Feb/Mar 09 @ Tolbooth

Spiers & Boden, Fri 27 Mar, 8pm

FEB-MAR 2009

CLEVELAND WATKISS HEBRIDES ENSEMBLE GILDED BALLOON THE BLEND SPIERS & BODEN

TOLBOOTH Stirling’s venue for live music and the arts

HEAR ABOUT IT FIRST ONLINE

www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth

Standing gig

Seated gig

Bar open

ADVANCE BOOKING...

Going Across the Sea 30th April

Lisa Knapp & James Yorkston 21st May

Lau 23rd May

Session A9 17th June

BOX OFFICE 01786 27 4000 Open Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 6pm | Closed Sunday & Monday

The Tolbooth is owned and operated by Stirling Council The redevelopment of the Tolbooth was funded by

The information in this guide was correct at the time of going to print. Š Tolbooth, Stirling Council 2009 Design by Christine Jones www.christinejonesgraphics.com

The New Year at the Tolbooth brings a whole host of possibilities for you to drive away those wintry blues.

Tap into your creative side by signing up to one of our classes or workshops, they are great fun and very friendly. See Stirling Arts Update for full details.

Brush up your Tango moves in February as the authentic sound of Argentina comes to the Tolbooth when the Alejandro Ziegler quartet arrive from Buenos Aires for their only Scottish gig.

INDEX JAZZ jazz singers' open mic nights

p4

cleveland watkiss

p6

tommy smith’s youth jazz orchestra

p12

TRADITIONAL/FOLK auvo quartet

p5

See one of British Jazz’s most versatile talents, Cleveland Watkiss, performing a one off concert of his VocalSuite.

nils økland & catriona mckay

p15

the blend

p16

spiers & boden

p18

Expand your musical horizons at The Blend festival in March with a day of Flamenco on Sunday 15th and a newly commissioned work, I Murder Hate, by dub maestro Adrian Sherwood.

alasdair roberts & pumajaw

p19

I hope to see you here soon…

CLASSICAL hebrides ensemble

p11

WORLD/AMERICANA alejandro ziegler tango quartet

p8

marc atkinson trio

p14

POP reloaded

p10

electronic bar

p10

acoustic bar

p10

THEATRE Alasdair Campbell Artistic Director

the last of the red hot lovers

p7

SINGER SONGWRITER keith james

p9

COMEDY gilded balloon

p13

gilded balloon

p17

STIRLING ARTS UPDATE news classes & workshops the changing room AT THE BACK how to book

p22

getting here

p23

at a glance

p24

The lights go down, the band starts the first bars of the intro and you are there, in the spotlight, on stage at the Tolbooth.

This is your chance to sing in front of a live audience with the support of a fantastic jazz band and everyone in the crowd.

The open mic nights are relaxed and informal, there are no prima donnas and the only qualifications you need are a sense of fun and a desire to sing.

Come along to our cabaret club, sit down, enjoy a drink and an evening of home-grown entertainment.

7PM

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WED 4 FEB, 8PM THU 5 MAR, 8PM SINGERS ÂŁ5 AUDIENCE ÂŁ3

www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth www.myspace.com/tolboothstirling

7PM

AUVO QUARTET THU 5 FEB, 8PM £12/£10

B

ringing together the traditions of Scandinavian and English folk music, the Auvo Quartet combine ice cool Finnish vocals with cutting-edge composition, wild improvisation and an electric stage presence which few can rival.

The musical result of this explosive combination of traditions can be described as both unique and contemporary but it also has a beautiful timeless quality to it.

The four excellent musicians, two from Helsinki and two from Newcastle, produce a distinctive and really fresh sound with new and traditional compositions featuring songs, polskas, tangos, schottische, waltz and polkas.

This is contemporary traditional music at its very best.

