In 2015, the novelty comedy track ‘Child Shark’ was utilized in nearly each pantomime and by the top of the season, we had been sick of singing “Child shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo” however it was a pleasure to see younger audiences doing all the actions with their barely embarrassed dad and mom! Ten years on, is it too quickly to revisit the track in Edinburgh Fringe present, Child Shark and the Thriller of the Sphinx? We went alongside for an early morning Fringe present at Gilded Balloon Patter Home to seek out out.
An American household led by the daddy Chris, an achieved violinist, phases and narrates the present together with his three sons. It makes use of that irritatingly repetitive track as a springboard for a brand new story of the Sphinx (performed by 11 yr previous Altair) looking for his household with the assistance of Child Shark (performed by 9 yr previous Arden).
What makes this present stand out are two surprising components. Firstly, the continuous projected cartoon pictures that set the scene taking us to Egypt, beneath the seas and into the clouds the place the adventurers meet totally different mystical characters (all performed by 9 yr previous Eldar). Secondly, are the magic tips carried out by Eldar. They could be easy tips however there’s a pleasure in seeing a younger performer confidently carry out magic and interact the younger viewers.
The usage of a easy bubble machine additionally enthralls the beneath 5’s within the viewers, drawing them out of their seats because the bubbles settled on the ground. There was some interference on the private microphones however the children didn’t discover.
There are refined subliminal messages for the younger viewers too. What has 4 legs, then 2 legs, then three? We do crawling, strolling, and utilizing a stick as we age, and a message that we’re all beloved by somebody.
That is an totally charming 35-minute present and each one of many children joined in on stage for a reprise of THE track with actions. It’s laborious to connect a star ranking to a present like this, which is a primary expertise of performing for younger rising stars and of dwell theatre for babies. Solely they’ll really assess this present and judging by their engagement and a spotlight It merely needs to be a 5 star present (if you’re beneath 5 years previous).
***** 5 stars
Reviewed by: Nick Wayne
