Edinburgh Fringe 2026

Dragon Tales

Genre: Children's Theatre, Puppetry, Theatrical Storytelling

Venue: LifeCare Centre

Festival: Edinburgh Fringe

Low Down

Review

A warm and professional welcome from the cast, along with a bag of props, is given to each child as we enter the performance. Once seated on a large playmat in front of a library-style set, we are introduced to the show by a storyteller. Using dragon and animal puppets, interactive props, songs and actions, the audience and storyteller discover the story of a dragon together.

Beautifully made, expressive and bright felt puppets shifted and moved expertly, easily catching the attention of the children watching. Live music from a piano added depth to the songs and performance. Thought and care had been put into making the show as interactive and sensory as possible. The props used – including hats and bells – had elements that appealed to the various developmental stages of the children in the audience. Although at times the theatre and storyline went over the heads of younger preschoolers like my own (14 months), the sensory elements of the props, music and puppetry mostly kept him, and others of a similar age, engaged.

The show moved quickly and was full of imagination, keeping the attention of its audience. The interactive theatre and audience participation worked incredibly well for the older preschoolers, with room for their contributions written into the story. However, sometimes, when interactive props or different actions were required in quick succession, the pace felt slightly frantic. As a parent trying to wrangle their child to stay on the playmat while also following the instructions, I felt a bit flustered and lost track of the storyline. Possibly one less stop on the journey in the story would have given the performance more breathing space and allowed us to appreciate each element.

The writing is clever in weaving previous years’ performances into this tale – this is chapter four, or show four, in this anthology of dragon tales. It was clear that a number of audience members come back year after year to this show – speaking to its success. There was a lot packed into this show, with songs, actions, props, puppets and various events in the storyline. The element of finding each letter in the word ‘dragon’ was perhaps a bit too ambitious and got lost until we were reminded of the concept at the end through an anagram.

Altogether, this is a fun and interactive show that will delight many preschool children. It’s the sort of show they will remember vividly for its energy, fantastic puppets and props, and want to come back to see next year. I’d suggest it is best suited for children aged 2+, as although it was interactive, the children needed to maintain a certain distance from the set and puppets, which was difficult with a younger toddler.

Published August 13, 2026 by Hannah Gray