list.co.uk/festival Previews | FESTIVAL KIDS
BIG RED BATH & THE SNOW DOG Double helping of imaginative fun
Full House Theatre has been devising family theatre for more than ten years, and this year it’s bringing illustrated children’s book Big Red Bath to the stage. Julia Jarman and Adrian Reynolds’ book has become a modern classic with young readers, and was an obvious choice for adaptation. ‘We wanted to work with a local author and Julia hails from
Bedfordshire too,’ explains co-creative director, Ben Miles. ‘All children love bath time, making up stories and playing with their parents. The book conjured up so many of our own childhood memories of bath time fun we were able to connect with it instantly and felt very inspired from the get-go.’
The music in the production is composed by French electro-
pop outfit We Were Evergreen, who Miles first encountered at South Wales’ Green Man Festival two years ago. ‘We Were Evergreen have never created work for children before,’ he says, ‘but their sound does have an innocence and naivety to it which we thought could work. Their variety of electro beats and melodic rhythms are great for helping define characters and create the magical mayhem that ensues in the bath.’ Part of Escalator East to Edinburgh, Big Red Bath is directed
by Chris Elwell from London’s Half Moon Young People’s Theatre. It will alternate its Pleasance slot with another Full House production, The Snow Dog, an exploration of childhood bereavement which features a live husky. ‘Huskies do have a special appeal to young audiences,’ says Miles. 'Wherever he goes, he gets attention – it must be the ice-blue eyes and his soft fluffy coat, which gets everywhere.’ (Yasmin Sulaiman) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, (Big Red Bath) 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 Aug, 11am, £8–£10 (£7–£9). Preview 31 Jul, £6; (The Snow Dog) 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 Aug, 11am, £8–£10 (£7–£9). Preview 1 Aug, £6.
P H O T O © K A T G O L L O C K
CHALK ABOUT Playful yet profound dance show
DEAN FRIEDMAN 1970s pop icon who’s down with the kids EMILY BROWN AND THE THING Bedtime favourite brought to life
Adults spend a lot of time assuming they know what children want. So it’s refreshing to hear that choreographer Christine Devaney and her creative partner Hendrik Lebon took the time to ask children about their latest show, Chalk About, a playful yet touching look at what makes us who we are.
The show started life as a series of conversations with kids aged eight to 12. ‘We spoke to children in the Netherlands, Scotland, Germany and Belgium,’ says Devaney. ‘And it was very touching to hear them talk about things in their lives that upset them, whether that was losing a football game or the death of a grandparent. Their gentle, honest answers helped shape the show, and became an integral part of the soundtrack.’ Devaney and Lebon also asked the children what
they did, and didn’t want to see in a show. Using dance, talk and lots of chalk, the duo ask some of life’s big questions in a way that has audiences both laughing and pausing for thought. ‘For all its playfulness, Chalk About also creates a
space for self-reflection,’ says Devaney, ‘and it leads people to think “what's my story?”’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Summerhall, 0845 874 3001, 5–24 Aug (not 11, 18), 11.30am, £9 (£7; family ticket £26). Previews 1–3 Aug, £6.
‘I'm pretty sure every songwriter with kids finds themselves humming silly melodies to distract themselves – and keep their kids from wiggling off the table – while changing nappies. That's how my first kids’ songs came about,’ says Dean Friedman. The American songwriter – known for 1970s hits
‘Lucky Stars’ and ‘Ariel’ – is explaining why he switched from entertaining adults to writing shows for kids. ‘Kids are a perfect audience; they have no preconceptions, they just want to be entertained,’ says Friedman. ‘At the same time their attention span is about two seconds long, so you have to retain total focus to keep their attention and work a bit harder. But it's always worth the extra effort.’ This is Friedman’s tenth Fringe, and he’s bringing
four shows – two children’s musicals and a sing- along, plus a concert of his own songs. ‘Kids are constantly being reminded to behave, so when they see a grown-up make a stupid mistake, they think it's hilarious,’ he says. ‘They're more clever than grown-ups give them credit for.’ (Claire Sawers) ■ Sweet Grassmarket, 243 3596, 31 Jul–24 Aug (not 18–22), 10.30am (Smarty Pants), 1.30pm (Smelly Feet), £8 (£5; family ticket £20); 17, 24 Aug (Dean’s Silly Song Sing-Along), 3pm, £10 (£7.50; family ticket £30).
From The Gruffalo to The Snail and the Whale, Tall Stories can often be found turning the pages of a book into a show. Next stop on their list of popular picture books is Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton’s Emily Brown and the Thing. And, as always, a whole host of creative decisions have gone into fleshing out the text in preparation for moving the action to the stage.
‘Emily Brown is a much-loved character, but whilst we follow the story and use the characters as our base, there was still so much left to decide,’ remarks director Olivia Jacobs. ‘How will Emily sound and move? How do we bring her rabbit toy to life? What will the Thing look like? And how do we transport the audience to each new adventure?’
As always with Tall Stories, the answers to those type of questions lies in dynamic physical storytelling, vibrant designs, and original music that is specially composed to accompany each adventure Emily goes on to help the Thing get to sleep.
‘On top of that,’ says Jacobs, ‘there are a good few catchy numbers that you won’t be able to get out of your head after the show.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 1–24 Aug (not 7), 2.05pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9). Previews 30 & 31 Jul, £6.
31 Jul–7 Aug 2014 THE LIST FESTIVAL 57