closed. Which is actually not a bad idea it might make the tricks he delivers a touch more daring. In an age when circus performers push the boundaries of…

Mr Benn

Mr Benn

Tall Stories bring iconic 70s children's animation to Edinburgh festival

(4 stars)5 Aug 2011

It’s 40 years since David McKee first turned his series of picture books into a TV series. In an instant, shop dressing rooms became the doorway to potential adventure, where anything could happen. For an entire generation, Mr Benn signified the…

Fringe 2011 theatre - five topical shows

Fringe 2011 theatre - Five issue-based shows

Shows based on 60s teenage pregnancy, infanticide, bullying and HIV

3 Aug 2011

Be My Baby with Amanda Whittington A moving comedy about pregnant teens in 1960s Manchester who are sent away to a heavily religious hiding place where their only sense of freedom comes through pop music. Zoo Roxy, 662 6892, 7–13 Aug, 6.30pm, £8…

Fringe 2011 dance: five true-story shows

Fringe 2011: Five dance shows based on true-stories

Real life events provide inspirational for several Fringe shows this year

29 Jul 2011

Falling Man. Who can forget the horrific image of a man falling to his death from the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks? This haunting solo by Dundee-based dance company Smallpetitklein was inspired by the ubiquitous photos capturing the…

Circolombia – Urban

Circolombia bring Urban show to Edinburgh Festival

South American acrobats and anecdotes

29 Jul 2011

Their lives may have started in adversity, but when the performers of Circolombia step on stage at this year’s Fringe, it’s as fully fledged professionals. All the members of the troupe grew up on the streets of Cali in Colombia, facing a daily round of…

Snow Play bring snowball fight to 2011 Edinburgh Festival

Snow Play bring snowball fight to 2011 Edinburgh Festival

Children's show features interactive battle of the seasons

29 Jul 2011

When Snow Play enjoyed a sell-out run at the Lyric theatre in London last December, the timing was perfect. Outside, children played with snow on the ground – then stepped inside the venue to find the same weather conditions represented on stage. The…

Mr Benn brings 1970s TV classic to Edinburgh Festival stage

Mr Benn brings 1970s TV classic to Edinburgh Festival stage

Kids show from makers of The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom

29 Jul 2011

Anyone who has seen The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom or any of the other wonderful shows Tall Stories has staged over the years, will know that the company is no stranger to adaptation. This time, however, they’ve moved away from children’s picture books…

Bubblewrap and Boxes turns cardboard boxes into children's show

Bubblewrap and Boxes turns cardboard boxes into children's show

Playing around with the post at 2011 Edinburgh Festival

29 Jul 2011

As any young child will tell you, there’s no end of things you can do with a cardboard box. Melbourne-based theatre company Asking For Trouble discovered it too, when they turned a pile of unwanted boxes into packages and parcels to create award-winning…

Cloud Man combines puppetry and storytelling for 4-7-year-olds

Cloud Man combines puppetry and storytelling for 4-7-year-olds

Edinburgh Festival children's theatre show based on clouds

29 Jul 2011

Sometimes they’re white and fluffy, more often than not they’re full of rain - but there’s something about clouds that holds our interest. The latest in a long line of artists to be inspired by the natural phenomenon is puppeteer Ailie Cohen, with her…

Soy de Cuba brings Havana dance, music and song

Soy de Cuba brings Havana dance, music and song

The sound of contemporary Cuba visits 2011 Edinburgh Festival

28 Jul 2011

With influences from South America, Spain and Africa dating back centuries, it’s fair to say Cuba is a melting pot of styles. So it stands to reason that the latest music and dance sensation to come out of the Caribbean island is equally diverse.

