While panto season nabs much of the theatrical attention at this time of year, there’s a whole heap of productions which veer away from that genre’s tropes. In that vein, a new adaptation of The Snow Queen will be icing out Edinburgh’s Lyceum. Morna Young’s fresh Scottish reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s story will no doubt cast a frosty spell over audiences. Can wee Gerda save her friend (and the world) from eternal winter? Another for those keen on classics is Guy Masterson’s transcendent production of A Christmas Carol at Assembly Roxy. The Old Town church surely houses some ghosts of Christmases past, and Masterson is just the man to bring them to life. This Olivier Award-winner is bound to deliver Dickens’ original performance text with enough spirit to win over any Scrooge. Meanwhile, Dundee Rep will also lay on a sharp musical version of the tale, directed by Andrew Panton.  

North of the central belt, two green-fingered bunnies might have done too good a job of growing their root veg. The Enormous Christmas Turnip at Eden Court in Inverness invites families with young kids to sit down for an unforgettable Christmas dinner. Created and performed by Ivor MacAskill and Rosana Cade, this playful piece is sure to reel in the wee ones. For those who love a villain origin story (in musical form, of course), Wicked at Edinburgh Playhouse is a given. This modern epic never gets dull, no matter how many times you’ve seen it (or how many buckets of green face-paint the cast have gone through). A five-week Edinburgh run is the first stop on Wicked’s UK tour.

Now, we said no pantos, but Boy George playing a glammed-up Captain Hook while parading around on a life-size pirate ship? Say no more. Jon Conway’s Peter Pan isn’t a pantomime, but rather a full-scale big-spending spectacular (think giant animatronic crocodile). Hollywood star Dorit Kemsley (Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills) makes an appearance as the mermaid for an added sprinkle of festive fairy dust to Glasgow Hydro’s high-budget, high-energy and high-camp show this December.

Both Glasgow and Edinburgh will be treated to Scottish Ballet’s groundbreaking new rendition of a much-loved tale with Cinders! This trailblazing imagining of Cinderella will some nights feature a woman dancer as the prima ballerina while half of the shows will introduce a male Cinders who falls in love with his Princess Charming. The real magic? Whichever version an audience is seeing remains a secret until the curtain comes up. 

Dive into the amped up world of Panto season in our November feature.