For this performance the quartet will be joined by feature guest percussionist, Brendan Murphy. “a joy to listen to” BBC Radio 3 “Majesty, elegance, dexterity and spice. A feast for the ears!” Karen Tweed (Swap)

Tom Oakes – flute Suvi Oskala – vocals / fiddle Julian Sutton – melodeon Roope Aarnio - guitars

www.myspace.com/theauvoquartet

BOOK IF YOU LIKE: SWAP, LAU, HAUGAARD & HØIRUP

Box Office 01786 27 4000

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7PM

CLEVELAND WATKISS SAT 7 FEB, 8PM £12/£10

EXCLUSIVE!

C

o-founder of the vastly influential Jazz Warriors, Cleveland Watkiss is a sensationally talented jazz vocalist, three times winner of best vocalist at the Wire/Guardian Jazz Awards; he brings his highly original VocalSuite to the Tolbooth.

VocalSuite is Cleveland’s pioneering solo work, in which he performs a cappella vocal improvisations using an electronic device to record, loop and layer his voice. Making seamless links between musical cultures, Cleveland blends live improvisation, counter-point harmony, breakbeat and basslines to stunning effect, creating a true performance of the moment.

"Best male jazz singer in Britain" Evening Standard www.myspace.com/vocalsuite

SUPPORT THE STIRLING YOUTH JAZZ ENSEMBLE Support comes from Laura MacDonald and the Stirling Youth Jazz Ensemble as they perform some of the exciting work they have been rehearsing over the last few months at the Tolbooth. The Ensemble is made up of the fantastic talent coming through Stirling schools. Laura is one of Scotland’s leading jazz musicians and has an acclaimed reputation as a performer, composer and recording artist. www.myspace.com/lauramacdonaldjazz

BOOK IF YOU LIKE: ABBY LINCOLN, TONY BENNETT, AMY WINEHOUSE

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www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth www.myspace.com/tolboothstirling

6.30PM

RAPTURE THEATRE PRESENT

THE LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS

BY NEIL SIMON WED 11 FEB, 7.30PM £10/£8

R

apture return with Neil Simon’s classic sixties comedy about sex, love and seafood.

Think of the great red-hot lovers…Byron…

Casanova…Barney Cashman?!!!

Barney, the owner of a fish restaurant, tries to make a “catch” by attempting to woo, seduce and bed a trio of lovelies. The results are both comic and touching as Barney learns a lot about women and even more about life.

The ingredients of zippy one-liners mixed with pathos make the perfect recipe for a great night out for the Valentines season.

Neil Simon is the acclaimed Pulitzer Prize winning author whose plays include classics such as “Barefoot in the Park” and “The Odd Couple”.

“I’m in raptures over Rapture” The Daily Mail “Excellent production” The Stage www.rapturetheatre.co.uk

Box Office 01786 27 4000

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7PM

ALEJANDRO ZIEGLER TANGO QUARTET

EXCLUSIVE!

THU 12 FEB, 8PM £12/£10 PERFORMANCE ONLY £17/15 FOR WORKSHOP AND PERFORMANCE

T

olbooth audiences have been treated in the past year to some of the very best Tango and Salsa musicians available and have loved every toe tapping second of it.

orchestras and to compose his own music.

The quartet performs all different styles of tango: Piazzolla, Pugliese, Di Sarli, Troilo, D'Arienzo, and Ziegler's music.

This will be a seated concert.

So it is with great excitement that we bring what is considered to be one of the most important ensembles of today’s tango scene, The Alejandro Ziegler Quartet, from Buenos Aires to the Tolbooth.

After playing with the legendary Argentinean musicians of the golden age of tango, Alejandro Ziegler created his quartet to continue the tradition of the great tango

Javier Stromann - bandoneon Astro Rocco - violin Patricio Peralta - double bass Alejandro Ziegler - piano, arrangements, conducting

TANGO DANCE CLASS, 6PM Want to learn some impressive Tango dance moves? Come along to our Tango class to warm up for the performance.

