KIDS FILM PREVIEW

The Little Vampire

(U) 95mins

’I play a vegetarian,’ declares thirteen-year-old Rollo Weeks. Nothing extraordinary about that, except that his character, Rudolph, is a vampire. This makes a more promising start to Rudolph's friendship with an American boy (Stuart Little's Jonathan Lipnicki) in a film that sets the two outcasts on a quest to, literally, humanise the vampire's family (which has Richard E. Grant playing a Draculish Dad).

Rollo and his co-star have since become firm friends. ‘Jonathan was great,’ says Rollo. 'He's a brilliant actor and I got to know him really well, so that was good for the film. He's very funny, and he likes skateboarding as much as I do.’

The film was shot in Edinburgh and Germany, and you may well have already seen the two, or even been knocked down by them, outside the Sheraton Hotel on Lothian Road. The skateboarding spilled more blood than the low-gore film, in a shoot that was plagued with accidents. 'Jonathan got a nasty gash, and the stunt man broke his arm and had to have bolts put in,’ says Rollo. ‘And his son cut his chin open. Even my sister broke her finger during the filming.’

Not that Rollo needed the injuries; he had to look like he'd been dead for a few hundred years and was plastered in make-up accordingly. 'When I came back to school, I had shaved eyebrows and long black hair.’ It was the only way his teachers realised he wasn't playing hooky. "They just think I do a couple of auditions, go up to London and then skive off school.’

With forthcoming roles alongside Steven Berkoff as a young Attila the Hun, and a possible role as Malfoy in Harry Potter, it’s likely his teachers will soon be letting him off the hook. (Judith Ho)

General release from Fri 73 Oct. See Film listings for showings.

Film

Chicken Run (U) Sun 8 & Mon 9 Oct

1 lam. and A Monkey‘s Tale Wed 11 Oct 11am. £1.50. MacRobert, University of

i Stirling. Stirling. 01786 461081. See

Arty, Crafty Wildlife Wed 1 1 Oct, i 10am. Free. Calderglen Country Park, Strathaven Road, East Kilbride, 01355 236644. Ages 8—12. Make an action

frog or a badger mask and learn about

wildlife. Advance booking re uired. Film Index. The Well 0' The World's En Mon . l6—Fri 20 ()ct, 10.30am—4pm. £30 ' MUSIC

(£15). Harbour Arts Centre. 114—116 Harbour Street. Irvine. (11294 274059. Advance booking required. Ages 8—12. John and Gemma discover an old Celtic brooch which takes them on a journey back in time. The tale and the theme of Scottish mythology forms the basis of a week of drama and arts.

October Holidays At Culzean Tue 17—Thu 19 Oct, 10am—noon. £3.50—£6.50 (£2.40—£4.40). Culzean Country Park, Maybole. 01655 884400. Fun for the school holidays with Canopy (Wed) and Tidal (Thu). Puppet Making Tue 17 Oct, 1—3pm. Muirshiel Centre. Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, Lochwinnoch, 01505 842803. Design and make your own puppet using some of nature ‘s materials.

Children's Half-term Fun Day Tue 17 Oct. Falkland Palace. Falkland, Fife, 01337 857397. Time for a fun history lesson now that school‘s over dress up in period costume, write with a quill pen and try out tile painting. Bring a packed lunch.

Dance Explosion Roadshow Thu 19 Oct, 11am—4pm. £5. Rothes Halls, Rothes Square, Glenrothes, 01592

61 1 101. Ages 12+. Andy Howitt from Scottish Youth Dance takes this Streetdance/Capoeira workshop, sharing his enthusiasm for one of the most exciting movement styles around. Vikingar! Thu 19 Oct. Free. Vikingar, Barrfields, Greenock Road, Largs, 01475 689777. Afternoon display with a Viking theme plus children’s games, cooking utensils and armour.

Dream Concerts - S Club Heaven 8: Genie Wed 18 Oct, 7pm. £7.50 (£6). Gaiety Theatre. Carrick Street, Ayr, 01292 611222. Boogie on down to the tribute sounds of S Club 7 and Christina Aguilera.

Theatre

3 The International Purves Puppets Biggar Puppet Theatre, Broughton Road, 01899 220631. £5 (£4); family tickets £23 & £36. Book in advance as times are subject to change. Reductions for parties of five or more. Shows on offer over the

next two weeks are:

Sinbad The Sailor Sat 7 Oct, Tue 17 Oct & Wed 18 Oct 2pm. Scheherazade lives to regret waking up the Sultan so she tells him the story of Sinbad the Sailor to send

, him off to sleep.

; Pips And Panda Meet The Tooth-Fairy

Sat 14 Oct, Mon 16 Oct 6’; Thu 19 Oct.

2pm. For children under 7. Cheeky monkey Pips and silly old Panda embark

on another adventure when Panda loses

his first tooth.

Go Wild With The Happy Gang Sat 7

Oct, 2.30pm. £5; family ticket £19.

