Splendid Summerhall…

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I do love Summerhall – it is a fantastic venue that has constantly grown and developed over the past few years and now hosts such an exciting festival line-up. It is also a great venue in itself, with a cool cafe that is perfect for families and those bringing buggies/pushchairs and Summerhall even boasts its own brewery and now a Gin distillery too !

This year Summerhall plays host to a wide variety of family shows – here are a few of my top picks :

  • The Voice Thief – Welcome to The MacKenzie Institute for the Encouragement of Vocal Harmony, a darkly mysterious place where hundreds of girls’ voices have been held captive for years. This is the first time that the public have been allowed into The Institute and it may also be the last one. Aged 9 +

 

  • Chicken Licken and The Little Red Hen – Mixed into this recipe of food, puppets and music is the story of Little Red Hen and the sly Foxy Loxy. Will she outwit him and save her stuffing?

 

 

  • Anatomy of the piano (for beginners) – I think this show looks fascinating and musical treat   – “Will asks Father Christmas for a spaceship – he gets a piano! This is a breathtaking adventure into the world of pianos, revealing where they come from, how they evolved and why they make a pretty cool Christmas present.”

  • Our Teacher’s a Troll – Two terrible twins with a talent for turmoil rule their school with terror and tyranny, until the arrival of a new head teacher with green scaly skin, sharp fangs and a long spiky tail.

First day…

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So after all the anticipation and build up, today was the first day that I ventured into festival-land and saw some shows…and it’s been fantastic, also helped by the large amounts of sunshine – yay !

I am going to be doing some reviews of shows over on my reviews page – so do start checking that out soon, but to give you a wee run down on my first glimpse of some shows:

We went to see ‘Morgan and West’s Utterly Spiffing Spectacular Magic Show for kids‘ which was really fun – they were really interactive with the audience and there was lots of opportunity for audience participation which went down well and all the tricks seemed to amaze everyone (adults included) – its been selling out, so best to book early.  Then we saw ‘The princess and the frog‘ which was a delight, beautiful costumes and really engaging characters, with such fantastic dancing – it’s a great introduction to ballet for wee ones and all of the children there today were enchanted throughout.

But the most mind blowingly amazing show I saw today and one which I think may be hard to top in the next few weeks is ‘Traces‘  – its a mix of acrobatics, circus, music and dance – the seven performers were incredible and there were a few ‘on the edge of your seat’ moments during the show, with a pulsing soundtrack and some really fun and genuine moments, I enjoyed every single second – and so did the kids ! It was packed out tonight on its opening, so I think it’ll be another one to grab tickets while you can….

My Top Five Children’s Shows at Edinburgh Fringe 2015

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As I’ve said before- I get very, very excited in the run up to festival season, and once all the programmes are printed and launched, I enjoy flicking through all the possible show choices but I also find it immensely overwhelming. Venues are increasing the number and variety of their children’s shows each year and it is becoming so very difficult to select which shows to see amongst such a wonderful, creative collection.

I have managed to create this top five but it is very much a work in progress and I’m keen to hear your opinions too if you see something which you think should have made the list:

