The first of the Edinburgh festivals to get off the ground is the Fringe this weekend and while all the big names in comedy fill the headlines, there’s a chance for children to catch up with their own favourites.
For the end of the summer holidays the emphasis is on fun, with top performers like Magic Bob at Calder’s Gilded Balloon Theatre (Pounds 5Pounds 4 on 0131 226 2151) and the Happy Gang at the Pleasance (Pounds 5Pounds 4 on 556 6550).
The Netherbow (556 9579) has a run of puppet shows and storytelling every day except Sundays until August 31. At 11am, Kenspeckle Puppets puts on The Three Little Pigs, a new show from Sylvia Troon (Pounds 4Pounds 3), followed at 12.30pm by Richard Medrington’s Puppets in Tiggers Don’t Climb Trees (Pounds 4.50Pounds 3.50), and at 2pm by Wee Stories with Spring and the Selfish Giant, a Scottish adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s tale of hope and love for four to nine-year-olds (Pounds 4Pounds 3).
Dr Bunhead’s Magical Chemistry Cookbook from the Edinburgh International Science Festival pops up at the Famous Grouse House (tickets Pounds 4, 220 5606). The chemical magic for the over-eights consists of exploding custard, slimy gunge and bionic bananas.