BOOK IF YOU LIKE: ASTOR PIAZZOLA, CARLOS CARDEL, THE GOTAN PROJECT

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www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth www.myspace.com/tolboothstirling

7PM

LORCA: POET IN NEW YORK KEITH JAMES FRI 13 FEB, 8PM £12/£10

T

he inspiration for this special concert comes from the book of writings, Poet in New York, by Gabriel Garcia Lorca, which documents evocatively his impressions and experiences of New York in the early part of the 20th century.

You can expect an evening of unique and evocative music performed by Keith James and Rick Foot, featuring material by Leonard Cohen, Lorca, Nabokov, Sylvia Plath, Bob Dylan, Suzanne Vega and Pablo Neruda.

The evening will begin with a short film bio-documentary about the life and work of Leonard Cohen.

"Genuinely inspirational" BBC Manchester "An elegant and beautifully crafted reinterpretation of a great artist's words" BBC Radio Scotland www.keith-james.com

Also Tonight: The Changing Room private view, somebodyelse Graham Fagen, 6 – 8pm, All Welcome see The Changing Room pages for details

BOOK IF YOU LIKE: LEONARD COHEN, SUZANNE VEGA, NICK DRAKE

Box Office 01786 27 4000

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Sat 14 Feb

RELOADED 2

Fri 20 Feb, 7.30pm, Free

Doors open 8pm £4 Sat 28 Feb

RELOADED INFO DAY Doors open 1pm £3 After a sold out event last year the Reloaded Info Sessions are back!

This is a great opportunity to speak to music industry pros about the real music business and how to get ahead in it. This year will include panels on Marketing and Performance along with a select number of bands getting feedback at a top A&R session.

Sat 28 Feb

RELOADED Doors open 7.30pm Sat 21 Mar

RELOADED Doors open 7.30pm £6

www.myspace.com/reloadedstirling

Fri 20 Mar, 7.30pm, Free

A chance to catch some of the best electronic/acoustic acts around, as the music takes over the Tolbooth Bar. Doors 7:30pm, free entry and drinks promo's

7PM

ON THE BRINK HEBRIDES ENSEMBLE THU 19 FEB, 8PM £12/£10

1

939 Seventy years ago Europe was teetering on the brink of war following a devastating economic depression. At the heart of the maelstrom great music not only survived but thrived, composed and performed in the worst of circumstances to offer solace, hope and joy.

"…a searing experience and the hottest ticket in town" The Scotsman on Hebrides Ensemble’s production of The Martyrdom of St Magnus Ravel Kaddish ... (Jewish prayer for the dead) Gideon Klein ... String Trio (1944) Schulhoff ... Duo for violin and cello (1925) Hans Krása ... Passacaglia and Fugue String Trio (1944) Bartok ... Quartet no 6 (1939) Hans Krása ... Tanec for string trio 1944

Image © Meczenstwo Walka, Zaglada Zydów Polsce 1939-1945. Poland. No. 318.

For this performance the world-class playing of the Hebrides Ensemble will be set against a backdrop of striking visuals of the time. The programme centres on Béla Bartók’s great sixth and final string quartet, written in 1939 before he fled the war to America, and features music composed in the concentration camps. Despite the

terrible circumstances and place of its birth, the music of Bartók, Gideon Klein and Hans Krása offers surprising optimism and beauty – a vision of a brighter future.

www.hebridesensemble.org.uk Box Office 01786 27 4000

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7PM

TOMMY SMITH’S YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA SAT 21 FEB, 8PM £8/£6 he Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra is one of the most talented, exciting and dynamic young jazz ensembles on the planet.

T

Under Tommy Smith’s unassuming leadership, musicians, some of them as young as twelve, have been encouraged, nurtured and directed into a highly disciplined, superbly creative unit where their personalities are allowed to develop and shine. Their enthusiasm for the music tumbles out of every live performance.

Now, with a new concert season, including an appearance at Glasgow International Jazz Festival, the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra enters a new phase, promising superb ensemble playing, outstanding solo adventures and vibrant music full of imagination, precocious maturity and youthful pizzazz. “…a swaggeringly confident testament to the ongoing high quality of Scottish jazz.”

