Fringe children's show reviews: The Letterman | Supervillain | A Clown's Lullaby

The Letterman ★★★

Billiard Room at Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14) until 31 August

Our host is trying to complete the alphabet, but we’re missing the letter Z! While he goes in search of it offstage, the remaining lackey - our titular Letterman, Bryce Flint-Somerville - has been instructed in no uncertain terms that he cannot interfere with the set in any way.

Most importantly, he cannot touch the alphabet, represented as a series of ramshackle cardboard boxes arranged in a jenga-like tower.

Naturally, the kids are ecstatic and terrified in equal measure when he immediately starts doing so - there’s something thrilling about seeing a grown-up break the rules so flagrantly - but his hapless attempts only seem to provoke the letters.

With a mind of their own, they rearrange themselves, spin wildly, and spell out rude words while the Letterman becomes increasingly distraught. When the letters finally take pity on him and get in their proper places, it’s a relief for everyone.

Although the show’s snappy 45 minute runtime works in its favour on balance (kids’ attention spans are unforgiving), its initial uneven pacing looms disproportionately large as a result. Once it starts in earnest, The Letterman’s puppetry and physical comedy is incredibly joyful and engaging - we’re just left wanting slightly more. Ariane Branigan

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Supervillain ★★★

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters (Venue 272) until 30 August

A real sense of barely controlled chaos in this new show from Australian kids comedian Matty Grey is hardly surprising as it’s brand new.

“It’s going to be a great show,” Matty assures us “in a couple of weeks!”

Actually, this pick a path, multimedia adventure is pretty good now, although it does become a little unstuck due to very occasional understandable technical slips and some unnecessarily stat-heavy role playing elements. You — or rather a member of the audience — choose your super powers and become the hero of Untamed City, a familiarly lawless metropolis threatened by cartoonish supervillains and evil tech baron Elon Mullet.

Grey’s seemingly boundless good nature and energy goes a long way to keep this Free Fringe show on track. Although primarily aimed at 5-12 year-olds, game parents should enjoy it too. The choose-your-own-adventure aspect means there are a few different stories and outcomes you could experience so there’s a heavy reliance on A.I. creations, although as the show evolves Grey hopes that the man-made art will eventually completely replace it.

This probably matters very little to the kids though, as community inflatable dice tossing keeps the energy up in the room whenever the show threatens to flag. Rory Ford

A Clown's Lullaby ★★

Pip at Rotunda Theatre (Venue 65) until 18 August

Brimming with thinly-veiled references to Ukraine and Putin (or perhaps Trump) from the get-go, A Clown’s Lullaby styles itself as a family-friendly critique of the various crises and horrors currently unfolding on the world stage.

Unfortunately, the analogies are too heavy-handed for adults, and too obscure for children, leaving both parties bemused.

Ola Olsinova is a truly delightful clown, naive and melancholic in equal measure, but some attempts at audience engagement are disjointed and confusing. With some refinement, A Clown’s Lullaby has the potential to be a moving, pensive exploration of geopolitics through the eyes of a child. Ariane Branigan

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