The Fringe isn’t all about cartwheeling fire-breathers and outre performances on the Royal Mile, it is also a brilliant family day out.
It can be difficult to find something that the whole family will enjoy, but we have searched for the best family friendly shows that will keep your Great Granny happy and the wee ones entertained.
There’s puppetry, music, storytelling and comedy to round off the summer holidays with a smile. Our selection of must see family shows is tailored for all ages – even the coolest teenagers will love what we have to offer.
Shakespeare for Breakfast
By C Group
Where: C Venues – C
When: August 1-12, 14-27 at 10am
Duration: 55 minutes
Age: 3+
Price: £8.50/9.50
The show that every Fringe-goer should begin their day with is the infamous Shakespeare for Breakfast. This show is a witty and energetic take on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, but if that doesn’t wake audiences up then the free coffee and croissants definitely will. Returning for an incredible 27th sell-out year, this Shakespearian play will have you fuelled full of food and fun. Expect silliness, comedy and super-quick storytelling. Oh, and did we mention that there was free food?
The Bear
By Pins and Needles Productions
Where: Pleasance courtyard
When: August 1-19, 21-27 at mid-day
Duration: 1 hour
Age: 3+
Price: £11/12
Pins and Needles Productions bring the biggest teddy bear to the Fringe with its production The Bear. You may think that a humongous white bear that climbs through your window and into your room would be a nightmare – but not in this show.
Watch as the adventures unfold with the charming bear and the brave Tilly. The spectacular puppetry gives War Horse a run for its money, as it manages to bring Raymond Brigg’s beautiful bear to life. This performance will have audiences mesmerized as the music carries them through this heart-warming and magical story.
Chores
By Cluster Arts Pty Ltd
Where: Assembly George Square Gardens, Piccolo
When: August 2-12, 14-19, 21-26 at mid-day
Duration: 1 hour
Age: 6 months +
Price: £7/9
Life erupts into chaos when children are asked to do their chores at this circus-comedy show. Picking up their toys combined with tumbling acrobats, this comical duo entertain audiences with absurd tricks as they rush around their messy room, frantically cleaning before their mother comes in to inspect. Escape the adult world and enter the imagination of a child with this silly show. An added bonus – perhaps the youngsters will pick up a tip or two on how to tidy. It's always worth a shot right?
The Showstoppers’ Kids Show
By Showstopper Productions and Something for the Weekend
Where: Pleasance Courtyard
When: August 1-19 at 11am
Duration: 1 hour
Age: 3+
Price: £9/10
All-time Fringe favourite improvisers are bringing a family friendly show to Edinburgh. The Showstoppers’ Kids Show hands the controls over to the children as they decide who we will meet and where we will travel to in this entirely improvised musical. Each show is one of a kind as no one can pre-empt what imaginative ideas the young audience will bring along. Perhaps your child’s musical suggestion will be the next Broadway hit. Most likely not, but this interactive performance will certainly have you back for more.
Paddington Bear’s First Concert
By Jimmy Jewell Ltd
Where: Underbelly Bristo Square, Cowbarn
When: August 1-12, 14-26 at 11:20am
Duration: 1 hour
Age: 6 months+
Price: £11/12
Paddington Bear is a childhood friend to many, and you can join him as he experiences his first concert. This classic story is brought to the stage with a narrator and a live orchestra. Prepare to be swept along with this cheeky bear. The audience become part of the story as they play games and do challenges that will teach them about the orchestra and the sounds that the instruments make.
Wilde Creatures
By Tall Stories
Where: Pleasance Courtyard
When: August 2-26 at 2:50pm
Duration: 1 hour 5 mins
Age: 5+
Price: £10/11
It’s time to get wild with Wilde as a band of storytelling musicians brings his most famous fairy tales to the stage. This inventive show is a brilliant introduction to the stories of Oscar Wilde.
The characters jump from page to stage as they sing their way through haunting tales and adventures. The band of travelling musicians tells three of Wilde’s stories to the mayor of the town to see who will be chosen as the next statue in the town square.
Card Ninja
By Javier Jarquin
Where: Gilded Balloon Teviot
When: August 1-13, 15-27 at 1:30pm
Duration: 1 hour
Age: 8+
Price: £10.50/11.50
Trying to get the family involved in a good old card game, but the children just want to play on their phones? This show could be the answer. Javier Jarquin captivates audiences as he whirls through a deck of cards in a seamless ninja style.
Audience participation is crucial so don’t expect to escape this ninja’s watchful eye. His card stunts are deadly funny as he replaces martial arts weapons for this deck of cards. If nothing else, this is sure to make that family card game a bit more exciting.
The Dragon and the Whales
By Modest Predicament
Where: Assembly
When: August 2-12, 14-19, 21-27 at mid-day
Duration: 55 minutes
Age: 3+
Price: £8/9
Meet the little dragon who grew up in the sea and was raised by whales. The dragon’s fire-breathing instincts, which ignite the feelings in her heart, are impossible under water and leave her feeling lost. An adventure is sparked as she is swept into the ocean’s currents and begins the journey of understanding herself and her place in the world.
This puppetry performance brings audiences into an undersea world, rippling with charm and excitement. The moral of this story is sure to bring a tear to the eye as the little dragon swims through a magical underwater adventure.
Spontaneous Potter
By The Spontaneous Players
Where: Gilded Balloon Rose Theatre
When: August 1-26 at 1.30pm
Duration: 1 hour
Age: 13+
Price: £10/11
Muggles gather in Edinburgh to see The Spontaneous Players improvise a new Harry Potter play. Responding to a fan-fiction title suggested by the audience, the talented improvisers will launch into a wizarding world of comedy.
Teens, parents and grandparents are welcomed to this magical show where no one – not even the performers – knows what will unfold. Come along with your ultimate fan fiction fantasy and watch as the story explodes. Re-imagine the possibilities of what could happen at Hogwarts as you watch the, probably ridiculous but certainly entertaining, improvised comical show.
All the King’s Men
By All the King’s Men
Where: C Venues
When: August 1-10 at 5pm
Duration: 45 minutes
Age: 6 months+
Price: £10.50/£11.50
Calling all pitch-perfect fans, teens who sing with their hairbrushes and parents who are yet to realise that they can no longer do karaoke – All the King’s Men are back with their ultimate acapella show. Listen in awe as they perform their version of your favourite hit songs from the 70s to the coolest tunes of 2018. Having toured the world, this group will not disappoint.
The Amazing Bubble Man
By Louis Pearl
Where: Underbelly George Square
When: August 2-27 at 1:30pm
Duration: 1 hour
Age: 6 months +
Price: £11/12
Louis Pearl combines bubbles with art and science to create a magical show. He amazes audiences with the number of objects that a bubble can become. Expect rockets floating in the air and a person made completely out of, you guessed it, bubbles. Incredible shapes will pop before your eyes in this mesmerising and funny performance. Who knew bubbles could be so exciting.
Four Go Wild in Wellies
By Indepen-dance 4
Where: Dance Base Studio 3
When: August 3-5, 7-12, 14-19, 21-26 at 2:10pm
Duration: 25 minutes
Age: 3+
Price: £9
For the perfect rainy day performance, put your wellies on and join in the adventures of this heart-warming show. Indepen-dance 4 are Scotland’s inclusive professional dance company, and have this year worked collaboratively to bring audiences a touching story about friendship. This playful dance performance shows how friendships can be broken but, more importantly, how they are mended.
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