So, I started this blog ten years ago, and naturally my mini-reviewers have grown quite a bit over that time (one is even taller than me now – eek !). As they have grown older, I have started to look for shows for the in between, teenage stage- beyond the shows directly aimed at children, and shows not quite totally for adults….it’s been tricky, but we continue to explore within this range and I’m always keen to hear your suggestions too. There is of course, circus, dance, magic which all ages will enjoy…but other options are always great…
We’ve picked a few from this year’s offerings which look good for those slightly older children in your lives :
What Girls Are Made Of – For age 12+, I missed this last time, so am delighted it’s back ! The smash-hit, gig show returns, charting the true story of Cora Bissett’s journey from 90s indie-kid to wised-up woman. Touring with Radiohead, partying with Blur, she was living the dream. Until she wasn’t. With a live band, Cora celebrates life’s euphoric highs and epic lows, asking what wisdom we should pass to the next generation, and which glorious mistakes we should let them make.- 4th – 27th August (not 9th/14th/21st)
Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder – Age 12+ – Again, we never managed to see this last year, mainly as it was always sold out ! But again, excited to catch it (hopefully!) this time round…BFFs Kathy and Stella are Hull’s least successful true crime podcasters. When their favourite author is killed, they are thrust into a thrilling whodunnit of their own! Can they crack the case (and become global podcast superstars) before the killer strikes again…? – 2nd – 27th August (not 9th/14th/21st)
Pete Heat: Huge – Age 12 + – Combining both magic and comedy, this looks intriguing and very fun, and its always good to check something new out this month!….Sharp, charmingly surreal and joyously unhinged, this hilarious modern magic show will break your brain into cute little pieces. – 2nd – 27th August (not 15th )
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YUCK Circus – Age 12 +…again these guys have been here before, and I’ve caught a snippet of their show at a festival party and it was joyous and colourful and fantastic, so I’m looking forward to seeing the entire thing this time round ! High-flying acrobatics, absurd confessions and groovy dancing – all smashed together with their trademark ripper comedy. – 2nd – 28th August (not 14th/21st)
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The Dark Room for Kids! – Age 11 + …You and your family are stuck inside a live-action videogame! How will you escape?! Will you: A) Find light switch? B) Go north? C) Explode in a shower of stinking guts? An interactive adventure featuring terrible prizes and total mayhem! – 2nd – 27th August (not 15th )
As my own mini-reviewers get a big bigger, and as the number of shows for children increases, it’s worthwhile looking at those shows which are best for the even smaller audience members and for whom this may be their first introduction to theatre and performance….as always, there’s a great selection this year, but here are a few of our top picks …
Grow – The Gardener has agreed to look after their friend’s allotment. They’re very excited to grow a plant. But there’s a problem. All the instructions are lost! What is our gardener going to do…? Come and join in with a sun dance, a rain dance and some hilarious clowning around in a joyful show celebrating nature and things that grow. 40 minutes long, so a perfect show for littlies !! – 4th – 27th August (not 9th/16th/23rd)
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Mog the Forgetful Cat – We’re excited to see the much loved Mog come alive on stage in this proudction – Mog is a very forgetful cat. She forgets that she has a cat flap, she forgets that she’s already eaten her supper, and she forgets that cats don’t have eggs for breakfast every day. Bother that cat! But Mog’s forgetfulness can come in handy…- 3rd – 27th August (not 16th/21st/22nd/23rd)
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Strictly Barking – Fab-u-lous! A high-energy comedy about a lonely old man and a homeless dog who become friends and enter a ballroom dancing competition. But little do they know what trouble awaits! Get ready for comedy, slapstick, crazy characters and enthusiastic dance routines for the whole family! – 2nd – 20th August (not 9th/16th)
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The Slightly Annoying Elephant – What’s big, blue, bossy and turns up uninvited? A slightly annoying elephant, of course! One day Sam gets a very big surprise as a tired, hungry, antique-loving, cycling-enthusiast elephant turns up on his doorstep. Adopting an elephant at the zoo turned out to be a lot more than he bargained for as he didn’t realise the elephant would actually come to live with him – silly boy! – 2nd – 28th August (not 14th/21st )
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Lucky Pigeons – A treat for the whole family, BrainFools’ Fringe debut defies gravity to conjure a surreal world where a flock of energetic, curious pigeons dwell. Join us on a journey to a magical space created through incredible contemporary circus skills. – 5th – 26th August (not 14th/21st )
So the lovely folk at Assembly are offering £5 tickets to a variety of shows from the 2nd – 6th August for people with an EH, KY and FK postcode…read more about the offerhere .
Use code: AF23
All residents of EH, KY and FK postcodes can now bag £5 tickets to over 190 Assembly shows.
Tickets are limited so get yours now!
To claim your discount, first log in to your account, then add the Local Resident tickets to your basket and finally add the code AF23 before checking out
Please note your billing address must have a EH, KY and FK postcode, the offer is limited to a maximum of two tickets per performance, six per transaction and is only valid for shows on between 2-6 August inclusive.
The offer is only live between 15 – 31 July so you better be quick! T’s & C’s apply.
Firstly, I need to apologise for my rather tardy top ten this year !! A return to University and a looming dissertation on top of my day job has all kept me rather busy….and to be honest, festival season has somewhat crept up on me ! BUT, the excitement is real and I cannot believe that in a few weeks, Edinburgh will be full of the hustle and bustle of festival fever !
As usual, its a hard task to whittle down my favourites from the incredible list of children’s shows coming to Edinburgh this August – check them all out here… there are of course a few of my favourites returning and half of the magic is knowing that there are as yet undiscovered new shows to delight us this year too !!
I’ll begin with our firm favourites, as that’s a good place to start and an easy choice !! ….
