I Cinderella On Ice King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, 220 4349, Tue 7-11 Feb, 7.30pm; matinee Tue 7 /Sat 11 Feb, 2.30pm. Tickets from £9 (£4). As the last pantomime dame exits the festive stage, and Nutcracker princes up and down the country take their final bows, the King’s are staging a spot of post-Christmas extravaganza to

bring you down gently from your annual pantomime high. Like the ballet of the same

name, Cinderella on Ice is set to the music of Prokofiev and based on the classic

rags to riches story of the girl, the prince and the pumpkin, but this time it’s a skate not a slipper she sheds and the action untolds on an ice rink stage specially drafted

in for the purpose of the production. Billed as a ‘magical tantasy’ this ice ballet is brought to us courtesy of The Russian All Stars: 3 world class ice dance team who have enough in the way of Olympic, World and European medals between them to sink the 0E2, and a choreographer who’s been coach to some of the biggest skate stars of our time. Dazzling feats of high speed and dare-devil acrobatic skating and the lyrical precision of classical ballet are promised, as are fantastic sets and costumes to rival the best of the big stage shows and transport you to a winter

wonderland.

Rain or shine, our at-a-glance guide will see you through. Events are listed under outdoors or indoors columns, and then divided by city. Kids listings compiled by Ellie Carr.

Outdoors

Activities and Fun

I Beat it, Bash it, Dan it Meet at Countryside Rangers Visitor Centre. Pollock Country Park. Sat 4 Feb. 10—l2pm. Free. Contact Countryside Rangers. 632 929‘). The Wild Bunch invite you to go rhododendron hashing and do your hit for the environtnent. Some rhododendrons grow like weeds and unless kept under control can take over the woodland and hecome a conservation nightmare . . . sojoin the rhodie-hashers. and spend a morning heating round the hushes.

Activities and Fun

I Young Drnithologists Annual Garden Bird Survey Sat 28—Sun 2‘) Jan. contact Malcolm Porteous. 2 Hermitage Gardens. 447 053‘) for details.

Indoors

Sat 4 Feb Compass: Stories From Around The World (5—12 and families). Pat Keysell of Vision 01: brings you stories from around the globe in a rich mix of mime. music. sign language and shadow theatre.

Film

I Beethoven (U) Cannon Clarkston Road. Muirend. 637 2641. Sat 28 Jan. 10.30am. £1.60 (kids and adults). Doors open at 10.30am. Well worn action- packed kids‘ adventure. starring that big. shaggy and lovable St Bernard on the run from a band of dangerous dog napping criminals.

I Flintstones (U) Cannon Clarkston Road. Muirend. 637 2641. Sat 4 Feb. 10.30am. £1.60 (kids and adults). Doors open at 10.30am. The modern Stone Age fatnin take to the big screen with John Goodman and Kyle Mclachlan starring in this cartoon movie that left the critics non plussed. but still held its own at the box office.

Activities and Fun

I It’s a Small World Museum of Childhood. 42 High Street. 529 4142. Until Sat 11 Feb. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm. Free. This new exhibition features doll‘s house furniture and miniatures. ranging from precious silver to cheap plastic and dating from early to modern times. The pieces on show come directly from the museum’s own collection. but many are on show for the first time following a

l programme of cleaning and restoring by museum staff and volunteers from the

Friends of the City Art Centre and Museums group.

I Dance for Under Ss Dance Base. Assembly Rooms. George Street. 225 , 5525. Wednesdays until 5 Apr.

1 lam—12pm. £2.50 (£1.50) fee covers one adult and one child. Mark Hamilton leads these popular dance sessions where mums and dads get the chance tojoin in the fun

; as their tiny tots explore the big. wide world through dance and song.

I leith Junior Dance Group Leith

? Comtnunity Centre. New Kirkgate. 225 5525 for details. Thursdays until 6 Apr. ? 4.30—5.30pm. 50p a session. Get your

l muscles moving at these weekly dance sessions for boys and girls between the

ages of 8 and 12. The group. led by

experienced teacher Susan Oliver. will get ? the chance to create a piece drawing on

Activities and Fun

I Playtime Scotland Street School Museum. 225 Scotland Street (opposite Sheilds Road Underground Station) 42‘) 1202. Take a trip hack in time to the classrooms of yesteryear. right through from the Victorian and Iidwardian era to the 60s. Inside the reconstructed classrooms. you can do your sums with a real nih pen and ink and find out what it felt like to don the Dunce‘s cap.

