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Edinburgh Fringe 2012

Andy and Mike’s Tick Tock Time Machine

Andy Day and Mike James

Genre: Children's Theatre

Venue:

Pleasance Courtyard 

Festival:


Low Down

Not only Cbeebies fans will enjoy this show.  There is lots of fun for everyone, and some parents are more involved than they initially expect!

Review

Andy Day from CBeebies’ Andy’s Wild Adventures stars alongside Mike James in their new Fringe show, after the previous success of Andy and Mike’s… Big Box of Bananas.

Kids of all ages love the prospect of a Time Machine, the Back to the Future series of the 80’s proved that. It is obvious that Andy Day and Mike James are also fans of the iconic movie trilogy, as there are a number of references to that series in their madcap adventure where a toilet with a shower attached (their version of the flush capacitor), is the time machine.

In 1 hour, we travel from 2012 to the Wild West, Medieval times, into the future, and then back home again.  There was a lot of audience participation, starting with Egyptian Hand Ball at the commencement of the show.  Even unsuspecting parents were included – one as a ‘Mummy’ and another as ‘Brave Dave’.  Our Brave Dave was a fabulous sport, playing along beautifully throughout the story, dressed in his wig, large moustache, and bright pink tutu.

The set was complex, with two large rotating flats with changeable panels that had to be turned for each new scene.  Their purpose was obviously to make the storyline very clear, and ensure that everyone always knew when in time we were, however, I felt they were a little cumbersome.  My favourite piece of the set was the ‘shrink-in-a-blink’ box.  A simple idea, but it allowed other characters to be introduced, while ‘mini-Andy’ or ‘mini-Mike’ (a Ken-like doll) was carried in a plastic shopping bag. 

There were lots of fun moments throughout the show, and it was clear that the audience enjoyed themselves, but at the 45 minute mark, there was lots of fidgeting in the seats, and the script became noticeably wordy as they headed towards their slightly anti-climactic ending.

Having said that, though, these performers are absolute professionals, absolutely love what they do, engage the audience (including the adults), and deal with all the unexpected occurrences that live theatre brings with quick thinking and humour. 

Great fun for young and old.

Published

Show Website

  http://andyandmike.com/