The Listies Make Some Noise – We are 110% ready for this !….As always, readers of this blog will know that we ALL love the Listies here in this household and we know that this will be full of their usual brand of comedy to keep us all laughing for days ! A new show based on their last album, this is sure to delight all ages – An insane mixtape of silly songs, stupid sketches and crazy clowning! – August 4th – 20th (not 10th/17th)
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Trash Test Dummies – Another favourite group of performers for us, and we are SO happy they are returning with this much loved show from previous years. ‘Starting off slowly, but building momentum, these Australian performers pitch their circus and acrobatic show perfectly for families and young children. They are able to perform an inexhaustible number of tricks with the mundane wheely bin, much to the delight of the crowd.‘….Everyone put your rubbish out, tonight’s bin night and the Trash Test Dummies are on duty! – August 5th – 26th (not 14th/21st)
Tom Brace: A Trick Down memory Lane – Completing our trio of much loved performers is Tom Brace. We’ve really enjoyed his previous magic shows and have been left stunned and amazed by what he is able to trick us into believing ! This new show promises to be more of what we love and is sure to entertain all ages – August 2nd – 28th (not 16th)
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IMA – I heard about this show at a recent press launch and it sounds intriguing and exciting and therefore well worth checking out ! IMA (Pray) is an immersive circus experience. In the installation space reminiscent of sacred places, we participate in a unique ritual guided by the performer, who becomes a 21st-century shaman taking the audience into the unknown territories of the human mind. Out at Murrayfield ice-rink but sounds worth the visit – August 4th -27th (not 15th/22nd )
The 7 Fingers: Duel Reality – I’m VERY excited 7 fingers are back this year and this sounds fantastic and full of their usual magic – This is circus on a whole new theatrical level. Star-crossed lovers. Two opposing teams. The stage is an arena. Competition can be playful at times, but also dangerously serious. Which side will you choose? – August 4th – 26th (not 9th/14th/21st)
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Olaf Falafel’s Super Stupid Show (20% More Stupider) – Olaf Falafel returns to Edinburgh this year, bringing his unique charm and comedy with him. I’ve got a confession – despite really wanting to catch his show last year and being told how great it was – I never made it…arrggg, so I will not let that be happening this year ! There will be truth-telling cheese, fishing, ducks, bumbags, sausages and maybe some drawing. – August 2nd – 27th (not 16th/22nd/23rd)
Afrique en Cirque – New to Edinburgh this year, Afrique en Cirque – a show by Yamoussa Bangoura, inspired by daily life in Guinea. This performance shares the beauty, youth and artistry of African culture. A colourful show beyond its scenery, costumes and staging, that will make any theatre vibrate with energy. It represents strength, agility and life’s joys of young Africans. The audience will see our acrobats execute gravity-defying moves and human pyramids, all to the contemporary sounds of Afro-Jazz, percussion, and kora.- August 3rd – 28th (not 9th/16th/23rd)
Marcel Lucont: Les Enfants Terribles – A Gameshow For Awful Children – With only a short run last year, I didn’t catch this and again heard great things – I’m familiar with Marcel’s adult performances and if they’re anything to go by, this should be fantastic ! The wild interactive game show returns, where kids get to be pests, politicians and petomanes to be crowned the most awful child. See what happens when international insouciance meets infantile exuberance. – August 2nd – 21st
Lightning Ridge – From the brilliant Catherine Wheels company comes this story about 12-year-old Ashmol who lives in the Australian Outback with his mum, dad and his little sister Kellyanne… and her two invisible friends Pobby and Dingan. When Pobby and Dingan disappear, Ashmol decides that there is only one thing to do for the sake of his sister – find them. A story about the possibility of dreams, about a community coming together, the preciousness of hope and how, sometimes, we have to believe in the impossible.- August 4th – 20th (not 7th/14th)
A Bee Story – Returning after a successful run last year – A Bee Story is a uniquely Australian physical theatre show for children and families incorporating a kaleidoscope of circus, acrobatics, dance and live music. It tells the story of Queen Bee and Worker Bee who must work together to rebuild their hive after being destroyed by a bushfire. But things never quite go to plan…A Bee Story has themes of environmentalism, sustainability and community spirit. – August 4th – 27th (not 14th/21st)
And seeing as I couldn’t squish everyone I’d like to into this list – I’d just like to mention that some of our previously loved shows that we’ve reviewed are returning in 2023, including :
For anyone looking for some top class entertainment for adults and kids alike and a great night out at the theatre – look no further than Kidnapped – currently on at the Lyceum….
This modern re-telling of the well loved tale is everything you want and more ! Pirates, shipwrecks, romance, pop classics and everything in between…
Isobel McArthur, who wrote Pride and Prejudice (sort of).. which we also loved dearly, has given Kidnapped her own touch of magic, relaying the story through Robert Louis Stevensons’ wife Frances, who brings her own brilliant presence to the stage, sprinkled with her wit, charm, incredible voice and her backstory which adds depth and perspective to the origins of the Kidnapped story…
We are whizzed through the adventure at a fantastic pace as recently bereaved young Davie Balfour leaves his Borders home to walk to Edinburgh in search of his newly discovered Uncle, and instead is unwittingly kidnapped and taken aboard a questionable vessel with an equally questionable crew ! Davies’ adventures take us back to the mainland, and through a whirlwind of politics, fighting, gambling and romance….the versatility of the cast to flit between songs and instruments and characters is truly astounding !
My (sort of) mini reviewer loved it too, with her highlights being the gambling sequence featuring a healthy dose of kazoos and the angry, grumbling, megaphone toteing lady !
On until the 22nd April, this whimsical version will have you laughing out loud and being emotionally moved in equal proportion…
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