KIDS’ shows are big business at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The number of shows for children has just about doubled in the past six years. In this year’s programme for the world’s largest arts festival, kids shows make up a healthy five per cent of the total. That’s close to 165 kids shows every day for three weeks.
The first week traditionally ties in with the last week of the Scottish school holidays and the rest of the festival ties in with the last two weeks of the English holidays. By the end of the summer holiday’s parents looking to distract their progeny from the upcoming return to full-time education can do worse than spend a day in Edinburgh.
Howard Read, who has written for Danger Mouse, Cbeebies’ and Sesame Street’s Furchester Hotel and Horrible Histories among others, is in Edinburgh with his show, Annabelle’s Skirting Board Adventure, right, at Just The Tonic. The mixture of animation and live action tells the story of an inch high elephant.
Along with all the comedians, writers and musicians who flock to the capital every August, Edinburgh is also awash with TV producers, reviewers, agents, promoters and bookers for just about every theatre in the country.
“The Fringe is just the best place to do something new and innovative and have people notice it.” says Read.
While Read’s show, which was developed in his local arts centre, and toured locally, has had positive reactions from audiences, the Fringe gives it an opportunity to be seen much wider.
There are, of course, perils of doing a live Fringe kids’ show, “Having done lots of kids’ shows, you realise that kids are just random noise generators or random word generators. They will just throw stuff at you and you always have to be prepared to come off script.”
There are some big names up at the festival, Julia Donaldson, a name instantly familiar to anyone with a child under 10 is at the Underbelly with Gruffalos, Ladybirds and Other Beasts. There’s also live adaptations of literary favourites the Cat In The Hat and The Tiger Who Came To Tea.
Critic Carmody Wilson says there can be a fair bit of hit and miss when it comes to kids’ shows.
“I do wonder why some people bring their shows to Edinburgh,” she says. “Some seem to take it as a lazy way to just endlessly redo fairytales with no thought to rehearsal, writing, or originality. Kids see through that. And you have to entertain the parents too. I’ve been doing kids reviewing for The Herald since 2007, and I’ve seen some truly wonderful stuff, but most of it is mediocre. The best stuff is where you can’t see how it’s done. Kids love that. Cheap laughs do nothing. Engage their sense of mystery and wonderment!”
As the Fringe starts week two, there are already a few word-of-mouth hits starting to emerge.
Word-of-mouth Grandad and Me at Summerhall has been entertaining the kids, while leaving their parents in flood of tears. Using one dancer and two musicians it tells the story of a young girl looking for her grandad who’s gone away. Adventures on the moon and on ships at sea follow, of course, Grandad has gone to that place that all grandads eventually have to go, and he’s not coming back. It may seem a bit morbid for toddlers, but the show, which is part of the Made in Scotland showcase, has been getting great reviews from adults and children alike.
Another show that works for adults and children is Funz and Gamez Tooz. The show by Mancunian stand up Phil Ellis was the hit of the Fringe last year.
It came from nowhere to be playing to sell-out audiences. Extra shows had to be added to deal with the demand. The show was picked up by the BBC for a pilot and awarded the special Panel Prize by the Comedy Award.
It’s not really a kids’ show, rather more of a kids’ show gone wrong. Deliberately naff and brilliantly funny. Adults laugh while kids get caught up in the craziness and stupidity of it.
Ellis told the Daily Record he was unsure it would work when he brought it up last year.
The final word goes to Glasgow comedian Chris Forbes, who is one half of the Blunder Games at the Stand: “With a kids show, there’s no pretentiousness, there’s no fear or desperation about whether or not the show is a great work of art, it’s just an hour of silliness and joy and laughter.”
Unfortunately if you’re reading this and you live in Scotland your kids have probably gone back to school (well, maybe not that unfortunately), but the Fringe runs until August 31. That’s two more weekends to go.
Edinburgh International Festival urged to drop sponsorship ties with BP
Edinburgh International Book Festival reaches out to target readers in small towns
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here