Tuesday 17 August 2010

Edinburgh Fringe - the next chapter - by Dea Birkett

So we went to see Jungle Book. The Next Chapter this morning. We were photographed going in, pretending to be an animal of our own choice. Nine-year-old River doesn’t really go for that kind of interactive stuff, so just grimaced. His twin sister Savanna was some species that roared – it’s unclear which. Then our images were projected on to a screen throughout the performance. Even River’s, who simply looked unhappy.

Only yesterday I was saying what a good idea it is to have a play with a familiar name, Jungle Book being a good example. Now I’m not so sure. It’s a big title to live up to. Some of the characters in the Next Chapter were familiar, but all the songs were new. There wasn’t a single tune we could hum along to. ‘It’s nothing like Jungle Book,’ moaned Savanna. Better for a child to have no expectations at all than to have expectations dashed.

But Savanna had a good idea for a cost free family activity at the Fringe. A venue trail. Each Fringe venue – over 200 of them - has a number displayed in a big banner on the outside of the building, whether it’s a highbrow theatre or a scuzzy bar. Savanna and her twin brother River obsessively clock each venue they pass, ticking them off. ‘I’ve seen 83, 52, 132 and 6 already today!’ cheered River before lunch. I reward the one who spots the most venues before supper with a pound, making it the cheapest show we’ve done. I think Savanna should suggest the idea to the Fringe for next year. They could even publish a family friendly venue trail with stickers.

While the twins and I were pretending to be animals, the teenager wandered off to her own familiar territory. She saw Farm Boy at the Assembly Rooms, mainly because it was promoted as the Michael Morpurgo’s sequel to War Horse, a play she’s already seen twice. She, too, had expectations dashed. How can you live up to War Horse? It was fine but not fabulous.

And tomorrow we’re going to see Prince of Cringe, a title none of us have ever heard of.

www.edfringe.com

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