F E S T I VA L K I D S | Reviews
THE EXTRAORDINARY TIME-TRAVELLING ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN Silly tales inspired by fictional nobleman ●●●●●
Even though the show bears his name, the fictional teller of tall tales Baron Munchausen doesn’t actually appear here (or does he?). Instead, the stories we hear are inspired by his absence – the Baron is missing, and only by creating the sort of works of fiction he might enjoy are we able to summon him. So each of the three storytellers solicits
suggestions from the audience as they go, to create a trio of stories filled with magic, unlikeliness and the good-natured involvement of the audience, whether they’re invited to impersonate a tree, gallop as if on horseback through the venue, or simply offer a prompt here and there.
THE DARK ROOM (FOR KIDS!) Shouty comedy show for over 11s ●●●●●
There is a wonderfully low-tech kick to John Robertson's design for his interactive comedy games show, which puts the audience in a dark room, looking for the light switch to get out. Contestants make choices with the promises of £1000 if they escape – and a truly awful prize (a cassette of Aussie pan pipes anyone?) if they don't, as the whole audience scream ‘Die! Die! Die!’. An Xbox console taped to his chest and hand- held torch provide the tech, while his outfit seems to be channelling Riff Raff in the Rocky Horror transformation scene. Which is as wildly inappropriate a reference as Robertson's attitude – ‘leave your hands up if you mind if I swear at your kids’, he shouts at the parents. None do, and he does.
Nigel Lovell, Will Seaward and Alice Moore are the The game itself becomes immaterial as the hour
storytellers, and after short introductions they each take charge of a story, with only the help of a table of silly hats and the audience to keep everything moving. Results must depend largely on the size and
engagement levels of the crowd, who – when we visited – were hyped by the performers to pleasingly enthusiastic levels. (David Pollock) n The Stand’s New Town Theatre, until 25 Aug, 4.10pm, £9 (£6).
rattles past. Robertson pitches it perfectly, repeating himself precisely when a choice is made for the umpteenth time, but adding a sardonically caustic aside. With plenty of room for genuine spontaneity, he has a canny ability to pitch his retorts at a level the participants can take. Except, perhaps, the man texting in the back row who had his phone confiscated and given away as a prize. (Thom Dibdin) n Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 24 Aug, 5.30pm, £10–£11 (£8–£9).
SPARKLE Beautiful message of acceptance and bravery ●●●●●
It’s David’s first day at school, and he’s excited about all the new friends he’ll make, games he’ll play, and the special show he’s going to perform for everyone. What he’s not looking forward to is wearing the dull grey uniform laid out for him.
Why wear a blazer, cap and tie, when you could be dressed in a fabulous frilly skirt and shimmering hair band? Why put on boring black shoes, instead of diamante-encrusted sandals? Essentially, why be someone else when you could be you? That’s the central message in this gentle and funny tale of empowerment at primary school. Sparkle (aka David) likes wearing clothes from his dressing-up box, but class bully Alastair has other ideas, leading to a touching journey of self-acceptance. Sparkle was created by Scottish theatre-maker Annie Cusick Wood, when her son asked her to make a show ‘that would have helped me when I was a kid.’ The result is a rare, but very welcome children’s theatre foray into LGBT life. And although the production is a little rough around the edges, when the Pride-coloured paper dolls come out to represent Sparkle’s new friends, I wasn’t the only one wiping tears away. (Kelly Apter) n Summerhall, until 25 Aug (not 19), 10.20am, £10 (£6).
P H O T O :
B E N W E N S T E N
I I
DON'T MESS WITH THE DUMMIES Comedy capers with incredible stunts ●●●●●
With its international reputation already well established through the shows Trash Test Dummies and Splash Test Dummies, Australian company Dummies Corp is back with a third offering that’s easy to recommend to audiences of all ages. If it seems as though there’s something of a production line
feel to the way they turn out shows, it’s because they’ve hit upon a perfect combination of slapstick physical theatre storytelling matched with thrilling circus skills performance.
This year’s all-female crew of ‘Dummies’ are Ellen Henry, Maya Tregonning and Shona Conacher, playing a trio of Girl Guides on a camping trip for whom mishaps are inevitable. As is the way with theatre aimed at as wide an international market as possible, their story is told wordlessly through mime, gesture and the relentlessness of the physical tasks they set themselves. When it comes time to set up the tent, for example, one flips a ready- constructed pop-up out of a canvas bag, while another finds only hula hoops in hers; undeterred, she builds a tent with them anyway.
Physical comedy segments like this, the defeat of marauding insects with silly string ‘repellent’ sprayed across the audience, and – most impressively – an ingenious sequence where the trio use their sleeping bags to become a chorus of Tremors-like monsters serenading us with ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’, would be enough for many shows in themselves. But when the circus skills kick in, this show is elevated to a whole new level through breathtaking manoeuvres involving those hula hoops, as well as juggling, acrobatics and more. An easy but purposeful character comedy show, with singularly incredible stunts, the Dummies’ latest appearance at the Fringe is recommended on every level. (David Pollock) n Underbelly Bristo Square, until 25 Aug (not 19), 11.20pm, £11.50–£12.50 (£10.50–£11.50).
72 THE LIST FESTIVAL 14–26 Aug 2019