Festival Kids list.co.uk/festival
DR BUNHEAD IS VOLCANO HEAD Wouldn’t it be great if all science teachers were like Dr Bunhead? Surely there’s room on the new curriculum for setting fire to your head, blowing up vegetables and creating anti-gravity poo. No? Oh well, you’ll have to make do with a brief date with Dr Bunhead and his always entertaining, surprisingly educational and extremely messy Fringe shows. ■ C Plaza, George Square Theatre, 08452 601 234, until 30 Aug, 11am, £9.50–£10.50 (£7.50–£9.50).
music@list.co.uk Hitlist FESTIVAL KIDS *
✽✽ Just Macbeth! Enjoy the Bard without straining your brain, as Australian theatre company Bell Shakespeare use modern references, marshmallows and bare bums to get the story across. Assembly Rooms, 623 3030, until 29 Aug, 11.45am, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50). ✽✽ Stick Man Julia Donaldson’s popular picture book comes alive on stage in this imaginative version filled with music, song and wit. Udderbelly’s Pasture, 08445 458 252, until 30 Aug, 12.30pm, £10–£11 (£8–£9). ✽✽ Twinkle Twonkle The team who brought you The Gruffalo returns with another engaging story, this time set in the night sky. Learn about the stars and the Big Bang and spot your favourite nursery rhyme. Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 30 Aug (not 25), 2pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50). ✽✽ The Amazing Bubble Show Suitable for all ages, from wee babs to grandads, the Amazing Bubble Man does things with bubbles you never thought possible. And, if you’re lucky, you might find yourself inside one. C too, 08452 601 234, until 30 Aug, 12.30pm & 1.30pm. ✽✽ Arabian Nights Yet another beautifully crafted set from Theatre of Widdershins. Discover flying carpets and exotic aromas as storyteller and puppeteer Andy Lawrence delivers three tales from the Arabian Nights. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 556 9579, until 30 Aug, 1pm, £7.50 (£5). ✽✽ The Mole Who Knew it Was None of His Business Poo, poo and more poo (all of the animal variety, mercifully) in this Fringe favourite filled with cracking characters and silly songs. C, 08452 601 234, until 30 Aug, 10am, £6.50–£8.50 (£5.50–£7.50). For Festival Index see page 112.
26 Aug–9 Sep 2010 THE LIST 33
KIDS COMEDY James Campbell’s Comedy and Songs for Kids ●●●●● The List Operators for Kids ●●●●●
Parenthood changes a lot of people, usually for the better – and this is certainly the case for James Campbell. Although always funny, his shows used to be more about him than the young people sitting opposite. Now that fatherhood has taught him a thing or two, his act has taken on a more approachable quality.
Having been dogged by an overly vocal, small boy for his entire
show, one of a large party of children attached to a harried- looking mother, Campbell (left) ends by saying: ‘Five years ago I would have thrown you out – now, I understand’. He also uses his hands-on experience of child-rearing to impart some witty anecdotes, including one about the perils of travelling on a Lothian bus with a buggy. Campbell’s song lyrics can veer towards the intellectual at times
(‘Cartesian duality’ anyone?) but his witty banter ensures both parents and their charges get their fair share of comedy. The List Operators For Kids, on the other hand, is pure lowest
common denominator humour. The duo’s intentions are clear right from the off, when a pair of poo-smeared pants are thrown into the audience. From there, it’s fart sounds and vomit all the way. Clearly a bundle of laughs for some, there’s none of the subtlety and craftsmanship we’ve come to expect from modern comedy – and, despite the name, precious few lists, either. (Kelly Apter) ■ James Campbell, Assembly @ George Street, 623 3030, until 29 Aug, 2.30pm, £8. The List Operators, Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug, 2.30pm, £9 (£8).