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Events
This EVENTS section provides detailed descriptions of all performances, workshops and film screenings, their length, the ages for which they are intended and the areas where they take place
When you have found an event you want to attend download the 2006 Festival Brochure. There you will find dates, times, addresses, ticket information and contact details
All venues have disabled access and toilet facilities unless otherwise stated.
| FESTIVAL LOCATIONS |
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Scottish Borders
Dumfries & Galloway
East Lothian
Midlothian
West Lothian
Edinburgh
South Lanarkshire
North Ayrshire
East Ayrshire
Glasgow
Inverclyde
Renfrewshire
East Dunbartonshire
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Fife
Falkirk
Stirling
Perth & Kinross
Dundee
Angus
Argyll & Bute
Orkney
Highlands
Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire
Moray
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A classic story told with a difference! Favourite characters abound: an adventurous Red Riding Hood; an independent Granny, home at last from her trip around the world; and of course the wonderful, wicked Wolf, who is so hungry he could eat almost anything! Find out how Red Riding Hood’s magic purse saves the day in this delightful new show from one of Scotland’s leading companies.
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Come with the little grey Duckling on his journey to find his family inthis gentle adaptation of the famous tale. A soft sculpture set creates a world of play that becomes a cottage, a river and the countryside for a magical adaptation of this well known Hans Christian Andersen story. A combination of tabletop puppetry and storytelling bring this gentle, poignant story to life
Edinburgh, Glasgow, South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, Fife, Dundee, Perth & Kinross, Falkirk, Angus, Aberdeenshire
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See the story of the Sleeping Beauty (Briar Rose) unfold around a magical round tower. With help from the busy Gardener, hear how the evil Fairy of Winter places a curse on Rose, who then falls into a deep sleep for 100 years. Who will ever be able to wake her up? A handsome Prince perhaps?
A beautiful set, the hilarious king and queen, simple and direct storytelling and an original medieval-style soundtrack combine to retell this classic tale by one of Scotland’s leading companies.
| Dumfries & Galloway, East Lothian, Edinburgh, North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, Angus, Argyll & Bute |
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Take one castle, one broom and one book of sorcery, add a boy with a tingle of magic in his fingertips and a spell that spirals out of control... and you have this classic tale about how a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing! Garlic Theatre conjures up a bewitching tale, full of mystery and enchantment, with a stylish blend of physical theatre, humour and technical wizardry Puppets, mime and a dash of real magic will leave children enthralled. Garlic Theatre is an award-winning English company whose innovative productions have delighted family audiences in the UK and around the world.
| Scottish Borders, Fife, Stirling, Highlands, Aberdeenshire |
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Have you ever dreamed of having wings? Follow the wacky adventure of Professor Bix Horn as he flies by the seat of his pants and tries to build a flying machine out of the most unlikely things. Soaring above is a Harpy Bird who steals his most precious possession - how will he get it back? Sit back and enjoy the ride as Garlic Theatre take you on the hair-brained journey of a lifetime...with beautifully crafted puppets, a bowler hat and a trumpet, Garlic Theatre once again inspires and entertains with panache and award-winning style
| East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Fife, Perth & Kinross, Argyll & Bute, Highlands |
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Enjoy this tale of a cool jazzy mouse, a sophisticated French musician who has played with all the greats, a giant music stave where all the notes hang out, and a naughty note who won’t stay in tune – all living inside the piano of the most boring music teacher in the world. What is more important – getting the notes right, or knowing how to have a good time playing music? And can Jazz Mouse help the niece of the most boring piano teacher in the world rediscover the fun in music?
| Renfrewshire, Fife, Angus, Highlands |
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It’s winter in Dragonland and all the dragons are staying inside their caves and out of the cold. However one small mischievious dragon ventures out into the white and wintry world outside, where she meets the wild North Wind and the majestic Ice Wizard. With a feast of sparkling colour and music, Sylvia Troon’s Kenspeckle Puppets draw young audiences into another of her magical tales - child and dragon friendly!
| North Ayrshire, Fife, Glasgow, South Lanarkshire, Falkirk, Argyll & Bute, |
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What’s in the box? A strange and weird thing? Something terrible, or a thing of beauty? Storyteller Peter Grimm opens the box to find the ‘Thing’ that takes him on an unusual journey which weaves it’s way through a medley of well known Brother’s Grimm Tales, finally to unlock and free all traditional stories. A truly original story told with puppets, storytelling and live music. A tale full of fun, inspiration and delight for all the family.
