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My Top Ten Children’s Shows at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024

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Hello hello !! Well, we’ve had our one day of summer here in Edinburgh, so that must mean the fringe is coming !!!! In all seriousness, I can see the city gearing up for another awesome August and as always, I’m ridiculously excited by it all…in a few weeks times, the city will be transformed and hopefully we’ll all be out enjoying everything the festival has to offer, and fingers and toes crossed – we’ll be doing it all surrounded by sun beams.

It’s now routine for me to say that I find it so difficult to whittle down all the incredible offerings for the younger people into a top ten each year – for the full list, check out here for all the children’s shows currently advertised and that doesn’t even include all the great circus or magic shows. We have firm favourites returning and there will always be something new that will delight us or catch our attention – or worse, that I may not discover until too late ! I’ve made it easier once again, and I’ll be doing a top five for shows for younger children, and another top picks list for shows for older children/teens…

I’ll start with our old friends and firm favourites :

The Listies ROFL – We LOVE LOVE LOVE the Listies and they are fantastic for adults and kids alike. I defy anyone to watch their show and not have a great time and come out with aching cheeks from all the giggling. Infact, I think everyone will come out just wanting to go back in and watch it all over again, like we always do! ..’. ROFL tackles the most dramatic family situation of all time: bedtime! Rich, the exhausted parental proxy, tries to get an early night while Matt uses every trick in the book to stay up.‘ August 2nd – 18th ( not 8th/15th )

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Olaf Falafel’s Stupidest Super Stupid Show So Far – Having been wanting to see Olaf Falafel for a long time, we finally managed last year and were not disappointed (I was only sad I didn’t also wear stripes). This year’s show promises more of all the best funny and stupid stuff – Expect sausage birds, radioactive bogies and truth-telling cheese. There will definitely be some farts and some drawing. – 1st – 25th August (not 14th/20th/21st)

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The Bookbinder – Now, you are in for a TOTAL treat if you see this – there are only a handful of shows and it’s in the most tiny of venues. I still think about this show ALOT, which is amazing as I saw it back in 2016 – wowsers- read the review here !! It’s being held in the beautiful Tills bookshop and will be incredible – if you can get a ticket that is !! The Bookbinder weaves shadow-play, paper art, puppetry and music in an inventive one-man performance for adults and children aged 8 and over. – 8th, 9th, 16th, 23rd August.

The Alphabet of Awesome Science – I’ve heard good things about this and reckon it’ll be a loud, fun one for the kids…Join Professors Lexi Con and Noel Edge (the Word Nerd and the Science Freak) for a thrilling voyage through the alphabet – where fascinating words inspire spectacular science! It’s a tongue-twisting race from A to Z that’s equal parts explosive, messy, hilarious, fascinating and gross. Brace yourself for an hour of carefully crafted alphabetical, scientifical chaos. – 31st July – 25th August (not 12th/19th)

How to Catch a Book Witch – This looks like a great show for all book lovers out there – Kira loves reading. Visiting the library is her favourite. But why are words disappearing from the books and where have all these book monsters come from?! Could there be a Book Witch hiding somewhere? Graham Grey plans to knock down the library to make way for a car park! Join Kira and Barry the Bookworm on this heart-warming adventure to save the day. – 31st July – 18th August ( not 7th /14th )

Circa: Humans 2.0 – Returning to the fringe, with their exceptional talents are Circa – we were astounded by this show and its previous version…. Ten bodies appear in a flash of light. They move in harmony for a fleeting moment, then descend into a sinuous trance. Towers grow and decay, bodies leap and are caught, physical limits are pushed to their extreme. The second chapter of Circa’s internationally acclaimed Humans is a symphony of acrobatics, sound and light. This is next level circus by Circa. 2nd – 24th August (not7th/12th/19th)

Tom Brace: The Ride 4D – We love Tom Brace, he’s a brilliant mix of magic and charm and seamlessly entertains the audience whilst totally baffling them. He pitches perfectly for children and adults, so we’re very much looking forward to this new show. Magician Tom Brace has opened his very own theme park and you’re invited to the grand opening. Expect the unexpected on hilarious new attractions that will blow your mind. – 31st July – 26th August (not13th/20th)

Ten Thousand Hours – Gravity and other myths return to Edinburgh with what is sure to be a spectacular show. We really loved their previous show ‘A Simple Space’ are so are excited to see what’s in store for us this year. This is an ode to the countless hours needed to achieve great things. Eight acrobats investigate physical skill: how we obtain it, how we perfect it and how it can transform our lives. This family-friendly acrobatic extravaganza is filled with everything you love about Gravity & Other Myths and a tribute to the dedication required to become a world-class acrobat. – 1st – 24th August ( not 12th/19th)

Children Are Stinky – Another returnee to the fringe and one we really loved way back when we saw it – read our review here. One for the slightly younger audience and full of fun… High-calibre circus, a rocking soundtrack and genuine belly laughs have thrilled audiences all over the globe. Expect daredevil stunts, incredible aerials, lightning-fast acrobatics, loads of laughs and mischievous fun, leaving adults and children with their jaws on the floor hooting for more. – 1st – 26th August (not 7th/12th/19th)

