Edinburgh’s Christmas has officially opened, the big wheel is spinning and the lights are twinkling in the trees all along Princes Street. We are also about to be served a huge portion of fantastic Christmas shows to choose from, ranging once again from panto to ballet with a little of everything inbetween…

• Cinderella – Scottish Ballet bring us this magical production featuring dance lessons from a grasshopper and a dress spun by magic. Give in to light, love and transformation in this classic tale. We meet Cinderella at the saddest of times, then see her taken for granted by her wicked stepmother and two nasty stepsisters. But there’s no time for despair: Cinderella’s fairy godmother is casting spells of dressmaker spiders, magical roses and a very special glass slipper. Will love conquer loneliness, and light chase away the dark? Be part of the spectacle, and rediscover this classic tale.                   Festival T heatre 8 – 30 December

• You Choose –  We love Nonsense Room Productions – they’ve brought us the much loved Hairy Maclary shows and last year’s brilliant Shark In The Park. This year we’re getting ‘You Choose’ – A different story in every show!   -based on the brilliant book by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt  this is a brand new interactive musical show for all the family. But in this show – YOU CHOOSE what happens! Using the picture book as inspiration and through a series of games and challenges each show will come up with a unique story, with different characters every time!  (Suitable for ages 2-7)    Festival Square Spiegeltent  30th November – 5th January

• Wendy and Peter Pan – We absolutely love the Lyceum Christmas shows – Arabian Nights was an amazing storytelling spectacle and this year Wendy and Peter Pan looks set to be the same. Follow the fearless Wendy as she flies with Peter to Neverland – a world of dastardly pirates, feisty fairies and raucous lost boys. This adaptation has all the magic and wonder of the original, as Wendy and Peter fly together above the rooftops and follow ‘the second star on the right and straight on till morning’ to Neverland. There they find all is not well in the kingdom of the Lost Boys, as the villainous Captain Hook wreaks havoc, can Wendy and Peter band together with fearsome fairy Tiger-Lilly and the irrepressible Tinkerbell to win the day? Full of fairy-dust, adventure and all your favourite characters this magical story is everything a Christmas treat should be.    Lyceum Theatre 1st December – 5th January

• Black Beauty – We’ve missed this previously – and if you’ve done the same, then watch out at this is on for two nights only ! Fresh from an acclaimed run in New York City, audience favourite Black Beauty returns home for two performances only. From the cosy horsebox they call home, the McCuddy Brothers take the bit firmly between their teeth and tell the classic tale of Black Beauty as you’ve never seen it before. Saddle up, jump on and gallop headlong into a story where loneliness gives way to hope, friends become heroes, and courage saves the day. Blending storytelling, music and puppetry, this vibrant re-telling of Black Beauty offers fun and adventure for fans of the book, classic TV show and those brand new to the tale.   Traverse Theatre 29th-30th November 

• Beauty and The Beast – Expect the usual singing, dancing, plenty of puns and a huge dollop of audience participation. The beloved Pantomime returns to the King’s and it’s the tale of Beauty and The Beast which is set to amuse us this year!   King’s Theatre 1st December – 20th January