Fringe For Bairns 2018 29th July – 1st August

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For the fourth year running, the Free Sisters are hosting another Fringe for Bairns located in the courtyard at the Three Sisters on the Cowgate  – expect children’s shows, face painting, magicians, an outdoor cinema and the return of the very popular courtyard petting zoo. It’s a great way to see some shows before the full on hecticness of the fringe starts…

Daily activities over the four days are as follows :

Sunday 29th July- A cinema and Meet & Greet with Anna and Elsa

Monday 30th July- Lego Day with Lego Game on Big screen and Bricks 4 Kidz – Glasgow, Scotland

Tuesday 31st July- Animal Day with Petting Zoo

Wednesday 1st August- Superhero Day

Make sure to check out the dates and timings for all the shows here and to turn up early for the best seats! You can also check out their facebook page which will give great updates about shows and events.

The image below is a great wee guide to all the kids shows during the festival :

Amazing Assembly Locals Offer for 1st – 5th August…

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So, maybe I’m a little slow with seeing this, but Assembly are being SUPER generous and offering Edinburgh locals a superb bargain discount with £5 tickets for ALL Assembly shows from 1st – 5th August !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Check out full details here –

How to claim £5 tickets

  • Just head down to any Assembly box office
  • Show us a proof of address & photo ID
  • Get tickets to any of our shows for just a fiver

**Each customer can claim up to 6 tickets using the discount**

If you are around for these days you are in luck, there are some great children’s shows and circus shows on at Assembly, a few top picks would be :

Chores – Chores is the story of two typical young rascal boys playing in their messy bedroom. Suddenly, Mother’s alarming screams rattle the boys back in to acrobatic action. A generous serve of comedy and chaotic acrobatics accompanies every attempt at cleaning their room.

 

Reversible – the performance group 7 Fingers return with this unique, riveting mix of theatre, circus, dance, music and acrobatics. A reversible world where everyday life is turned upside down into new, spectacular universes filled with beauty, emotion and yes, hope. Imagine your grandparents and what they lived through when they were your age. Reversible is dedicated to a generation who forged the world that we live in today and whose stories might hold the key to a better tomorrow.

Attrape Moi – Twirling 12 hoops, dancing with diabolos, soaring through the air – all in a day’s play for Flip FabriQue! These Fringe favourites return after sell-out seasons – experience these high-flying, fearless and fun young artists as they astound audiences with adrenaline-pumping feats of cutting-edge nouveau cirque. Crowd-pleasing spectacles of extreme acrobatics, dramatic turns on the trampoline wall and inventive parkour will dazzle.

Denim : The Denim Juniors – Five pop princesses celebrate the power of being yourself. This drag pop concert for kids glows with stunning costumes and live music from animated classics to party hits. Denim is the place to scream, dream, and become a queen.

 

Ellie and the Enormous Sneeze –  Mouths of Lions produce brilliant and creative shows. This year’s offering looks equally bonkers ! ‘A sneeze is a powerful thing, a dangerous thing, you never know what might happen with a sneeze…’ Join Ellie on a wild snot-filled adventure as she sets out to help her friend Stanley to sneeze for the very first time.

 

 

 

 

Fringe By The Sea 2018 3- 12th August

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Image result for fringe by the seaSun, sea, sand…North Berwick has it all and it even has a fantastic fringe festival too : Fringe By The Sea which is returning this year from the 3rd- 12th August.

Fringe by the sea has a jam packed kids programme which is also ever expanding, and this year is totally brilliant – ranging from kid’s discos, seaside science, soap carving, colouring in and right up to meditation !

Here are some top picks :

Phil Kay : Gimme Your Left Shoe – Looking both intriguing and fun, I’m sure Phil Kay will bring some of his comedy magic to this show to entertain all the littlies – Join Phil Kay  in his show of shoe-shows as every kid gives up their left shoe and then does a skit with daft props to get it back.              Saturday 4th August 12.00

 

Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall   – Monski Mouse is a firm festival favourite and is a totally fun, upbeat and energetic way to have fun with the kids – everyone will be dancing and singing away ! Why toddle when you can dance? Selling out shows around the world, come find out why DJ Monski Mouse is a hit with the under fives and their parents/carers. Expect to do some high-energy smiling to retro hits, pop favourites and funky nursery rhymes.   Sunday 5th August 3pm

 

