Pleasance Kidzone… 2019

Posted on August 5, 2019 by Edinburghfestivalsforkids

The wonderful Pleasance kidzone has returned…and it’s as great as ever – offering lots of arts and crafts at very reasonable prices, providing picnic tables, a coffee and cake stall and new for this year – a rather yummy ice cream kiosk !! What more could we ask for ??

My daughter spent around two hours painting a beautiful candle holder – whilst I managed to sit in the sun with a beer and contemplate all the great shows the Pleasance has on offer for the kids this year- total win !!

A trip to the Kidzone can be combined with seeing one or two of the brilliant children’s shows at the Pleasance this year – they have 23 this year for us to choose from, so there is bound to be something for everyone !! Some top picks are :

The Listies : Ickypedia – The Listies are back – they are silly, hilarious and superbly awesome. You may just learn a few new words along the way too! Don’t miss this show….

The Showstoppers' Kids Show The Showstoppers’ Kids Show – These champions of Improvisation are back and no two shows will ever be the same – expect some whacky stories as the kids come up with all the ideas!

Mustard Doesn’t Go With Girls – This production seeks to poke fun at fairy tales from the past whilst creating new storylines for the young generation of today. Once definitely worth checking out…

One Duck Down – One Duck Down. 7000 rubber ducks. Seven Seas. One big adventure! An environmentalist tale set to inspire the little ones..

Rave And Behave – Come help Bella and Blue on their quest to become legends before lunchtime in this interactive sound journey. A must-see for all the mischievous music makers in your family.

First day….

Posted on August 3, 2019 by Edinburghfestivalsforkids

We had a super fantastic first day, and loved getting fully immersed in festival fever again!! This is going to be a great few weeks !!

Our first stop was to the wonderful Summerhall to see Sparkle, we loved this gentle adventure of the first days at school and the trials and tribulations that unfold..definitely recommend this for an uplifting start to your morning !!

We squeezed in some exploring in Summerhall and a quick visit to the enchanting Swallow The Sea Caravan Theatre, before seeing the epic fairytale of Troll – Trick of the Light theatre always produce the most compelling, captivating stories , with such imaginative, creative puppetry and sets – this was no exception ! It is only on until the 11th of August – so get yourselves to see it quick !

As some of you may know, no visit to the fringe these days is without the possibility of hot cinnamon donuts – and a collective sigh of relief was had by all when we popped by George Square Gardens to check the stall has returned…and…

Last up, we went to see Blizzard which was awesomely spectacular and left us all on a high – fantastic acrobatics with very funny and silly snippets inbetween – try and sit near the front if you can !!

Elsewhere, our new mini, mini reviewer was getting immersed in the world of Fox-Tot! and loving the sensory set and getting to play with the autumnal leaves…

And so it begins….

Posted on August 2, 2019 by Edinburghfestivalsforkids

Wow…so August festival season has started with a bang ! Two days in and I’m three press launches down and in need of a serious good night’s sleep ! But it’s been so much fun – and from all the amazing, varied snippets of shows I’ve been lucky to see, this fringe is going to be fantastic !!

First up was the Underbelly launch and I know this is a blog about kid’s events, but we loved the compere – Rhys Nicholson – and I would definitely check his show out if you can!

Other highlights included :

Basil Brush – He popped in for a quick visit, which delighted everyone !! He will be here with songs, stories and more for the whole family !
Magical Bones – I think this guy would be great for older children, and anyone keen to see magic and some impressive acrobatics combined !
Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo – we were met by one of the dinosaur’s from this show outside and it was incredible – kids are going to LOVE it….

Next up Assembly worked more of their magic in the beautiful Assembly Hall venue….Frisky and Manish were compering and sharing some musical delights…

Blizzard – I was already SO excited to see this after the awesome Attrape Moi last year – and the brief preview we got to see did not disappoint !!
Morgan and West – Yay ! We love these guys and this year their quick witted humour is working it’s magic on science and the glimpse we got was great !!
La Galerie – Bringing humour to circus and seamlessly taking the audience with them – I’m keen to see the whole show as the glimpse we got wasn’t nearly enough!

Lastly, the List party was lots of fun, and Summerhall the perfect venue – I love exploring all the corridors and walkways….

Image result for swallow the sea caravan theatre ………and if you’re lucky enough you will find the amazing Swallow The Sea caravan this year – parked in the Summerhall courtyard. Bringing you an escape from the norm and plunging audiences into a different world. Shadow and tabletop puppetry, object theatre, poetry, installation and live soundscape give a rare opportunity to experience intimate all-immersive theatre in the tiniest of settings with the smallest of audiences. It is totally worth going to Summerhall just to see the caravan, let alone all the other shows being hosted there !

Amazingly Awesome Circus Hub 2019…

Posted on July 29, 2019 by Edinburghfestivalsforkids

Image result for underbelly circus hub 2019

The ever amazing and creative Circus Hub by Underbelly returns to the Meadows this year, bringing with it an incredible variety of spectacular and innovative shows and this year, even more family friendly circus shows – great news !!

