Edinburgh Fringe 2024

The Alphabet of Awesome Science

That Science Gang

Genre: Children's Theatre

Venue: Underbelly George Square

Festival: Edinburgh Fringe

Low Down

Review

It seems that science has never been so awesome as hundreds of kids from tots to teens drag their somewhat reluctant parents and squeeze themselves into the cavernous Underbelly venue down at George Square.

Welcoming them we’ve got those celebrity Profs, Lexi Con (the wordy nerd) and Noel Edge (the one who makes things squish, squirt, float and explode) running around getting the early arrivals to help them pin the 26 letters of the alphabet in random order onto the waiting array of stands at the back of a stage crowded with props that just look like they’re waiting to create a bit of havoc.

Given that the average adult has the attention span of a flea in this internetty age, our two profs are going to have their work cut out to keep them under control and, heaven forfend, even inculcate their social media focused brains with a bit of basic science.  The kids are fine, they instantly get the concept of “big words, big science, in alliance”.  Catchy, easily remembered.  They buy into what’s coming in an instant.

And that’s the clever bit in this whirligig hour of nerdy wordies and engaging (and educational) experiments, one for each letter of the alphabet all delivered within a strict fifty-two minute timeframe (remember those attention deficit suffering adults).

This show started life down under at the Adelaide Fringe back in 2019 and has gone from strength to strength ever since.  You can easily see why.  Whilst Lexi Con delivers a bucket load of alliteration to explain the background behind the experiment about to happen, Noel Edge is assembling the appropriate materials.  And what an interesting range we get, from the basics (water being a prime example) to the very chilly -liquid nitrogen on stage is so exciting to watch!

Fireballs, fire tornados, floating beach balls, fog in a bottle, lids blown off just about every type of container, the three cup trick that made water vanish, rice krispies leaf blowered across the audience, smoky ring donuts – the list is almost endless.  But each experiment has a pragmatic element to it and the science is neatly explained in language appropriate to all ages and knowledge bases present.

In the rare moments when the audience attention span was in danger of wandering, our dynamic duo went back to those old science staples, pee and farts.  And water.  Lots of water.  Its importance and adaptability (it’s the only compound that appears naturally as solid, liquid and gas on the planet) saw it feature in a number of the experiments and proved a great way of raising the already high decibel levels when sprayed across the front rows – all in the cause of good scientific research you understand.

There’s an awful lot of thought gone into this excellent piece of children’s theatre.  And planning too.  The experiments are eye-catching, innovative, amusing and informative.  Our on-stage duo are unfailingly energetic, clear, concise and attuned to the needs of their audience.  Glancing round the auditorium, all I saw was a wall of children, eyes focused on what was happening in front of them, sponge like brains  absorbing it all.

The UK is desperately short of STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) resources (full disclosure, my daughter is a STEM ambassador), so anything that gets kids engaged in science at an early age has got to be a good thing.  And this creative, energetic and very informative show (you kind of learn by osmosis) is just the thing to do it.

Highly recommended.  Kids, get your parents down to see this.  Don’t take “no” for an answer.  Tell them they might even learn something.  And bag a seat at the front to get really involved.  And wet.

Published August 14, 2024 by Tim Wilcock