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Edinburgh Fringe 2012

Monsters Got Talent

Toby Mitchell

Genre: Children's Theatre

Venue:

Pleasance Courtyard

Festival:


Low Down

Aimed specifically at the under 10 audience, a talent show is performed, with the help of a number of puppets.  

Review

Under 10’s absolutely love this!  As a parent, watching the 20 (or thereabouts) children in the audience totally absorbed in the performance was an absolute delight.

A simple story told by Writer/Performer Toby Mitchell, with the help of several puppets, taking us through the auditions then finals of the Monster equivalent of (think of any country name here)’s Got Talent!

Toby Mitchell knows how to communicate with children.  He has a very natural, relaxed style in working with them.  As we entered the space, he was there to welcome us all, chatting with the children as they arrived, and even suggesting the best places for children to sit so they could see everything.  His young audience members, lounging on their soft cushions, stayed with him every step of the way, deciding which monsters should go through to the final or go in the bin, and then actually voting for the winner in the final.

Parents, on the other hand, sitting on their hard low stools had little to entertain them except experiencing the 45-minute show vicariously through their children … but then, this is a children’s show.

One little girl was so impressed with all the finalists in the show that she declared:  “I voted for all of them because I couldn’t decide”.

The set was simple, a suitcase holding all the puppets and props sat to one side of the table that Toby sat at, and on the other side was a large plastic bin.  Sound effects, music and lighting were used well throughout.

I was disappointed in the ending.  It just stopped.

Published

Show Website

 Toby Mitchell