Eilidh Muldoon: Colouring In North Berwick – For the past couple of year my daughter and I have really enjoyed the ‘tea and colouring in ‘ events with Eilidh at the book festival, and this looks equally as special. Eilidh Muldoon has created a prototype North Berwick Colouring Book especially for Fringe by the Sea. In this session you will be colouring in her her drawings, making some of your own and bringing them to life with colour. (Tea and cake included)   Monday 6th August 11.00am

 

Eaten – We loved this show at the Fringe last summer (see review here). Expect lots of laughter and poo jokes during this journey through the digestive system and beyond which is sure to get everyone giggling ! What if your food started talking back? Meet Lionel the lion. He’s just eaten a human called Mamoru for lunch.         Tuesday 7th August 4.00pm

 

The Breath Of Life –  Anything can be a puppet, truly anything. Take a stick, or a stone, or an ear of corn: so long as you can learn to make an object ‘breathe’, you can bring it to life. Join Allison DeFrees and her team of magical puppeteers as they explore puppetry and imagination.      Sunday 12th August 11.00am

 

So there are loads of good reasons to go have a day out, catch a show, do some crafts, play in the sand and most importantly get some fish and chips ! Bliss….

 

 

 

 

Shows for the even littler little ones….top five

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Once again, the selection of wild and wonderful shows for children at the festival this year includes many aimed at the even younger little ones ! We are so lucky to be able to introduce the wee ones to the sights, colours and sounds of the Fringe in these gentle and accessible productions.

I’ve narrowed down my top picks to the following five shows, but if you have an even littler little one, there are lots more shows and events out there to explore during the Fringe – I’d be keen to hear what you think !

MamaBabaMe – Starcatchers create beautiful shows for younger children, and MamaBabaMe looks to be something special for the under threes. Part of the Made in Scotland showcase this looks gorgeous and as it’s only on for two weeks, worth getting a ticket early. The audience sits within the set around a mini arena with soft boundary edges from which to enjoy the performance. With the soothing sounds of live cello and intimate lighting and set design, MamaBabaMe explores the profound connection between parent and child and how this eternal bond evolves and grows.  1st – 17th August (not 6th or 13th)

Four Go Wild In Wellies – Another from the Made In Scotland showcase is this fun sounding, playful adventure featuring tents, bobble hats and of course lots of wellies !! A show for audiences aged three to five years from Indepen-dance 4, Scotland’s inclusive professional dance company.  3rd – 26th August (not 6th/13th/20th )

 

BambinO – Returning from a very successful sold out run last year – Katch took her little one and really enjoyed it (read all about it here ). Scottish Opera introduce wee ones age 6 -18 months to the world of opera – at an age when their minds are wide open to new sounds, images and experiences. Babies are free to explore during the performance, interacting with singers, musicians and each other. Catch it while you can as it’s sure to sell out again especially with its limited run !  7th – 19th August ( not 13th )

 

Paddington Bear’s First Concert – Join Paddington Bear on his adventures as he leaves home, meets his new family and enjoys his first concert – not without causing his fair share of mayhem, of course! The charming tales of everyone’s favourite bear come to life with storytelling, narration and a live orchestra.        1st – 26th August (not 13th) 

 

Shhh….The Elves Are Very Shy – Ipdip Theatre return to the Botanics with another creative tale suitable for very young audiences. The elves are very shy and elfologist Dr Faye Greenwood is here to tell us why – and how you can help. Can her two tiny friends be encouraged to come out and say hi? And can you spot the evidence of elf activity all around us? A small scale show for the smallest of audience members and their families. Multi-sensory, musical and magical.  5th – 26th August (not 6th/13th/20th )

My Top Ten Children’s Shows at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2018…

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Blimey, this year, choosing my top picks has been even more difficult than before – we are blessed with hundreds of fantastic shows every year, and they all look so good !!!

It’s overwhelming and incredibly exciting all at the same time…I am certain each year my top picks gets bigger, and this year I’ve struggled even to whittle it down to ten…and as before, I’ll cheat a little by putting some of my other favourites in a feature about shows for littler little ones I will post later. I’m almost tempted to do a whole separate Kids Circus top picks too as that genre keeps expanding and this year, there are more circus shows for children and families than ever before !

