AROUND TOWN

Still going strong at Edinburgh’s Royal Highland Centre is the dazzling duo of exhibitions, Beyond Monet & Beyond Van Gogh (until Friday 2 January), bringing colour and light to these dark winter days.

At the city’s Fort Kinnaird retail park, the Winter Village (until Sunday 28 December) will be offering seasonal fun for all the family with a fair, circus shows (Santa’s Mystical Christmas and Freestyle Circus) and a Christmas market.

Dundee have their own festive frolics planned as part of the Christmas In Dundee (until Wednesday 31 December) programme. Includes the winter wonderland that is Christmas In The Square, featuring a fair, a market and events like HMS Unicorn’s Christmas Ceilidh; taking place this weekend, Discovery Point has a grotto, and Dundee Rep is doing a panto, Jack And The Beanstalk.

MUSIC

The award-winning Anglo-Scottish folk duo get into the Christmas spirit in their own inimitable style at Edinburgh’s Leith Depot in the Janice Burns & Jon Doran Festive Show (Thursday 11 December). The pair will be performing a collection of traditional folk tunes about Christmas, winter and the new year.

Best known for shaking his maracas and more as the Happy Mondays’ resident dancer, Mark ‘Bez’ Berry will be discussing his colourful life and times in the music industry and beyond in Bez In Conversation (Saturday 13 December) at Glasgow’s Òran Mór.

Raucous Irish folk faves The Mary Wallopers (Wednesday 17–Sunday 21 December) will be singing up a storm when they rock up at Glasgow’s Barrowlands for a remarkable five-night stint.

STAGE

Promising a cheeky spin on a Christmas tradition, Scottish musical comedy troupe Weegie Hink Ae That? and Gary Faulds will be performing their hilarious adult panto The Wizard Of Aw Naw (Saturday 13 December) this weekend at Glasgow’s SEC.

At the city’s Platform, Glasgow Kelvin College will be giving us their own spin on a classic with their rather more family friendly take on A Christmas Carol (until Wednesday 24 December), following the adventures of miserly businesswoman Carol Scrooge.

And at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre 4Play: 4 New Plays By 4 Scottish Playwrights (Thursday 11–Saturday 13 December) gives you a taste of four exciting new plays from emerging talents: Chips by Ruaraidh Murray, Hunt by Andrea McKenzie, Sunday Palms by Sean Langtree and Brace by Geraldine Lang.

SCREEN

Scarlett Johansson makes her directorial debut with Eleanor The Great, which follows an elderly American (played by the superb June Squibb) who befriends a student and gets caught up in a scandalous lie.

Meanwhile, Home Alone In Concert (Saturday 13 December) features Glasgow Royal Concert Hall playing host to the classic Christmas film, with its legendary John Williams score brought to enchanting life by Scotland’s National Orchestra.

Showing as part of Filmhouse Edinburgh’s Christmas season, the touching and hilariously funny The Holdovers (Friday 12 & Saturday 13 December) is one of the best festive films in years. Paul Giamatti is perfectly cast as a crabby boarding school teacher supervising a group of unwanted teens over the holidays, but it’s the Oscar-winning Da’Vine Joy Randolph who steals the show.

PODCASTS

Hosted by Sue Perkins and journalist Katherine Denkinson, true crime podcast Carrie Jade Does Not Exist tells the story of one woman who assumed six different identities and lied her way into people’s lives.

In the most recent episode of Good Hang With Amy Poehler the host is joined by fellow US comedy royalty in the shape of the mighty Julia Louis-Dreyfus, with Ariana Grande and June Squibb other recent guests.

Really?? The Doors? sees New Yorker staff writer Naomi Fry discuss her love for the now derided group, looking at the wider cultural phenomenon of how something goes from fashionable to cringe, and back again.

VISUAL ART

If you’re looking for some creative Christmas presents then GASS Festive Artist Market (Saturday 13 December) at Glasgow’s Kelvinside Hillhead Paris Church Hall this weekend could be just the ticket. Bringing together 30 artists, designers and makers, it also features a ‘punk Santa’s grotty grotto’, Scrooge recital, and more.

Closing soon, touring exhibition Resistance (until Sunday 4 January) at Edinburgh’s Modern Two is a powerful and inspiring photography show from celebrated artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen, which captures how protest has shaped life in the UK.

And finally, at the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh The Christmas Show (until Monday 22 December) is an annual exhibition featuring works by academicians that are available to buy, many at affordable prices.

Sign up to receive this column, complete with additional offers and gig news, delivered to your inbox every Thursday. Main picture: Dylan Drummond