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Lazy F unday
‘I REALISED THAT THERE WERE NO ROLE MODELS FOR KIDS'
He's revolutionised children's TV and made eating apples cool. Kelly Apter talks to LazyTown Live's Magnds Scheving, the man determined to get kids moving.
f you ever bump into Magnus Scheving in the street. one thing's for certain — he won’t snub you. As the creator. producer and star of TV sensation.
l.u:_v'liiii'ii. Scheving knows a certain amount of
responsibility comes with the territory. He also remembers the crushing disappointment of meeting one of his own heroes. 'When I was a little boy I went to a show starring a guy who was an icon for kids in Iceland at the time.‘ recalls Scheving. ‘Afterwards I waited a long time in the freezing cold to see him. but he just walked straight past and didn't even look at us — I never forgot it.‘
Starting life as a series of books and live shows in Iceland. l.u:.v'lim'n the TV show has gone on to air in over l()() countries. while last year‘s live production was the best-selling children‘s theatre show in the UK and sold out faster than ['2 in Mexico City. Despite such global success. Scheving stands by his philosophy that it's the children. not the stars. who matter most.
'If you‘re working with kids you have to understand that it's more than just a job.‘ he says. ‘I spent four years playing Sportacus in the live shows in Iceland and after every single performance I went out and met all the kids. liven if we did three shows a day and I was tired. because it‘s really important to the children and they remember it for the rest of their lives.‘
When 44-year-old Scheving first launched Luszown in 199l. he had already carved out a successful career as a medal-winning athlete and fitness club owner. What made him turn his attention to the health and well-being of the younger generation instead?
‘I realised that there were no role models for kids — just Popeye. but he smokes and hits people.‘ says Scheving. ‘And I thought it would be better to have another option. So I spoke to a lot of parents and kids and found out that there are basically seven issues for anyone who wants to raise healthy kids: to be safe. educated. eat right. be able to follow rules. share things. not lie and cheat. and get enough sleep. So I created the [,(lf,_\'7i)lt'll characters around that.‘
After the success of last year‘s all-singing. all- dancing live show. Scheving has created another theatrical blockbuster Luzmivn Live: The Pirate
Adventure. This time. devioUs Robbie Rotten has
made the heroic Sportacus lose his memory. So that rather than promoting ‘sports candy" (fruit and veg). Sportacus thinks he‘s an ice-cream salesman. With
the help of Stephanie. the kids of LazyTown and. of
course. the audience. Sportacus remembers who he really is.
One of the biggest achievements of Luzmii'n. both on screen and stage. is its ability to appeal to both sexes. but for different reasons. “For girls [.a:_vTown is a music show and for boys it's an action show.‘ says Scheving. ‘While for parents it‘s a tool to help them raise healthy kids. So it means different things to different people. I'm very proud that the audience is made up of 50/50 boys and girls
— that was a real challenge and took a lot of
homework.‘
LazyTown Live! The Pirate Adventure, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Wed 25 Feb-Sun 1 Mar.
M. " ,‘I '~ Iii‘iv-
THE BEST KID
* Peter Pan A thrilling new production of the JM Barrie classic. performed by companies from three nations: the Children's Theatre Company from Minneapolis, USA, Italian shadow puppet artist. Fabrizio Montecchi and Scotland's own Visible Fictions. P/atform, G/asgow, Thu 26—Sat 28 Feb.
* LazyTown Live - The Pirate Adventure Join Sportacus, Stephanie, Robbie Rotten and the rest of the gang, as the hugely popular TV show returns to the live stage. See preview. left. Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Wed 25 Feb—Sun 7 Mar.
* Baby Loves Dlsco Hankering after your clubbing days now that baby's arrived to fill up your time? Then dust off your dancing shoes and prepare for an afternoon of disco ball boogie with your little one. See preview. Corn Exchange, Edinburgh, Sun 7 Mar.
* That’s Rubbish Let the little ones learn the basic principles of ‘reduce, re-use. recycle' at this entertaining puppet show by Dragonfly Dreaming, featuring Skiprat and his giant yellow skip. Also. look out for their tie-in craft workshop. “What's Rubbish?’ earlier in the day. Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, Glasgow, Sat 28 Feb.
* Rocking Rascals The second of two nightclub-style afternoons for kids and parents/carers happening this fortnight. This one is more rocky than disco. but the basic premise - getting down with your nippers - remains the same. Code Nightclub, Lin/ithgow, Sat 28 Feb.
1.9 Feb-5 Mar 2209 THE LIST 87