Kids
Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least 16 days before publication to kids@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Laura Ennor. Indicates Hitlist entry GLASGOW
Activities & Fun FREE A Pirate’s Life for Me Fri 22 & Sat 23 Jun, 10.15am (ages 18mths+) & 11am (ages 2 1/2+). Hillhead Library, 348 Byres Road, 339 7223. Movement, music and a storytelling session for under 5s. Email lisa@pyjamadrama.com to book. Part of the West End Festival. FREE A Pirate’s Life for Me Sat 23 Jun, 2pm (ages 18mths+) & 2.45pm (ages 2 1/2+). The Grosvenor Café, The Grosvenor Theatre, Ashton Lane, 0845 166 6028. See above. FREE World of Steam Sat 23 Jun, 1–3pm. Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, 200 Woodhead Road, South Nitshill Industrial Estate, 276 9300. Explore the use of steam throughout history. Ages 7+. FREE Family Fun: Spots vs Stripes Sat 23 Jun, 2pm. Partick Library, 305 Dumbarton Road, 276 1560. Putting, skittles and giant Jenga. WEF. FREE Archaeology Uncovered Sat 30 Jun, 11am–1pm. Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, 200 Woodhead Road, South Nitshill Industrial Estate, 276 9300. Archaeological activities. Ages 7+. FREE Farm Craft and Shearing Day Sat 30 Jun, noon–3.30pm. Tollcross Children’s Farm, Wellshot Road, 763 1863. Sheep shearing demonstrations and crafts. FREE Fresh Faced Sat 30 Jun, 5–10pm. Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, 0845 330 3501. Arts by and for young people. Junction 25 performs, you can explore the NTS’s production of Macbeth and check
out the new publication by participants in the Young Critics workshops. Kick Start Summer School Mon 2–Fri 6 Jul, 10am–3pm. £90 for full week. Dance HQ, 411 White Studios, Templeton on the Green, Templeton Street, 556 0039. Exploring a host of dance styles through games and activities. Ages 5–16. FREE Wild in the City Wed 4 & 11 Jul, 11am–3pm. The Orchard, Gorbals, zestweb.org. Ranger-led games. Fresh Faced Summer School: Moving Image and Digital Art Mon 9–Fri 13 Jul, 10am–4pm. £70 for full week. Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, 0845 330 3501. Make your work more dynamic through editing programmes. Ages 12–16. FREE On Your Marks Summer Club Mon 9–Fri 13 Jul, 6.30pm. Partick South Parish Church, 259 Dumbarton Road, 339 8816. Friendly club. Ages 5–10. FREE Highland Hop Wed 11 Jul, 1.30pm. Pollok Country Park, Pollokshaws Road, 276 0924. Learn about the life of the park’s Highland cattle. Wellies essential. Cool Science Sat 14–Mon 16 Jul, 10am–5pm. Included in admission price. Glasgow Science Centre, 50 Pacific Quay, 420 5000. World champion bobsledder Gillian Cook, alongside Glasgow Parkour experts, and you can have a go at summer skiing on real snow. FREE Butterfly Bonanza Sat 14 Jul, 1pm. Robroyston Park, Robroyston, 276 0931. Learn about the delicate winged creatures. Fresh Faced Summer School: 3-D Work Mon 16–Fri 20 Jul, 10am–4pm. £70 for full week. Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, 0845 330 3501. Workshop on three-dimensional art. Ages 12–16. Music The Singing Kettle: Shake, Rattle and Roll Thu 5 & Fri 6 Jul, 2pm. £12.50
(family £46). City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. Join Cilla, Artie, Gary and Kevin to make a right old racket. Theatre & Dance Zippo’s Circus: Gold Tue 26 Jun 7.30pm; Wed 27–Fri 29 Jun 5pm & 7.30pm; Sat 30 Jun 3pm & 6pm; Sun 1 Jul 3pm. £8–£22 (children £6–£16). Victoria Park, Victoria Park Drive, Whiteinch, 0871 210 2100. The circus’s best performers. Hairy MacLary & Friends Wed 4 Jul, 1.30pm & 4pm. £9 (£7; family £28). Eastwood Park Theatre, Eastwood Park, Rouken Glen Road, Giffnock, 577 4970. Musical for those aged 3+. Mickey’s Magic Show Wed 11 Jul 4pm; Thu 12, Fri 13 & Sun 15 Jul 1pm & 4pm; Sat 14 Jul 11am, 2pm & 5pm. £21.85–£23.85. Braehead Arena, Kings Inch Road, 0844 499 1700. Spellbinding scenes from Disney classics. Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt Wed 18 & Thu 19 Jul, 10am, 1pm & 4pm. £12.50–£18. King’s Theatre, 297 Bath Street, 0844 871 7648. See panel.
