FESTIVAL KIDS PREVIEWS
ANDY AND MIKE’S TICK TOCK TIME MACHINE Comedy duo swap CBeebies for time travel
‘If you mix Back to the Future with The Mighty Boosh and Goonies, you get a glimpse of where we wanted to go,’ says CBeebies presenter Andy Day, co-star of Andy and Mike’s Tick Tock Time Machine.
‘We have plenty of interaction throughout, with references to some of our favourite films, and songs to boot,’ says Day, a man whose madcap humour appeals to little and big kids alike. ‘We hope to take you on a mind-blowing adventure through time! You must be prepared to join in and make noise, and we promise that we won’t sit down.
‘We love music, especially musical theatre. Mike would hate me to tell you this, but he loves Disney films and Justin Bieber. Oh, and of course we love Bill & Ted,’ he says. ‘We felt we should try and create a modern version onstage.’ It sounds like a most excellent adventure. (Nicola Meighan) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 4–19 Aug, 11am, £9–£9.50 (£8–£9). Previews until 3 Aug, £6.
TIDDLER AND OTHER TERRIFIC TALES Tall tales from a small fish
With so many shows to choose from at the Fringe, it’s always handy when a tried and tested company returns carrying a guarantee of quality. All those who saw Scamp Theatre’s production of Stick Man in 2010 will be pleased to know that the talented troupe is back, with yet another Julia Donaldson adaptation.
The tale of a little fish with a big imagination, Tiddler has been directed by Sally Cookson – the
woman who helped to bring out the fun, musicality and poignancy in their previous show. ‘For me, what helped make Stick Man so successful was the personality of the actors,’ says
Cookson. ‘We had three very quirky individuals who engaged with their audience and knew how to “play”. The performers in Tiddler are experts at that, too. It’s a very clown-based show, where the storytellers are naive and curious, and find delight and wonder in the stories they tell.’ Cookson and her team have set the show in a large playroom, filled with toys and everyday objects,
which help transform the space into a different world for each story. As fans of Donaldson’s original tale will know, Tiddler has a number of exciting adventures, but a straightforward re-telling of the book would be over very quickly. According to Cookson, the process of choosing which aspects of the story to develop was not dissimilar to how families interact with the book. ‘Usually when an adult reads a picture book to a child, they stop and talk about what they see and
hear,’ says Cookson. ‘So in effect that’s what we’re doing when we adapt the story into theatre – highlighting certain moments in the drama and expanding on what’s in the book.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, until 27 Aug (not 9), 11.15am, £10–£11 (£9–£10). Previews 2 & 3 Aug, £6.
OUR ISLAND Cultures combine in fun tale of co-operation
Best known for winning over Fringe audiences with their poo-centred hit show, The Mole Who Knew It Was None Of His Business, Kipper Tie Theatre are back in Edinburgh with a far more serious subject. Set in a mystery location, Our Island features three characters from diverse cultures, who are forced to overcome their differences, prejudices and fears, and get on with each other. ‘The play strips these big issues right back to their roots,’ says writer and director Bernie Byrnes, ‘while keeping them recognisable.’ Created with Singapore company, I Theatre, Our Island relies less on text, and more on humorous physical theatre and traditional Singaporean techniques.
‘The play takes a lovely journey from complete suspicion to delightful co-operation, and language plays a big part in this,’ explains Byrnes. ‘None of the characters speak the same language – each has their own nonsense language. But as the show progresses, they learn some of each other’s language and make up new words together.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ C too, 0845 260 1234, until 27 Aug (not 14, 21), 1.20pm, £7.50–£9.50 (£3.50–£5.50).
CIRCUS IN HAND Russian puppeteers who have it all in hand
St Petersburg’s Hand Made Theatre make exactly that: theatre with their hands. The actors all trained in puppetry at Russia’s State Theatre Arts Academy, and are about to make their Edinburgh Fringe debut with two shows: Time for Fun, an upbeat physical theatre show, and Circus in Hand, which was created for children but promises fun for everyone. ‘Both our shows will be interesting for adults and
children of all ages,’ explains art director Svetlana Ozerskaya. ‘There is an illusion that characters appear out of thin air, from nowhere. It’s like a 3D graphic but alive, warm and made of hands.’ Circus in Hand recreates the euphoria of visiting
the circus as a young child. ‘This show is an illustration of a child’s delight,’ says Ozerskaya, ‘to give you a feeling of visiting a circus, about a dream that appears deep within a child’s heart. Is it possible to train a giraffe? Can you become friends with a zebra? When we were young, we knew answers to all these questions. This show will take you back to your childhood.’ (Yasmin Sulaiman) ■ Assembly Roxy, 623 3030, 4–27 Aug (not 13, 20), 11.50am, £8–£9. Previews 2 & 3 Aug, £6.
52 THE LIST 2–9 Aug 2012