FESTIVAL KIDS | Previews
THE HISTORY OF MUSIC From cavemen to conductors, Buzz Brass take us through key moments in musical history
An awful lot of sound was generated between pre-historic times and the 21st century. So when Montreal-based Buzz Brass was writing its show, The History of Music, they had to be very picky about what to include. ‘For every era there are works which are more relevant than
others – that changed the way people thought about music,’ says Buzz Brass horn-player Pascal Lafrenière. ‘So we explored each era in that way, and chose works and composers because of their significant contribution to the history of music.’
Based in Montreal, the brass quintet is known for its
musicianship, energy and sense of fun – especially when it comes to putting together a show for families. ‘We are serious people who have found funny ways to demonstrate our knowledge and talent,’ says Lafrenière. ‘We wanted to share true facts regarding the history of western music (as opposed to music from far eastern countries) and make it a kind of battle between a conductor and his musicians.
‘That’s where the silliness comes in, as we pitch the role of the conductor (who is so convinced of his unquestionable mightiness) against the desire of the musicians to make good music and have fun being together.’
Buzz Brass use a range of styles to take us through the years. And, on the odd occasion when finding something appropriate proved too challenging, they just made it up.
‘Take the cavemen, for example – we can be pretty sure they didn’t tap dance around a fire, but it was a funny way to demonstrate they could put rhythmic structures together.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ New Town Theatre, 220 0143, 8–30 Aug (not 17 & 18), 1pm, £12–£14 (£10–£12); family £40 (£36). Previews 6 & 7 Aug, £7.
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CINDER-ELLA Krazy Kat Theatre explore the popular fairytale using puppets, music and sign language PANTO SCIENCE: THE PERIODIC FABLE Inspiring young scientists through songs, experiments and fun
YOU LOOK TASTY! (A PLAY BY A. TIGER) Tigers get set to take over the Fringe
Created by Krazy Kat Theatre Company, Cinder- Ella is told by a put-upon grandad who recreates his favourite fairytale using his grandchildren’s toys. Solo performer and artistic director Kinny Gardner chose the story of Cinderella for its universal appeal. ‘It’s in every culture all over the globe,’ he says. ‘It’s been used for operas, pantomimes, and now it’s bursting out of a pram.’ Aimed at children aged 3–7 and their families, the
show uses music by Rossini as well as elements of clowning, variety and music hall to create what Gardner describes as ‘a fun, fast, family show with sign language and storytelling, bristling with puppets, music and silliness.’ The inclusion of sign language is central to the
company’s ethos. Krazy Kat is the only British children’s theatre company to use sign language in every show, with Gardner signing as he performs. ‘The company’s work promotes access to the arts
for members of the deaf and disabled community and champions the value of sign language to the hearing,’ says Gardner. (Rowena McIntosh) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 8–23 Aug (not 12, 17), 10am, £7–£7.50 (£6–£6.50). Previews 5–7 Aug, £5.
64 THE LIST FESTIVAL 6–13 Aug 2015
She’s got a YouTube hit under her belt and runs the Glasgow branch of academic comedy night Bright Club. But in her new kids show, Panto Science: The Periodic Fable, Dr Zara Gladman combines her comic writing talent with her day job as a scientist. A collaboration with Glasgow Science Festival,
Gladman and comedian Bruce Morton are using the theatrics of panto to get children into science. ‘As a kid, I loved panto,’ she says, ‘it’s fun, engaging and one of the most accessible forms of theatre there is. It’s the perfect formula for inspiring children about science, without a textbook in sight.’
The story centres around two scientists whose
‘evil supervisor’ (played by Morton) wants to present their results as his own. But the main message is to promote the accessibility of science to children.
‘One of the key aims is to reinforce the
message that science is for everyone,’ explains Gladman. ‘We’ll be carrying that message through experiments, comedy and songs (‘You Don’t Need a Beard to Be a Scientist’ is particularly catchy). It’s going to be a lot of fun.’ (Yasmin Sulaiman) ■ Assembly Rooms, 0844 693 3008, 7–30 Aug (not 17), 12.15pm, £11 (£9). Preview 6 Aug, £10 (£8).
The Pleasance Courtyard used to be a nice, safe place for families to visit each August. Not any more. With three children’s shows about tigers at the venue, is it still safe to bring our offspring? ‘That depends, really,’ says Stewart Pringle,
co-author of You Look Tasty (A Play By A. Tiger). ‘Do you like your children? How much do you like them? It’s impossible to answer – you’ll have to find out for yourself.’ Pringle co-wrote his play with Aloysius the tiger, a writer whose work ethic, he says, is ‘absolutely appalling – no attention span, and he sleeps a lot, I mean a lot’. Fortunately they managed to get something down on paper – a show about a missing tiger at London Zoo.
Surprisingly, rather than seeing them as rivals, Aloysius was keen to hear about the other tiger shows – Mr Tiger Goes Wild and The Tiger Who Came To Tea. ‘One of Aloysius’ big inspirations for writing was actually The Tiger Who Came To Tea,’ explains Pringle. ‘He was like “Excellent! Finally we’re taking the fight to them!”’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 8–31 Aug (not 18, 25), 11.45am, £8–£10 (£7–£9). Preview 7 Aug, £5.