FESTIVAL KIDS | Reviews
POTTED SHERLOCK
A riotous romp through Conan Doyle’s back catalogue ●●●●●
For over 100 years, Sherlock Holmes has been entertaining readers with his fierce intelligence, interesting caseload and slightly maverick approach. So anyone attempting to encapsulate all 60 of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes tales (the four biggies, plus lots of short stories) had better have a healthy dose of those qualities themselves.
Fans of Dan and Jeff’s previous Fringe shows, Potted Potter, Potted Pirates and Potted Panto will know that the duo is indeed armed with a sharp wit and ability to approach things from an unexpected angle – so Potted Sherlock is in safe hands.
Recounting 60 tales in 70 minutes would, you’d assume, be
impossible. Especially given that a good half hour of that time is spent on absolute silliness that makes no reference to the actual stories at all. But that’s where the genius lies. An endless round of cases explained and solved would quickly tire – whereas Dan and Jeff’s between-story banter never grows stale.
A fairly elaborate set places us in Baker Street, while a range of ridiculous costumes illustrates the countless clients and combatants Holmes and Watson encounter. Which would probably stretch beyond the physical capacity even of these two, were it not for the welcome addition of a new female cast member. With more entrances and exits than a French farce, the trio hurtle around the set and through the Holmes back catalogue, pausing only to give extra attention to A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Valley of Fear.
Cultural references come thick and fast and, like Sherlock Holmes himself, cleverness and wit triumphs over a seemingly impossible task. (Kelly Apter) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 25 Aug (not 13, 20), 2.50pm, £11–£12 (£10–£11).
THE BIG BITE-SIZE PLAYS FACTORY GOES DOWN THE TOILET Toilet-obsessed public information show ●●●●● HUFF Installation tells the story of the Three Little Pigs ●●●●●
CHALK ABOUT Dusty dancing explores who we are ●●●●●
Parents of kids who have hit potty training age will be aware there's unlimited capacity in their wee brains for repeating the word ‘poo’. The Big Bite-Size Plays Factory has turned this compulsion into a gold mine with their short set of variations on a theme Their Goes Down the Toilet is a 45-minute meditation on going to the toilet. Premiered at Brighton Fringe earlier this year, it's a fun and lively show populated by actors who are refreshingly free of hampering modesty, and the kids seated at the front of the room respond well to its informality.
Sketches include one featuring a plucky secret
agent who introduces us to the concept of National Poo Security, another with performer Becky Moult dressed gamely as a massive, well, poo and a mock trial of an offending wet-wipe presided over by a judge with a loo-roll wig. It’s worth a visit if you don’t mind your child going on about the only 'three Ps' that are allowed down a toilet for the rest of the day, or if you’re looking for an obvious public information show for your primary school aimed at saving the sewers of the nation. (David Pollock) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 25 Aug, 1.15pm, £7–£8 (£6–£6.50).
66 THE LIST FESTIVAL 14–25 Aug 2014
Like any good childhood adventure, we begin by leaving behind all reminders of everyday life – handbags, rucksacks and shoes – and setting off unburdened to explore this labyrinthine reimagining of The Three Little Pigs.
We are directed from room to room, each of which is supposed to represent a part of the traditional fairytale. Never left in any room long enough to get bored, the customised household objects provide clues to the story of the builder pigs. Kitsch creepiness and humorous detail makes it feel like we are exploring a Wes Anderson set.
As lights are dimmed and fans whirl, a sense of
suspense is built up, which is slightly hampered by a couple of rooms that do not seem to follow the narrative. This tension is not relieved by the rather sudden ending. As we rediscover our worldly goods waiting for us, there's a feeling it's over too soon due to parts of the story being missed out, rather than a wish for it to go on longer.
HUFF is to be enjoyed for its witty displays of pigs at their interior decorating best, but the narrative could be blown away by one good puff. (Lia Sanders) ■ Traverse, 228 1404, until 24 Aug (not 18), every 8 mins from 10.30am–7pm, £6.
A stage floor covered in chalk drawings greets us as we enter the theatre. An image bank that grows by the second, as our hosts Christine and Hendrik continually draw around themselves – asking audience members to help in their pursuit.
It’s clear from the start that the duo are here to make friends; to be open, honest and share something of themselves with the audience. They have, they explain, done a lot of research and asked numerous children what they’d like to see in a show (Beyoncé, pizza, dinosaurs – you get the picture). Given the absence of all that (in real form), they
use their physicality to charge through the lot – before moving on to the heart of the piece: them. Christine tells her life story, from childhood to present day; Hendrik does the same in German (conveying a surprising amount with his body, so we get the picture) – while the chalk pictures evolve.
The idea behind Curious Seed’s show is to encourage children to think about what makes them uniquely them. It won’t grab everybody, and a little more humour wouldn’t have gone amiss, but overall this is a warm and friendly introduction to contemporary dance. (Kelly Apter) ■ Summerhall, 0845 874 3001, until 24 Aug (not 18), 11.30am, £9 (£7).
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