Edinburgh Fringe 2024
Rose & Hugh’s Great Big Adventure
The North Wall
Genre: Children's Theatre, Musical Theatre
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
A delightful musical for families with children aged 3-8yrs with a quest to hang on to the last day of the summer holidays for ever full of songs the children may be familiar with by Nick Cope of Cbeebies.
Review
Rosie and Hugh’s Great Big Adventure is a delightful musical that captivates its young audience, most of whom were under six the day I saw it, though it’s pitched for ages 3-8. The versatile cast of five, with two main protagonists and three actor-musicians, brings a charming woodland scene to life with minimal props, creating each scene as the story unfolds.
It is the last day of the summer holidays and Rosie, who is new to the area is very nervous about starting school. Her solution? To make the last day of summer holiday last forever. Her best friend, Hugh, a hedgehog who’s equally concerned about the forthcoming change is concerned that new friends might mean she forgets him, is on board—as long as he gets regular snacks!
Rosie and Hugh decide they want every day to be the last day of the summer holidays and set off for the forest in search of the (good) witch who, they feel sure, will cast a spell that means the dreaded first day of school never comes. She tells them it will be tricky and needs some special ingredients so off they go in search…
The show brings to life the characters from the Nick Cope songs familiar to CBeebies fans, and the music adds an energetic rhythm to the story. The cast makes good use of the space, with Rosie and Hugh even taking a couple of circuits around the auditorium. The performances are polished and lively. There’s never a dull moment, with the stage always bustling with activity, the book by Victoria Saxton driving the story forward all the time.
The three actor musicians move seamlessly between the songs and becoming the characters Rosie and Hugh meet on their quest: a dragon, a bear, a squirrel and a robot. Each is clearly defined and the response suggests all were appreciated by the audience.
While the show is engaging, and the children all appeared absorbed it could have involved the audience more directly. Some children did join in some of the movements during the songs, there is a YouTube video that parents can watch with children before the show; however, I felt there was a missed opportunity to engage with the audience and encourage all to participate when the action or song involved easy to follow movements at several points during the show. That said, we had the best pothole joke on the Fringe and some well-placed poo and bum jokes had the young audience giggling, with parents laughing along too.
The show wraps up with a message of courage, kindness, and hope, concluding with a lively final song that invites lots of audience participation. At around 60 minutes, the show might be a touch long for the youngest viewers, but it’s a joyful, colourful, and pacey adventure that keeps kids absorbed almost to the end. And, of course, there’s a happy ending!