Circus Baobab: Yé! – Making their debut at the fringe, this looks like a high energy, fun circus show for everyone. An exciting collective of artists from Guinea and the diaspora bring their debut show, Yé!, to Edinburgh. Showcasing incredible acrobatics, vertiginous human pyramids, hand-to-hand combat and contortions all performed in a frenetic rhythm. ‘Full of punch and blending traditional expressions of circus with modernity’ (Télérama), the thirteen young artists call us together to build a world of tomorrow that will take care of nature and it’s future. – 3rd – 24th August (not 12th/19th)

First Week….2023

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Oh my goodness…it feels like it’s been way longer than a week already; we’ve been busy getting out and about and enjoying a huge variety of shows and loving all the festival vibes! Check out our first reviews here.

We’ve seen some astounding magic, some hilarious comedy, fantastic puppetry and bubbly bubbles ! Some of our top picks are :

The Listies Make Some Noise – Laugh out loud from start to finish…expect the usual Listies silliness and mayhem…highly recommended for all ages..

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Magic Gareth: Level Up ! – Embark on an adventure to save a cute unicorn from their evil twin, with a sprinkling of magic along the way…

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Adventure Bubble Show With Milkshake – A total bubble extravaganza with engaging storytelling, slapstick comedy moments and a good dollop of the “wow” factor…

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For the older children out there, I caught a snippet of Ben Harts show at the List festival launch party and loved it – we’re booking in to see it soon…

House of Oz is back for 2023 !

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Returning for 2023 is the fantastic Australian venue – House of Oz. We loved this place last year, and the outback area where we got great food and drinks and could hang out in between shows.

There’s two great family offerings this year :

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Beetle –

Even the smallest voices matter. A new Australian classic, Beetle tells the story of a child who finds a friend in her backyard; together they embark on an adventure to search for the now elusive Christmas Beetle. A family show from acclaimed physical theatre artists, Legs On The Wall.

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The Listies Make Some Noise –

An insane mixtape of silly songs, stupid sketches and crazy clowning! For over a decade the award-winning Listies have toured the world doing shows for literally gazillions of kidults (that’s kids and their adults). Now it’s your turn. The Listies Make Some Noise is a comedy concert for humans aged 4-400. Join the maestros of mirth Rich and Matt, as they belt out a bunch of songs with the LOLs turned up to 11.

My Top Ten Children’s Shows at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023

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Firstly, I need to apologise for my rather tardy top ten this year !! A return to University and a looming dissertation on top of my day job has all kept me rather busy….and to be honest, festival season has somewhat crept up on me ! BUT, the excitement is real and I cannot believe that in a few weeks, Edinburgh will be full of the hustle and bustle of festival fever !

As usual, its a hard task to whittle down my favourites from the incredible list of children’s shows coming to Edinburgh this August – check them all out here… there are of course a few of my favourites returning and half of the magic is knowing that there are as yet undiscovered new shows to delight us this year too !!

I’ll begin with our firm favourites, as that’s a good place to start and an easy choice !! ….

The Listies Make Some Noise – We are 110% ready for this !….As always, readers of this blog will know that we ALL love the Listies here in this household and we know that this will be full of their usual brand of comedy to keep us all laughing for days ! A new show based on their last album, this is sure to delight all ages – An insane mixtape of silly songs, stupid sketches and crazy clowning! – August 4th – 20th (not 10th/17th)

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Trash Test Dummies – Another favourite group of performers for us, and we are SO happy they are returning with this much loved show from previous years. ‘Starting off slowly, but building momentum, these Australian performers pitch their circus and acrobatic show perfectly for families and young children. They are able to perform an inexhaustible number of tricks with the mundane wheely bin, much to the delight of the crowd.‘….Everyone put your rubbish out, tonight’s bin night and the Trash Test Dummies are on duty! – August 5th – 26th (not 14th/21st)

Tom Brace: A Trick Down memory Lane – Completing our trio of much loved performers is Tom Brace. We’ve really enjoyed his previous magic shows and have been left stunned and amazed by what he is able to trick us into believing ! This new show promises to be more of what we love and is sure to entertain all ages – August 2nd – 28th (not 16th)

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IMA – I heard about this show at a recent press launch and it sounds intriguing and exciting and therefore well worth checking out ! IMA (Pray) is an immersive circus experience. In the installation space reminiscent of sacred places, we participate in a unique ritual guided by the performer, who becomes a 21st-century shaman taking the audience into the unknown territories of the human mind. Out at Murrayfield ice-rink but sounds worth the visit – August 4th -27th (not 15th/22nd )

The 7 Fingers: Duel Reality – I’m VERY excited 7 fingers are back this year and this sounds fantastic and full of their usual magic – This is circus on a whole new theatrical level. Star-crossed lovers. Two opposing teams. The stage is an arena. Competition can be playful at times, but also dangerously serious. Which side will you choose? – August 4th – 26th (not 9th/14th/21st)