The Guardian “…Smith has them playing with terrific vigour and maturity well beyond their years.”

The Herald The orchestra will be back at Tolbooth on the 4th April. www.tsyjo.com

BOOK IF YOU LIKE: DUKE ELLINGTON, COUNT BASIE, THE MINGUS BIG BAND

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TOLBOOTH GIGS CONTINUE ON PAGE 13

7PM

COMEDY CLUB PHIL NICOL THU 26 FEB, 8PM £10

B

orn in Scotland but raised in Canada multi-award-winner Phil Nichol is a Tasmanian devil on guitar, performing wickedly funny songs with superb improvisational skills.

For this first night of the Gilded Balloon Comedy Club Phil presents a back-to-basics stand-up show. No theme, no story, no band, nothing fancy, just jokes and funny songs.

Winner of the if.comedy award at the Edinburgh festival in 2006 for his show ‘The Naked Racist’, Phil is a legend amongst stand ups!

NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN OR THOSE WHO ARE EASILY OFFENDED

"Exhilarating, incredibly funny and clever" ★★★★★ Scotsman

THE GILDED BALLOON COMEDY CLUB IS BACK IN MARCH, SEE P17 FOR DETAILS.

www.martinsimpson.com Box Office 01786 27 4000

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7PM

MARC ATKINSON TRIO WED 4 MAR, 8PM £10/£8 arc Atkinson is one of Canada’s most talented musician/ composers, he also has a hectic schedule playing with roots sensations The Bills, as well as fronting the internationally acclaimed Marc Atkinson Trio.

M

Recently nominated in the Best Instrumental Group and Pushing the Boundaries categories at the prestigious Canadian Music Awards, the trio’s musical dexterity and fiery passion are receiving justifiable critical acclaim.

A virtuoso mandolinist and guitarist, Marc is renowned in Djangoland as one of the top players of the genre and his playing has been described by those who know their stuff as “dazzling” and “hugely inventive”.

“They're outstanding for their vitality, exuberance, elegance & melodic strength, and for the joy these three fine musicians share... Atkinson is a daring & inventive acoustic guitarist and a powerful force in the new roots/jazz movement." Toronto Star

Marc can play the Django Reinhardt way as well as any but what the trio does, is broaden out well beyond Manouche gypsy style, to capture everyone’s attention.

www.marcatkinson.com

BOOK IF YOU LIKE: DJANGO REINHARDT, MARTIN TAYLOR www.martinsimpson.com

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www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth www.myspace.com/tolboothstirling

7PM

NILS ØKLAND CATRIONA MCKAY FRI 6 MAR, 8PM £12/£10

N

orway’s leading hardanger fiddler Nils Økland and Scottish harpist Catriona McKay perform ancient and contemporary interpretations of traditional folk from Norway and the northern reaches of Scotland.

The two sets will feature Catriona’s new work Floë for quintet, which was commissioned by Celtic Connections 2008 and a new collaboration between Nils Økland’s trio, Catriona McKay and Chris Stout.

Catriona McKay and Nils Økland have established themselves as two of the leading lights of the contemporary folk scene in the UK and Scandinavia. They are vital links between ancient musical traditions and the future, using the language of their heritage to create new sound worlds. "sonically exquisite manipulation of folk traditions. Hauntingly beautiful." The Guardian

Catriona McKay - compositions & harp Chris Stout - fiddle Alistair MacDonald - live electronics Phil Alexander - piano/accordion Olov Johansson - nyckelharpa Nils Økland - hardanger fiddle Sigbjorn Apeland - harmonium Hakon Stene - percussion

www.myspace.com/catrionamckayharp

Box Office 01786 27 4000

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Stirling’s roots music festival

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS Friday 13th March ...

Mary Hampton + Mor Karbasi Saturday 14th March ...