You can visit the Circus Hub for two dazzling circus tents – The Lafayette and The Beauty – and a charming bar ! ( I’m also hoping the yummy churros stall will be back this year – that was a highlight for our mini reviewers in the past !)..

It is tricky to single out any shows to see as they all look so great, and there are some old favourites returning too – but here is a top five to get you started…. !!! :

Circa: Humans – Pushing their physical bodies to the limit and having lots of fun in the meantime- this awe inspiring show returns to Edinburgh – read our review here from 2017. This is definitely a show for the whole family, perhaps best suited for slightly older children as it has no dialogue – but it comes highly recommended ! ”Ten acrobats take us on a stirring journey of what it means to be human, and how our bodies, our connections, and our aspirations all form part of who we are. ” 2nd – 24th August (not 7th/12th/19th)

Danny MacAskill’s Drop and Roll Live – This has got to be a ‘must see’ for all Danny MacAskill fans out there – and something quite unique in the Fringe programme this year! .Joining Danny will be highly acclaimed trials rider and fellow Scotsman Duncan Shaw, plus more athletes to be announced. Expect an action-packed display of gravity-defying tricks, guaranteed to amaze children and adults alike under the big top! 3rd – 24th August

YUCK Circus – Discovering new shows is part of the joy of the Fringe and this looks fantastic ! For 12 + – Sugar, spice, and apparently “nice”? With our good sense of humour, we’re going to rip into the uncomfortable using high-flying acrobatics, absurd confessions and groovy dancing. Get ready to witness a powerhouse of female circus performers kick art in the face. 3rd – 24th August (not 7th/12th/19th)

Hotel Paradiso – From the makers of The Hogwallops comes this Irresistibly colourful, loud and fun show for all the family. Thrillingly spectacular circus skills, physical comedy, clowning, theatrical storytelling and slapstick combine. A rundown hotel becomes a physical playground for the six multinational highly skilled acrobats, clowns and jugglers. Madame and the charming staff of the quirkily ineffective Hotel Paradiso battle to save their home and livelihood from the dastardly banker. 13th- 24th August (not 19th)

Splash Test Dummies – Our favourite Aussie circus guys are back !!!! Returning with the splish, splashingly awesome adventure from last year ( read our review here ). Splash Test Dummies are here, ready to roll out their beach towels and spring into an hour of circus-filled hilarity for the whole family. See a brilliant array of catch-your-breath stunt work, acrobatics, juggling and the side-splitting, slapstick comedy for which the dummies are famous. 3rd – 24th August (not 12th/19th)

Pitch and ‘Pitt’ Perfect Pianodrome returns …..

Posted on July 26, 2019 by Edinburghfestivalsforkids

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If you were lucky enough to visit the Pianodrome last year at the Botanics, you will be as excited as we are that it is returning to the festival – and this year in a new home within the Pitt Street Market…

The biggest small venue in town. This year their majestic 100-seater amphitheatre made entirely from upcycled pianos goes wild downtown in a post-industrial warehouse in Leith. Join them for new music, new writing, street food and drinks. All singing, all dancing, all welcome. Intimate. Epic. Drop in for live music and activities from 11am.

Kids are very much included in the jam packed schedule throughout August – see the full line up and details here – we’ve had a look and picked out some of the family friendly goodies over the month, but it’s definitely one to explore, the programme will be full of magical delights to unearth, and even popping by and playing the pianos or appreciating the wonder of the structure is well worth it….

The Adventures of Prince Achmed with live score by Sink –

This is sure to be SPECTACULAR – with this animated film coming alive with the soundtrack being played right beside you – and the film being shown on FIVE screens in the round !!! Swirling, spiraling strings, saxophones, accordion, percussion and voice transport you to a world of conjurors and princesses, where Aladdin battles demons and nothing is as it seems. Lotte Reiniger’s classic and groundbreaking paper-cut animation is a delight for all ages. 31st July – 4th August

Tinderbox – If you’ve never seen the Tinderbox orchestra play, then please, please get yourself along to one of their shows at the Pianodrome – the combination of the venue and the orchestra is going to be tremendous. Tinderbox Orchestra’s spellbinding 20-piece band bring a set of original music, orchestral experiments and site specific performance to this unique venue. Featuring special guests and new collaborations for each show. Tinderbox Orchestra brings together some of Scotland’s leading young musicians across genres. Fiercely independent, they combine core values of inclusivity and togetherness with an ambition to hit the highest levels of creativity and originality. 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th August

I Piano – In this one-of-a-kind venue the piano and the little girl set off on their quest, searching from the North Pole to the bottom of the sea. They meet dancing dinos and monks on scooters, and explore everything from Beethoven to boogie-woogie, but will they findmusic? If music is in all of us, they will need all our help. 7th – 11th August 3pm

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