Assembly
There was a definite air of anticipation in the queue of people waiting to see The Bubble Man on Sunday morning at The Assembly. The children were extremely excited at the idea of seeing lots of bubbles, the adults, for the most part, seemed to be less excited, many carrying the look of people who had stayed out for one or two drinks more than planned the night before.
So, could a one-person show revolving solely around the production of bubbles satisfy the children’s excitement and revive the ever-so-slightly hungover adults? The short answer is – yes, it could.
It turns out that the Highland Joker is no ordinary Bubble Man, he is a Guinness World Record Holding bubble-smith, capable of jaw-dropping things with a hoop and some Fairy Liquid (I’m sure the bubble-mixture is more complicated than that).
The show took us on a bubble journey, we had teeny-tiny bubbles, square bubbles, giant bubbles, animal shaped bubbles, bubble art, smoke-filled bubbles, and everything in between. Our expert guide through all of this, The Bubble Man, took us on his journey, from ex-soldier to master bubble maker, a tale containing an uplifting narrative around following our dreams that resonated with audience members both young and old.
One measure of a good children’s show is the response to requests for audience participation, and against this The Bubble Man was a huge hit. There was consistent participation throughout, and every request was met with a sea of eagerly raised hands.
At an hour in length, the show tested the patience of the very youngest audience members, but that’s one very small criticism of what was a wonderful morning’s entertainment. This is a fantastic show and I’d thoroughly recommend it.
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