Macrobert Arts Centre, Live Events Oct - Dec 22

Welcome to our autumn season 2022

It’s been a pleasure to bring together this rich selection of performances: you’ll find lots to entertain, delight and interest you. I am mindful that this autumn will be tough for many so it feels meaningful that we are able to offer ‘You Choose’ ticket pricing for some live performances. Simply choose the ticket price that’s right for you, we trust your judgement and respect your privacy. Call us or visit our website’s FAQs for details.

The Conversation returns to Macrobert in a season rich with Scotland’s new and alternative contemporary voices, so we’ll be talking with artists and audiences about: Shades: A Queer Black Cabaret from award-winning performers Pollyanna; A Mother’s Song; The Elephant In The Room by Priyanka Shetty; Uma Nada-Rajah’s Exodus; James IV – Queen of the Fight; and Windrush from the New Black Film Collective. The award-winning portrait photographer Tommy Ga-Ken Wan, resident at Macrobert, will lead the Conversation with an exhibition celebrating these new curatorial voices and, through the image choices, reveals his own. Join us in asking the question – Is This Story New?

We cannot wait to share our first panto for three years and you are clearly looking forward to it too as so many have already booked tickets for Maw Goose - thank you. If you haven’t already, please book soon, tickets are going fast.

There’s also Santa’s Little Astronaut, a joyous adventure for families with children 5 years & under and our annual gift fayre Handmade, has lovely things to buy from Scotland’s finest artists and makers.

Whatever you choose, happy reading – and I hope to see you at Macrobert soon.

Julie

Julie Ellen, Artistic Director

Scan the QR code for more info

Creative Breakfasts

Connect with the Forth Valley’s creative community

On the first Friday of each month between 10.15-11.15am, come and join us for a Creative Breakfast. Macrobert hosts an informal gathering, by and for, our creative community.

Whether you’re a professional practitioner, student, or simply enjoy getting creative in your spare time, these events are for you. Meet inspiring creative people, share projects and ideas, and hear from a different co-host each month about exciting creative happenings in our area.

Keep

COMRADES OF THE INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE: YOU CAN GO PROUDLY. YOU ARE HISTORY. YOU ARE LEGEND.

In a small pub in Prestonpans, East Lothian, four millennials are told a story. The true story of four miners who, over 80 years ago, went to fight as part of the International Brigade. Travelling from the streets of Prestonpans to the valleys of Spain, they gave up everything that was familiar: for a land that was not; for a people they had never met; and for a cause they believed was right.

549: Scots of the Spanish Civil War, a play with songs and storytelling, is a timely insight into one of Scotland’s almost forgotten conflicts.

Followed by a post-show discussion with cast, creatives, Daniel Gray & Mike Arnott (Scotland Secretary, International Brigade Memorial Trust) age

Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

Undertow Overflow

tue 4 Oct | 7.30pm £16.50/£14.50/£12.50 (You Choose)

Undertow Overflow is a new collaboration between multiinstrumentalist and songwriter Amy Duncan and award-winning director and writer Ben Harrison.

Amy and Ben promise an evening of emotionally charged, surprising and uplifting performance combining Amy’s music with Ben’s short stories.

Join them at this open-hearted exploration of the strangeness of human love and loss, filled with vivid and poetic imagery, stories and beautiful music.

White and Givan

age

thu 6 Oct | 7.30pm £12.50/£10.50/£8 students

Worn is an exquisite and emotive dance production exploring how the body is affected by time and space, and the experiences, marks and scars that become part of our history and affect our present and our possible futures.

Choreographed and performed by acclaimed contemporary dance duo, Errol White and Davina Givan, Worn draws inspiration from the ancient Japanese art of kintsugi, where broken pottery is mended with gold or silver, making the cracks into a beautiful and valuable part of the object. It asks very relevant questions about the acceptance of transience and imperfection in our current Instagram culture.

