Are some people on your Christmas list proving a little tricky? Do they already have all the stuff they’ll ever need – and nowhere left to put any more? Are they like the lady I overheard in a Morningside charity shop this week, who had to start decluttering ‘or I think the house will actually fall down’?
If you’ve got someone like this to buy for, why not treat them to a night out – or even several nights out – instead? The King’s and Festival Theatres have a great range of productions coming up, from this year’s Christmas panto and ballet specials to murder mysteries, musicals, comedy nights, opera, film festivals and the James Plays – which sold out at the Edinburgh International Festival and the National Theatre.
The King’s Theatre always does a great pantomime, and this year it’s Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Off To Snow White We Go, as Allan Stewart, Andy Gray and Grant Stott bring you the story of why you should never trust a red apple. Or maybe you should – a prince might come in handy to do the washing up. Meanwhile, over at the Festival Theatre, there’s another story of a downtrodden maiden as Scottish Ballet performs the European premiere of Christopher Hampson’s Cinderella.
And if by January you’ve had enough fairy stories, King’s can offer you Scottish Opera’s new production of The Devil Inside (based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Bottle Imp, ‘a tale of greed and compulsion’, dramatised by Louise Welsh with music by Stuart MacRae) while in February the company is at the Festival Theatre with Harry Fehr and Yannis Thavoris’s production of Handel’s Ariodante.
Earlier in February, King’s turns to all things thrilling with productions of Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced and Peter James’s The Perfect Murder. And if musicals are as much your thing as they are mine, look no further than the Festival Theatre for Footloose, Tom (Jones, that is – who else?), Thriller Live, Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Not to be outdone, the King’s is staging Jackie, The Musical – for women of a certain age (ie me) this is surely a must-see; all those school lunch breaks poring over articles about grapefruit diets and David Cassidy’s favourite yoghurt will come flooding back. (It was hazelnut, since you ask, I knew enough to make him happy…)
Both theatres have a strong tradition of hosting Edinburgh’s excellent amateur dramatics and next spring is no exception, with EDGAS sailing along in The Gondoliers, The Bohemians going Legally Blonde and Southern Light Opera taking us over that rainbow with Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.
Tickets for all of these shows are on sale now from the Box Offices at the King’s Theatre, 2 Leven Street and the Festival Theatre, 13/29 Nicolson Street (or call 0131 529 6000 for either venue); you can also book online here.
If you still can’t decide what your challenging recipients would prefer, you can solve the problem by giving them Festival & King’s Theatre Gift Vouchers, which are valid for 24 months and can be exchanged for tickets for any show at either venue (except Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe Festival events).
And if you know someone who’s a ‘frequent flyer’, here’s another idea – money may not be able to buy love, but theatrical friendship is more readily available – Friends Memberships start at just £36 per year, and entitle you to discounted (and sometimes free) tickets, 20% off in the theatre bars, discounts in certain local bars and cafes, and priority booking for most shows.
So if you don’t want to be a party to your friend’s house collapsing, get in touch with the Festival and King’s Theatres now and get the gift that needs no wrapping paper – another bonus!
