Festival KIDS
ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS Extra terrestrial fun
A uthor Claire Freedman and illustrator Ben Cort may have come up with some fiendish rhymes and colourful illustrations in their popular picture book Aliens Love Underpants, but at just a couple of hundred words long, there’s not much in the way of story. So when Big Wooden Horse theatre company set about creating a stage adaptation, they had to think outside of the book. ‘It’s a challenge,’ says the show’s director, Adam Bampton- Smith, ‘but the golden rule is to acknowledge what people love about the book, and then create a theatrical experience. If you’re just going to re-create the book exactly on stage, the audience may as well be watching a DVD.’ Big Wooden Horse has stayed faithful to Cort’s
illustrations, incorporating them into the set design, as well as making puppets to portray the aliens and creating ‘many, many pairs of pants’. As for the narrative, the cast of characters has been expanded to feature an entire family, and the main protagonist, Timmy has an unexpected adventure on his journey to school. 'Aliens start appearing,' explains Bampton- Smith, 'and they take Timmy in their spaceship and fly him to their home planet. After that, well . . . you'll just have to see the show to find out.' (Kelly Apter) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 7–22 Aug (not 14), 11.30am, £8–£12 (£8–£10).
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HITLIST THE BEST KIDS STUFF
T L U A J U A E B C U L N A E J
✽ l’Après-midi d’un Foehn Carrier bags take on a life of their own in this inventive
show from France, where plastic ‘dancers’ are propelled into the air. See feature, page 62. Summerhall, 0845 874 3001, 2–25 Aug (not 6, 11–12, 17–18, 22), 2pm & 5pm, £10 (£7).
✽ Rumpelstiltskin and the Wheel
of Fortune Theatre of Widdershins return with another fairytale classic, performed by engaging puppeteer Andy Lawrence and his intricate sets. See preview, page 63. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 556 9579, 1–25 Aug (not 19), 1pm, £9 (£7). Preview 31 Jul, £5.
✽ My Brother the Robot Tall Stories, the winning team behind the Gruffalo,
present a brand new story about a little girl and her metallic brother. See preview, page 63. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 3–25 Aug (not 14), 2.55pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9). Previews 31 Jul–2 Aug, £6.
✽ Help! My Supply Teacher is Magic CBBC’s fun magic show takes to the stage. You’ll be wondering how they did it for months to come. See preview, page 64. Underbelly Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, 3–25 Aug, 1.10pm, £11.50–£12 (£10–£10.50). Previews 1–2 Aug, £6.
✽ Aliens Love Underpants A young boy’s journey to school turns into an inter-galactic adventure in this fun storybook adaptation. See preview, left. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 7–22 Aug (not 14), 11.30am, £8–£12 (£8–£10).
1–8 Aug 2013 THE LIST FESTIVAL 61