Tag Archives: shows for little ones

Top Five Shows for the even littler little ones 2023

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As my own mini-reviewers get a big bigger, and as the number of shows for children increases, it’s worthwhile looking at those shows which are best for the even smaller audience members and for whom this may be their first introduction to theatre and performance….as always, there’s a great selection this year, but here are a few of our top picks …

Grow – The Gardener has agreed to look after their friend’s allotment. They’re very excited to grow a plant. But there’s a problem. All the instructions are lost! What is our gardener going to do…? Come and join in with a sun dance, a rain dance and some hilarious clowning around in a joyful show celebrating nature and things that grow. 40 minutes long, so a perfect show for littlies !! – 4th – 27th August (not 9th/16th/23rd)

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Mog the Forgetful Cat – We’re excited to see the much loved Mog come alive on stage in this proudction – Mog is a very forgetful cat. She forgets that she has a cat flap, she forgets that she’s already eaten her supper, and she forgets that cats don’t have eggs for breakfast every day. Bother that cat! But Mog’s forgetfulness can come in handy…- 3rd – 27th August (not 16th/21st/22nd/23rd)

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Strictly Barking – Fab-u-lous! A high-energy comedy about a lonely old man and a homeless dog who become friends and enter a ballroom dancing competition. But little do they know what trouble awaits! Get ready for comedy, slapstick, crazy characters and enthusiastic dance routines for the whole family!  – 2nd – 20th August (not 9th/16th)

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The Slightly Annoying Elephant – What’s big, blue, bossy and turns up uninvited? A slightly annoying elephant, of course! One day Sam gets a very big surprise as a tired, hungry, antique-loving, cycling-enthusiast elephant turns up on his doorstep. Adopting an elephant at the zoo turned out to be a lot more than he bargained for as he didn’t realise the elephant would actually come to live with him – silly boy! – 2nd – 28th August (not 14th/21st )

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Lucky Pigeons – A treat for the whole family, BrainFools’ Fringe debut defies gravity to conjure a surreal world where a flock of energetic, curious pigeons dwell. Join us on a journey to a magical space created through incredible contemporary circus skills. – 5th – 26th August (not 14th/21st )

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Baby Shows From Scotland….

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Katch has been busy checking out what’s available at the festival for babies and littler little ones this year for the blog :

”So we’ve been to our first few shows of the Fringe and I’ve had my first taste of being a mum during crazy August. There are plenty of ways to avoid the busiest crowds and introduce your very little one to the delights of the festivals! We checked out the following shows for little ones, and all of them homegrown and made in Scotland too ! :

First up we enjoyed the soaring voices of Scottish Opera’s BambinO. The story follows a bird, the egg she finds and the relationship between her and the baby bird which hatches. The show is for 0 to 24 months and babies are free to move about as they wish. With live instrumentation and wonderfully expressive faces my little one was content to watch and listen for most of the performance, only becoming a little wriggly towards the end when I put her down and she sat at the performers’ feet and stared up at them.

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. I believe the show is now sold out for the rest of the run, but keep an eye on Scottish Opera as I’m sure there will be more baby shows where this one came from.

Snigel and Friends is an absolutely delightful show which is perfect for non movers and crawlers. Part of the Made in Scotland programme, it has been conceived by Glasgow based Caroline Bowditch, performance artist and choreographer.

Snigel the snail and his brightly coloured friends interact with each other and the babies with friendly faces, noises, props, movements and music. You are requested to keep little ones out of the performance space until the very end so if your little one is an early walker and very active or restless it might not be ideal. Having said that, my crawler was one of the oldest babes in the audience and still content to watch and enjoy until the very end.

Held at Dancebase in the Grassmarket it is advertised for 0 to 12 months – a wonderful sensory experience and a rare example of a show for little ones featuring visibly disabled performers. Highly recommended for the very little ones. (On until 27th August (not 21st) )

Calvinball is brought to you by the company Ipdip, which specialise in early years theatre. One great thing already about this show is that it takes place in the Botanic Gardens, which if the sun is shining is a lovely relaxed place to escape the festival crowds and let a crawler get active.

The show is advertised for 0-5 years. It is led by three very lively and friendly performers who take you through the game, the rules of which are made up on the spot! A mixture of physical activity, song and theatre with props, it is perfect for siblings or an energetic toddler as the audience are encouraged to get up and involved with each other and the performers. Although my little one wasn’t quite ready to get up she was nonetheless kept entertained throughout. It’s also good value if you’re watching the pennies – £5 for everyone over 6 months. If raining you will need to take waterproof clothing as it takes place under some trees outside.

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 11, 2pm, 3pm  (Until 27th August, not 22nd) ”