I Music and Drama Workshops

Strathclyde Arts Centre. Washington

Street. 221 «1516. Saturdays. various

. times. £1 a session. Join ~100-plus kids

taking part in music and drama sessions throughout the huilding. throughout the day. Still places left on most classes. Call George Cherry at the Arts Centre for details.

Theatre I Scottish Mask and Puppet Theatre

8-10 Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 33‘) 6185. 2pm. £2.50 (£1.50)

Sat 28' Jun The Tragical Comedy of Macpunch (7—adult). Parable Puppets

show from this year's Edinburgh Festival.

which hlends alternatiy e Punch and Judy with a sideways look at Shakespeare‘s .tht'ltt'I/I.

various styles of contemporary dance to music specially composed for the class. Previous experience ain‘t necessary. all you need is two feet and a pair of sturdy trainers.

I South Dueenslerry Junior Dance Groups Rosehery Hall. High Street. South Queen‘sferry. 225 5525 for info. Fridays until 7 April. £l a session. Popular local

dance teacher Carolyn Gavin runs groups

for three different age groups. Ages 3—5 Ballet and Tap is at 2—2.45pm; ages 6—11 Modern Dance is at 2.45—3.45pm and Modern Ballet for all is 3.45—5pm.

I Springvrell House Drama Group Springwell House. Ardmillan Terrace. 337 1971. Tuesdays. 8—12 yrs, 4.15—6pm; 12—14 yrs. 6.15-8.15pm. 50p a session. Rebecca Kilbey of First Bite Theatre takes this tenn's popular drama sessions for young people at Spn'ngweli House. New members always welcome.

Exhibitions

I Star Trek: The Exhibition City Art Centre. 2 Market Street. 529 3993.4 Feb-7 May. Mon. Tues and Sat lO—5.30pm; Wed-Fri 10—9pm and Sun l2-5pm. £3.50 (£2 kids/con); family ticket £9. Boldly going where no respectable art gallery has gone before. the CAC have teamed up with Paramount pictures to mount this blockbuster exhibition which will doubtless pull in kids and adults by the busload and induce Trek fever in the nation’s capital. The exhibition's designer Herman Zimmerman, the man behind the most recent episodes of the ever popular TV series. brings to life the history of the Star Trek empire from the. first episode to forthcoming feature films and future series. Step on up to the deck of the Starship Enterprise. see sets and models from the films and costumes, props. photographs. video clips and lot's of high- tech. hands-on fun for all the family. See feature.

Film

I Lord of the Rings (PG) Filmhouse. Lothian Road. 226 2688. Sat 28 Jan, 2.30pm. £1.50 (Adults £2.50). Ralph Bakushi’s version of the much loved Tolkien classic. covers the early part of the Lord of the Rings cycle. The film stays true to the original text and combines animation and live-action tracings that have the look of Tolkien’s own drawings. See Film Index.

I lord of the Flies (12) Filmhouse. Lothian Road. 226 2688. Sat 4 Feb, 2.30pm. £1.50 (£2.50). A gang of English schoolboys are stranded on a desert island in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, but what first seems like adventure soon becomes a battle to survive as the boys take up arms against each other in Peter Brook's excellent adaptation of William Golding’s novel. See Film Index.

OUTSIDE THE CITIES

Activities and Fun

I Children's Drama Workshops Allanton Community Centre. from Thurs 17 Jan. 4—5.30pm. Bellshill Cultural Centre, from 21 Jan. 2—2.30pm. Contact Lorna Pickford. Drama Development Officer. Department of Leisure Services, Civic Centre. Motherwell (01698) 266166 ext 2549. £1.50 a session. Still time to get involved with these drama workshops designed for budding actors and actresses between the ages of 9 and 13. Drama. games. acting. improvisation and most of all fun.

That‘s the wye tae dae it: MacPunch at Scottish Mask and Mt Theatre

The List 27 Jan-9 Feb 1995 75