Magical musical moments…

The fringe has so much to offer, and more so than ever before for children and families, we have comedy, circus, storytelling ….and also music ! There are a few events that aim to introduce little ones to the wide world of music, whether it be classical, opera , drag queen pop or indy…here are some of our favourites :

Paddington Bear’s First Concert -Join Paddington Bear on his adventures and the mayhem that naturally follows !  We really enjoyed this absorbing introduction to classical music and an orchestra, set within the story of Paddington’s first visit to the Royal Albert Hall. The narrator is mesmerising, leading us effortlessly through the adventure and keeping even wee ones engaged, she has lots of energy and passion for the music. She runs about into the audience and collects things hidden under chairs. The whole thing is totally interactive with dancing, singing and giant inflatable fruit, there is plenty to keep excitement levels high.  Getting to see and touch the instruments at the end is a real highlight too.

Opera Mouse – Tilly Mouse lives under an opera house, and she just loves to sing! Tilly has stumbled upon music and is transformative powers – she is inspired and motivated to sing and to share her new found gift with the world. However, being a mouse, she must overcome the huge obstacle of everyone being very afraid of her first…(Read our full review here )

BambinO – The story follows a bird, the egg she finds and the relationship that occurs once the baby bird hatches. BambinO is a first operatic adventure for six to 18-month-olds and their carers.Written by Scottish Opera’s acclaimed Composer in residence this show is great to nurture your baby’s musical taste. All the babies were kept enthralled throughout.

Denim: The Denim Juniors–  Denim is the place to scream, dream, and become a queen. Five pop princesses celebrate the power of being yourself. For something spectacularly different and altogether fabulous, join Denim as they remind us all to be ourselves, sing loud and proud and add a lot of glitter and sparkle in the process…(Read our full review here)

Nick Cope – We LOVE Nick Cope – sadly he’s only making a flying visit to Edinburgh and his show at the Book Festival is already sold out.  His banter is highly entertaining and all kids will love his songs about pirates, dragons, poo and more !!! Tickets for this fab looking Super Saturday Summer Sandwich Show are selling fast – grab yours quick !

Recitals For Wrigglers – These guys bring a fun, interactive and educational classical concert for babies and toddlers where wriggling is allowed! They’ve got two shows during the Fringe – The Lion and The Mouse and Wriggle Around The World – For a gentle introduction to classical music – it’s perfect !

We even have a brand new musical venue this year in the form of the Pianodrome, with five working pianos embedded within the structure that everyone is welcome to walk in and play on, there will be piano lessons and multiple other events and concerts …please please do go and check it out ! It’s amazing, something truly unique and in the Botanics too so you can combine it with a visit there….

Second Week Highlights 2017

It’s been another AMAZING week – well actually more than a week – I’m struggling to keep up as I also had my youngest starting school this week to add into the mix !!

We’ve enjoyed the rather delicious hot doughnut stall in George Square gardens, and hanging out at the BBC tent – they have some great family events this weekend including :

Mark Thompson’s Spectacular Science Show (Ages 5-13)   Sat 19 August 11am – 11.30am – Tickets available only from the Info Point on site

The Science Guy Is Back. TV Astronomer and Author Mark Thompson will explore the Strange and Magical Properties of Matter with Exploding Elephant’s Toothpaste, Vortex Generating Dustbins, Growling Jelly Babies and even Flying Toilet Paper!  Find out more

Roald Dahl’s Marvellous MedicineRoald Dahl’s Marvellous Medicine (Ages 7+)  Sun 20th August 2pm – 2.45pm – Tickets available only from the Info Point on site

Join Roald Dahl’s doctor, Professor Tom Solomon, for a fascinating trip into the whoopsey-splunkers world of Dahl. Using Dahl’s fantastical stories, he will explain how the body works, what can go wrong and how we can fix it!  Find out more

We have also seen some fantastic shows this week with a mix of circus, comedy and dance – check out the reviews for more information, but our top tips this week (and for some of them you need to be quick as they finish on the 20th) –

The Listies Make You LOL – If you haven’t checked these guys out, you only have three more chances, though I suspect they will sell out fast….very, very funny and silly sketches including a car trip, lots of poo jokes and some great participation.

Dr. Zeiffal, Dr. Zeigal and The Hippo That Can Never Be Caught – We loved this show, it’s engaging and quirky and again with plenty of interaction, with the audience wearing their Hippo google goggles and assisting in the search of the elusive Hippo !!

Nick Copes Family Songbook – Again only a few chances left to see Nick Cope and enjoy a melodic start to your day. His banter is highly entertaining and all kids will love his songs about pirates, dragons, poo and more !!!

Cirkopolis – For some spectacular circus, with all the favourites of Cyr wheel, diabolo, juggling, Chinese pole and stunning acrobatics, with amazing animations taking you on a journey…check this out, blending story, skills and style – you won’t be disappointed.

For something completely different, check out  Eaten, on at Summerhall, featuring Lionel the Lion who dreams of becoming vegetarian, its a very funny and educational look at what happens to our food when we eat it – with of course lots of obligatory poo jokes and toilet humour !!!