  • Alfie White : Space Explorer – Brought this year by Tall Stories who came to Edinburgh last year with ‘Emily brown and the thing’ which was extremely enchanting- this shows looks worth a peek. Alfie White is crazy about space. And his dad is training to be the first man on the moon. At least that’s what Alfie tells his schoolmates. In fact, Alfie’s dad has disappeared without trace… A cosmic tale of adventure and discovery.                                                  5th-30th August (not 19th)
  •   The Secret Life of Suitcases – The storytelling centre is a hidden delight of puppetry during the festival and for the past few years some of my absolute favourite shows have been hosted here – the venue is small and cosy and perfect for engaging with puppets. This story about the mysterious arrival of a suitcase in an office looks like another enchanting tale…                                   8th-23rd August (not12th/17th)
  • Morgan & West’s Utterly Spiffing Spectacular Magic Show for Kids (and childish Grown-ups!) – I managed to see these guys perform some magic last year and I loved it – they are very entertaining and I think it will work very well for kids – ‘Witness a mountain of mysterious magic, a hatful of hyper-reality, and, of course, a truck-full of tricks and tea’                                                  5th – 31st August (not24th)
  •   Trash Test Dummies – Circus seems to be a bit of a theme this year at the fringe and this show looks ace – as these three dexterous dummies take out the trash and take to the stage in their family friendly show which won Best Children’s Presentation at Adelaide Fringe 2015.                                       7th – 29th August (not 17th/24th)
  • Brush – I think this show looks intriguing, imaginative and unique… Paintings are created live on stage and brought to life right before your eyes. They tell a bewitching story filled with weird and wonderful characters through live music, dance, fanciful puppets and a company of engaging performers.                                                          6th – 30th August (not 18th)

Fringe By The Sea 2015 – 10th -16th August North Berwick

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Fringe By The Sea has a stunning beach location, so you can enjoy a great family seaside day out and catch a festival show too ! It’s like a minature Edinburgh Fringe festival and as such it hosts a handful of family friendly shows and events that are well worth checking out – I’ve picked a few in particular :

Mr Boom – Festival veteran Mr Boom will be back again to entertain children with his one-man band from the moon ! This promises to be an exciting mix of song, dance and audience participation !              12th August 3pm, 13th August 11am  (ages 3-9)

Tales in the Tide – Do you dare to take the hand of a mermaid? Swim with a Selkie? Hear the song of a Siren? Such stories are only fishwives’ tales… or are they? Come and join this London-based theatre company as they transport you deep into the enchanting depths of some of the greatest folktales and fairytales of the tides.      12th and 13th August 4.30pm (Age 7+)

FUNBOX2

Funbox – The magical FUNBOX contains everything you need to sing a song and have an adventure, but it’s locked tight, and won’t open until you find the special keys to open it up. Where could those keys be hiding though? Can you help to find them all?       13th August 2pm

Pleasance Kidzone 2015

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Each year the Pleasance has a fantastic kidzone – packed with fun craft activities, toys, picnic tables, buggy park and a few food stalls so importantly parents can also grab a well deserved cup of coffee !

Children can also enjoy storytelling sessions, face painting, music, author book signings and regular visits from all the Pleasance performers, so it is a gem of a place to spend some time with kids during the festival season.

The Pleasance’s 2015 children’s programme is almost double what is has been in previous years, with a whopping number of 26 shows for you to choose from – you can read all about them here.

Here are a few of my top picks :

  • Alfie White : Space Explorer – Brought this year by Tall Stories who came to Edinburgh last year with Emily brown and the thing which was extremely enchanting- this shows looks worth a peek. Alfie White is crazy about space. And his dad is training to be the first man on the moon. At least that’s what Alfie tells his schoolmates. In fact, Alfie’s dad has disappeared without trace… A cosmic tale of adventure and discovery for everyone aged 5+                                 
  • The Tiger Who Came To Tea – The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? …..Most parents and children will be familiar with this delightful tale which has spanned generations and this show packed with music and clumsy chaos looks exciting !  (Ages 2 +)               
  • Albee Vector The Sound Collector – This show was part of the free fringe last year and I mentioned it in my blog as being worth visiting but I never made it myself – judging by it’s return to the Pleasance venue this year, it’s well worth the trip ! An epic tale of love, adventure and a sound-hoover called Mustard. Find out how Albee and his love Andromeda survived kings, curses and cruelty on their quest for beautiful sound in the world. (Ages 4+)                                             Albee Vector the Sound Collector
  • Rosie’s Magic Horse – If an ice lolly stick can dream of being a horse, what magic might follow? A fantastic story based on the book by Russell Hoban. This looks very mystical and enchanting…..(Ages 3-8)                                             

Definitely looks like its worth visiting the kidzone again this year….