In the first of three installments we hear just how good Edinburgh Fringe Festival was from Harry, Darcie & Carys. Here’s Harry (we suspect his Dad may have edited a teeny bit because he spells better than we do!)
Hello my name is Harry.
I am 9 years old.
My main hobby is reading.
I am in Edinburgh and I am going to the fringe festival.
I am feeling very very very very excited about the fringe.
I am sure it will be great.
In this blog I am going to review the shows out of 10.
Have fun reading.
Show 1. Bagpuss, Soho Theatre & Birmingham Stage Company
Venue. St George’s Square
Bagpuss was a very good show because it was interactive and funny as well. But the problem was all the little kids (1 to 3 year olds) lost interest after 40 minutes and became noisy and the show was 15 minutes longer. However over all I liked it. I rate this show 9 out of 10.
Show 2. Decreasing infinity, Balbir Singh Dance Company
Venue. Dance base.
Decreasing infinity was a very energetic show. The movements were really swift and they got quicker alongside the drumbeats. I was spellbound by the noises the beat boxer could make with his mouth. I can find no fault with this show so I will give it 10 out of 10.
Show 3. Intergalactic Dreams, Flawless.
Venue. Pleasance Grand.
Where to begin?! This street dance show was breathtaking. All of this show was brilliant. The costumes were perfect, the dance was perfect and the music was groovy. I liked the matrix part best. 10 out of 10 all the way through.
Show 4. Enclosure 99 Humans, Janis Claxton Dance Company
Venue. Edinburgh Zoo.
This show was at a zoo and not a theatre. It was about a special type of humans called dancers. The show was performed in an enclosure at the zoo. The show was interesting because it was not in a theatre. I will give this show 8 out of 10.
Show 5. The Mole who knew it was none of his business, Kipper Tie Theatre
Venue. C Theatre.
The show was brilliant. The actors were good I would never have guessed that 3 actors could play 7 parts. It was very funny. This show is a definite 9 out of 10.
Show 6. The Ugly Duckling, C Theatre
Venue. C Theatre
The Ugly Duckling was an exciting show. It was different to the version I know. It was beautifully acted out. All of the little kids were kept interested. Another 9 out of 10 from me.
Show 7: Hansel and Gretel, Patch of Blue Theatre Company
Venue. C Theatre studio
This show was funny. I liked it because it was interactive and you even got free sweets as part of the show. The show had five actors in it and two musicians who played all sorts of instruments. The set was colourful and the costumes worked well with the show. I give this show 10 out of 10.
Show 8: Snow Play, Lyric Theatre Hammersmith.
Venue. Pleasance Above
Snow Play was a excellent show and the funniest show yet. It was about a man who came from the north and took over another mans house and filled it with snow. You even got to throw snowballs as part of the show and everyone in the audience laughed lots. I will give this show 9 out of 10.
Show 9: Private Peaceful, Scamp Theatre
Venue. Udderbelly’s Pasture
This was an excellent show. The one actor was able to become a number of different characters by changing just his voice. I didn’t think a camp bed could become a trench wire until I saw this show. I will give this show a stunning 10 out of 10 as it was so amazing.
Show 10: Mirazozo, Assembly & Architects of Air
Venue. Assembly Georges Square
I didn’t really understand Mirazozo! I though it was a bit odd as it was a giant inflatable tent in which you could walk about inside. The light from the outside shone through the different pieces of fabric and created different coloured light inside. It didn’t really interest me once I had had a look around – but we stayed inside for 30 minutes. I would give this 8 out of 10.
Show 11: Revolting Rhymes, Howes You Doing
Venue. Pleasance Upstairs
I liked this show because it told tales from one of my favourite authors. The show only had 3 props; a chair, a book and a glass of water which I didn’t think they could do much with, however, I was wrong. I will give this 7 out of 10.
Show 12: The Incredible Book Eating Boy, Bootworks Theatre
Venue. Pleasance Courtyard
This was one of my favourite shows because it was about someone like me (who loves books!). It was unique because the audience sat in a very small box in pairs or on their own and the puppet show was performed around the outside of the box. There were 3 windows that were opened in turn and you saw the show through the windows. I will give this show 9 out of 10.
Show 13: Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Venue. Castle Esplanade
This show was by far the best I have ever seen! It was like nothing I have ever seen before! The sound of Bag pipes was much better than I had thought it would be and there were hundreds of bag pipers in the Tattoo. I really liked the mascot which was a Shetland pony and the synchronised wood chip sweeping. The performers all marched out of the Castle in time and down the Royal Mile. The projections onto the castle and the fireworks were also amazing. I will give this show 11 out of 10!
Show 14: Tim & Light, Tucked In
Venue. Pleasance Above
This was a puppet show about a little boy called Tim and a cat called Light who turned into a girl at the end. I thought the set was very very good because it was adaptable and could be used in different ways for different parts of the story. The story was exciting and I will rate it 9 out of 10.
Show 15: Robinson Crusoe: The Lost Jedi Knight, Spotlites Theatre Productions
Venue. Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall
This was a very interactive show which was lots of fun for everyone because everyone had the chance to go on stage and help the actors out. Also, I enjoyed the end the most as we were allowed to do a lightsaber fight which the whole of the audience were involved in. We were all given lightsabers to use during the show. I will rate this show 9.5 out of 10 and would recommend it to all star wars fans!
Show 16: The Just So Stories, Red Table Theatre
Venue. Pleasance Dome
I had not read the Just So Stories before this show so I struggled to understand them fully. I am going to try to read them now that I have seen the show. They talked about the world and it’s creation and I especially liked the story about a giant crab called Pow Amma who was making the sea rise and fall. This show was cool as we got to sit in the snuggle pit (a mass of bean bags all in a heap for the kids to sit on!). I will rate this show 7 out of 10.
The Fringe was a delightful experience and I definitely want to go there again. It was well organised and really different from any holiday I’ve ever had before. I rate the Fringe Festival 100 out of 100!!