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Book Festival 0131 624 5050
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lntemational Festival 0131 473 2000 Film Festival 0131 623 8030 Jazz Festival 0131 473 2000
BOUNCE! A MADCAP MUSICAL ADVENTURE Dynamic duo keep kids on their toes
Move over the Singing Kettle and the Happy Gang. there's a new kid in town. Or rather two — Scotty and Lulu. an irrepressible duo who entertained kiddies in Hong Kong for years. and are now based in the UK. Bounding across the stage wearing bright colours and all manner of silly
RUMPELSTILTSKIN’S DAUGHTER - THE MUSICAL
faces. Scott, iAKA
-las‘.vegian. Scott Ligertwoodi and Lulu (AKA Londoner. Nick Harvey‘i have a captivating effect on the under-eights.
Taking exrsting favourites such as ‘Five Fat Sausages' and inixrng them With original ceinpositions. ‘Wiggle and Tv-rist' and ‘Poo On My Shoe". Scotty and Lqu know how to keep little ones Joining in from beginning to end. "the songs have got to be
Fairytale adaptation that’s pure gold
very pov‘uerful.‘ says Scotty. “With a beat and melody that kids can latch on to. and want to dance or sing along wrth.' {Kelly Apteri
I George Square Theatre. (562 87110.
:3 15 Aug, 10.30am. .‘V’ (for
NICOLE ET MARTIN French poetry in motion
Hansel and Gretel The Musicians of Bremen. The Fisher/nan and his Wife . . . the old tall") tales are still the best. Certainly that's the view of performing duo. Nicole of Martin. who have spent the last seven years touring Europe With their caravan of theatre.
(tircus and poetry. As Martin points out. they're on a mission to breathe new life into classic children's stories.
'lhe oid traditional stories are a little bit lost.' he says. 'The
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Anyone who ever picked up a book and blew the dust off the cover is familiar with the tale of Rumpelstiltskin, that strange little man who bargained with an imprisoned miller’s daughter for her first born child by spinning straw into gold for a greedy king. But what if Rumpelstiltskin had been cute and kind rather than evil and ugly? What if the miller’s daughter had been so taken with her mysterious benefactor that she opted to marry him instead of the king? These twists to the traditional fairytale are enticing aspects of Diane Stanley’s acclaimed book,
Rumpelstiltskin’s Daughter, which has spawned an incredibly successful stage adaptation. As writer
and director Robert Neal Marshall points out, it was Stanley’s magical blend of the modern with the classic fairytale that first attracted him to the source material: ‘This wry sense of humour made the
story very attractive and the main character of Rumpelstiltskin’s Daughter was also a positive female
role model who used her mind and bravery to bring about amazing changes to a starving kingdom.’ In Stanley’s tale, Rumpelstiltskin and the miller’s daughter have a ‘sunny and clever’ child named
Hope, whose generosity not only leads to her bringing prosperity to the kingdom but also to her
appointment as prime minister. For Marshall, the success of Broadway shows such as Beauty and
the Beast and films such as Shrek, points to a winning contemporary mix of old fashioned meets hip
modern. ‘I think the very fact we are still reading classic fairytales shows the power and strength in
the messages from these stories,’ he says. ‘We’ve purposely kept and used modern elements, dance beats and more contemporary styles in Rumpelstiltskin’s Daughter suggested by Stanley’s book, but at the same time we show respect for a more traditional musical theatre framework.’ (Allan Radcliffe)
I Assembly Rooms. 226 2428. /’— 29 Aug (not l/‘i. l().:'>()arn. 5‘?) ii'x'i. Preview (5 Aug. to
grandmother around a fire in the little house is gone. Now we are here to give these stories nev.l life and new colour'
Nicole et Martin's three Edinburgh shows are based on the French I"<’1(llll()n of ‘saltinl)angues'. a colourful spectacle involving music. puppetry and pei‘foriiiarir:<-3. And. as Martin confirms. they're aimed at children of all ages: ‘It does not matter whether the audience is young or old. In each one of us there is a hidden child. and rt is this child we want to address.‘ i‘Allan Radcliffe;
I (‘ieorge Sgt/are Gardens. (562 8740. /’>-£.’()‘ Aug. times vary. f‘/'.:’i() r’S‘S mi. Prevrew (5 Aug. 511.
SNOW WHITE/RED RIDING HOOD AND THE WOLVES
Brothers Grimm get their bite back
Once upon a time. fairytales ‘.'./ere dark, full of morals and scared the heiesus out of all who read them. Then aiong came Disney and turned stories of \engeance and deceit into sugar coated hokoin. But the Brothers (Srimm spirit has found a ne.'.' home at (I theatre. unfinei'e writer Karina ‘r‘v'ilson has transformed Snow '.'/hit¢) and Red Riding Hood into credible ‘.'.'ork:; of children's theatre.
(Bone are the seven tl‘.‘.’£it‘.'(}53. replaced by a seven headed troll. ‘.-./hile Snov. White is an empowered young anoman. who opts for the kind huntsman rather tlzan the pompous prince. The result :s a highly physical shox'r. peppered with visual surprises. that WI“ appeal to bog. s as much as girls. “it"v’el'e tried to find the hook that made the original stories giippiiig.' says director Chris \Sudvxorth. ‘And to
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bring a degree of truth into fantasy situations. using real feelings that a lot of children and young peOple face today.‘ (Kelly Apter)
I C. 0870 7075705. 4—28 Aug (not 74). 11.20am, £7.50 (£‘5.50—£6.50).
THEM WITH TAILS/T HE SNOW DRAGON Giants of children’s theatre strike again
In the minefield known as the Fringe programme. it‘s nice to know there are some things you can rely on. Year after year. Tall Stories serve up quality children's theatre that's guaranteed to entertain. Their adaptation of Julia Donaldson's The Gruffa/o set something of a precedent back in 2001 but. as co-director OIiVia Jacobs points out. they're no one trick pony. ‘The Gruffa/o consolidated Tall Stories' reputation and put us on the map.' she says. 'However. we have produced four shows since then. all of which had hugely positive responses.“ The latest of which are Them erh Tar/s and The Show Dragon. Cornering the whole kiddie market. the former is an improvisational romp for the over 58. while the latter is aimed sonarer at the 3+ market. In a break with tradition, The Show Dragon started life as a stage show. and is now a picture book which will be on sale during the Fringe. Them With Tales is “an opportunity for everyone to let their imaginations run wild.‘ (Kelly Apter) I C foo. 0870 7015 705, 4—29 Aug (not 74), 2pm (The Snow Dragon), 3. 75pm (Them With Tar/3). E 7.50 rt.‘5.50—£‘6.50).
Book Festival www.cdbookfestoouk
Fringe www.9dfringe.co.uk lntemational Festival www.eif.co.uk Film Festival www.edfilmfest.oo.uk
' -\.. i THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 35