Spectacular Summerhall…

Summerhall just continues to get better and better, offering a wider range of shows and events over the festival, along with providing a delicious cafe and a lovely courtyard for hanging out in and sampling their very own Pickering’s Gin and Barney’s Beer…you could happily spend a day or two here exploring everything it has to offer…

Once again they have a great line up of family shows this festival, my top picks being :

I got Superpowers for my birthday – I saw this today and will write a review shortly, but it is FANTASTIC, absolutely spellbinding storytelling and I highly recommend it ! A mesmerising tale of three 13 years olds who wake on their birthday to discover they have superpowers and must save the world from the darkness….

 

Mikey and Addie – Mikey is a sunny boy. He lives alone with his mum. Mikey’s mum has a secret. It’s not well kept.  Everyone knows it. Everyone except Mikey. Addie is a good girl. She doesn’t tell lies. Her father makes sure of that. Addie tells the truth. It’s what you have to do. Isn’t it? It’s hard to tell when your life will change. The day you wake up normal but end up falling far from everything you’ve ever known. Spinning into nothingness. Today is that day.  For ages 9+

Squirrel Stole My Underpants – In this poignantly silly adventure tale for families, Sylvie is sent to the backyard to hang up the laundry. The moment her back is turned, a mischievous squirrel steals her favourite piece of clothing and runs off. When Sylvie gives chase, an entire world emerges from her laundry basket.

 

The Adventure of Puppets – Two engaging and skilfully silly actors bring to life an array of ordinary objects, conjuring a DIY universe full of raucous fun and inventive play. Here a mop becomes a puppy, a hammer can turn into a horse and a home-made ship flies high in the sky. It’s all about taking what’s near to hand and then letting your imagination go.

 

Us/Them – This looks like quite an intense story to base a performance on and so is recommended for older children ages 9+. In September 2004, during a school hostage drama in Beslan, the greatest of evils (terrorists) chose the greatest good (a group of children) as their victim. Us/Them is not a straightforward account of this terrible drama, but is about the entirely individual way children cope with extreme situations.

 

 

 

BBC tent 2016 is now open…

Click for Options

So, today the lovely BBC tent opened in its brand new location and it is looking as beautiful as ever, the luscious green grass is back, as are the deckchairs; the new space feels roomier and has an incredible backdrop of Edinburgh Castle !

They have a host of free children’s events going on over the next few weeks- which can be seen here, but to kick things off, this weekend:

Saturday 6th they have Digital Toybox from 10.30 , so go along and build electronic gadgets and have a go at 3D printing. Digital Toybox offer ‘mobile makerspaces’ based in City of Edinburgh Libraries and encourage young people to learn new skills through projects presented in a hands on and high impact way.

On Sunday 8th they have Edinburgh Art Festival Dazzle Ship Art Table  again from 10.30 which  is inspired by the Edinburgh Art Festival Dazzle Ship Scotland docked down in Leith. Create your own dazzle ship designs, boats and objects made up of geometric shapes, patterns and colours as seen in the dazzle ships of WW1.

 

I’ve said it before….

…but do try and catch it while you can !! The Lords of Strut:The Family Show, is only on for another ten performances and please don’t miss out ! We enjoyed yet another hour of mayhem with these two loveable Irish brothers  – Famous Seamus and Sean-tastic. Featuring some rather funky dancing, some lovely lycra and impressive acrobatics, it’s a chaotic, fun, quirky and very very funny show – my cheeks still hurt from all the laughing !!  On until the 14th August….(see review here )

Fantastic first day…

So, after reading all the programmes, watching the venues being built and seeing hundreds of posters appear all over the city, yesterday I managed to head to the festival and see some shows !!

We had a great day, I’ll be posting some reviews soon, so please keep checking back to that page.

Firstly we saw Captain Flinn and The Pirate Dinosaurs 2: The Magic Cutlass, which was fun and energetic and a great show for wee ones, it has a little bit of everything: catchy songs, dinosaurs, puppets and a few surprises !

kidzone Then we headed along to check out the kidzone at the Pleasance, which was as great as always. We did some of the arts and crafts – you can see what’s on offer in the photo, and prices start at £1 which I think is fantastic value in the festival – it was busy and lots of little ones were enjoying being creative there !

 

morgan and west

To finish off our first day we headed along to see Morgan & West’s Utterly Spiffing Spectacular Magic Show for Kids (and Childish Grown-Ups!) – which was brilliant – they are such a fantastic and quick witted duo and know exactly how to pitch things for kids. There was plenty of audience participation and lots of magic to keep everyone guessing – it’s well worth checking out and was very busy today, so get your tickets early !

Circus Hub 2016 – It’s back !

Last year was the first year for Underbelly’s Circus Hub, and I’m delighted it is returning for 2016 with an even bigger programme of circus and physical theatre !

Located on The Meadows, Underbelly’s Circus Hub is made up of two big tops, the Lafayette and The Beauty. The two venues are named after one of the world’s most famous circus performers and illusionists, (The Great Lafayette and his dog Beauty, who famously both died in Edinburgh in 1911) and promise to present us with spectacular and technically ambitious circus work .

Fantastically there are some children’s shows included in the programme and some family friendly treats too, but what looks even better are the Family Circus Workshops – meaning you and your children can actually run away with the circus and learn some skills! Happening every day from the 8th-21st August (except 15th) From aerial to juggling, hula-hooping to acrobatics. There’s all the fun of the fair in these great taster sessions designed for parents and their kids. Taught by experts from Edinburgh’s new circus centre Full Cirqle. Places are limited so book now! Workshops last for 60 minutes and each ticket admits one adult and one child.  Be quick – some workshops are sold out already ….

Bedtime Stories – New for this year, this show looks great – combining circus with story telling. Immerse yourself in a magical journey. Celebrate that magical time of the day when stresses and strains of life melt away and enter a world of imagination and dreams with Bedtime Stories. Tucked up with your family in a bedroom installation, take this chance to unwind and be dazzled with circus, theatre, dance and projections from circus pioneers Upswing.   4th – 22nd August

Trash Test Dummies – Woo hoo ! These guys are returning and I loved the show last year (see my review here). This trio of lovable clowns can do amazing things with the wheely bin ! It is definitely worth checking out, with great music and fantastic circus and acrobatic skills it’s suitable for all the family.  4th – 21st August

The Hogswallops – Also returning to Edinburgh this year, The Hogswallops is a fun and quirky circus show, inspired by Roald Dahl’s The Twits. Watch the domestic adventures of a chaotic family of misfits, and be inspired by the specially composed live score.