EDINBURGH Activities & Fun FREE Street Arts Thursdays 21 Jun– 19 Jul, 7pm. WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove, 458 3267. Work with artists, musicians, photographers and dancers. Ages 10–19. Wiggle & Giggle Sat 23 Jun, 9.30am. £3.50 per session. Thomas Morton Hall, Ferry Road, Leith, 225 5525. Move it! Saturday Dance Sat 23 Jun, 10am. £0.50. North Edinburgh Arts Centre, 15a
Pennywell Court, 315 2151. Hip hop, pop and contemporary dance for ages 8–12. Rugrat Rumpus Sat 23 Jun, 10am. £4 per session. Dance Base, 14–16 Grassmarket, 225 5525. Music, props and movement. Go Wild in the Woods Sat 23 Jun, 10.30am. £4. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. Get to grips with nature and create a shelter. Creative Dance Sat 23 Jun, 11am. £4 per session. Dance Base, 14–16 Grassmarket, 225 5525. Co-ordination and balance skills. Ages 2–5. FREE Drop in Drawing Session Sat 23 Jun, 2pm. City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3993. Get creative. National Insect Week Mon 25 Jun–Sun 1 Jul, 9am–6pm. Included in admission. Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 334 9171. Creepy crawly crafts. FREE Music Makers Wed 27 Jun, 4pm. WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove, 458 3267. Sing, play, write songs, DJ and record. Magic School Sat 30 Jun & Sun 1 Jul, 10am & 1.30pm. £15. Scottish Book Trust, Sandeman House, Trunks Close, 55 High Street, 473 2000. Learn tricks to impress your friends. Ages 7–10. Part of Edinburgh International Magic Festival. FREE Mrs Doig’s City of Genius Sat 30 Jun, 11am, noon, 2pm & 3pm. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street, 624 6200. Mrs Doig opens the lid on the dirty laundry of the Enlightenment. Living history for ages 4–12. Pirate’s Treasure Challenge Sat 30 Jun, 10.30am–12.30pm. £4. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. A search for pieces of eight.
STAGE SHOW PEPPA PIG’S TREASURE HUNT Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Wed 4 & Thu 5 Jul; King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 18 & Thu 19 Jul
What links a small pink pig loved by pre-schoolers, a tea-swilling monkey and the entire British Cabinet made of latex? The answer is Nigel Plaskitt, a man who has worked on Spitting Image, operated the PG Tips monkey, and is currently the go-to guy for Peppa Pig’s transition from small screen to stage.
Working as the puppetry consultant for Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt, the
follow-up to the hugely successful theatre show, Peppa Pig’s Party, Plaskitt has been drawing on the skills amassed over an impressively varied career. ‘Little things from everything I’ve done in the past go into everything I do in the future,’ he says. ‘Because you just carry on learning. When I worked on Avenue Q, I started developing the same style of puppeteering we use in Peppa Pig now. And at Spitting Image I learned that slightly off-the-wall sense of humour, which doesn’t necessarily come through in Peppa Pig, but it’s in there somewhere.’
Since first appearing on Channel 5 in 2004, young Peppa and her family
have snuffled their way into the hearts of under 5s across the world. So the opportunity to see their heroine in 3D at a local theatre was always going to be a big draw. That said, not everybody lives up to expectations. What is the Peppa team getting so right?
‘I think first of all you have to start with a really good TV show,’ says Plaskitt, ‘and this one is so beautifully written and simple. Then Richard Lewis, the writer and director of the stage show, has taken the programme and recreated it in the theatre. Paul Jomain has done a great job turning two dimensional drawings into 3D puppets, which isn’t easy. Then I spent a lot of time with the cast, helping them to really get expression from the puppets, rather than just open and shut their mouths. And this cast really understands what works and what doesn’t, and they’ve done a really good job.’ (Kelly Apter)
82 THE LIST 21 Jun–19 Jul 2012