“Dusted with gold”  All Edinburgh Theatre

Ben Harrison and Amy Duncan

Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

Artistes International

Fri 7 Oct | 7.30pm £23.50

Starring Crissy Rock (Benidorm), Leah Bell, Vanessa Karon and Paul Dunn.

age 14+

Treat yourself to an evening of pure theatrical Viagra. A chance wrong number gives three cleaning ladies a great idea ‘Why not run a sex chat line?’ After all, their age and appearance won’t matter on the phone and providing they can keep this a secret from their boss, they could be on to a winner. This heart-warming, feel good comedy will have you rolling in the aisles and smiling every time you answer the phone. Dirty Dusting is a sex chat line that really cleans up.

We are delighted to welcome back Sleeping Warrior, the company that brought the hilarious SPUDS to Macrobert last year.

It’s 1997, it’s Millport and Steven McPhail is bored. He’s 17 and it’s now time to work out what to do with the rest of his life. The problem is, there’s only so many options when you find yourself stuck on a Scottish island.

Everything changes when a chance encounter with a glorious drag queen shows Steven a world he never knew existed. A one-man musical featuring original music, Crocodile Rock is a story about finding yourself, understanding others and being true to those you love. sat 8 Oct | 7.30pm £15.50/£13.50 Sleeping Warrior Theatre Crocodile Rock age 14+

Photo: Andrew Perry

Passing Places

Mon 10 -

On the 25th Anniversary of its first performance, the Stirling University Drama Society presents Passing Places, written by the creator of River City, Stephen Greenhorn. An exciting fast paced contemporary Scottish comedy, the play transports us back to the 1990s. Alex and Brian are two young men from working class Motherwell who find themselves slipping into an adventure when Alex steals his boss’ surfboard. Their journey takes them on a road trip through the west coast of Scotland, getting them into trouble and meeting many characters on the way.

Saba Douglas-Hamilton

Wed 12 Oct | 7.30pm

In the footsteps of Elephants age 12+

Elephant conservationist and filmmaker, saba Douglas-Hamilton, was born and raised amongst elephants and nomads in the savannahs of East Africa. Her father, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founded ‘Save the Elephants’ in 1993 and Saba, her husband, a group of dedicated scientists and the local Samburu people, have been fighting the ivory trade ever since.

Saba tells hilarious anecdotes of how they sought the support of Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista and lured other super models to their camp in Kenya persuading them, and the high-end jewellers Tiffany & Co, to join their campaign.

A new solo show by Vickie Beesley about one girl’s journey to Olympic success.

Vickie wants to compete at the Olympics. There is only one obstacle; she isn’t very good at sport.

Yet despite the odds, her love for athletics takes her all the way to London 2012. Inspired by Victoria’s own childhood obsession with athletics, this is a story about loving failure and dreaming bigeven if there’s no chance you’ll make that dream come true.

Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, is all grown up and has a shocking secret that only Gomez knows. She’s fallen in love with a sweet young man from a respectable family. With his cherished Morticia in the dark, will Gomez manage to keep his daughter’s secret until the two families meet for a fateful dinner with hilarious consequences? Join them, plus Uncle Fester, Lurch, Pugsley (and more) for a heart-warming story of love, family and friendship… with a twist.

From the team that brought you Shrek, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - and their world record winning production of Return to the Forbidden Planet – they are back, bigger, funnier and spookier than ever.

Rubber Chicken Theatre

Join us in Conversation

Our autumn season is rich with Scotland’s new and alternative contemporary voices and stories. Our resident photographer, the award-winning portrait photographer Tommy Ga-Ken Wan will lead our Conversation series with his own exhibition and we’ll be talking with artists from our summer and autumn seasons as well as with you, our audience.

Join us in exploring the question – Is This Story New?

Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Into The Light

Fri 30 sep - Fri 18 nov | 10am - 10pm FREE

We are delighted to be hosting an exhibition of Glasgow based award-winning photographer Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.

Many of Tommy’s photographs are documentary - an image of an encounter from a moment in his life. He is also hugely successful and in great demand to record theatre and performance. In 2021, we invited Tommy to work with Macrobert as a resident photographer, capturing the work we presented and the events we hosted as we emerged from the social restraints of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Increasingly Tommy is aware of his voice as the person who curates the image presented. The production shots and portraits for Into The Light explore and celebrate his selection of the unique curatorial voices contributing to Macrobert’s autumn season 2022, leading the way with original stories, many of which often go untold.