| Midlothian, Angus, Argyll & Bute, Highlands |
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Major Mustard's Travelling Show Length 50 minutes Ages 3 years +
In this unusual and delightful version of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, Major Mustard and the audience call all on their skills of song and story to cure the Duckling’s sadness. Major Mustard’s Travelling Show has been presenting shows for all the family in his unique style, using puppetry, music and storytelling, throughout the UK and beyond since 1975
| South Lanarkshire, Argyll & Bute |
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The Sheriff of Nottingham is plotting the downfall of Robin Hood. Will he escape or will the evil trap succeed? And who will eat Friar Tuck’s pork pies? Come and enjoy Major Mustard’s rousing and funny adaptation of the classic story of Robin Hood and his outlaws, and their adventures and struggles with the Sheriff and the evil Guy of Guisborne. Robin will need your help to succeed!
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Join Explorer Jill on an epic adventure around our amazing planet! Experience stories from the many continents on a giant map of the world (about the size of a double-decker bus!) in a show that combines storytelling, puppetry of all shapes and sizes and one very large snake! ‘Explorer Jill and the Amazing Story Map’ is a fun and unique way to discover the traditions and magic of cultures from all around the world
| Renfrewshire, Glasgow, South Lanarkshire, Fife, Highlands |
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In 1307, Scotland lies defeated and Robert the Bruce is hiding from the English.... Answering a call for help, Oscar the Mouse leaves his attic home and heads for Loch Ness where he finds Incy Wincy Spider among the ruins of an old castle. Mysteriously swept back in time, Oscar joins Incy’s campaign to free the castle from English rule and restore Scotland’s independence! Using a blend of ultraviolet technology and traditional shadow puppetry, together with up-beat music, Mousetale Puppets brings to life one of Scotland’s most evocative folktales with its own unique and colourful style
| Edinburgh, Dundee, Fife, Glasgow, Perth & Kinross, East Dunbartonshire |
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Collodi’s classic story of Pinocchio is brought to life in this unique production using masks and puppets inspired by oriental traditions. Follow the life and adventures of Pinocchio, from his creation in Geppetto’s workshop, his being led astray by the Fox and the Cat, his life in the circus, to his ultimate reunion with his father in the stomach of a shark! This stylish version by one of England’s most well known companies has been enjoyed by audiences all over the world
| East Lothian, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Angus |
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Willie is an outrageous but lovable rogue, whose interests include food, motorbikes and rock ‘n’ roll. He plans to eat Granny and Red Riding Hood but fails miserably because of his unreliable motorbike. Luckily Granny is a good mechanic. Unluckily she is not a good driver...How will it end? Happily of course, if the audience helps! A riotous and funny show which breathes wild new life into the seaside booth style of puppetry, which everyone will love and enjoy.
| Scottish Borders, Midlothian, Edinburgh, South Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Perth & Kinross |
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Out in the woods grows a little fir tree. It grows in a good place, where it has plenty of sun and fresh air. Around it stands many tall friends, both fir trees and pines. However the little fir tree is not happy - he wants to grow tall and as fast as possible. This charming and beautiful adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen story, told by one of Germany’s leading shadow theatre companies, shows us not only to look into the future and dream of what might come, but also to enjoy the beauty and wonder around us in the present and every day
Performed in English
| East Lothian, South Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Fife, Angus, Aberdeenshire |
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Puppet Lab Length Whole Day Ages 4 years +

Puppet Lab has created this production and accompanying workshop in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Borders Forestry Commission. A 45minute performance of Forest Creatures introduces characters from our Scottish Forests and highlights important issues about the environment and nature. This is followed by a short question and answer session with the puppeteers. For the rest of the day, the puppeteers lead a workshop in which the participants construct puppets (which they keep) and then create a series of simple performances dramatising the themes discussed
| East Lothian, Midlothian, Edinburgh, Highlands |
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A magical, comical,and multi-sensory adaptation of Jean Giono’s well-loved environmental story. Accompanied by his faithful dog, a French shepherd sets out to plant a forest and revive a barren and desolate land. Hear the wind, feel the rain and smell the lavender growing on the mountainside in this memorable blend of comedy, puppetry and inspired storytelling that has already enjoyed great success with audiences throughout Scotland
| Scottish Borders, Edinburgh, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, Fife, Argyll & Bute, Highlands, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray |
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A great panto for all the family. Did you know that Cinderella had a little mouse called Timothy? And that the two silly Ugly Sisters had a nasty cat called Cornelius? Oh yes they did! And there are plenty more surprises in store with our magical version of everyone's favourite story. 90 mins (including 15m Interval) Purves Puppets are a world renowned company celebrating 37 Years in Puppetry! Large-scale puppets move around the stage in ultraviolet light,a truly spectacular show!
