THEATRE SHOW HANSEL AND GRETEL
Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, until Sun 27 May; Tramway, Glasgow, Thu 31 May-Sat 2 Jun
Like most fairytales, scratch away the surface of Hansel and Gretel and you find something nasty lurking underneath. Edible house aside, the story is filled with fear and adversity - perfect for any theatre company to
get its teeth into.
‘The nuts and bolts of the story are really horrible,‘ says Gill Robertson, artistic director of Catherine Wheels Theatre Company. ‘The children are left for dead by their mum and dad, then they meet a cannibal witch who wants to kill and eat them.’ Robertson was first attracted to the story in 2005, when she was asked to prepare a show for the National Theatre of Scotland launch. Home - East Lothian was a site-specific piece which took the audience on a journey through an
atmospheric forest.
Having won two Scottish Theatre Awards for the
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Glasgow
Activities and Fun
Hitherto Craft Workshop Sat 26 a Sun 27 May 8; Sat 2 8; Sun 3 Jun. 9.30am & l 1am. £3.50. llitherto. McIntyre llogg Building. through 'l‘inderbox. 14/1 Ingram Street. 552 5603. Design and make beautiful. contemporary buttons and badges with the help of llitherto artists. Parents can enjoy a coffee in 'l'inderbox during tlte workshops. Ages 9 13. Call Krista for details and sign-tip.
Saturday Art Club Sat 26 May 8: Sat 2 Jun. 10.30am lptn. liree. (iallery of Modern Art. Royal lixchange Square.
52 THE LIST 94 May / Jun 2001"
show, Robertson felt it was too good to waste on a one-off event. Aimed at ages 8 and over, Hansel and
Gretel is now part of this year’s Bank of Scotland Children’s International Theatre Festival. ‘It just really worked as a story so we wanted to do it again,’ explains Robertson. ‘And we also wanted the opportunity to create it in one big space and be more psychological about it.’
The result is a promenade performance, in which
audiences move around the venue, echoing the emotions of the two children. ‘We take them on an imaginative journey,’ explains Robertson. ‘Where the audience becomes Hansel and Gretel and experience all their fears of being lost and abandoned.’
To stop things getting too serious, Robertson has injected some humour in the form of a rather greedy witch. ‘She’s truly gruesome,’ says Robertson. ‘But we’ve made her funny as well. She’s got a big recipe
book with meals such as “Kids On Toast” in it, and
22‘) 1996. litm art activities for children aged .3 1 1 parents catt get stuck in too. Burrell Family Club Sat 26 May & Sat 2 Jun. 2 4pm. Free. Burrcll Collection. 2060 Pollokshaws Road. 287 2550. Regular fantin drop-in session featuring ftttt activities based on the Burrell‘s collections.
Culloden - the Winner Writes History Sun 27 May. llatn 1pm &
2 4pm. l-‘rce. Kelvingrove Art (iallery & Mtiseutn. Argyle Street. 276 050‘). l‘ind out what happened in Culloden in 1746. as the battle is restaged in miniature at the History Discovery Centre.
Sunday Craft Club Sun 27 May & Sttn 3 Jun. 11am 1pm. liree. (ilasgow MUsettms Resource Centre. 200 \Voodhcad Road. Nitshill. 276 0375. Drop-in craft club with a different theme each week. Ages 5 12.
Back to the Drawing Board Sun 27 May & Stttt 3 Jun. Stilt 11.30am 1pm.
she’s constantly thinking about her belly.’ (Kelly Apter)
2pm & 3.30pm. Free. Mttsettttt of Transport. Kelvin Hall. I Bunhouse Road. 287 2651. l‘un creative workshop.
Pavement Art Sun 27 May. 2 4pm. £1 per pitch. Mtigdock Country Park. ('raigallian Road. Milngavie. 956 6586. l'nleash your artistic talents on the park‘s tarmac by takittg part in the Young Pavement Artists Competition 2007. which has the theme "The Arctic and the Antarctic' this year. lintrants must be aged between 4 and 1‘) years of age. Proceeds to the \lltsctllttt‘
l)y strophy Campaign.
