Edinburgh Fringe 2026
Explosive Science Show!
Showmen Productions
Genre: Children's Theatre
Venue: Piccolo Theatre, Assembly at George Square
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Targeted at young children with a set which has a laboratory theme, but is fairly minimal, it uses basic but highly entertaining physics, and chemistry in a very creative manner. Presented by a single scientist, Magnus Danger Magnus, he takes us through the experiments in his repertoire with witty off the cuff, clearly well-rehearsed repartee.
Review
Showmen Productions, with Magnus Danger Magnus, have been touring this stylish STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) show for a long time. Designed to bring science to young children in a fun and explosive manner, it achieves its objectives by conducting experiments that are visually creative with a tinge of danger. At its centre is a force of his own nature, Magnus.
This shows its experience as a staple of various Festivals as it is at ease with itself and can ask children to shout out at any time because it exists in a brand of organised chaos. The structure allows Magnus to ingratiate himself with the audience, giving children the upper hand, whilst at the same time also maintaining sufficiently chaotic control that it never runs away with them.
Magnus Danger Magnus is simply magnificent. He has a very strong handle on how to work an audience, but more than that, he can maintain that relationship with the children without ever talking down to them and also comfort the adults with how they can feel that their children are in safe hands. The connection with the adults is particularly strong when he makes the Breaking Bad joke.
This is more than an enjoyable 60 minutes because it didn’t feel like that. The greatest compliment I think sometimes you can give to children shows is that whilst the young ones might think they’re over in an instant, for many of us adults they take an inexorable amount of time to get to the end. Here this is educational entertainment at an exceptionally high standard.
This has verve, vitality and explosions. As a kid what’s not to like? As an adult, what’s not to, like! My favourite was not the end volcanic eruption one but fire from water. Visually spectacular it brings you closer to the idea that science is available to all of us.
Technically having Emily up at the top with the variety of sound effects is used tremendously well. The interaction between them and Magnus on stage works well. The use of lighting gives exact and right focus that is required – low for danger, high for emphasis. You can feel the kids onstage feeling that they are party of something edgy. It is just a delight to see them finding the mystery and their innocence collide in wide eyed wonder.
The Explosive Science Show tackles the toughest to entertain crowd with a magnificent offering. It is science, educationally, that would have even the most creative of us reaching for our lab coats.
