Astérix et Cléopâtre: A Theatrical Adaptation By Stéphanie Goud

Astérix et Cléopâtre is coming to the Institut français d'Écosse on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December, both nights starting at 18:00. It's a stage adaptation of the comic book classic, directed by Stéphanie Goud and performed by Les Pantouflards, a troupe of amateur performers made up of students, staff and members of the Institut itself. The show takes the adventures of Astérix and Obélix and gives them a fresh, playful run on stage, with the same mix of humour, friendship and Gallic mischief that made the original so well-loved. It's a lively, humorous take on a story most of us know by heart, and since it's put on by people from within the Institut, it's as much a community production as it is a theatrical one.

That's a good place to start on the venue, too. The Institut français d'Écosse is a cultural centre that promotes French language and culture in Edinburgh and across Scotland, part of the wider Institut Français network worldwide. It's been fostering cross-cultural exchange since 1946 and celebrated its 80th anniversary this year, so a production like this—a French comic book classic brought to life by its own students and staff—fits right in with what it does. The Institut is based in the Old Town, at West Parliament Square, EH1 1RF, right in the heart of the city.

Tickets are £7 full price, and £5 for French Institute members. Both performances start at 18:00, so you can catch it on either Friday 11 or Saturday 12 December.