Rock the Ballet incorporates multiple dance styles

Rock the Ballet incorporates multiple dance styles

Ballet gets a rock and pop makeover at 2011 Edinburgh Festival

28 Jul 2011

If the word ballet leads you to thoughts of starched white tutus and tight buns, then Rock the Ballet is here to disabuse you of that notion. For although there will indeed be tight buns on stage, they’re considerably lower down than your average prima…

Surge Family Circus Weekend

Surge Family Circus Weekend

A chance for the whole family to pick up some juggling, clowning and trapeze skills

22 Jul 2011

Time was, you had to run away and join the circus if you wanted to experience the thrill of the tightrope and trapeze. These days, you can stay safe in the bosom of your family and still swing through the air and show off your sense of balance. Open…

Project Y

Project Y

Annual summer programme by contemporary youth dance company Y Dance

22 Jul 2011

From the Shetland Islands down to the Borders, the prospect of spending a summer with Project Y entices young dancers from all quarters of Scotland. Now in its sixth year, this unique programme, run by Y Dance, gives 16-21-year-olds a chance to work…

Fringe for (around) a fiver: Kids

Fringe for (around) a fiver: Kids

The affordable kids' shows appearing at the Fringe this year

22 Jul 2011

Taking the whole family to a Fringe show can be an expensive business these days. So it pays to get out there early and soak up some previews. Here are just a few of the top shows that are charging £5 for their opening performances on 3-5 Aug.

Now and at the Time of Our Turn

Brazilian dance highlights at Edinburgh 2011

Now and at the Time of Our Turn, Parallel Memories, My Voluntary Punishments and Another Cappadocia

20 Jul 2011

Long known for its rich dance tradition, Kelly Apter finds Brazil’s contemporary dance companies responding to all aspects of the country’s diverse culture

Dance highlights from the 2011 Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Dance highlights at 2011 Edinburgh Fringe

Clips from Dance Marathon, Castle Rocks Breakdance and Enclosure 99 - Humans

20 Jul 2011

Dance Marathon. Award-winning Canadian theatre collective, bluemouth inc. invite you to take part in this four-hour endurance test of a show. Strap on your number, pull on some comfy shoes and start dancing. Based on the competitions born out of…

Fringe 2011 Kids - Mirazozo

Mirazozo coloured inflatable structure a 2011 Edinburgh Fringe highlight

Architects of Air bring their latest inflatable structure to Edinburgh

8 Jul 2011

Picture the scene – you walk inside a Fringe venue, and find no actors, no musicians, no dancers, in fact no performers at all. You'd be forgiven for wanting your money back. Unless, that is, your ticket is for an Architects of Air creation – because…

The kids are all write

But what books do children actually like?

Never mind publishers and literary critics, what are the readers' favourites?

8 Jul 2011

Of course, stuffy literary critics shouldn't always have the final say. Kelly Apter finds out which authors actual children (including List critics' own) are getting excited about

Edinburgh Fringe for a Fiver - Dance

Edinburgh Fringe 2011 for a Fiver - Dance

Cut-price tickets for some of the most exciting dance shows at the Fringe

8 Jul 2011

Arnica 9CH. A warts and all description of what lies behind the on-stage polish and seemingly perfect body of a professional dancer. The Ballet Ruse. Dressed in white tutus and clutching pint glasses, two dancers take a tongue in cheek look at the…

Dance trilogy Re-Triptych journeys from Tibet to China at 2011 EIF

Dance trilogy Re-Triptych journeys from Tibet to China at 2011 EIF

Shen Wei piece features music of Ani Choying Dolma and John Tavener

7 Jul 2011

Re – (i) Shen Wei was standing in a record store in New York City when he felt the power of Tibetan spirituality. Despite having made three trips to the region, exploring its temples, it was not until he returned home to America that the music for Re…

The Forgotten Island brings children's events to banks of River Clyde

The Forgotten Island brings children's events to banks of River Clyde

Massive structure in Glasgow contains labyrinth and beach

28 Jun 2011

For ten weeks it will be a magical place filled with possibility. Then, just as quickly as it arrived, The Forgotten Island will disappear from its temporary residence on the banks of the River Clyde and find another place to call home. A massive…

Children's theatre production of Aesop's Fables

Children's theatre production of Aesop's Fables

The Arches stage adaptation of classic tales

28 Jun 2011

Like many of us, Belle Jones first came across Aesop’s Fables as a child. ‘My grandparents gave me a really lovely copy of the collected tales when I was young,’ recalls the Glasgow-based actress and director. ‘There’s so much variety in the fables, and…