Amongst many other awards, Tommy has been selected for the Scottish Portrait Awards longlist every year since 2018 and this year, he is a finalist with photographs of Maureen Beattie and When the Time Comes.

He works internationally as a photographer and writer in theatre and performance and was a judge on Singapore TV’s The Big Shot.

Photo : Washington Gwande

thu 27 Oct | 7.30pm £16.50/£14.50/ £8 students

Christine threads her remarkable journey in the world of French Song with the life and works of Edith Piaf. No glamour. No gimmicks. No pretence. Nothing but a voice - singing of life’s triumphs and tragedies. Piaf is both a personal narrative and a powerful musical homage to one of France’s most endearing icons. An evening of unforgettable stories and some of the finest songs of 20th century France.

“If you love music, and you want to experience something extraordinary, then run, fly, race to book your ticket immediately.”

Edinburgh Festival Magazine

Fri 28 Oct |

£25.50

age 16+

Whether it’s leaving the house without your bra, crying in the supermarket aisles for no reason or secretly thinking you had given birth to E.T, you won’t feel alone when listening to these women portray the ‘beauty’ of bringing new life into the world... or forgetting where they left it.

An uplifting, honest, heart-warming show that will have you both roaring with laughter and reaching for the tissues.

“Hysterically Funny” “Thoroughly Enjoyable”

Christine Bovill

Photo: Kris Kesiak

1934, a beach on the Western Isles, an excited crowd have gathered to watch Gerhard Zucker. He is a dreamer, a scientist, and he has a plan to change the world. The future is communication, the future is ROCKET POST!

A joyful mix of songs, storytelling and exciting visuals for everyone aged six and over. Rocket Post is a tale of miscommunication and the magical discoveries that can happen when everything goes wrong.

Photo: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.

Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

Royal Opera House Madama Butterfly

tue 27 sep | 7.15pm

sun 2 Oct | 2pm

£17/£15

Set in 19th-century Japan, Puccini’s heart-rending opera tells the tale of Cio-Cio-San, a young geisha who falls in love with an American naval officer –and pays the ultimate price.

Royal Opera House Mayerling

Wed 5 Oct | 7.15pm

sun 9 Oct | 2pm £17/£15

Dangerous desires, family secrets and political intrigues - a true story told through ballet.

Royal Opera House Aida

Wed 12 Oct | 6.45pm

sun 16 Oct | 2pm £17/£15

Love and duty collide and nations clash in Verdi’s political drama, starring Elena Stikhina and conducted by Antonio Pappano.

Event Cinema Event Cinema

Royal Opera House La bohème

thu 20 Oct | 7.15pm sun 23 Oct | 2pm £17/£15

Puccini’s opera of passion, friendship and heartbreak features a star-studded cast, conducted by Kevin John Edusei. and should not be missed

Royal Opera House the Royal Ballet:

A Diamond Celebration Wed 16 nov | 7.15pm sun 20 nov | 2pm £17/£15

A dazzling showcase marking 60 years of the Friends of the Royal Opera House. Royal Opera House the nutcracker

thu 8 Dec | 7.15pm sat 10 Dec | 2pm sun 11 Dec | 2pm Mon 12 Dec | 7.30pm tue 13 Dec | 7.30pm £17/£15

Discover the enchantment of ballet with this sparkling festive treat for the whole family.

by Johnny McKnight

by Julie ellen

Things are not going well down in Stirling Stella – Maw Goose is being threatened with eviction from her Dance Academy for not paying Panto Tax; eldest son Jack is missing ballet class because he’s fallen for new pupil Jill and youngest son Gary is too busy forming his own band with Bo Peep and Little Jack Horner to notice that the evil Narcissa has plans to steal the family’s beloved Lucy the Goosey. The only person that can save the day is the lovely Fairy Liqui-Tap, but she’s only a learner fairy and is struggling to pass her Higher Grade in Fairy Technology.

