Listings Mon 27 Nov – Sun 3 Dec 2023
What’s on Edinburgh’s stages this week?
Well here we are, well and truly stuck into prime Panto season, with nothing but The Prime of Miss Jean Brody at the Church Hill Theatre (Wed – Sat, tickets) to keep us focussed.
Well, there is also Guy Masterson, appearing outside the Fringe, with his one-man reading of A Christmas Carol (Mon – Fri tickets) at the Assembly Roxy. It’s a “splendidly seasonal” four star production according to our reviewer, and it is certainly a big treat to see both Masterson in his pomp and a reading that goes back to Dickins’ performance text for his own money-spinning tours.
The Snow Queen, at the Lyceum. Samuel Pashby as Corby, Richard Conlon as Hamish the Unicorn and Rosie Graham as Gerda. Pic: Jess Shurte.
Very much looking forward to what Leitheatre make of Muriel Spark’s iconic Edinburgh novel. They’ve been making the most of it with social media posts of Miss Brodie leading her Set up and down the wynds mentioned in the novel. Even though the air is somewhat cleaner than it was in the 1930s – although the stench of the rise of Fascism is once evident to give an added relevance.
And so to the pantomimes and Christmas shows proper.
First out of the blocks is Morna Young’s updating of The Snow Queen at the Lyceum (running to Sun 31 Dec, tickets). It was another four star “epic” review from out critic and it is certainly has that feel about it.
There is maybe a bit too much of a feel of tinkering at the edges about its use of Scottish myth, but it is truly splendid to see Scotland’s national animal embodied in Richard Conlon’s Hamish the Unicorn, bedecked in shimmering pink and apparently capable of excreting rainbows. Simply fabulous.
The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan
Then we have the biggie. The King’s Panto – at the Festival theatre of course while the King’s is being refurbished. The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan (running to Sun 31 Dec, tickets) is a sort of Pan Two: Wendy’s Return, which does away with half the characters as Wendy returns to Neverland to help Peter save the magic waterfall – from whence comes all the fairy dust.
Which is about as much as you get of both Pan and Wendy, in a show that excels in putting its main stars at the front and centre while just (only just) keeping any semblance of plot in place.
Suffice it to say: Messrs Stott, Stewart and Young are superb. Grant Stott makes a commanding baddy, his Hook dominating the whole show in a way that will be quite extraordinary for those who remember his rise and rise in the pantosphere. Allan Stewart is less used as Aunty May McSmee, but watching him work an audience is a treat in itself – while the pair’s on stage rapport is thing of wonder.
Jordan Young as Smee is no longer a Johnny-Come-Lately, making the Silly Billy role his own. He has stepped up in energy this year and knows how to flourish a strong lavatorial joke in a way that will totally endear him to puerile at heart.
Hansel & Gretel
First of the amateur companies out on the panto beat is St Serf’s Players with Hansel & Gretel (Wed – Sat, tickets) who are once again teaming up with the youngsters of The Trinity Theatre Company up at Inverleith St Serf’s Church Centre.
It’s a pairing which has served well in recent years and we are looking forward to finding out what they make of Norman Robbins’ off-the-peg script, which has all the requisite fun, routines and laughter, with a wicked witch (but not too wicked!) and with good winning over evil. The question will be how much of a local feel they can give the story as the Forest Fairy and Attrocia the Witch battle for the villagers of Pumpernickel.
The students of the EUTC at the Bedlam Theatre are also on the panto tip, with their own script of Monty Panto and the 12-ish Labours (Wed – Sat, tickets). Quite know what to make a plot set in 1BC, with the gods on high watching the Nativity and the villagers are elated at the prospects of the future.
“Unfortunately, someone isn’t happy, and maybe, sort of well, entirely annihilates the Nativity. The blame lands on Hercules, the most extraordinary hero of the Grecian era, who is tasked with 12-(ish) labours. Can he complete his missions, and restore peace to the world?” Sounds, well, interesting and we are looking forward to a juicy report back of events from the frozen depths of the Bedlam.
Ginger
Elsewhere, Tortoise in a Nutshell have their tiny show for tiny people Ginger at the Heart of Newhaven Community building (Fri/Sat, email: emma@tortoiseinanutshell.com for tickets). The genre-bending, multi-form storytelling show about extinction and disappearance Ghosts of the Near Future returns to the Studio (Fri, tickets).
At Summerhall, Adrenalism have an extra date to A Very Crypto Christmas, (Fri-Sun, tickets), in which middling corporate hacks Warren and Stew present a christmas theatre show that is part business edu-tainment session, part investment seminar but fully doomed to fail.
And of course, at the Waldorf Astoria, Kevin Quantum continues his Saturday residency with Edinburgh Magic (Sat, tickets), an hour of magic that’s fooled some of the most brilliant and creative people ever to have lived, often times with strong links to Edinburgh and Scotland.
Listings for week ending Sunday 3 December 2023:
Click on the name of the show or the Book here link to go to its ticketing site:
Assembly Roxy
2 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU
A Christmas Carol (Guy Masterson)
Mon 27 Nov – Fri 1 Dec 2023. Evenings: 7.30pm. (Upstairs)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Splendidly seasonal.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Bedlam Theatre
11B Bristo Place, EH1 1EZ.
Monty Panto and the 12-ish Labours (EUTC)
Wed 29 Nov – Sat 2 Dec 2023.
Evenings: 7.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Church Hill Theatre
33 Morningside Road, EH10 4DR.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Leitheatre)
Wed 29 Nov – Sat 2 Dec 2023.
Wed – Fri: 7.30pm; Sat mat: 2.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Festival Theatre
13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000.
The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan
Sat 25 Nov – Sun 31 Dec 2023
Tue – Sat: 2pm & 7 pm. Sun: 1pm & 5pm.
No mats: Dec 5, 6, 7, 13. No evening perf: Dec 14
Tickets and details: Book here.
Heart of Newhaven Community building
4-6 Main Street, Newhaven, Edinburgh EH6 4HY.
Ginger (Tortoise in a Nutshell)
Fri 1/Sat 2 Dec 2023
Two shows: 10.30am & 1.45pm.
Email: emma@tortoiseinanutshell.com (“Pay what you think” performance)
Inverleith St Serf’s Church Centre
1a Clark Road, EH5 3BD.
Hansel & Gretel (St Serf’s Players with The Trinity Theatre Company)
Wed 29 Nov – Sat 2 Dec 2023
Wed-Fri: 7.30pm; Sat: 2pm & 6.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Lyceum Theatre
Grindlay Street EH3 9AX. Phone booking: 0131 248 4848.
The Snow Queen
Thurs 23 Nov to Sun 31 Dec 2023
Tue – Sat: 7pm; Mats Sat: 2pm; Sun: 1pm & 6pm.
Æ review: ★★★★☆ Epic
Tickets and details: Book here.
Studio Theatre
The Studio, 22 Potterrow, EH8 9BL. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000.
Ghosts of the Near Future
Fri 1 Dec 2023
One show: 7.30pm.
Æ Review: ★★★☆☆ Thoughtful
Tickets and details: Book here
Summerhall
1 Summerhall, EH9 1PL.
A Very Crypto Christmas (Adrenalism)
Fri 1 – Sun 3 Dec 2023
Evenings: 7pm (Techcube 0)
Tickets and details: Book here.
Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh, the Caledonian
Princes Street, EH1 2AB.
Edinburgh Magic
Sats 2, 9, 16 & Weds 20 Dec 2023
Saturday evenings: 6pm & 8.30pm (Versailles Suite)
Æ Review: ★★★★☆ Rosy
Tickets and details: Book here.
ENDS