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“Help, help” - everyday is a bad hair day for Cinderella, until a glamorous lady fills her handbag with magic! This classic fairy tale is beautifully reimagined by Shona Reppe in a highly visual award-winning production, with secret hatches, hidden drawers and a handbag full of MAGIC! Traditional and contemporary puppet styles combine with quirky music and Shona’s own charm and wit to create a joyous and memorable show for all ages
| Scottish Borders, West Lothian, East Ayrshire, Edinburgh, North Ayrshire, Glasgow, Stirling, Highlands, Aberdeen |
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Hatched with half the body but twice the pride of his brothers and sisters, the curious Half-Chick hops off to see the King of Spain. On his journey he meets Fire, Wind and Water - but will he ever meet His Majesty? Based on a traditional Spanish tale, this stylish and atmospheric show also tells the story of a King who wants to touch the moon, and Aesop’s fable of the Wind and the Sun. Storybox Theatre, one of the UK’s best known and most respected puppetry companies, returns to the Festival with another of its beautifully created productions
| East Lothian, Edinburgh, Stirling, Argyll & Bute, Aberdeen |
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This well loved story is presented with warmth, gentle humour and the great skill of one of Europe’s leading puppeteers. His technique seems so simple: objects cut from cardboard - trees, Peter’s house, the fierce wolf, the beautiful lake - all animated with small hand-held lights. We walk with Peter through his garden and alongside the Duck as she waddles towards the water, we creep with the Cat as he moves stealthily through the grass. These images are extraordinary and complement perfectly the music of Prokofiev’s famous score
| Dumfries & Galloway, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Fife, Stirling, Aberdeenshire |
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This is not the fairy story that you know so well, this is an updated version. The story is told by time itself. The characters are all clocks - and not the usual king, queen, prince and princess – and they all love music. The old couple prefer old fashioned musicals, the daughter loves Britney Spears and the son is a clumsy rocker. Time punishes the Beauty for her impatience, and a dream lasting 100 years follows - enough time for her to realise that everything in our lives happens at the right time and for a reason.
| Edinburgh, Glasgow, Argyll & Bute |
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When ancient Greek time-travelling storyteller Aesop’s Time-O-Matic-Warp-A-Widget iPOD (his time-travelling device) goes on the blink, he ends up temporarily stuck in the present day. While he waits for his charismatic and charming alien friend, Cosmo, to make repairs, Aesop entertains his audience with some of his most famous fables. “The Wind and the Sun”, “The Fox and the Crow”, “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”, all come to life in a giant puppet extravaganza. Absolutely Fabulist explores the ancient art of storytelling through the use of fables, providing the audience with the invaluable, exciting experience of learning about Aesop’s life enhancing morals in a fun and lively way
| Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, East Dunbartonshire, Fife, Perth & Kinross, Argyll & Bute, Highlands |
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The Wee Giant Puppet Company Length 60 minutes Ages 4 years +
This play with puppets, original songs and music tells the story of a small and thoughtful monster called Pan Drop. He finds it hard to fit in with the other monsters because he is so very different. Pan Drop struggles with his frustration and loneliness and the increasing bullying he suffers from the Bon Bons. It isn’t until he meets his soul mate, Sour Plum - a giant, lovable and extremely different monster, that Pan Drop realises that his differences are unique and wonderful. This funny and touching tale helps us understand and celebrate the unique qualities in ourselves and others.
| West Lothian, East Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Dunbartonshire, Aberdeenshire |
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Yugen Puppet Company Length 50 minutes Ages 4 years +
Tamlin is under the Fairy Queen’s magic spell For seven years he has been imprisoned underground. One day Tamlin was hunting in the forest and the Fairy Queen caught him and now he cannot escape her clutches unless a maiden visits the nearby well. One day Janet comes to the Well to fetch some water, meets Tamlin and they fall deeply in love. With Janet’s help Tamlin has one chance to gain his freedom... if she succeeds they will be able to marry... but if she fails Tamlin will have to return to the Underworld forever Yugen returns to the Festival with another of its charming adaptations of Scottish folk tales.
