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Fringe previews {KIDS}
SNOW PLAY Interactive battle of the seasons
When Snow Play enjoyed a sell-out run at the Lyric theatre in London last December, the timing was perfect. Outside, children played with snow on the ground – then stepped inside the venue to find the same weather conditions represented on stage. The Pleasance Courtyard in August is a very different proposition, however. Although as far as actor and writer Patrick Lynch is concerned, there’s never a bad time to play around with the cold white stuff. ‘Snow Play works at any time of year because snow is
always fun,’ he says. ‘The show isn’t just about winter though, it’s about taking turns, sharing space – and what to do when somebody doesn’t want to. We use the transition from winter to spring to represent that.’ Lynch, best known as co-presenter of CBeebies’ Razzle
Dazzle, plays Mr Green (spring), alongside Italian children’s TV regular Carlo Rossi as Mr White (winter). Returning home from holiday, Mr Green finds Mr White covering his house and garden with snow. It takes a lot of persuasion – and audience participation – to convince Mr White that his presence is no longer welcome.
‘Mr Green tries everything to get him to leave,’ explains Lynch, ‘even locking the door, but Mr White always manages to get back in. So Mr Green gets everyone in the audience to help by giving Mr White a taste of his own medicine with a huge snowball fight.’
Lyngo Theatre Company, the team behind the show, is well known for its interactive productions. As well as the snowball fight, audience members can help to make a snow man, wake up Mr White, and maybe even go on stage to help Mr Green tidy up. ‘All our shows directly involve the audience,’ says Lynch. ‘So there are plenty of opportunities for adventurous kids to get stuck in, but also for the more contemplative ones to simply sit back and enjoy the show.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 6–29 Aug, 11.20am, £8 (£6). Previews until 5 Aug, £5.
THE VELVETEEN RABBIT Much-loved children’s tale takes to the stage
TIM AND LIGHT Burton and Miyazaki inspire new puppetry show CLOUD MAN Puppetry in the sky
Following the success of 2010’s Greek Myths for Kids (which is back for another run this year), Backhand Theatre return with a new adaptation of Margery Williams’ 1922 novel, The Velveteen Rabbit.
One of six shows presented by the company in Edinburgh this month, it combines a heart-warming story – in which a toy rabbit yearns to become real – with puppets crafted by artistic director Jake Linzey.
‘Both myself and Jake were surprised that we
couldn’t find a record of The Velveteen Rabbit being performed at the Fringe since 1999,’ says co- founder and performer Nicola Buys. ‘He read the story to me on the train home from Edinburgh at the end of last year’s Fringe, and we decided there and then that any story that could keep a group of exhausted actors captivated was definitely one worth telling.’ Despite being nearly 90 years old, the book still
has an important message for us all, as Buys says: ‘The book teaches that to be “real” is not about what you look like on the outside or what others think of you. It’s about being yourself.’ (Yasmin Sulaiman) ■ C eca, 0845 260 1234, 3–29 Aug (not 15), 11am, £6.50–£8.50 (£4.50–£7.50).
Tim and Light is the second children’s show from Tucked In, following 2007’s lauded Jackajack. In this adventure, which has been touring UK theatres and festivals this summer, a boy called Tim and his cat Light board a train from Brighton that doesn’t make its scheduled stops, resulting in a grand adventure. ‘The whole style of the show is based on playing games,’ says writer and director Hal Chambers. ‘The design is extremely creative: a chest of drawers can become a train station, a garden, an artist’s studio and a scary basement. There is lots of visual magic; we use material and objects that we found in our attics to build the world of Tim and Light. I guess we want to play, just like children do in a den.’
The show is driven by puppetry and original folk music, and influenced by Tim Burton and Hayao Miyazaki, but its story is just as distinctive as its style. ‘The play is a meditation on friendship and how we can treat our friends better,’ Chambers says. ‘Tim and Light’s journey is one of great personal discovery and surprises, and we hope that the children will experience a similar journey in watching the story unfold.’ (Yasmin Sulaiman) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 6–29 Aug (not 13), 12.30pm, £8–£9 (£7–£8). Preview 5 Aug, £5.
F E S T I V A L
Actor, musician, writer and puppeteer Ailie Cohen is the latest in a long line of artists to be inspired by clouds, as is made clear with her new show, Cloud Man.
‘Even though we’re taught that clouds are made of condensation, they appear like solid structures, tantalisingly just out of reach,’ says Cohen. ‘They are also the last stop before the “unknown” vastness of what lies beyond. I certainly spent many a school day staring out of the window – it’s where I began to really exercise my imagination.’
Aimed at ages 4–7, Cloud Man blends puppetry and storytelling to tell the tale of Cloudia, a woman who dedicates her life to the study of all things cloud-like – and her pursuit of the intriguing Cloud Man. ‘Cloud Men represent all that is intriguing about
clouds,’ says Cohen. ‘They’re mysterious and magical. Cloudia is completely dedicated to her study and analysis, driven by her dream of discovering a creature of the skies and sharing her new found knowledge with the world . . . but at what cost?’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Hill Street Theatre, 226 6522, 9–24 Aug (not 8, 15), 11am, £7.50 (£5). Previews 5–7 Aug, £5.
4–11 Aug 2011 THE LIST 49