FringeReview Scotland 2026
A Home for Hamish
Just Us
Genre: Children's Theatre, Physical Theatre
Venue: Platform Easterhouse Glasgow
Festival: FringeReview Scotland
Low Down
Deaf dance artist Clare Adam and autistic dance artist Lesley Howard present a wonderful piece of imagined dance theatre using BSL in a very creative manner for young people. The stage is set out in the round with children invited to sit round the outside whilst five suitcases are opened. The first suitcase has Hamish in it with a drawing of the home on the inner lid that Hamish wants to return to. The other four shape the odyssey of getting there.
Review
The other suitcases act as a structural framework where the last suitcase has exactly the same picture of the home that Hamish hopes for leading to our conclusion. In between we get dancing with jellyfish underneath the ocean, climbing the tallest mountains and escaping dragons on this journey.
It began with BSL instructions outside the auditorium which is a delightful way to set the agenda.
Once inside physical language is used, which never disappoints. This is crafted by starting with intriguing the young imagination, harnessing it and then motoring one – pace, tone, physical connections are crafted in an exceptional manner.
Both Adam and Howard are not only highly skilled, but they create an atmosphere that is both inclusive and fun. At the start, there were a few wee discussions around and about from children, slightly unsure, but that disappears very quickly once the first suitcase is opened and out comes Hamish!
It is a brilliant way to introduce a character, not just in terms of the surprise, but because it allows that alternative view of something to be embraced immediately. It is incredibly positive affirming, but by the same token, hugely creative. Through the process of these well-imagined suitcases being opened and different worlds being brought into the story, the children got more and more engaged and it was a delight to see.
The finale was genius. They had given out paper planes at the beginning with no instruction as to when they should be thrown and then at the end the paper planes were thrown and both dance artists took themselves off the stage. You then watch these children retrieving their paper planes leading to a 10-minute process of play on stage, which was really creative and wonderful to watch. The idea that children going from an audience into being comfortable to have this as their space is a theory which was shown in practice.
Deafness and neurodivergence was an element, not the thrust and the entertainment value opened it up for all. The audience that they want to engage with is everybody. That message, universal.
Using bright colour in both the costume and the set with lighting and music used was also integrated and you get a feeling that this was something that both artists had thought greatly about before placing their art in the hands of an audience.
There were a few parts of the piece that I really enjoyed. I loved the innovative use of the suitcases and what came out from them. I really enjoyed the slow chase sequence, and I loved the fact that Hamish couldn’t move one of the suitcases and then it was moved very easily – not innovative perhaps but these were all comic gesture, which along with you got a real sense of BSL, movement, the connection between both performers and the audience cemented and a genuine two-way process.
I have seen lots of decent children’s theatre which can be a presentation which can be effective and work, but when it works well is when performers are able to engage with an audience that shall take over and invade their space – that’s high art, my friend.
