Search

Toggle dark mode:

Saved articles

You have not yet added any article to your bookmarks!

Browse articles

GDPR Compliance

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service.

Edinburgh Fringe Kids Shows Madness!

James Macfarlane James Macfarlane
20 Jul 2026

What’s the most brutally honest thing a child has ever said to you in a show?

A child once looked at me, whilst I was fully dressed as a clown, and said, “You’re not very good at being serious.”

Eleanor Rattenbury – 'Showstopper! The Kids Show': Our Kids Show starts in the audience, and we get to greet everyone as they come in, so we speak to lots of the kids and all get excited together. At one show, I bounce over to a child big smile on my face, give them a big wave…

Me: Are you looking forward to the show?

Child: (completely deadpan) No.

A great start. It can only go up from here.

Magnus Danger Magnus - 'Explosive Science Show!': I remember one show in Edinburgh I did this entire comedy set up where I needed to borrow a bottle of water from an audience member and how they would be contributing it to science – with the punchline being I just start drinking from it. However this one show, I start drinking from it and this tiny child in the front row starts chanting “CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG!” whilst his father turned his head in shame!

Justin Williams - 'The Greatest Magic Show': A child we had onstage for one of our main routines in the show turned to me and said “I don’t really like magic but my little brother really wanted to come”. We then turned him into a magician (Sam acted as his arms to do all the magic) and whilst the crowd was going wild with smiles and cheers, he continued to just stand there absolutely straight faced with no emotion at all. To be honest it made the show so much better and funnier as he was a good sport and happy to help, just didn’t like magic that much!

Nathan Green - 'Circus The Show': A child once looked at me, whilst I was fully dressed as a clown, and said, “You’re not very good at being serious.” Honestly, that’s the nicest review I’ve ever had.

Darryl J Carrington - 'Out of the Box': For the finale of my show I'm balancing on a board on a large cylinder on top of the box, trying to throw a toothbrush into a cup on my head. Whilst in this situation a kid in the front row turned to his mum and asked: “Do you think he’s going to do it? I don’t!”

    What’s the biggest misconception that adults have about children’s shows?

    ER: I think in general adults hear ‘kids show’ and think it’s not for them and might be of lower quality, and with our show they hear that we only take suggestions from the kids and think it’s going to be a non-sensical, totally random show without a story. But children are natural storytellers who aren’t afraid to make bold choices, so the adult audience get to see the magic of making a story as a collective with all the humour and heart you would want in a comedy show for adults, just maybe with a bit more Spider-Man!

    MDM: That kids need things “dumbed down.” Absolutely not. Kids are tiny chaos professors. You just have to teach them with explosions, electricity and the energy of a mad scientist!

      JW: That they are going to have to deal with their children becoming bored and dis-interested, all the while having to sit there themselves watching an overly childish show with absolutely no appeal to them at all. Sam and I have always prided ourselves on making sure everyone, adults included, find something enjoyable and entertaining, every minute of the show. The laughs, cheers and applause still happen at the same time across the audience, but sometimes just for different reasons!

      NG: That children just want noise and chaos. They do love chaos — absolutely — but they also love feeling seen, included and like they’re part of the joke, not just watching it.

      DJC: I can’t talk for every kids show, as like comedy shows there’s so many different types and genres of shows.

      But parents always tell me they were pleasantly surprised how much fun they have had and how they haven’t laughed like that for ages. By accident I created a show thats like a Pixar movie, the kids love it because its essentially a living cartoon, but all the references are relatable for adults in a very clean non blue way, like a rocky montage for a training scene in the show for my sidekick Flippy the Dog.Also because there is no spoken words in my show, everyone is welcome, so it's great for all ages and backgrounds.   

      If children were reviewing your show in one sentence, what would you hope they say?

      ER: "It was like watching a cartoon come to life!"

      MDM: "I didn’t know science could be that fun and interesting, and that my neuro-divergent brain is actually a superpower!"

      JW: “They said I could do anything so long as I believe in myself, and now I want to become a professional magician too!”

      NG: “I loved the clown so much!! I was so happy that he finally got to do his giant balloon routine because it was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen!”

      DJC: A kid once said I really loved the show and I asked him what his favourite bit was and he said “seeing my dad being so funny on stage with you.” I use audience participation onstage, but only consensually if you clearly don’t want to come up I'm not going to pick you. But its great for the kids to see their adults having fun onstage!

      What’s the hardest part about holding the attention of a room full of children?

      ER: Knowing an audience of children are going to tell you (loudly!) if you’ve lost their attention. But this is in fact a gift! There is nowhere to hide! Luckily our show is driven by constant interaction, so if in doubt get out in the audience and remind them that what they’re watching is happening live right now and they have the power to see whatever they want!

      MDM: Matching their speed. Children’s brains move at astonishing speeds akin to an internet browser with 900 tabs open — but luckily, so does mine. Explosive Science Show is basically ADHD versus ADHD, but with more fireballs.

      JW: Kids are brutally honest with you – you know instantly if they are finding something boring or not impressive. We keep the show as big, silly, fast and magical as we possibly can, using volunteers on stage throughout the show and every kid has a magic wand so they can be part of the show from their seats!

      NG: Not trying to control them too much. Kids are naturally hilarious, curious and unpredictable — my job is to play with that, welcome it, and somehow still end up inside a giant balloon.

      DJC: To be honest because the show started in the outdoor arts world it had to be able to hold peoples attentions in environments that I had no control over, like a red arrows fly over. So when I moved the show indoors, I was astounded that it had a similar affect, I think because I make the cartoons in my head come to life and there isn’t a traditional theatre structure to the show, kids don’t get. A chance to figure out what’s coming next so that keeps them on the edge of their seats along with their parents.

      James Macfarlane

      James Macfarlane

      Broadway Baby's Comedy Editor and Scotland Editor. In a previous life James did the same thing for ScotsGay. But we poached him.

      Related to this article:

      Phantom of the Opera
      The Play That Goes Wrong
      Les Miserables
      Popular now
      Lion King
      Matilda
      The Producers