Monstrously good Fringe fun for (almost) all of the family
Dragons & Mythical Beasts Story lost under the spectacle ★★★✩✩
ONE of the key components of the Fringe (especially as the schools haven’t gone back yet) is the wide range of shows for families and children to enjoy.
Catering for all tastes and age ranges, it’s a broad church. But i can’t help but detect a certain snobbish reserve (or could it be envy?) at underbelly having secured this big-budget spectacular from the creators of Dinosaur World live, given the show’s backing and success down south. But i don’t see anybody complaining when big-name comics off the telly pop up at the Festival as part of a uK tour.
As it is, Dragons & Mythical Beasts is likely to prove a popular draw with the Mumsnet brigade – though i’m not convinced it’s quite the runaway hit it’s cracked up to be.
Don’t get me wrong, the largescale puppets are amazing. And even though i’m probably 50 years beyond the target audience i was suitably impressed. i can only imagine what my younger self would have made of them. especially if i was one of the lucky kids invited onto the stage during the show.
But over and above the wow factor, each time one of them is introduced – a unicorn, a stone troll, a seriously scary dragon, a tooth fairy that resembles a gremlin on speed – is where the show falls down. it’s the storytelling. or rather the lack of it.
The premise is straightforward enough. Hero trainer Dave, our comical narrator/guide to the world of mythical beasts, is on a mission. To achieve his quest he must collect items taken from each of the strange puppets that are introduced.
Dave co-opts a number of children from the audience to help him complete the tasks, all the while providing little factoids about the fantastical bestiary.
The production’s problem comes with its repetitive structure. rather than develop momentum going forward, it’s basically the same thing repeated over and over again, just with a different puppet.
I must admit to having become pretty bored about halfway through. As i said, i’m not the target audience. For those kids that enjoy a bit of spectacle i’m sure they’ll love it. But for those wanting their imagination fired up a bit more, the answer may well lie elsewhere on the Fringe.
Underbelly Bristo Square, until Aug 21