I Murder Hate with Adrian Sherwood, Ghetto Priest, Ian King, Skip MacDonald and Pete Lockett Sunday 15th March ...

Flamenco Day with Peter Walker, Gabriel Gonzalez & Miguel Linares

For full listings and details see www.theblendfestival.com Tickets and info 01786 27 4000

7PM

COMEDY CLUB RHONA CAMERON THU 26 MAR, 8PM £10

A

fter a sell out run at the Gilded Balloon during last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and countless rave reviews, Rhona Cameron returns to the Tolbooth with her most revealing show to date.

through her darkly comic and ridiculous life.

Expect brand new material, impeccable timing and a generous helping of her classic and sharp-witted observational humour.

One time ‘jungle celebrity’, ‘Grumpy Old Woman’ and now best selling author, Rhona takes us on a laugh-out-loud journey

"A performance masterclass" Chortle ★★★★ "Wonderful, engaging, feel-good, laugh-outloud funny show" The Scotsman ★★★★ "Personal, surprising, unique … entertaining" The Times THE GILDED BALLOON COMEDY CLUB IS BACK ON 22 APRIL WITH JARRED CHRISTMAS, DANIEL SIMONSEN + JOHN GAVIN, TOM STADE Box Office 01786 27 4000

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7PM

SPIERS & BODEN FRI 27 MAR, 8PM £12/£10 escribed by The Guardian as “the finest instrumental duo on the traditional scene” and twice winners of the BBC Radio 2 folk award for Best Duo, Spiers and Boden have made the genre of spontaneous, punky English folk very much their own stomping ground.

D

Loud, proud, and with just a few acoustic instruments, they create a multitude of textures upon which they present traditional stories and dance music which are as much at home on the main stage of Cambridge Folk Festival as they are in a lock-in at the local pub.

The irrepressible performances as a duo and with their alter ego, the wildly

ambitious eleven piece big-band folk phenomenon, Bellowhead (BBC Folk Awards for Best Live Act in 2005, 2007, 2008), have ensured that John Spiers and Jon Boden are in high demand with audiences.

“Technically they stand head to head with the best of their generation…halfway to reinventing the style without even realising it…" fRoots Magazine Jon Boden – vocals, fiddle, guitar, stomp-box John Spiers – melodeon, concertina

www.myspace.com/spiersandboden

BOOK IF YOU LIKE: ELIZA CARTHY, ANDY CUTTING, CHRIS WOOD

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www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth www.myspace.com/tolboothstirling

7PM

ALASDAIR ROBERTS AND PUMAJAW SAT 28 MAR, 8PM £12/£10

P

inkie Maclure & John Wills aka PUMAJAW return to the Tolbooth after their memorable 2006 appearance supporting Rachel Unthank and the Winterset.

Combining Pinkie's extraordinary voice and concertina with John's looped and treated guitar, mandolin and hypnotic rhythms, they have a unique and seductive sound which spans sultry folk songs and psychedelic pop.

"What makes the duo's music outstanding is that while it's tender and lyrical, there's also an earthiness, a saltiness to it." Mojo www.myspace.com/pumaja

Alasdair Roberts is a singer and guitarist based in Glasgow. His next album, provisionally entitled Spoils, is due for release in May 2009.

In contrast with the traditional material of his previous albums, The Crook of my Arm and No Earthly Man, Spoils consists entirely of Roberts’ self-written material and features a host of talented players. Expect new songs to be previewed at the Tolbooth. “…he discovers the inner mystery of traditional music.”

The Sunday Times www.alasdairroberts.com BOOK IF YOU LIKE: JAMES YORKSTON, KING CREOSOTE, KARINE POLWART

Box Office 01786 27 4000

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Whether you are looking for a private meeting room, a large reception room or a purpose built, state of the art, 165 seat auditorium, the Tolbooth has the facilities and expertise to make any event shine.

