With shows catering for all ages and appetites, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe will celebrate 70 years of creative freedom this August (4-28) offering a huge variety of theatre, dance, circus, comedy, music, musicals, opera and an assortment of the most fantastic children’s entertainment on the planet! This is S4K’s guide to what you do not want the kids to miss at Fringe ‘17…
Songs and silliness for all the family
The fun-loving musical team of Anya, Kevin and Gary (the former stars of The Singing Kettle) continue to delight and enchant fans with their madcap singalong family shows.
They are certainly keeping busy with multiple tours on the road plus a special show just for the Edinburgh Fringe. “It’s such a thrill to be able to return to The Edinburgh Festival with our ‘FUNBOX AT THE FRINGE’ show”, says Anya, “We can’t wait to get back to The Gilded Balloon. Last year was our first visit and it went amazingly well.”
They also have three other shows on the road and a new Christmas tour planned: “We adore doing what we do and FUNBOX is a proper family show with songs and silliness for all. The Fringe show is an opportunity for new audiences to discover us.”
For full details and to find out more about FUNBOX go to funbox.co.uk or find them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Goblin’s Peter and the Wolf
Goblin’s Peter and the Wolf is an incredible new family musical with over 30 instruments played live on stage. Families in Edinburgh will love it!
Join Peter on a hilarious adventure through the fields and forest as he discovers new sounds and noises. Featuring animal antics of singing birds, waddling ducks, sneaky cats and a rocking wolf. With new music lovingly inspired by Prokofiev’s classic and featuring real musical vegetables!
This is their second time at the Fringe – anyone who came to see the last show Mr Tiger Goes Wild at the Pleasance in 2015 will know how much fun to expect. Timeout said the show was “An unmissable musical delight… made the children in the packed audience scream with incredulous laughter”.
This time they’re in the Piccolo at Assembly Gardens in George Square. Assembly Gardens is a wonderful place for families before and after the show with lots of space and areas to play.
A modern interpretation of the classic myth
Trapped in a refugee camp outside the city of Iolcus, Jason assembles a crew of misfits and outcasts to battle his way across the seas in search of the Golden Fleece of Phrixus; his passport into his homeland. Join Jason, Heracles, Medea, Orpheus, Caeneus, Atalanta, Argus, and Zetes on an action-packed quest which will throw our heroes into a world of wood nymphs, metal giants, sirens, an evil King, a fierce skeleton army and lots more!
This modern interpretation of the classic Greek myth is a collaborative piece of storytelling from Take Thou That theatre company made up of the second-year students at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. With themes of social injustice, the refugee crisis and identity, the piece speaks to adults and children alike.
We are currently living in a refugee crisis unseen since the Second World War with approximately 65.3 million people now refugees, seeking asylum or internally displaced. Alongside the show the cast will be raising money and awareness to children and adults alike for ‘Help The Refugees’. Buckets will be collecting donations, big or small at the end of the each show.
The Tales of Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck
This August, children will be enthralled by The Tales of Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck, performed by award-winning soprano and actress Michelle Todd and the Children’s Classic Concerts Festival Ensemble. Escape to Beatrix Potter’s wonderful world and enjoy her timeless tales of our favourite characters, Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck.
Stephen McNeff’s musical settings of The Tales of Beatrix Potter have enchanted children and adult audiences in the UK, America and Canada. With brand new orchestrations, Jimmy Jewell and Children’s Classic Concerts bring this enduring classic to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
For 23 years Children’s Classic Concerts have been delighting children, their families and teachers with their unique, fun-filled introduction to live orchestral music. In that time, their concerts have featured not only classical music, but also jazz, traditional Celtic and world music – all in a lively mix of entertainment and education that regularly sells out at concert halls across Scotland.
‘Perfect for kids… it has a great charm and a tour de force narration’ Guardian.
The Tales of Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck is playing The Beauty at the Underbelly Circus Hub at 12pm from August 5 to 26, 2017. Tickets start at £7.80 and can be purchased on the Underbelly website. See underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/whats-on/the-tales-of-peter-rabbit-jemima-puddle-duck
The Legend of Finn McCool: A Tall Tale of GIANT Proportions!
A fun, musical fable of how the Giant’s Causeway came to be built, when the Irish giant, Finn McCool, with the help of his clever wife, Oona, battles wits with the mighty Scottish giant, Angus the Red. Delightful songs and silliness ensue! From the American singer/songwriter who brought you hits, Lucky Stars and Lydia, plus acclaimed children’s musicals, Smelly Feet and Smarty Pants. An hilarious, musical delight. A perfect family show!
Dean Friedman brings his familiar quirky, colourful style to a brand new telling of an ancient story: the legend of how the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland came to be built.
Featuring ridiculously catchy songs (kids will be humming for days), the show is long enough to take kids on a fun, imaginative journey, but short enough to keep them engrossed to the end. A fun family outing aimed at pre-schoolers and kids in the early years of primary school.
Visit finnmccoolmusical.tv
A show about young people, made by young people.
In 2016, over three thousand (3,175) unaccompanied children claimed asylum in the UK. ‘The Runner’ is a vibrant new play about their experience.
Nina loves adventures. She’s always getting herself into scrapes. But this adventure is different. This is for real. Nina, her brother, and their annoying neighbour, begin an epic journey over land and sea as they seek refuge far from home.
