F E S T I VA L K I D S | Reviews
P H O T O
: J A M E S G L O S S O P
FOX-TOT! Scottish Opera hits right notes in second opera for infants ●●●●●
There is something alarming and delightful in equal measure about watching your toddlers run amok on the Scottish Opera stage. It breaks every rule you know about ‘going to the opera’. No fourth walls here, no silent reverence for the classical craft. Fox-tot! is Scottish Opera’s second production for infants – it’s geared to the 12–24 month age range, following BambinO for 6–18 months – and the company has thoroughly embraced the chaos that comes with an audience in its peak fidget-heckler phase.
We sit on benches and cushions in a semi-circle (musicians are protected on podiums) while mezzo-soprano Katie Grosset and countertenor Daniel Keating-Roberts sing a simple story about a fox (tot) who transforms into different animals; a cat, a butterfly, a frog.
Giuseppe and Emma Belli’s set is made of tactile, inviting colours and textures, with a swirling, whispering pile of fabric leaves in autumnal colours at its heart, begging to be tossed and scattered around by performers and toddlers alike. When a fluffy yellow sun is rolled out by Grosset there is a collective gasp before many legs teeter towards it, hands held out to touch its surface.
Both Grosset and Keating-Roberts are wonderful performers – you’ve got to take your hat off to anyone who can do their job with such focus and brilliance while gently wrangling an army of small people. And Lliam Paterson’s original score is glorious – a gorgeous piece
of music in its own right, but also one that is subtly tailored to its audience, quenching thirsts for discovery by weaving in different musical styles and references, and switching form and instrument frequently for short attention spans. It’s a show that places its audience at the centre (quite literally at times), never once condescending, but always gently challenging small ears and eyes. (Lucy Ribchester) n Edinburgh Academy, until 16 Aug (not 12), 10am & 11.30am, £12 (adult and baby); £7 additional adult.
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R E B E C C A N E E D M E N E A R
ALICE AND THE LITTLE PRINCE Joyous mash-up charms both adults and kids ●●●●● ERTH'S DINOSAUR ZOO Thrilling international puppetry hit ●●●●●
Gentle, charming and deeply philosophical, Toby Mitchell and Verity Clayton’s clever mash-up of Lewis Carroll’s Alice and Saint-Exupéry’s Little Prince is one of those joyous pieces of children’s theatre that could happily have an audience made up solely of adults eating from its wonderfully drawn hand. An international stage hit before arriving in Edinburgh, Sydney-based company Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo is an easy recommendation to make. A large-scale centrepiece event, it’s an absolute necessity that this is performed in the large McEwan Hall – because a puppet show on this magnitude doesn’t work anywhere but a concert hall.
It takes place in the Queen of Heart’s Rose The show – led by palaeontologist/zookeeper/
Garden where Mitchell, as the Little Prince, sits drawing sheep to keep the weeds down on his home planet, asteroid B-612. He soon has his audience of over-fives drawing more for his flock, as he wanders off into Saint-Exupéry’s clever examinations of the contradictions of adult life. The appearance of Clayton’s sympathetic Alice
brings another level of logical perambulation, which puts delicious questions into its young audience’s heads while letting just enough slip right past for the adult’s comprehension. The result, as the Prince has to explain himself to the inquisitive Alice, is a show that gets further inside both stories than many other much more sophisticated pieces –there is no drawing back for simplicity’s sake. A treat for fans of either book. (Thom Dibdin) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 18 Aug (not 9), 1.30pm, £8–£9 (£7–£8).
76 THE LIST FESTIVAL 7–14 Aug 2019
ringmaster figure Scott – comes across as a routine zoo animal demonstration, which is an affirmation of just how realistically crafted the puppets are. With the help of a trio of puppeteers, we meet a
cute baby triceratops and parasaurolophus (and hear the unappetising story of how they receive dinner); witness a stalking tyrannosaurus rex and experience the most thrilling part of the show when a young audience member is invited to place their head in its mouth; and enjoy a well-worked moment where a very brave volunteer feeds flowers to a giant titanosaur.
Of course, this isn’t the CGI of Jurassic Park, and older kids might enjoy spotting the hints of unreality. But both the dramatic and educational potential of the show has been crafted to such a degree that everyone should take something from it. (David Pollock) n Underbelly Bristo Square, until 26 Aug (not 12), 11am, £14.50–£15.50 (£13–£14).
DEXTER & WINTER’S DETECTIVE AGENCY Chasing criminals has never been so much fun ●●●●●
With crime fiction such a hit with the grown-ups, it’s only fair kids get a bite of the bad apple. But unlike the dark detective stories that adults lap up, this lively show for ages 7+ is as light as a feather. Well, almost. Dexter and Winter are best friends, they’ve known each other forever and regularly hang out at each other’s houses. This arrangement is made semi-permanent, however, when Dexter’s mum is imprisoned for robbery. Convinced of her innocence, the two 10-year-olds set out to clear her name. Each scene arrives on the stage like a brick through
a window, jam-packed with energy and humour. Charlotte O’Leary as Winter and Toyin Omari-Kinch as Dexter breathe pre-teen life into the characters, whether they’re high on problem-solving or suffering the low blows of disappointment. Charlotte Bate puts in a cracking performance as everyone else, from mums to shopkeepers and even an aerobic granny.
Yet despite the abundant wit and charm, this show doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of life, looking them square in the face with warmth and compassion. (Kelly Apter) n Roundabout @ Summerhall, 10 & 11, 17 & 18, 24 & 25 Aug, 11.20am, £10 (£8).