“Laugh Out Loud Theatre Company have a growing and well-earned reputation for potboilers done proper.”
Editorial Rating: 4 Stars (Nae bad)
I suspect that the number of people who taste the differences between a 2022 Argentinian Malbec and a 2021 Tuscan Chianti is smaller than those who claim they can. Still, the vintage and the year matter. It was not until I became a parent that the significance of children’s ages really struck home with me. The difference between a 9-year-old and a 6-year-old can give one vertigo, even when they sprouted in the same vineyard.
This is a problem for families when selecting live no less than streamed media. How do you pick a show that caterers for all tastes? SPOILER ALERT! Sometimes you can’t. TOP TIP! If you are watching a show aimed at younger, simpler cultural palates, you might want to try getting your easily over it aulder kids to watch a show in the same way as they did when they were younger. The youngest children in a Fringe audience aren’t just watching the stage. They are closely observing the reactions and interactions of those around them with a windward eye out for the novel comings and goings of a place which is not at all like their regular haunts.
‘Once Upon A Fairy Tale’ is a 45 minute pantomime-style show aimed at younger years. Once upon a time there lived a girl called Little Red Riding Hood who came across a house in the woods where three bears lived. One day a wolf came along and he huffed and he puffed and he blew the house down! Hang on a second, something doesn’t seem right… Can you help un-muddle the fairy tales and set everything straight?
Clearly, Daughter 1.0 (9yrs) is getting far too mature, ancient even, to simply enjoy charming stories, told charmingly, by lovely, charming, and talented people. So we have to find the road less travelled. “Watch how your sisters watch the show,” I confidently advise. “Look at what they are enjoying, when they are really paying attention. Notice how the live creative process relies on real interactions between the actors and the audience. A light bulb goes off. Here’s what Daughter 1.0 wrote in her notebook, the one with Mr. Wolf as voiced by Sam Rockwell on the cover:
“This Summer I went to Beford festival fringe and saw the show once Upon a fairy tale witch wasn’t annything close to my age but was a very fun 45-minute family-friendly production. It was all about three very famous children stories: The three little pigs, Goldielochs and the three bears and Little Red RidingHood. Aswell as watching the performance I watched my little sister [6yrs] (who was very enthusiastic during this performance She loved answearing questions Listening to the characters’s funny accents and the performance Little Red Riding Hood. I thoroughly recomend this show for 2-6 Bubbly and shy children”
Laugh Out Loud Theatre Company have a growing and well-earned reputation for potboilers done proper. Come for the strong performances. Stay, despite a painted backdrop and props set in need of a tiny touch more of Widdershins magic. Get your red riding coats on and go see this memorable vintage of storytelling for little sisters uncorked.
Reviewer: Dan Lentell
Get Your Coats On 
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