| Midlothian, Edinburgh, North Ayrshire, Glasgow, Fife, Stirling, Argyll & Bute |
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Zenwing Puppets Length 50 minutes Ages 5 years +
Vasalisa is cast out of her home with nothing but the doll her mother gave her. She embarks upon an exciting and, at times, scary journey, meeting Baba Yaga, a wise old witch. Will Vasalisa ever find her way home again? Will she ever discover her own true power? This magical Russian tale combines projected imagery with shadow puppets, rod puppets, marionettes, masks and an original music soundtrack, and is the second full scale production from this new Scottish company.
| Dumfries & Galloway, Edinburgh, Perth & Kinross, Angus, Orkney |
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Zero-X, a manned space exploration mission crashes during take-off on it's maiden flight. Two years later an investigative committee concludes sabotage was the cause, and decides to call on the services of International Rescue to oversee security at the impending second launch. The second Zero-X successfully reaches it's destination, but encounters unexpected hazards, ultimately leading to another call for assistance on it's return to Earth. International Rescue respond, and once again in this full length feature film, Thunderbirds are GO!
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See the pilot episodes for some of Gerry Anderson's most popular series in a quadruple bill of animated action. Come and see the first adventures of:
Thunderbirds - Trapped in the Sky
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Stingray 1
Fireball XL5
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The International Rescue team is faced with one of it's toughest challenges yet, as the revolutionary lighter-than-air craft Skyship One is hijacked while on her maiden voyage around the world. Against backdrops including the Statue of Liberty and the Sphinx, Lady Penelope, Parker, Alan and Tin-Tin fight the hijackers on board, while the rest of the team tries to stop the airship crashing into a missile silo in this exciting full length feature film.
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The Adventures of Prince Achmed - Widely considered to be the first full-length animated feature in the history of cinema. Made in the 1920s, this is mainly a narrative film, although it also contains some experimental, semi-abstract sequences. 3D effects were created by using an early form of 'multi-plane' camera which separates foreground and backgrounds. This film uses one of the Arabian Nights stories and is an exciting and fast-moving tale full of sword fights, chases, genies and adventure!
Making a Silhouette Film: The Art of Lotte Reiniger - Produced by Primrose Productions in London, this short documentary explains the individual production steps in the creation of a silhouette film. Using examples from her film Papageno, Lotte Reiniger explains the features and special techniques necessary for this type of intricate animation.
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Dr Dolittle & his Animals
- Carmen
- Papageno
- The Grasshopper & the Ant
- Caliph Stork
- The Sleeping Beauty
A series of delightful short animated films by Lotte Reiniger featuring exciting soundtracks and ancredible silhouette animation
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The following films will be shown at the Filmhouse Edinburgh
- Ice Age 2, The Meltdown
- Curious George
- Happy Feet
See the brochure for more details
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Contact the venues below to find out what film animation performances are on offer during the Festival
CAMPBELTOWN
THE PICTURE HOUSE
Hall Street, 01586 553899
DUNOON WEST COAST CINEMAS
John Street, 01369 704545
Information line 7.30pm - 9.30pm
OBAN
HIGHLAND THEATRE
George Street, 0800 600900
ROTHESAY
THE DISCOVERY THEATRE
Isle of Bute Discovery Centre
08707 200619
For details of films being shown:
01463 720890, 9.30am - 4.30pm Mon/Fri
www.hi-arts.co.uk
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Storytelling, puppet-making and role-playing with puppets. Come and visit enchanted lands full of castles and elves, pirates and pancakes. Puppeteer and storyteller Aileen Finlay will tell stories to inspire the children and then help them make their own puppets and put on a puppet show at the end of the session for friends and families.
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Monsters and Mayhem are an exciting new company and here offer a variety of fun puppetry and performance workshops. Learn to make puppets from junk or create the mice and rats for the Pied Piper story. Create your own jungle scene with puppet animals or learn how maths can be fun using puppets.
| Edinburgh, Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Dundee, Highlands |
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Red Kite presents it's very successful workshops using a wide variety of techniques - DV camera, cut outs and stop frames, pixellation etc, with software to capture and manipulate the resulting images. Come and discover the secrets of a great art form that we see around us every day - from Wallace and Gromit to Gollum!
| East Lothian, Scottish Borders, Stirling, Aberdeen |
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Your last chance to make a stunning puppet for the Angus Arts Puppet Party
Puppets and People of all kinds, don't miss an amazing party of prizes, surprises and cheese. Bring a picnic to enjoy at this fabulous Festival fundraiser. Wine and refreshments available! Live music!
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