Siobhan Davies Dance: Rotor

Siobhan Davies Dance: Rotor

Experimental cross-artform dance from nine commissioned artists

15 Jun 2011

‘I hate the word inspiration,’ says Siobhan Davies. Which may seem ironic, given how inspirational she has been to budding young dancers and choreographers over the years. But for Davies, inspiration implies a light bulb moment, when something just…

Surge - Street Art/Circus Festival

Surge - Street Art/Circus Festival

The development of circus, physical theatre and street arts returns for a second year

15 Jun 2011

If you were out and about in central Glasgow last July, chances are you saw something rather special. Run by Conflux, the organisation set up to develop physical theatre, street arts and circus in Scotland, the Surge Festival featured a colourful array…

Avenue Q - The adult puppet musical

Avenue Q - The adult puppet musical

Tony Award-winning show touches on more grown up issues

15 Jun 2011

Don’t judge a book by its cover – and in the case of Avenue Q, don’t judge a musical by its poster. This Tony Award-winning show may look like a toddler’s dream date, but Muppet-style puppets aside, it’s adult content all the way. ‘We deal with…

Yrsa Sigurdardottir - The Day is Dark

Yrsa Sigurdardottir - The Day is Dark

Yet another new Stieg Larsson-eque, nordic crime novel

(3 stars)14 Jun 2011

(Hodder & Stoughton) Just as Norwegian Jo Nesbø is busy being ‘the next Stieg Larsson’, Yrsa Sigurdardottir is apparently ‘Iceland’s answer to Stieg Larsson’. The late Swedish author could scarcely have predicted how posthumously helpful he would…

Pilrig Park School: Time

Pilrig Park School: Time

Dance piece from Edinburgh school for 11-18-year-olds with learning needs

27 May 2011

It’s a fact of life that audiences at the average school show will be comprised solely of the performers’ nearest and dearest. Unless, that is, your reputation precedes you – which is exactly what has happened to Pilrig Park, a secondary school for…

Kids Knit craft workshops aim to get the next generation knitting

Kids Knit craft workshops aim to get the next generation knitting

Knitting classes for young people

27 May 2011

Knitting may have been distinctly uncool for their parents’ generation, but for today’s kids, it’s just fine to be caught with a ball of wool in your lap. A dedicated knitter since childhood, Kerry Kimber hit upon the idea of running knitting classes…

Tom Pritchard: As Yet Untitled

Tom Pritchard: As Yet Untitled

The Arches' associate artist-in-residence looks forward to a new improvisational collaboration

27 May 2011

For most performers it’s the stuff of nightmares – finding yourself centre stage with no knowledge of script or steps. For dancer and choreographer Tom Pritchard, however, it’s the ideal scenario. Currently associate artist at The Arches, Pritchard is…

Choreographer of the month: Wayne McGregor

Choreographer of the month: Wayne McGregor

The Random Dance choreographer discusses recent piece ENTITY

23 May 2011

What made you want to become a choreographer? ‘Initially watching John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever and Grease! I was eight years old and ballet and contemporary dance were not on my horizon at all. I didn’t have any opportunity to do those styles…

Glasgow Science Festival presents a programme of events that appeals to both kids and adults

Glasgow Science Festival programme appeals to both children and adults

Opportunities to do some gardening, bread-making and seabird tracking

23 May 2011

For some parents, it’s always been fascinating, for others it was the worst block at school. But one thing’s for sure, these days the world of science offers more fun and creativity than you can shake a pipette at. With four action-packed family days on…

Christopher Brookmyre introduces a new cast of characters for latest novel Where the Bodies are Buried

Christopher Brookmyre - Where the Bodies are Buried

Author introduces a new cast of characters for latest novel

23 May 2011

Crime fiction thrives on familiarity. The same detectives dashing through the same shady streets to track down the latest stick in their craw. Christopher Brookmyre has given us a few charismatic serial characters over the years – the maverick…

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