Motherwell Theatre, Civic Centre,

Windmillhill Street. Motherwell, ()1698

267515. Ang up to 9. See Edinburgh.

Red Sat 7 Oct, 3pm. Wynd Theatre,

Buccleuch Street, Melrose, 01896

823854. See Glasgow.

The Singing Kettle Homemade Band

Show Sat 7—Sun 8 Oct, noon 8; 3pm. £9

(£7); family ticket £25. Gaiety Theatre,

Carrick Street.Ayr, 01292611222. Bring

along your own piece of home-made

percussion and join Cilla, Artie. Gary and

Jane for their Homemade Band show.

Labyrinth Sat 7 Oct, llam & 2pm. £2.50. MacRobert, University of Stirling, Stirling, 01786 461081. Ages 5+. Wee Stories award-winning show based on the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.

The Singing Kettle Homemade Band Show Thu 12 & Fri 13 Oct, Thu 1pm & 4pm; Fri 11am & 2pm. £9 (£7); family ticket £25. Falkirk Town Hall, West Bridge Street, Falkirk, 01324 506850. See Ayr above.

Le Chat Noir Fri 13 & Sat 14 Oct, £7.50 (£5). Wynd Theatre, Buccleuch Street, Melrose, 01896 823854. Masks, puppets and live music are employed by Theatre Sans Frontieres for a magical Breton folk tale. Performed in French for ages 8+. Go Wild With The Happy Gang Sat 14 Oct, 2pm. £5.50 (£4.50); four seats for £18. Adam Smith Theatre, Bennochy Road, Kirkcaldy, 01592 412929. See Edinburgh.

Red Sat 14 Oct, 11am & 1pm. £4 (£2). Paisley Arts Centre, New Street, Paisley, 887 1010. See Glasgow.

Pinocchio Mon l6—Tue 17 Oct, 1pm & 3.30pm. £5 (£3.50); family ticket £14. Palace Theatre, 9 Green Street, Kilmarnock, 01563 523590. Applause Productions present a colourful version of the classic tale, complete with songs and audience participation.

Red Mon 16 Oct, 2pm. £4 (£3). Rothes Halls, Rothes Square, Glenrothes, 01592 611101. See Glasgow.

The Snow Goose Tue 17 Oct, 2pm. Eastwood Theatre, Eastwood Park, Rouken Glen Road, Giffnock, 577 4970. Ages 7—1 1. The Edinburgh Puppet Company adapt Paul Gallico’s, The Snow Goose.

Journey To The Centre Of The Earth Tue 17 Oct, 2pm. £4 (£3). Rothes Halls, Rothes Square, Glenrothes, 01592 611101. See Glasgow.

listings KIDS

The Snow Goose Wed 18 Oct, 2pm. £3.50 (£2.50); four tickets for £10. Adam Smith Theatre, Bennochy Road, Kirkcaldy, 01592 412929. Ages 7-11. The Edinburgh Puppet Company adapt Paul Gallico’s, The Snow Goose.

The Mamas And The Papas Wed 18 Oct, 1pm. £4 (£2). Paisley Arts Centre, New Street, Paisley, 887 1010. Suitable for under 5s. Harry refuses to wash, but things change when he enters a parallel universe in which he becomes a grown- up and his mum a little girl.

60 Wild With The Happy Gang Wed 18 Oct, 2.30pm. £5; family ticket £18. Vikingar Theatre, Greenock Road, Largs, 01475 689777. See Edinbur h. Colin And Auntie Gail‘s Magic Sfiow Wed 18 Oct, 2pm. £4 (£3). Rothes Halls, Rothes Square, Glenrothes, ()1592 611101. Ages 4+. Magic show featuring Holly and Tristan the magical dachshunds.

Labyrinth Thu 19 Oct, 2pm. £3.50 (£2.50); four for £10. Adam Smith Theatre, Bennochy Road, Kirkcaldy, 01592 412929. Ages 5+. Wee Stories award-winning show based on the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.

Go Wild With The Happy Gang Thu 19 Oct, 2.30pm. £5; family ticket £18. Magnum Theatre, Harbourside, Irvine, 01294 278381. See Edinburgh.

The Snow Goose Thu 19 Oct, 11am & 1pm. £4 (£2). Paisley Arts Centre, New Street, Paisley, 887 1010. Ages 7—1 1. The Edinburgh Puppet Company adapt Paul Gallico’s, The Snow Goose.

Exhibition

Touchy, Feely, Squashy! Until Sun 10 Dec. Free. Low Parks, 129 Muir Street, Hamilton, 01698 328232. An interactive exhibition of soft, large-scale sculptures by Jan Niedojadlo.

Wee Stories Presents

$58 .

O by Andy

A

- _ J

MUSICAL COMEDY FOR FAMILIES

“THE EMPEROR’S new CLOTHES” Friday 13th October at 7pm Tickets: £5 all seats

(adults at kids prices!)

“Fantastic musical comedy”

0131 248 4848 Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street

69%" 6

Wee stories

Cannon & Iain Johnstone.

TARTAN

adapted from

- The Scotsman

Box Office:

5—19 Oct 2000 THE LIST 91