FRINGE Festival – Family Friendly Highlights
Edinburgh is an iconic city with tourists coming to visit from all corners of the world every year. It also currently offers one of the best money for value propositions across UK – with new research pointing that the average house price in Edinburgh is now less than half, or 42.7 per cent, of that in London according to The Telegraph.
But more than the view to beautiful buildings and world known sites, home owners in Edinburgh have front row seats to Fringe every year. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the largest arts festival in the world and takes place every August for three weeks in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city.
Every year thousands of performers take to hundreds of stages all over Edinburgh to present shows for every taste. From big names in the world of entertainment to unknown artists looking to build their careers, the festival caters for everyone and includes theatre, comedy, dance, physical theatre, circus, cabaret, children’s shows, musicals, opera, music, spoken word, exhibitions and events.
In 2015 there were 50,459 performances of 3,314 shows in 313 venues, making it the largest ever arts festival in the world. (source)
We have selected only very few of the hundreds of family and children friendly performances to save you some of the trouble, but please check the entire festival programme to find your family favourite: because from classic to edgy, from dancing to singing to playing musical instruments and crafting, there is definitely something for everyone at EdFringe 2016!
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
Maurice is an amazing cat. He can think, he can talk, and he has an amazing scam going. And all he needs to pull it off is his army of intelligent rats and one stupid-looking kid. Carl Sandburg High School is proudly returning to the Fringe with this frenetic, fantastic, hysterical tale from the great Sir Terry Pratchett.
Always a sell-out, the original family dance party returns to Edinburgh’s funkiest nightclub for its eighth Fringe run. Expect the coolest day-clubbing experience for parents with babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. Club DJs mix pop tunes and nostalgic floor-fillers from the years before parenthood struck, for the whole family to party together. Everything included in entry. Two hours of dance floor fun, face-painting, dress-up, chill-out room, crafts, healthy snacks (sandwich platters at midday) and more. With private karaoke, fun photo booth, Twitter wall and licensed bar, it won’t just be the wee ones going gaga!
Battle the English with real claymores! Pelt rocks at soldiers with Mirren! Fight for freedom with William Wallace! Professional interactive theatre for kids who don’t just want to sit still and watch! Unjustly imprisoned by the Sheriff who killed his father, Wallace escapes to the woods. His friends gather to begin a deadly guerrilla warfare against the tyrant knights and free Scotland! ‘Freeeeeedom!’ From the team behind EdFringe sell-out hits Peter Pan on Dinosaur Island
From the moment his tall, red and white striped hat appears around the door, Sally and her brother know that the Cat is the funniest, most mischievous cat they have ever met. With the trickiest of tricks, he turns a rainy afternoon into an amazing adventure. But what will mum find when she gets home? Based on the much loved book by Dr Seuss, The Cat in the Hat is a lively, engaging first theatre experience for children aged 3+. Expect towering hats, mischief and fun that is funny! Originally produced by the National Theatre.
Family workshop suitable for children aged 3-7 years with parents or carers. We involve everyone: skip, clap and march together to traditional Scottish music. Enjoy discovering very simple (often simplified) dances that you might find at a ceilidh or Scottish country dance, celebrating the social aspects of dancing with a partner. CeilidhKids is all about fun for all generations.
The hugely enjoyable and popular show returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for its sixth successive year. With a revolving line-up of the best family-friendly comedians, magicians, street performers, storytellers, musical theatre and cabaret acts, Huggers is a fun variety showcase for all the family to enjoy together. And the best part? This show is free entry!
A great show for the whole family this Edinburgh Festival Fringe performed by one of Edinburgh’s own leading youth theatre companies and complemented by the dancers from Edinburgh’s esteemed Lothian Dance Academy. It’s TPYT’s seventh year back at the Fringe with another four-star show. Book early to avoid disappointment as families everywhere are raving that it’s supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Robinson Crusoe the Lost Jedi Knight
Battle the Sith Pirates with real lightsabers! Blast the Dark Side’s droids! Master the Force with Jedi Knight Crusoe! Professional interactive theatre for kids who don’t just want to sit still and watch! Critically hit, Jedi Knight Crusoe crash lands his X-Wing! Can he fulfil his crucial mission?