Contact Nicky Ferrie on 01786 27 4020 or email ferrien@stirling.gov.uk

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www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth www.myspace.com/tolboothstirling

BOOK YOUR TICKETS In Person at the Tolbooth (see below for opening times)

By Telephone call the Box Office on 01786 27 4000 Online www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth

By Post Tolbooth, Jail Wynd, Stirling, FK8 1DE

OTHER OUTLETS you can also book tickets for Tolbooth events by calling: The Albert Halls on 01786 47 3544 macrobert on 01786 46 6666 SECxtra 08700 13 26 52 *subject to possible booking fee

CONDITIONS You can pay by VISA, Mastercard, Switch or Eurocard.

Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded after purchase unless the event is cancelled. We can reserve tickets for a maximum of three days, after which time they will be released. No reservations will be taken within 3 days of an event.

Booking Fee These may vary but you will be advised at the time of purchase.

Access The Tolbooth is fully accessible and can accommodate a limited number of wheelchairs at each performance. Please ask when booking.

JOIN OUR FREE E-MAILING LIST Join our free mailing list and hear about special offers, new gigs and our new season before everyone else. You will also be helping us cut down on the number of paper brochures we need to print. Contact the Box Office on 01786 27 4000 or go to our website www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth and click on the email link.

If you have difficulty understanding English and would like translations, we can arrange this for you.

If you need information on tape, large print or Braille, contact 0845 277 7000.

For more information on this publication contact Community Services on 01786 442963

Tuesday - Saturday: 10am - 6pm, Sunday & Monday: Closed Open until performance starts on performance evenings.

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www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth www.myspace.com/tolboothstirling

Stirling is centrally located within Scotland and within easy reach of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen.

Trains For information call First ScotRail on 08457 48 49 50 www.firstscotrail.com Buses For information call Citylink on 08705 50 50 50 www.citylink.co.uk Box Office 01786 27 4000

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Jazz Singers’ Open Mic Night

8pm

Jazz

pg4

Thu 5 Feb

Auvo Quartet

8pm

Traditional

pg5

Sat 7 Feb

Cleveland Watkiss

8pm

Jazz

pg6

Wed 11 Feb

The Last of the Red Hot Lovers

7.30pm

Theatre

pg7

Thu 12 Feb

Alejandro Ziegler Tango Quartet

8pm

Tango

pg8

Fri 13 Feb

Keith James - Lorca: Poet in New York

8pm

Singer/Songwriter

pg9

Sat 14 Feb

Reloaded 2

8pm

Pop

pg10

Thu 19 Feb

Hebrides Ensemble - On the Brink

8pm

Classical

pg11

Fri 20 Feb

Electronic Bar

7.30pm

Pop

pg10

Sat 21 Feb

Tommy Smith's Youth Jazz Orchestra

8pm

Jazz

pg12

Thu 26 Feb

Gilded Balloon Comedy Club

8pm

Comedy

pg13

Sat 28 Feb

Reloaded Info Day

1pm

Sat 28 Feb

Reloaded

7.30pm

Pop

pg10

Wed 4 Mar

Marc Atkinson Trio

8pm

Gypsy/Bluegrass

pg14

Thu 5 Mar

Jazz Singers’ Open Mic Night

8pm

Jazz

pg4

Fri 6 Mar

Nils Økland & Catriona McKay

8pm

Folk

pg15

13 - 15 Mar The Blend - Roots Music Festival

vary

Roots

pg16

Fri 20 Mar

Acoustic Bar

7.30pm

Pop

pg10

Sat 21 Mar

Reloaded

7.30pm

Pop

pg10

Thu 26 Mar

Gilded Balloon Comedy Club

8pm

Comedy

pg17

Fri 27 Mar

Spiers & Boden

8pm

Traditional

pg18

Sat 28 Mar

Alasdair Roberts & Pumajaw

8pm

Traditional

pg19

MARCH

FEBRUARY

Wed 4 Feb

pg10

BOX OFFICE 01786 27 4000 WWW.STIRLING.GOV.UK/TOLBOOTH