Will Maw Goose manage to pay those bills and still have enough spare change to afford some cut-price Botox? Will Jack and Jill manage to get down safely from the hill when they fetch that pail of water? And will the evil Narcissa’s plan to have Goose for her Christmas dinner succeed?

Join us this Christmas to find out!

Nov Wed 30 10.30am

Dec Thu 1 10.30am

Fri 2 10.30am

Sat 3

Sun 4

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

No

10.30am

10.30am

10.30am

Fri 9 10.30am

Sat 10

Sun 11

Dec

Thu 15 10.30am 7.30pm

Fri 16 -- 2pm 7.30pm

Sat 17

7.30pm

2pm 7.30pm

1.30pm 6pm

2pm 7.30pm

Sun 18 -- 1.30pm 6pm

Mon 19 No performance

Tue 20 -- 2pm 7.30pm Wed 21 -- 2pm 7.30pm

Thu 22

Fri 23

Sat 24

7.30pm

7.30pm

2pm 7.30pm

1.30pm 6pm

Mon 12 No performance

Tue 13 10.30am

Wed 14 10.30am

Tickets:

2pm 7.30pm

2pm 7.30pm

1.30pm 6pm

Sun 25 No performance

Mon 26

1.30pm 6pm

Tue 27

2pm 7.30pm

2pm 7.30pm Wed 28

2pm 7.30pm Fri 30

Thu 29

2pm 7.30pm Sat 31 11am 3pm

By Andy McGregor Directed by n iloo Khan

Macrobert Arts Centre, stirling

Toni Tinsel has a very important job. They are in charge of making all of Santa’s presents in the Super-Fantastic Space Station Factory in the sky.

The computers and robots work away as Toni enjoys the view of earth down below. But when the technology goes wrong and Toni is left with only their intuition and a group of little friends visiting for the day to help, it’s down to the wire if Christmas can be saved for everyone!

Tickets: £14.50/£12.50/£10.50

Tue 6 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Wed 7 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Thu 8 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Fri 9 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Sat 10 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Sun 11 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Mon 12 Dec No performance

Tue 13 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Wed 14 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Thu 15 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Fri 16 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Sat 17 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Sun 18 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Mon 19 Dec No performance

Tue 20 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Wed 21 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Thu 22 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Fri 23 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Sat 24 Dec 10am + 12.30pm

Sun 25 Dec No performance

Mon 26 Dec 11.30am + 2pm

Tue 27 Dec 11am + 1.30pm

Wed 28 Dec 11am + 1.30pm

Thu 29 Dec 11am + 1.30pm

Fri 30 Dec 11am + 1.30pm

Sat 31 Dec 11.30am + 2pm

Christmas Appeal 2022

HPantomime is a great tradition for many families bringing people together and celebrating the joys of the festive period.

Many families live in areas of high deprivation and the cost of living rise will bring even more financial pressure, so taking children to a Christmas show this year may be difficult to achieve.

Donating to our Christmas Appeal will provide FREE tickets to Maw Goose for many children, young people, families, and older people throughout the Forth Valley. It will give them the opportunity to join in our Christmas celebrations and to experience the joys of Panto - oh yes it will!

Us

Macrobert Arts Centre is a Scottish charity [Charity no: SC039546] based on the campus of the University of Stirling. The campus is set at the foot of the Ochil Hills, and surrounds the Airthrey Loch.

Your visit

Following a major University re-development project, our front doors now form part of Campus Central, the building extension on the site of Queen’s Court roundabout. This area has now been pedestrianised. Look out for the signs to guide you to our venue. We welcome all visitors with additional access requirements and are committed to making our work and spaces accessible for everyone. Our building is accessible to wheelchair users and we have a changing places toilet, you can find us on the CPT register. Gender neutral toilet cubicles are available in the Playhouse Foyer.

Family Friendly

We welcome children and families and are accessible for prams and pushchairs, an unsupervised buggy park is available in the foyer area opposite the bar. Booster cushions are available on request for the Filmhouse. Mothers are welcome to breastfeed anywhere and we have baby changing facilities in both the men’s and women’s toilets in the main foyer.

