Tag Archives: Monski Mouse

EdFringe Talk: Monski Mouse’s Baby Cabaret AND Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, *Written Interviews by

“I was now a Mum and still plating spiegletents, but instead of starting at 11pm, I started at 11am. And this year my shows start at 10am!”

WHO: Monski Mouse

WHAT: “Why toddle when you can dance? Join this must-do, award-winning, epic session of bopping, bonkers, beautiful fun. Expect high-energy smiling to retro beats and thumping nursery rhymes. Best of Kids Weekly Award Winner, Adelaide Fringe 2024. Best of Kids Award Nominee, Sydney Fringe 2022. Sold Out Season Edinburgh Fringe 2022, 2023, 2024. ‘Best. Time. Ever.’ ***** (FamiliesOnline.co.uk). ‘Deserves all the praise’ ***** (One4Review.co.uk). ‘This is what the experts meant when they said spend quality time together’ ***** (GlamAdelaide.com.au). ‘Tune after tune perfectly chosen for the youngsters’ ***** (Edinburgh Evening News).” – Baby Disco Dance Hall

“Join Monski Mouse, and her super talented friends, for a live musical singalong cabaret of nursery classics, song, puppetry and bonkers fun for 0-5s and their parents/carers. All the big topics covered: elephants, fish, wiggly worms, transport and the existential ways of the toddler. ‘Moments of utter beauty’ ***** (Edinburgh Festivals Magazine). ‘Monski shines bright, inviting us into a world of wonder’ ***** (One4Review.co.uk). ‘Delightful’ **** (FamiliesOnline.co.uk). ‘At the #Fringe with a toddler? Recommend Monski Mouse Baby Cabaret’ (@AlMurray, Twitter).” – Monski Mouse’s Baby Cabaret

WHERE: Palais du Variété at Assembly George Square Gardens (Venue 3) 

WHEN: 10:00 (55 & 50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

My first Edinburgh Fringe was back in 2005, when I came over to DJ at the Famous Spiegeltent late night Club, after La Clique and at the Bongo Club after Vaudeville Cabaret. I had the best, wildest time meeting incredible people and rocking dance-floors. So. Much. Fun! I then made it back again in 2008, and worked front of house at the Gilded Balloon, and DJ’ed their closing night party. But I started to come back every year from 2012 when I created my show, Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall. I was now a Mum and still plating spiegletents, but instead of starting at 11pm, I started at 11am. And this year my shows start at 10am!

What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?

Gosh, life questions!! I’ve learned that the human need to connect with each other through music, song and dance is something that doesn’t go away no matter the circumstance. And I continue to feel honoured and humbled to be a part of creating space for those connections to happen through my shows.

Tell us about your show.

This is a case of, me, myself and I. Well not entirely. I am the Producer, Writer and main Performer in my shows, but I love collaborating too. In Baby Cabaret, my live music singalong show, I have invited some brilliant performers to work with me to help make the music, interact with the audiences and bring some beautiful puppeteering. Tim Lancaster (partner and musical collaborator with Michelle Braiser) is joining my Edinburgh cast for a third year in a row, bringing his lovely energy, voice and guitar playing to the show, and one of my original cast members, actor and filmmaker, Richard Crawley, will be joining the show again for the first time since 2019. Richard and I studied together at the Ecole Phillippe Gaulier and I am so excited to have him joining the cast again for the second of the week in Edinburgh.

Baby Disco Dance Hall was initially co-created with early childhood theatre-maker and choreographer, Ninian Donald, who always dances in my shows whenever our schedules permit. Ninian helped me scope the show in its first inception, defining the audience age group, 0-5 years, and gave me a deeper understanding of the audiences needs developmentally. It’s why these shows resonate so well, because in addition to being fun, bonkers, musical adventures, they are created with the specific age of the audience and their parents/carers, very much in mind.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

Oh my gosh, I just did a search and there is 141 children’s shows on.. my tips quick are;
‘Children are Stinky’ for 3 and up, for older kids, the wonderful OG stand-up for kids, ‘James Campbell’s Comedy 4 Kids: Reducks’, also for older kids, ‘LIVE MANGA’ from Japan are just wonderful, my 9 year old son (and I) LOVED them last year, and another dear friend and genius mime’s new show, ‘Monsterrrr! with Trygve Wakenshaw’.

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+3 Interview: Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall

Posted in *Written Interviews, EdFestivals 2017, Plus 3 2017 - Features by

“The Disco was first launched at the Adelaide Fringe in 2012, we sold out our first season and have gone on the play around the UK and in Australia.”

WHO: Monski Mouse, Host/Producer/DJ

WHAT: “Why toddle when you can dance?! It’s time to get heads, shoulders, knees and toes bopping along to lashings of swing, pop, rock, latin and more! Selling out shows around the world, Monski Mouse is a hit with the under fives and their parents/carers. ‘The best dance party with your under 5-year-old that you’ve ever had… absolutely joyous’ ***** (FamiliesOnline.co.uk). All adults and children require a ticket, except for children six months and under who may enter free with a paying Adult.”

WHERE: Assembly George Square Gardens (Venue 3)

WHEN: 11:00 (50 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

This is the forth season of my show Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall, which I first brought to the Festival in 2012, but my first time at the Festival was 2005 when I came to DJ at Club Swizzle at the Famous Spiegeltent and for the Bong Club Vauldeville Cabaret, hosted by Dusty Limits. I also worked for the Gilded Balloon in 2008 as a FOH and Dj-ed the staff party, when my Loft Bar DJ gig fell through that year. I love this Edinburgh.

Tell us about your show.

Aimed squarely at the children aged 0-5 AND their parents/carers, my show is really all about having fun, dancing, playing and letting loose with your loved ones. It gives both children and their parents a chance to enjoy the magic of a festival club, in the time slot when they are awake and raring to go.. 11:00am.

The Disco was first launched at the Adelaide Fringe in 2012, we sold out our first season and have gone on the play around the UK and in Australia. I was already a DJ who played playful music and loved to take audiences on an expected journey, when I become a Mum in 2010, the late night DJ gigs were becoming less attractive, so it was a fairly natural extension for me to create the Baby Disco Dance Hall. I’ve been really luck to have been able to make a show that audiences love and I still love performing for them.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

The Hairy McLary and Friends Show is great for little ones, especially if you read the books first. They are great stories, and in the show version, they’ve made a beautiful piece that’s fun and interactive enough for little ones to be engaged.

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