First Week Highlights….2017

So, it’s probably not technically the first full week of the festival- but with previews shows that we were seeing last week, it has been for us; and what an amazing first week it’s been ! We’ve seen such a variety of shows and been out exploring all the family friendly places to hang out at the festival and sampling some of the rather tasty treats on offer too!! How great to get some sunshine aswell….

For now my highlights have been :

Arr We There Yet ? – A total treat of an hour – pirates, sea shanties, swashbuckling sword fighting fun and lots of impressive acrobatics !! Add to the mix some silly puns and its entertaining for the whole family ! Climb aboard and enjoy the fun….

The Road That Wasn’t There – Wonderful, immersive storytelling with dark edges….a beautiful tale of adventures and maps, with a haunting soundtrack, intricate puppets and lots of mystery !

Mavis Sparkle– It’s hard not to love Mavis Sparkle, with her glitter, her impressive cleaning trolley with all the little doors and surprises, her cheeky cuckoo clock and her friend Spike!

Circus Abyssinia – This was soooooooooo fun !! A great family friendly circus show, with plenty of colour and energy, spectacular pole acrobatics, crazy contortion-ism and lots lots more !

Other hot tips on the family friendly grapevine are :

The Listies Make You LOL – With plenty of poo jokes, alien attacks and dirty underpants, these guys are well worth checking out !!

Nick Cope – Our family loves Nick Cope – and you’re never too young to discover the wonder of his brilliant, humorous and melodic songs about such things as dragons named Keith, pirates, dinosaurs and of course…poo ! Read our review from last year here

 

Shows for the littlest little ones….

Once again this year at the Festival they are including a large sprinkling of shows for the even smaller little children ! It’s fantastic to see such a variety of shows aimed for this age group, primarily the under threes and great to see that they are able to be introduced to the arts in such an accessible and enjoyable way !!

I’ve narrowed my picks down to the following five shows, but there are even more out there if you’ve got a very small little one and are looking to explore the festival and get fully involved this year.

BambinOBambinO is a first operatic adventure for six to 18-month-olds and their carers. This unique and colourful work reinvents opera for children 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.   8th – 20th August (not 14th)

 

Snigel and Friends – Dancebase brings this lovely looking production for children under 12 months. Join Snigel, the inquisitive snail, in their cosy home underneath the leafy canopy; a colourful and sensory world where Snigel’s insect friends come to visit, brought to life by dancers. They dance, play, sing and make music in the undergrowth while uncovering secret treasures.   4th – 27th August (not 7th/14th/18th-21st)

 

Nick Cope’s Family Songbook -You’re never too young to be introduced to Nick Cope ! If you’ve read this blog before, you’ll know we’re huge fans – we love his melodic, catchy tunes and loved his morning show last year. I’m delighted to see him return with even more of his gorgeous songs. With songs about dogs eating soap and dragons called Keith rummaging around second hand shops, this will be a firm family favourite for sure !   2nd-20th August

 

Calvinball Ipdip Theatre are returning after their success with Head in the Clouds to bring Calvinball back to the Botanics !! Lively, musical and slightly wild, this unique theatre experience draws on the natural curiosities of children inviting, but not demanding, participation. Inspired by the anarchic game played by Calvin and Hobbes; we know the rules must be out there somewhere but we need help in finding them. Set in the gorgeous Royal Botanic Garden it really will be outside so don’t forget to dress for the weather!  5th -27th August (not 8th/15th/22nd)

 

The Polar Bears Go Up  – This is for kids aged 2-5 and looks lovely and is part of the Made in Scotland showcase which makes it extra special too ! The Polar Bears are moving up in the world. They’ve lost their balloon and they need to get it back. It’s time to get up, step up, climb up, jump up. One thing’s for sure, the only way is up! These lovable Polar Bears are intrepid explorers, famous for their wild expeditions. Of course, they’ll stop for sandwiches on the way! 10th – 27th August (not 23rd)

 

 

Musical Magic….

There are some great musical treats at the fringe for kids this year, and sometimes there is no better way than to start your day dancing….it makes you happy, gives you energy and is sure to leave a big smile on your face…

Here’s a short round up of some of the musical offerings this year:

  • Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco DancehallWhy toddle when you can dance? This is part-show, part disco and is great for wee ones to have a boogie in the morning. We loved it….its on the next two weekends, for under 5’s – 19th-21st and 26th-28th.
  • Big Fish Little Fish – Ravin’ FringeReal DJs, in real clubs playing real music, free glow sticks and transfer tattoos. Features baby chill, sensory dance floor with glitter cannons, giant balloons, bubbles and a legendary parachute dance. For ages 0-8. On the next two Sundays – the 21st and 28th. 
  • Nick Cope’s Family Songbook – A lovely melodic start to any festival day – featuring songs about dragons, pirates and poo ! A real gem of musical delights. On until the 21st (not the 17th-as he’s at the book festival that day, so see him there instead !)
  • Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure for KidsShlomo is a world record-breaking beatboxer who makes all kinds of music using just his mouth and a mic. Join this sonic superhero and become one of his sidekicks in a world of funny sounds, brilliant noises and cool music, whether you’re aged one or 101! Be quick – only on today – the 15th and tomorrow the 16th…