Fringe for families
Why should adults get all the Fringe Festival fun? By Rose Johnstone
01Kids Club
Last year’s inaugural Kids Club proved so popular that organisers had to adopt a nightclub-style ‘one in, one out’ policy. This time, they’ve moved it to the larger Artplay for a week-long series of daytime parties that are far from your average school holiday program fare. Finishing School’s Andrew Mcclelland will bring the beats at Starting School ( Fri Sep 29); butoh-cabaret rebel Yumi Umiumare will steer kids to the weirder side of life with Kooky Spooks ( Wed Sep 27); and comedy duo Double Denim will put on Express Yourself – a feminist party for girls, boys and everyone in between. On the final night, Melbourne collective Hotel Now will put on Rainbow Paradiso ( Sun Oct 1), an interactive performance party celebrating rainbow families. àartplay, Birrarung Marr, Melbourne 3000. 2-3.30pm. Free. Sep 27-Oct 1.
02Dinosaur Time Machine
Don’t deny that you’ve always wanted to get close to a life-size T-rex. Satisfy your Jurassic Park fantasies by treating the kids to an hour of dino education conveyed through circus, puppetry and play. àwonderland Spiegeltent, 699 La Trobe St, Docklands 3008. 1pm. $24. Sep 23-Oct 1.
03 Spookmaster
Seasoned children’s entertainer Mark Penzak first toured Spookmaster across the UK back in 2004, where it received rave reviews. This revised version – told through puppetry and digital projections – follows the story of a boy called Jack, who is visited in his dreams by the mysterious Spookmaster, who teaches him how to confront his fears. àgasworks Arts Park, 21 Graham St, Albert Park 3206. Tue-sat noon (Sat Sep 23 11am). $23. Sep 23-30.
04Trash Test Dummies
Melbourne’s three silliest garbage men are back after award-winning seasons at the Adelaide and Edinburgh fringe festivals, with more laugh-out-loud slapstick comedy than ever. àmeat Market, 3 Blackwood St, North Melbourne 3051. Mon-fri 2pm; Sat, Sun 3pm. $25. Sep 23-30.
05The Children’s Party
There’s a new political party in town, and it’s run by kids! Artists Ben Landau and Alex Walker have overseen the creation of a party run entirely by children. Watch as representatives tackle some of the stickiest current debates, from climate change to asylum seekers. àfringe Hub, Arts House, 521 Queensberry St, North Melbourne 3051. 4pm. Free, booking required. Sun Sep 24.