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Children's Reviews from Edinburgh Fringe 2002
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JAMES CAMPBELL has carefully side-stepped the traditional styles of children's entertainers - such as magic tricks, clowning, balloon-modelling, ventriloquism and musical routines - with this ambitious attempt to adapt the stand-up storytelling style of comedy for a young audience.

The result is a family event with as much fun for grown-ups as kids.

Campbell has an ear for silly words and funny rhymes which he presents with a mixture of natural laid-back charm and zany animation.

Most impressive is his skill in fully exploring the story potential behind his poems.

A silly rhyme about a 'whimpetty-wham' is turned into an extended and delightful routine about the history and adventures of the creature and the townspeople he has to live with.

Similar treatment is given to a whimsical story about caterpillars living in your eyebrows.

The parents loved it - and the older children were giggling throughout the show.

However, Campbell needs to find a way of making sure the younger children in the audience feel as involved and engaged in the stories as the older ones.

For getting the small kids to listen and understand humour without props presents a real challenge.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***
Edwina Livesey



Rumpelstiltskin, Augustine's, Edinburgh



RUMPELSTILTSKIN is great entertainment for the whole family.

The traditional story of the little magic man who weaves straw into gold is not often adapted for the stage.

But here the cast, from the Globe Players, created a wealth of characters and ideas: the bungling miller, played by Michael McEvoy, who was more doting and proud than greedy; the simple-hearted daughter caught in the impossible moral dilemma (Charmaine Pelps), and the frosty-mannered aunt with the surprisingly warm heart (Jennifer McEvoy).

A particularly powerful performance was given by Sam Duffon, both as an excellent king and a delightfully-animated and playful Rumpelstiltskin.

I have always seen Rumpelstiltskin as a slightly-sinister character in the past but this production portrayed him as far too magical, quick-thinking and generous to have any intention of harming anyone.

Interestingly, the play turned more into pantomime towards the end with a superb 'he's-behind-you' style routine.

The audience loved it and the scene provided an opportunity for McEvoy to show the warmth of the relationship he can create with the audience.

Perhaps the production will evolve more towards panto in the future - there's certainly a lot of potential for that.

Overall, it was a strong production and a treat for children.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****
Edwina Livesey



John Hegley - My Dog Is a Carrot, Pleasance, Edinburgh



JOHN HEGLEY'S comic poetry looks set to convert a whole new generation of fans with this new book for children showcased in this hour-long revue.

Aided by comic Simon Munnery, Hegley presented a selection of works in typical style about bees, knees, dogs, colouring books, the usual awkward relatives and an armadillo.

He gets the audience involved with ease using fun repartee and suitably-silly song routines.

However, seasoned Hegley fans would probably have enjoyed more poetry and less about the discovery of the potato.

Walter Raleigh's story was competently told with plenty of amusing detail and held the attention of local children in the audience.

But it did not play to Hegley's strengths.

Few other poets share his ability to marry anarchic play with words and ideas with precision-controlled presentation and easy wit.

In his own words: "A poem is not a Prison and it should not feel like one, either."

Younger children may find the shows challenging but older kids with a sense of fun, who enjoy language but are sick of some of the modern slop that school teachers seem "suitable" for them, will love this.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***
Edwina Livesey

Aspects of Alice, Pleasance, Edinburgh



CARRYING props on and off with the lights down is about as far as most people's experience of black theatre effects generally goes in the UK.

This Black Light Theatre of Prague production showed what we are missing and would certainly interest lighting designers and other professionals with its intriguing visual effects.

Gigantic ghostly creatures seemed to toss Alice repeatedly into the air.

Spinning on a harness with a rapid screen projection behind her was an inspired way of showing her disappear down a rabbit hole.

And balls of light appeared to rise from the flames of a candelabra and magically rotate.

A personal favourite was the bendy pole which the clown seemed to climb and kept falling off as it arched towards the ground - a great piece of visual comedy.

But was there more to this show than imaginative special effects and technical accomplishment? Well, not really!

It was a kind of puppet show on a grand scale but with no discernible plot or, indeed, point to it, and as such it was deeply disappointing as a drama.

Seen as a piece of dance or physical theatre, it lacked the intensity and power you associate with this genre.

It was also irritating to hear loud fairground music playing endlessly with the bass cranked up to full power.

The company have some great visual ideas but need to pace them far better and present them in a much more dramatic framework.

STAR RATING (out of five): **
Edwina Livesey



Volpino, The Garage Chapiteau, Edinburgh



THIS enchanting Theatre du Risorius puppet show in its little red caravan beside a merry-go-round at the foot of Edinburgh Castle was a delight.

Puppeteer and director Thierry Dupre made a welcome return to the Fringe with the story of a young fox, Volpino, who befriends the rabbit he is expected to kill.

If that sounds sentimental, it was not.

There were some glancing visits to a couple of prickly issues.

The bereft face and voice of the mother rabbit as she searched for her missing bunny was poignant, even though the audience knew the youngster was having a great time with Volpino.

And the detailed lesson from the father fox in how to kill and eat a rabbit, although comically presented, put the friendship into a context more meaningful than some similar stories for children.

What made the show special was the ease and skill with which Dupre brought the characters to life, using vocal sounds rather than words to convey a gamut of emotions ranging from sadness to elation.

Theatre du Risorius has been touring for 17 years - and its experience shows.

Simple but good special effects were used - such as chickens on rubber ropes to make a hen house disco which flew out across the audience.

This is an enchanting and thought-provoking show for children of all ages.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****
Edwina Livesey


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