The Knit Parade Tue 2‘) May & Tue 5 Jun. 3.30 4.30pm. 1‘ree (£2.50 starter kits available or brittg your own materials). 'l'heo's Coffee and Play. 380 (ireat Western Rd. 33‘) 917 I. Learn to kttit. share skills and show off your crafty creations at this new weekly aftcrschool meet-up. Kids tnttst be accompanied.
Pirates! All Hands on Deck Mon 4 Jun. 10am & noon. Admission prices apply. (ilasgow Science Centre. 50 Pacific Quay. 0871 540 1000. Follow the adventures of Pink Beard the Pirate and Ratty the Rat aboard the HMS Mermaid at this Science Centre puppet show.
Theatre and Dance
Hansel and Gretel Thu 31 May Sat 2 Jun. Thu 1.30pm & 7.30pm; 1-‘ri 10am 8; 7.30pm: Sat 2.30pm 8; 7.30pm. £8 (£6). 'l'ramway. 25 Albert Drive. 0845 330 3501. Catherine Wheels Theatre Company reinvent the Cirimm Brothers’ tale as a promenade adventure. See preview.
Hotel Marionette Sat 2 Jun. 2pm. £4.75 (£4.25). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre. 8 10 Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 339 6185. A rare marionette performance featuring a grand piano. a pianist with a twist. jugglers and clowns. courtesy of the wonderful Sokobauno Theatre company. Ages 3+. l’url oft/1e Celebration ofliumpeun Folk Puppets festival.
The Wiggles Tue 5 Jun. 1 latn & 2pm. £14. Royal Concert Hall. 2 Sauchiehall Street. 353 8000. Australia's favourite children‘s entertainers return to Scotland with new show 11’igglmluncing.’
Broken Wed 6— Sat 9 Jun. 7.30pm (liri tnat lptn). £6 (£3). 'l’ramway. 25 Albert Drive. 0845 330 3501. New piece from Solar Bear. Scotland’s first deaf youth theatre company. focusing on a group of young people who regttlarly visit a local park.
The Garbage Monster Tue 5 Jun. 7.30pm. £4.75 (£4.25). Scottish Mask attd Puppet Centre. 8 10 Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 33‘) 6185. limploying colourful shadow puppets and traditional instruments. leading Turkish puppeteer. Cengi/ ()zek. tells the story of comic hero Karago/ and what happens to people who throw junk into the sea. Ages 5+ to adult. l’url oft/iv Cele/Hutton all-fumpt'mt I-‘olk Puppets I'i's’lit'ul.
Edinburgh
Activities and Fun
Baby . . . Create! Thu 24 May. Thu 3| May & Thu 7 Jun. 10am 8; 1 1.30am. £5 (£1.50 £2.50). North lidinburgh Arts Centre. Pcnnywell Court. 315 2151. Creative art sessions for toddlers and their carers.
Badger Watch Fri 25 May.
7.30 10pm. £3 (£2). Royal Botanic (iarden. lnverleith Row. 552 7171. Observe the clan of badgers that live in the (iardens and learn about their habitat. For adults and children aged 10+. Wear warnt clothing.
First Impressions: Toulouse Lautrec Sat 26 May. 1 lam & 1pm. £4 (£1.50 £2). North lidinburgh Arts Centre. Pcnnywell Court. 315 2151. Learn about the famous artist and discover how to tnake your own fabulous prints. The first workshop is for ages 3 6 years and the second is for ages 7 12 years.
Connect: Super Science Shows Sat 26 & Sun 27 May. 1 1.45am. 12.45pm. 1.45pm & 3.45pm. Free. National Mtiseum of Scotland. Chambers Street. 247 4422. A revolving series of family science shows: Alex's Ama/ing .-\dventure; l-‘antastic Forces: or Sounds Amazing! Limited places. Ages 5+.
Who Would Fight for Charlie? Sun 27 May. 12.45pm. 1.45pm & 2.45pm. lirce. National Museum of Scotland. Chambers Street. 247 4422. Meet three soldiers frotn the Jacobite uprising.
Big Art Wee Hands Sat 2 Jun. 10am & noon. £4 (£1.50 £2). North lidinburgh Arts Centre. Pcnnywell Court. 315 2151. Have a go at a range of visttal art media. Ages 3 -5 years at 10am and ages 6 8 years at 12pm.