one4review | On 18, Aug 2018

Where else on the fringe can you have an exploding cake make friends with an inflatable duck? Where else does a pint of Guinness single-handedly save the day? And where else do the hit songs just keep on coming, whether the characters are safely in the ‘O’ on the Showstoppers sign, or popping to Belfast to fall in love with bananas?

Showstoppers have been doing family shows for some years now, and they never fail to get children from 3 to 103 laughing, dancing, clapping and occasionally even singing along. How can lines from songs they just invented stick in your head so well? It’s just some of that Showstoppers magic.

Today there were a couple of cast members that I hadn’t seen before – and occasional bits of dance that took a moment to synchronise – but even so, the show had all its usual fun, high energy, and plenty of moments of “where on earth (or space!) are they going with that?”

As ever, the children’s suggestions are wildly varied, and the team all took the wacky and wonderful suggestions in their stride. If you missed today’s epic “The Stinky Hummus Sandwich Squashed Up in a Bag” then you’re too late. Maybe you can catch tomorrow’s – and if you’re under the age of eight, you may even get to title it.

Reviewed by Gill
Pleasance Courtyard, until 20th