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Olaf Falafel’s Super Stupid Show (20% More Stupider) – Olaf Falafel returns to Edinburgh this year, bringing his unique charm and comedy with him. I’ve got a confession – despite really wanting to catch his show last year and being told how great it was – I never made it…arrggg, so I will not let that be happening this year ! There will be truth-telling cheese, fishing, ducks, bumbags, sausages and maybe some drawing.  – August 2nd – 27th (not 16th/22nd/23rd)

Afrique en Cirque – New to Edinburgh this year, Afrique en Cirque – a show by Yamoussa Bangoura, inspired by daily life in Guinea. This performance shares the beauty, youth and artistry of African culture. A colourful show beyond its scenery, costumes and staging, that will make any theatre vibrate with energy. It represents strength, agility and life’s joys of young Africans. The audience will see our acrobats execute gravity-defying moves and human pyramids, all to the contemporary sounds of Afro-Jazz, percussion, and kora.- August 3rd – 28th (not 9th/16th/23rd)

Marcel Lucont: Les Enfants Terribles – A Gameshow For Awful Children – With only a short run last year, I didn’t catch this and again heard great things – I’m familiar with Marcel’s adult performances and if they’re anything to go by, this should be fantastic ! The wild interactive game show returns, where kids get to be pests, politicians and petomanes to be crowned the most awful child. See what happens when international insouciance meets infantile exuberance. – August 2nd – 21st

Lightning Ridge – From the brilliant Catherine Wheels company comes this story about 12-year-old Ashmol who lives in the Australian Outback with his mum, dad and his little sister Kellyanne… and her two invisible friends Pobby and Dingan. When Pobby and Dingan disappear, Ashmol decides that there is only one thing to do for the sake of his sister – find them. A story about the possibility of dreams, about a community coming together, the preciousness of hope and how, sometimes, we have to believe in the impossible.- August 4th – 20th (not 7th/14th)

A Bee Story – Returning after a successful run last year – A Bee Story is a uniquely Australian physical theatre show for children and families incorporating a kaleidoscope of circus, acrobatics, dance and live music. It tells the story of Queen Bee and Worker Bee who must work together to rebuild their hive after being destroyed by a bushfire. But things never quite go to plan…A Bee Story has themes of environmentalism, sustainability and community spirit. – August 4th – 27th (not 14th/21st)

And seeing as I couldn’t squish everyone I’d like to into this list – I’d just like to mention that some of our previously loved shows that we’ve reviewed are returning in 2023, including :

Circus Abyssinia: Tulu – our review here

Beats on Pointe – our review here

Brave Space – our review here

First week highlights….2022

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Wowee, it is sooooooooooooooooooo good to be back seeing live theatre and performances, what a TOTAL treat. We have been immensely lucky this week and have seen some fantastic shows (check out our reviews so far here), indulged in some delicious food and the sun has even been shining in Edinburgh during the festival so far…..the weather also seems delighted the festival is all back again!!!

The only slight disappointment is the hot donut stall – not sure what’s happened there, but they just aren’t what they used to be – so we’ve moved on to pastures new with ‘panquake’ for all your waffle and crepe desires and the dumplings stall which remains a firm family favourite !!

We have seen some spectacular circus, some seriously impressive dance, astounding magic, some spellbinding storytelling, magical puppet shows and very silly comedy…here are our top picks so far :

The Listies: Hamlet – Prince of Skidmark – Absolutely hilarious, if you only go and see one children’s show – this has to be it !!! An hour is too short !

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A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings – Intricate and very creative set and with just enough of a dark edge to keep us totally engrossed, its highly recommended you take a seat and get settled in to this  intimate hour of captivating storytelling.

Tom Brace : Embrace the Impossible !– Full of properly astounding magic, a sprinkling of time travel and some game show madness with ‘who wants to be a millionaire’ – its a fantastic show and I would highly recommend

Manual Cinema presents: Leonardo! A Wonderful show about a terrible monster – Wowsers !! What a total treat of a show…jam packed full of creativity and talent, be it paper cut outs, furry puppets, illustrations or an endearingly quirky live soundtrack and songs.

Circus Abyssinia: Tulu – This is energetic, passionate and you’ll be totally awestruck by all the performers, expect contortionism, acrobatics, aerial, rollerskating and an incredible finale involving a giant swing !!

For the littler little ones, our mini reviewers have loved:

A Ladder To The Stars– So much care has been taken throughout this performance to really tune into a child’s mind – what they find funny and what fuels their imagination to keep them invested in the story.

The Smeds and The Smoos – Tall Stories once again delight us with their adaptation of a beloved Julia Donaldson book. Including catchy songs, gorgeous puppetry and audience interaction…not to be missed.

For the whole family, we’ve loved these two high octane shows – both have been breath-taking:

Muse – Flip Fabrique once again astound us with their fantastic acrobatics and with beautiful intimate moments and silly snippets inbetween – try and sit near the front if you can !!

Beats on Pointe – This show is filled with energy, passion and some seriously fantastic dance skills, not to mention the infectious soundtrack,,,you’ll enjoy it as much as the performers obviously love dancing !