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classroom, is no mean feat. Given the enormous amount of facts and figures we learn during Twinkle Twonkle, it really is astounding that this doesn’t feel ‘educational’ – just entertaining. Stella is obsessed with the solar
system; younger brother Ryan is obsessed with nursery rhymes. Put the two together and what do you get? A lively romp through outer space where the man in the moon (and the cow that jumped over it) join forces with star constellation Cassiopeia and The Big Bang (or The Big Sneeze as it’s referred to here).
Two excellent actors and an innovative set ensure that, despite the heavy subject matter, this show stays as light as a feather – and is just as informative for adults as it is for children. (Kelly Apter) ■ Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 30 Aug (not 18 & 25), 2pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50).
THE MOLE WHO KNEW IT WAS NONE OF HIS BUSINESS Making a song and dance about poo ●●●●●
This perennial favourite from Kipper Tie Theatre never loses its spark, thanks to a constant supply of young audiences, and a fresh crop of actors to deliver it. Based on Werner Holzwarth’s
popular picture book, the story opens with a hit and run toilet stop on Mole’s head – and it’s wall to wall poo from
there on. A Spanish bird, Californian surfer dude goat, operatic pig and cockney flies are just some of the creatures questioned by Mole on his quest to track down the guilty party.
Without strong characterisation this show would flounder, but the three talented performers switch from one animal to the next with ease. The witty song lyrics and well-placed repetitive lines (always a hit with little ones) are sometimes marred by poor acoustics, but otherwise Holzwarth’s scatological tale has been very well served. (Kelly Apter) ■ C, 0845 260 1234, until 30 Aug, 10am, £6.50–£8.50 (£4.50–£7.50).
THE LAST MINER Moving, melancholic puppet show ●●●●●
This inventive show, developed by Tortoise in a Nutshell in association with Catherine Wheels, is short on action, features little dialogue and takes place on the tiny stage of the Hill Street studio theatre. But the tale of an elderly miner, living out his days underground in his former place of work and struggling (literally) to keep the roof over his head, transports its audience in a more profound way than many more hi-tech, all-singing, all-dancing shows.
The dilemma of the papier maché protagonist, who finds episodes from his past returning to haunt him as his roof collapses, is conveyed subtly but with great precision by a pair of puppeteers, whose blackened faces and head torches add to the show’s strong atmosphere. While the tone is perhaps a little melancholic for little ones, and the theme of loss that runs throughout will lead to some searching questions, the series of moving set pieces is carefully, thoughtfully pitched for a young audience. (Allan Radcliffe) ■ Hill Street Theatre, 226 6522, until 30 Aug (not 17, 24), 3pm, £7 (£5).
FARM BOY Country tale in need of a jump start ●●●●●
Two men, Grandpa and Grandson, share the stage with a green Fordson tractor and a toolbox. The men weave stories that link four
JUST MACBETH Slick, accessible and boisterous adaptation of classic tragedy ●●●●●
There are plenty of reasons why Macbeth is not suitable for kids: there’s the cold-blooded murder, the unmitigated violence, not to mention the difficult language. Australian company Bell Shakespeare, however, are experts in these things, and what they and Aussie kids’ author Andy Griffiths have correctly identified is that this is also a play full of things kids know and love: ugly witches, kings in castles, magical happenings, marshmallows and bare bums. OK, so those last two are possibly unique to this particular version, but they fit right in, honestly.
This slick adaptation is gently educational without ever seeming condescending or pushy. The idea is that three 12-year-olds drink a magic potion they’ve prepared while acting out the witches’ scene from Macbeth in class, and find themselves in the middle of ancient Scotland, inhabiting the roles of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and Banquo. The three then live out the story, taking the audience with them as they work out what on earth’s going on in this strange world of men in skirts, invisible ponies and militant garden gnomes.
More of Shakespeare’s words creep in as the play goes on, but there’s always enough context or explanation to make it accessible to all. With bold and colourful costumes, wobbly shadow cut-out backdrops, lively, creative use of props and a fair few modern references dropped in, Just Macbeth is engaging throughout its 90 minutes. While the fart-joke quota may be high, the humour does get more sophisticated than that, and anyone with a keen sense of the absurd – whatever their age – will find plenty to enjoy here. (Laura Ennor) ■ Assembly Rooms, 623 3030, until 29 Aug (not 17), 11.45am, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50).
Festival Kids
generations, covering the period in farming history where tractors took over from horses, and culminate in a hare versus tortoise style competition.
Farm Boy is adapted from the book by former Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo, as the sequel to War Horse (the stage version of which, with its extraordinary life-size horse puppets, continues to wow audiences in London).
Almost everything is in place to mark Farm Boy out as one of the hits of this year’s Fringe. Certainly this is a serious production that trusts that children might have longer attention spans than goldfish. However, too much sentimentality, and the production’s tendency to tell rather than show, results in a show that, dramatically at least, doesn’t ever really get going. (Kate Tregaskis) ■ Assembly Rooms, 623 3030, until 30 Aug (not 17), 11.45am, £10–£11 (£9–£10).
JUNGLE BOOK: THE NEXT CHAPTER Monkeying around with Kipling’s classic ●●●●●
Rudyard Kipling’s fables are part of the collective national psyche, so this follow-up from Glenn Elston and the Australian Shakespeare Company has a lot to live up to. The story picks up when Mowgli, now grown up, returns to the jungle to visit Baloo. The curmudgeonly bear leads songs based on the well- known characters (straying far enough from the Disney versions not to court legal action), warnings about the perils of The Big Smoke, and imparting Kipling’s laws of the jungle. The Jackal crops up as a slavering baddie (watch out for a gentle soaking in the first few rows) completing a trio of engaging performances pitched successfully at a wide age range.
In two notoriously tricky aspects – audience interaction and the incorporation of multimedia – the group excels. As a standalone show it works well, but when it comes to cultural heritage, Baloo would likely council that some things are best left alone. (Suzanne Black) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 30 Aug (not Mon), 11.30am, £7–£8 (£6–£7).
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