Familiarisation visits

We understand that visiting a new place can be unsettling for some people. If you would like to arrange a pre-event tour, please get in touch by emailing venue@macrobertartscentre.org

Parking and Drop Off

There are additional blue badge car parking spaces available outside of our new entrance with an easy to access ramp right to our front door. This is also where you can drop off.

The Bus Hub

The bus hub on campus is located by the Stirling Court Hotel. There are regular buses to and from the campus bus hub and a number that drop off on Hillfoots Road at the back of the university.

Photo: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Booking Information

In Person at the Box Office

Macrobert Arts Centre, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Hours

Mon - Sun: 10am - 7pm

By phone: 01786 466 666

Textphone: 18001 01786 466 666

Online: macrobertartscentre.org

Groups: To book 10 tickets or more, email groups@macrobertartscentre.org

Charges

We charge a booking fee of £1 on phone and online bookings and are happy to post your tickets out to you for an additional £1. Ticket prices for most shows include a 50p contribution to our development fund helping protect the future of Macrobert Arts Centre and improve our facilities.

Refunds

We’re unable to offer any refunds unless we cancel the event. We can try and exchange your tickets for a small admin fee - please contact the Box Office.

Concessions apply to

Full time students, children (aged 16 & under), senior citizens, people with a disability and their assisting companions and equity* members (*proof of eligibility is required at the time of booking/collection).

Babes in Arms

We offer a limited number of free tickets for children (under 12 months old) who are sharing a seat with their carer at some family events - these must be booked in advance and are subject to availability.

Your Data

We are committed to protecting your personal information and being transparent about what information we hold about you. You can find our privacy policy on our website.

Oct Nov Dec

Diary at a Glance

Sat 1 Oct - Fri 18 Nov

Sat 1 Oct

Sun 2 Oct

Tue 4 Oct

Wed 5 Oct

Thu 6 Oct

Fri 7 Oct

Sat 8 Oct

Sun 9 Oct

Mon 10 - Tue 11 Oct

Wed 12 Oct

Wed 12 Oct

Thu 13 Oct

Sat 15 Oct

Sun 16 Oct

Thu 20 Oct

Thu 20 - Sat 22 Oct

Sun 23 Oct

Wed 26 Oct

Thu 27 Oct

Fri 28 Oct

Sun 30 Oct

Wed 9 Nov

Wed 9 - Sat 12 Nov

Sat 12 Nov

Wed 16 Nov

Sun 20 Nov

• Into the Light

10am - 10pm

• 549: Scots of the Spanish Civil War 7.30pm

• Madama Butterfly 2pm

• Undertow Overflow 7.30pm

• Mayerling 7.15pm

• Worn 7.30pm

• Dirty Dusting 7.30pm

• Crocodile Rock 7.30pm

• Mayerling 2pm

• Passing Places 7pm

• In the Footsteps of Elephants 7.30pm

• Aida 6.45pm

• Shades: A Queer Black Cabaret 7.30pm

• Kissing Linford Christie 2.30pm

• Aida 2pm

• La bohème 7.15pm

• The Addams Family 7.30pm

• La bohème 2pm

• Medea (MET premiere) 7.15pm

• Piaf 7.30pm

• Mum’s the Word 7.30pm

• Rocket Post 2.30pm

• La Traviata 7.15pm

• James IV: Queen of the Fight 7.30pm

• James IV: Queen of the Fight 2.30pm

• The Royal Ballet: A Diamond Celebration 7.15pm

• The Royal Ballet: A Diamond Celebration 2pm

Mon 28 Nov - Sun 8 Jan • Handmade 10am - 10pm

Wed 30 Nov

Thu 1 - Sat 31 Dec

Tue 6 - Sat 31 Dec

Thu 8 Dec

Sat 10 Dec

Sat 10 Dec

Sun 11 Dec

Mon 12 Dec

Key:

Theatre

• Maw Goose 10.30am

Maw Goose various times

• Santa’s Little Astronaut various times

• The Nutcracker 7.15pm

• The Hours 5.55pm

• The Nutcracker 2pm

• The Nutcracker 2pm

• The Nutcracker 7.30pm