I’ll start with an firm favourite company of mine and with only a few performances, it looks like you should get in quick ! :

  • How To Spot An Alien – Paines Plough have brought some of my total festival highlights these last few years in their unique Roundabout venue situated at Summerhall. I’m hoping this show will bring some of the same imaginative, magic storytelling – What do you do if you think your aunt is an alien? Twelve-year-old Jelly and her brother Jonjo have their suspicions. She won’t let them leave the house. Or ask questions. And she definitely won’t let them in the attic. Join Jelly and Jonjo on their quest to discover the truth in a rip-roaring adventure through space full of friendship, fun and flying saucers.      4th/5th, 11th/12th, 18th/19th and 25th/26th August

 

  • The Bear – It may be because I’m biased as  my daughter is called Tilly, and so I love this book so much, but I can’t wait to see this show. I’ve seen some pictures on twitter and think everyone may just fall a little bit in love with this big bear ! One night when she’s fast asleep, an enormous white bear climbs into Tilly’s bedroom. It has a big black tongue and a yawn as big as your head. But Tilly’s not scared.   1st – 27th August (not 20th )

 

  • Circa: Wolfgang – Following their huge success with Humans last year, Circa are bringing a children’s circus show to the Fringe this year and I literally cannot wait to see it ! Circa are so extremely talented, weaving acrobatics, strength, circus and humour together effortlessly and I am sure this show mixing these talents with Mozart’s music will be a winner ! Straight from the score and onto the stage, the man known as Mozart appears amidst a puff of powder, wigged and ready to throw musical madness into a crescendo of dives, swoops and twirls. Featuring mischievous acrobats and musicians, Wolfgang reinvents the composer’s magical music with circus twists.   4th-7th, 9th-12th, 14th – 19th, 21st – 25th August

 

  • Duckie -This looks great – delivering some powerful messages along the way – on for a limited run so catch it while you can! Duckie is a reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling with a message of tolerance and self acceptance at its core. Family-friendly glamour and glitz takes centre stage as critically acclaimed cabaret star Le Gateau Chocolat breaks out of his shell in his first work for children, a classic tale of identity and belonging. Set in an animal circus, we join him on an adventure of self-discovery, asking questions of the ‘happy ever after’ in a celebration of difference. Walking a little differently? Sounding a bit strange? Watch Duckie triumph by realising these are his strengths.     1st – 12th (not 2nd)

 

  • Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams – One of our total surprise highlights from last year ! – we LOVED this vibrant, high energy circus show last year (read our full review here ). An unashamedly joyful mix of astonishing stunts and enchanted adventure, Circus Abyssinia follows the journey of two Ethiopian brothers whose dream of joining the circus became a reality. Plunged into a world of daredevil wonders, they encounter a host of other circus dreamers: dancing, contorting, gravity-defying figures, all weaving tales of their own.   4th – 25th August (not 13th and 20th ) 

 

  • Splash Test Dummies – Woo hoo !! I’d heard the murmurings of this show last year and am delighted we are being treated to an aquatic themed show with the trio of lovely Dummies this year following the Trash Test fun !  Splash Test Dummies are here, ready to roll out their beach towels and spring into a brand-new 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.  4th – 25th August (not 13th )

 

  • Ellie and the Enormous Sneeze – If you were lucky enough to catch Dr. Zeiffal, Dr Zeigal and the Hippo that can never be caught last year then you’ll know the kind of brilliant and creative shows Mouths of Lions produce. This year’s offering looks equally bonkers ! ‘A sneeze is a powerful thing, a dangerous thing, you never know what might happen with a sneeze…’ Join Ellie on a wild snot-filled adventure as she sets out to help her friend Stanley to sneeze for the very first time.  2nd – 27th August (not 14th and 21st )

 

  • AnimAlphabet: The Musical – Returning with last year’s musical extravaganza, this comes highly recommended. Read our review here – its a captivating, colourful show with a fab soundtrack.  Join Colin the Country Cockatoo, Hip-Hop Donkey and Geoff the Geordie Jazz Giraffe on a fantastic family musical adventure.  1st – 27th August (not 13th )

 

 

  • The Showstoppers’ Kids Show –  Fringe favourites and Olivier Award-winning improvisers, The Showstoppers, take your kids’ ideas and transform them on the spot into interactive musical adventures. Harry Potter in space? Done! Dora and the Gruffalo meet dinosaurs under the sea? No worries! Kids (and only kids!) decide who we meet and where we go to create a show tailor-made to their imaginations.  1st – 19th August

 

 

  • Reversible – If you can cast your mind back to 2015, you’ll remember the breathtakingly brilliant show Traces ?? Well- the performance group 7 Fingers return with this unique, riveting mix of theatre, circus, dance, music and acrobatics. A reversible world where everyday life is turned upside down into new, spectacular universes filled with beauty, emotion and yes, hope. Imagine your grandparents and what they lived through when they were your age. Reversible is dedicated to a generation who forged the world that we live in today and whose stories might hold the key to a better tomorrow.   2nd – 26th August (not 8th, 13th or 20th )