Highlights from the first week…

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Phew…it’s all gone by in a bit of a blur, but the first week of the Fringe has been amazing. I have managed to squeeze in ALOT of seeing shows, a moderate amount of hanging out at the BBC tent, a touch of ‘flyers for shows’ collecting and what feels like a tiny pinch of blogging about it all….the sun has been kind enough to shine, ice creams have been eaten and I am feeling great !
It is hard to believe there are still another two and a half weeks to go and the book festival has not even started yet either – I am not sure where I will get the energy from to continue but I am loving the festival 2015 so far…
Here are a few of my highlights from the past week :

  • Traces – as I mentioned in my earlier post about my first day at the festival, this show is absolutely amazing, and still my overall highlight so far. Seven extremely talented and skilled circus performers take you on a journey, intertwining their acrobatic skills with moments of humour and friendship, and most impressively singing in Chinese- you are left wondering if there is anything these guys are not able to do !
  • Secret Life of Suitcases – The Storytelling Centre once again has a hidden gem of a show this festival – this is a beautiful, heart warming piece of theater with some exquisite puppetry. The set is gorgeous, and transforms along with this tale of embracing life’s adventures when you can…
  • Trash Test Dummies – featuring a trio of loveable Aussie clowns, this is a great family circus show with a good balance of acrobatics, clowning and musical fun.
  • Lords of Strut : The Family Show – see the blog post below – these guys were very, very entertaining – fun and mayhem for the whole family.

Both the BBC tent and the Pleasance Kidzone have proved great places to hang out with children. The BBC tent offers a ping pong table, deckchairs, IPads, a big screen showing various shows and a free photo-booth whilst the Pleasance Kidzone has arts and crafts, picnic tables, a puppet theatre and lots of visitors from children’s shows taking place at the various Pleasance venues.

I’m just hoping I find some more time to get out and about and enjoy it all ….

Catch it while you can…

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Cian Killick and Corman Mohally as Lords of Strut in Edinburgh. IMAGE: @magicbibbyI am not sure who was enjoying the Lords of Strut: The Family Show more today – the adults or the children?, but it’s fair to say this fast paced, chaotic show is entertaining for the whole family. I caught a brief snapshot of these guys last year and I was keen to see them perform a  full family show and I wasn’t disappointed !

Proudly exclaiming they will bring us the ‘greatest dancing this rental hall has ever seen’, Irish brothers Famous Seamus and Sean-tastic lead us through an hour of brilliant break dancing, amazing acrobatics and some really rather attractive shellsuits and spandex ! Set along to some familiar 80s tunes that got the whole audience clapping along, this show is filled with wit and charm. The rapport between the two performers is fantastic and means there is never a dull moment, and of course, the audience are required to get involved along the way too..

Sprinkled with a few surprises, (I am not sure I will ever be able to look at a teaspoon in quite the same way for a while), this silly show is sure to brighten up your afternoon.

The show is only on until the 16th August, so grab a ticket while you can…

Shows for even smaller little ones…

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I have got a friend visiting with her baby during the Fringe which has been the inspiration for this post but I know that it’s great to hear of a show or two that you can go to with a much younger child and feel welcomed, even better to go to a show aimed at that age group ! There are a handful of shows this year that appear to be created for much younger children and babies and I’ve selected five that look exciting…

Anonymouse – I’ve already mentioned this in my post about the Botanics -this show for ages 0-3 looks very enchanting, and as it’s musical and tactile seems perfect for wee ones!

Puzzle – From 17th – 22nd August this dance show looks worth a look, introducing colours and shapes to younger children – ‘Dancers crawl, creep and bounce, accompanied by specially created music suitable for children aged 0 to 3.’

Wriggle Around The World – Running from the 24th-29th August, this musical show for those aged 0-5 looks fun. ‘Recitals for Wrigglers’ are concerts especially tailored for babies and toddlers, delivered by a professional violinist and cellist- held in an informal environment where the children are allowed to move around.

Ali McGregor’s Jazzamatazz – Aimed at those aged 1-10, Ali McGregor returns with her award-winning hour of jazzy beats and trashy pop-treats that will get your kids singing, twisting and dancing. McGregor and her trio of incredible jazz musicians are joined by two dancers with rock’n’roll, swing and jive moves. Watch the little ones tire themselves out on the dancefloor….

The Amazing Bubbleman – I don’t know many little children that do not love bubbles, so already this show has a lot going for it !  An Edinburgh Festival Fringe favourite, this has sold out every year for the last eight years. From square bubbles, bubbles inside bubbles, fog-filled bubbles, giant bubbles, bubble volcanoes, tornadoes and trampolines to people inside  bubbles……For ages 0-12

Busy Botanics….

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The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a fantastic place to go, especially if you are lucky enough to get some sunshine. It’s a great place for kids too, they can run around and feed ducks, chase squirrels and find hiding places amongst the beautiful trees and plants. Every year the Botanics also host some family friendly festival shows, so if you want a bit of a change of scenery, you can make a day of it and get away from the hustle and bustle of the festival central district !

Some of the shows they are hosting this year include :

Fraxi Queen of the ForeFraxi Queen of the Forest (Asylon Theatre)st –   For ages 8 + – Discover the cycles of nature through the story of Fraxi the ash tree and the people connected to her over several generations of one family.

 

 

Albert & Friends Instant Circus (Albertious Connundrum II)Albert and Friends Instant Circus – Albertious Connundrum ll – This circus returns once more to the Botanics with a free daily show between August 9th and 16th, 1.00 – 1.45pm. They are celebrating 20 years of this youth circus visiting the Fringe with its new show performed by a fabulous troupe of talented young people.

 

 Anonymouse (Ipdip Theatre) Anonymouse – This looks like a lovely little show for those of you with younger children, its suitable for ages 0-3…..”In a hole in the wall of a timber house, on the edge of a wood there lives a mouse –  Cosy in and enjoy the story of a furry little poet who has come to the woods for inspiration.”  Its is a musical and tactile performance by the people who brought Calvinball last year… Three shows daily: 11:00, 13:30 & 15:00 (35 mins)

BBC tent fun….

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BBC at the Edinburgh Festivals

It’s the opening weekend of the BBC tent, and those of you that have read this blog before will know by now that I love this space – it’s like an oasis in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the festival, with It’s green grass, deckchairs, ping pong table and exquisite programme of free events…

This weekend they have got lots going on for families – there will be a pirate fun day on Saturday 8th, featuring Swashbuckle live – there will be tickets available for the 2.30pm show for this if you did not get tickets for the other shows in the ballot.

Sunday 9th is art fun day in the BBC tent, again there will be lots of free activities going on and tickets available to the Art Ninja show, which looks a good option for slightly older children…

Failing all that, you could simply enjoy the space, buying a well deserved ice cream and curling up in a deckchair in front of the big screen in the sunshine !