What kind of child do you own/have you had dumped on you for the Edinburgh Festival? A boy? A girl? Not sure because it's hard to tell under that fringe it's got? Perhaps you've got more than one, who have interests so bloody-mindedly and wildly different that you have the world’s definitive definition of ‘contrary’? 'The Rainbow's End' packs in so much, with such style and lip-smacking energy, your children won't have time to register objections and by the end won't want to.Princesses, leprechauns, wizards, witches, fairies and cross-dressing pirates all feature in a plot that is almost Shakespearean in ambition, not least for its use of mistaken identity. The evil wizard Zavelthor has captured all the rainbows in the Kingdom of Enchantasia and the leprechauns (bankers to the magical world) are worried because if they're not recovered soon all the colour will start to fade and the world will become black and white. Thus starts the quest.With its numerous story strands and references to off-stage events, the exposition at the beginning does seem as if it would be too complicated for a child to follow. However, this quickly begins to pay off as the energetic cast, having clearly established the parameters of the story, use their rounded characters as tools to bring the rich world of Enchantasia to life. Brian Roche, playing Mulligan, back-flips onto the stage as a cheeky clurichaun (cousins to leprechauns) and immediately has the audience on side. Paul Fox as the memory-loss suffering tough pirate, Sebastian, forced to cross-dress as a disguise, has some great asides, and the villains have all the requisite evil laughs you could want. Sword fighting, a witch with an uncontrollable broomstick, audience interaction to help cast the final spell, and a complete lack of groan-worthy puns all combine at the end into a satisfying, well-won happy ending. Or at least a well-won hour of quiet, enraptured children for you.
