The Big Issue

Fringe benefits for kids
18/08/2009


Most parents have schlepped up and down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile in August, waiting for a tug on the arm to instigate another 10 minute stop while our children stare at an acrobat or a man dressed as a fly.

It’s a decent day out in the sunshine but it’s worth considering that there are now numerous Fringe shows aimed squarely at kids, and some of them are even quite good.

For my six-year-old daughter’s money, the best (she’s seen) is Rapunzel and the Tower of Doom (Scottish Storytelling Centre, until Aug 30). A combination of old-fashioned story telling – narrated with wit, a proper sense of magic and brilliantly funny voices by Andy Lawrence – and charmingly homemade-looking puppets, this is an imaginative and well-judged presentation. The story elements that children know and love are all present, no abseiling princesses here, but there are enough modern touches, like the geeky lovestruck Kevin the Teenager character, to keep the story fresh and unpredictable.