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.
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.
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.
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 :
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 :
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
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 !
There’s nothing we enjoy more than discovering great new spaces at the fringe and new venue House of Oz has us very very excited ….and it’s not just because we have an Aussie in the family who loves a caramelo koala or two !
The venue features a beautiful hidden courtyard space where the Outback bar and grill is offering food and drinks all day and before the children’s shows there’s often arts and crafts or facepainting.
The Listies: Hamlet – Prince of Skidmark – For the first time in Edinburgh, Australia’s favourite kidult comedy duo, The Listies, present their hilarious adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic.
An unmissable hour of fun and giggles…
Free: decorate a paper crown at our garden craft station.
Circa : Carnival of the Animals – Carnival of the Animals whisks you away on a thrilling circus escapade bringing together classical music with performances of extreme physicality by Circa’s world-famous acrobats.
Free face painting in the secret garden.
Dolly Diamond : Storytime – A fabulous show for the kids and the very young at heart. Dolly tours Australia with the renowned Story Box Library. Expect fun picture books such as Pig in a Wig and My Unicorn Farts Glitter in this family friendly show.
I find this so hard, trying to pick out top recommendations from all the pages of amazing shows to see – we really are lucky indeed !! In 2022 the children’s shows section is jam packed and add into this the circus and physical theatre and we’ve got literally hundreds of shows to choose from…I’ll post some top picks for ‘littler little ones’ shortly, which gives me some wiggle room for some firm favourites here…
As always, I’m super keen to hear your top recommendations too and hope we find some new favourite companies out there this year….
Muse– Flip Fabrique are back and we couldn’t be happier – we have LOVED their previous shows Blizzard and Attrape Moi and cannot wait for this new performance – they always have us on the edge of seats with their gravity defying acrobatics and imaginative use of stage space and equipment. ”What does it mean to be a woman? Muse attempts to answer this question circus style! There’s hardly just one answer and exploring the question calls for some… acrobatics. Playing with gender roles, Muse offers up a refreshing view of contemporary circus” – 4th – 28th August (not 8th, 15th, 22nd)
Hamlet – Prince of Skidmark– Readers of this blog will know that we are HUGE Listies fans in this household !!!! We are delighted they are coming back to Edinburgh this August and bringing this show for it’s Edinburgh debut ! ”This is the bard, Listies style: ninjas, ghosts, pirate aliens, swords, dinosaurs and zombies. Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark is a side-splitting adventure that shatters the fourth wall and glues it back together with supersonic storytelling and silliness.” – August 5th – 28th (not 11th, 18th, 22nd, 25th )
The Ultimate Pickle – Paines Plough have brought some of my all time favourite children’s shows to the fringe in their unique Roundabout venue at Summerhall and I’m really looking forward to this one…hoping for some more of their magical, imaginative storytelling. ”Everything is awesome in Dill’s life. A loving mum, a loyal best mate, a granddad who plays the drums, and Jack Tornado: the oldest and best goldfish in the world. But when a ball of fluff falls from grandad’s book, everything changes forever. Could that be a… wolf!? ” – Saturday/Sundays only – 6/7th, 13/14th, 20/21st, 27th/28th August
Tom Brace – Embrace the Impossible ! – Again we are big fans of Tom Brace in this household after he amazed us with his tricks one lunchtime…Tom keeps his audiences highly entertained and is hugely charismatic, with just the right hint of charm ! I am in no doubt this new show will be as big a success as his last … ”Cluedo, Roald Dahl and one film in particular from 1985… Magician Tom Brace takes a trip down memory lane with a brand-new magic show for all ages. ” – 3rd – 29th August ( not 16th)
Manual Cinema Presents: Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster – Manual cinema create incredible multi-media shows – combining live music and songs, paper cut outs, puppets and diy cinema…its truly unique and promises to be very special indeed. ”Leonardo! tells the story of a monster who longs to be scary and the big decisions he must make along the way.” – 3rd – 29th August (not 15th )
Carnival of the Animals by Circa – Circa have previously brought us the amazing shows Humans and Circa: Wolfgang, so we are beyond excited for this year’s family offering and the awe inspiring acrobatics they effortlessly amaze us with. ”These zebras juggle and flip. These kangaroos skip and somersault. The elephants have rhythm and the dinosaur bones shake, clatter and roll to the music. Carnival of the Animals by Circa whisks you away on a thrilling circus escapade inspired by Camille Saint-Saëns’ delightful salute to feathers, fur and fins.” – 5th – 28th August (not 10th, 15th, 22nd, 23rd )
The Smeds and The Smoos – Tall Stories have been delighting us with their stage adaptations of Julia Donaldson’s well loved books for years and we’re hoping this show will continue the trend ! For the little little ones out there, puppets, songs and live action will bring this story to life – ”On a far-off planet, Smeds and Smoos can’t be friends. So when a young Smed and Smoo fall in love and zoom off into space together, how will their families get them back?” – 3rd – 21st August (not 6th or 17th)
A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings – This show sounds intriguing to me and I will definitely be checking it out. Its also a great reason to go and spend a morning in Summerhall, delighting in all it has to offer this festival season. ”Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s darkly comic tale brought to the stage for children and adults to share. In a kitchen of a theatre, two storytellers and their audience find something remarkable – a very old man with enormous wings. ” – 3rd – 28th August (not 15th or 22nd )
Circus Abyssinia: Tulu – We absolutely LOVED Circus Abyssinia’s last show here in 2017 – Ethiopian Dreams and we are so excited they are back this August with their new show. They totally amazed us with their joyfulness, colour and vibrancy…. ”Inspired by the true tale of an Ethiopian icon, Derartu Tulu, this unmissable showcase of superhuman strength blends breathtaking contortion, awe-inspiring acrobatics and mesmerising fire juggling with a rocking, exuberant soundtrack.” – 6th – 27th August (not 15th or 22nd )
Olaf Falafel’s Super Stupid Show – I sadly missed Olaf Falafel when he was last here, but all I heard was great things – so I won’t be doing that again ! This looks like something a bit different and sure to provide a few giggles along the way – ”Join comedian and children’s author Olaf Falafel for an hour of really stupid kids’ comedy plus a drawing lesson and possibly something that involves fishing, ducks, bumbags and sausages. Family-friendly frivolity that will leave you feeling a lot less intelligent than when you walked in.” – 4th – 21st August ( not 16th )
And seeing as I couldn’t squish everyone into this list – I’d just like to mention that some of our previous much loved shows that we’ve reviewed are returning in 2022, including :
edinburghfestivalsforkids 