A coming-of-age quest about how unlikely friends, a stray dog, and a bit of imagination can guide you through to safety. A powerful tale drawing on the real-life experiences of young people caught up in the refugee crisis. Inspired by graphic novels such as Persepolis and Tintin, this is a show about young people, made by young people.
Life will never be quite the same for Nina. But she’s not one to give up. The Runner is a tale of survival in today’s world told with warmth, humour and heart.
Venue: White Belly, Underbelly at Cowgate / Dates: August 15-19 / Time: 10.40am (Duration 60 mins)
Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall
Why toddle when you can dance, dance, dance? Join Aussie DJ-Mumma, Monski Mouse and her Dancers for 50 minutes of family fun, as she gets heads, shoulders, knees and toes bopping along to lashings of swing, pop, rock, Latin and more! Featuring a baby area for the smallest dancers to roll around to the music, all set in the beautiful spiegeltent – perfect for some ecstatic morning festival clubbing. Selling out shows around the world, come find out why Monski Mouse is a hit with the under-fives AND their parents/carers! Suitable for 0-5 years.
‘In minutes, there wasn’t a mummy, daddy, baby, toddler or child in the house that wasn’t busting some moves… We had a (glitter)ball’ (Reviewer).
Venue: Assembly George Square – Spiegeltent / Time & Dates: 11am 4-6, 10-13, 17-20, 25-27 August
Bookings: assemblyfestival.com T: 0131 623 3030
QUACK!
Sarah and Duck are flying north for their first visit to The Edinburgh Festival!
Fresh from a UK tour and excited to delight Fringe audiences, the talented group of puppeteers bring the enchanting world of Sarah and Duck to life in a brand-new stage show, featuring the wonderful characters from the BAFTA award-winning CBeebies series.
Join Sarah and Duck and a host of your favourite friends including The Ribbon Sisters, The Shallots, Flamingo & John and Umbrella, as they plan a birthday party for Scarf Lady in their garden. Told through a fantastic blend of puppetry, storytelling and music, Sarah and Duck’s Big Top Birthday will take you and your children on a magical adventure.
So, grab a cup of lemon water and come to the party with Sarah and Duck and friends at Udderbelly Med Quad from August 2-20. Shows daily at 11.10am excluding Monday August 14.
Calling all hippo expert enthusiasts!
Award-winning family comedy that will have kids storming the stage.
Dr. Zeiffal and Dr. Zeigal and The Hippo That Can Never Be Caught, invites the audience to help the forgetful Dr. Zeiffal catch the crafty Hippo with her patented Hippo Instruments; the Invisible Hippo Blanket, the Hippo Google Goggles and a blizzard of Hippo packaging.
Expect belly laughs, belly flops, surreal slapstick and fantastical falling over in this interactive family comedy created by Mouths of Lions. Bring your hippo catchers and your hippo google goggles, because Dr Zeiffal has most likely lost hers…
“Take your kids to see this and let their imaginations run wild.”LondonTheatre1
“Intelligent, imaginative, very funny.” JimJam Arts
Best Family Show (Buxton Fringe 2016).
Dance Base Festival ‘17 Programme
Dance Base have announced their Festival ‘17 programme running from August 4-27 and with 21 shows, from twelve countries, it’s a jam-packed festival for the venue!
The Dance Base Festival showcases professional companies on an international stage; opening its doors to a wide range of styles from across the globe. What’s more, they have the perfect show for wee ones as Caroline Bowditch and Company presents Snigel and Friends; an inviting new work for babies aged 0 to 12 months and their adult.
Join Snigel, the inquisitive snail, in their cosy home underneath the leafy canopy; a colourful and sensory world where Snigel’s insect friends – brought to life by dancers Caroline Bowditch, Welly O’Brien and Alex McCabe and performer Zac Scott – come to visit. They dance, play, sing and make music in the undergrowth while uncovering secret treasures.
Find out about the full programme by visiting dancebase.co.uk/festival17 #DBFest17
Robin Hood: Hero or Hood?
Robin Hood is a legend. Whether he is a hero, hood or the ORIGINAL PRINCE OF CHARITY is up for debate. This Monty Pythonesque comedic and compassionate musical adaptation, revisits an age-old tale of love, civil disobedience and the quest for a true meaning of HOME.
A troubled, destitute kingdom, ravaged by greed, is left to the mercy of an unscrupulous Sheriff. From nearby Sherwood Forest, one man and his band of vowed compatriots choose to make a stand for good. He captures the imaginations of the downtrodden peasants, woos the beautiful niece of the missing King Richard, and dedicates his life to the freedom of the good people of Nottingham. Do his actions of bravery make him a hero or a hood? It’s up to the audience to decide.
Manhattan Children’s Theatre co-founder, Laura Stevens, now calls Edinburgh home, and is proud to produce and direct Mark Sarto’s (Nickelodeon) play. She is privileged to have the all British Cast of “The Last of the Dragons” (Fringe 2015) which garnered stellar reviews and an international tour, reunite to bring this show to life.
“When a place is your home, you’ve got a responsibility to take care of it. To make it a place you can be proud of….”
See at Assembly George Square Gardens from 3-20 August. Show at 1.30pm
Visit robinhoodmusical.org