This year's Imaginate children's theatre festival takes place in various
venues across Edinburgh from Saturday 19th to Monday 28th May. There
will be fifteen productions aimed at age groups from 0-4 to 11+.
The venues are the Traverse Theatre, the King's Theatre, the Assembly
Rooms, the North Edinburgh Arts Centre, the Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh
and the Cammo Estate off the Queensferry Road.
Young At Art (Northern Ireland) in
Baby Rave
For 0 - 4 year olds
A once in a lifetime experience! Hit of the Belfast Children’s
Festival, this is a real rave, complete with DJ, music, dance instructors,
lighting and projections.
Heather Fulton (Scotland) in
Moussa’s Castle
For 2 - 4 year olds
A magical story of hope and determination, underscored with live music
and especially created for children aged 2-4.
Travelling Light Theatre Company (England) in association with Bristol
Old Vic presents
Clown
(Inspired by the book by Quentin Blake)
For 3+ year olds
Enter the wonder-filled world of author-illustrator Quentin Blake
as this award-winning company translates a wordless story from the
page to the stage, to create a memorable show for children of all
ages.
Aracaladanza (Spain) presents
Nada... Nada!
For 3+ year olds
One of Spain's leading dance companies, creating highly visual and
inventive new work for children. Nada..Nada! is packed with surprise
and delight. A truly magical introduction to dance for the very young.
THEATER ARTEMIS (The Netherlands) presents
S(w)inging Bananas
For 4+ year olds
What happens if a meal doesn’t want to be eaten? When the potato
protests, the banana leaves, and the snack snatches back? A comic
and bizarre act about a good little boy, and a bad, bad meal…
Grid Iron (Scotland) presents
Once Upon a Dragon
For 5+ year olds
A glass slipper. A trail of feathers, Rapunzel's plaits, a red cape
and a basket of fruit… and, of course, a dragon. Award-winning
theatre company, Grid Iron, celebrates the way young children play
with familiar fairy stories.
Junges Ensemble Stuttgart (Germany) presents
Minor Matters
For 6+ year olds
A tramp is sleeping in a corner. He has a story to tell. A story about
dreams, wishes, hopes and disappointments. This story makes fantasy
and reality seem so close that you can hardly tell one from the other.
Carte Blanche (Denmark) presents
The Attic Under the Sky
For 6+ year olds
A treasure chest for the imagination. Through puppetry, animation,
mime and music, The Attic Under the Sky brings out the child
in all of us.
Wee Stories (Scotland) presents
Tam O’Shanter
For 7+ year olds
Live music and storytelling combine in Andy Cannon’s masterly
re-telling of this spooky poem breathing life into the verse for a
gripping performance.
Theater Sgaramusch (Switzerland) presents
Wolf Under the Bed
For 7+ year olds
Wolf Under the Bed is based on twelve stories, written especially
by school children for the company. The stories are accompanied by
live music.
Puppet State Theatre Company (Scotland) presents
The Man Who Planted Trees
For 7+ year olds
A hilarious and heart-warming adaptation of Jean Giono’s wonderful
environmental tale. A uniquely memorable blend of comedy, puppetry
and inspiring storytelling. Watch out for the dog!
Introdans Ensemble for Youth (The Netherlands) presents
KYLIÁN4KIDS
For 8+ year olds
The Festival welcomes back Introdans Ensemble for Youth. A huge hit
of the 2005 Festival, the company presents five eclectic ballets taken
from the treasure chest of the world-famous choreographer Jirí
Kylián.
Theatergroep Max (The Netherlands) presents
Performance in which Hopefully Nothing Happens
For 8+ year olds
A performance full of the joys of absurdity for everyone for everyone
from 8 years upwards. Our Festival Director saw this in Holland sitting
next to an 8 year old boy who was helpless with laughter.
Catherine Wheels Theatre Company (Scotland) in association with Brunton
Theatre presents
Hansel and Gretel
For 8+ year olds
This award-winning company reinvents the classic story of Hansel
and Gretel as a spine-chilling promenade adventure. Winner of
the 2006 Critics’ Awards for Best Show for Children and Young
People and Best Design.
Visible Fictions (Scotland) presents
Jason & The Argonauts
For 9+ year olds
Award winning Visible Fictions present a brand new version of a classic
tale. Isn’t it just amazing what you can do with two actors,
countless characters, 70 minutes, and, not forgetting, the Golden
Fleece!
NIE (England/Germany/Czech Republic,Poland, Belgium, Norway). Co-produced
with the Junction in Cambridge
The End Of Everything Ever
For 11+ year olds
Accompanied by live music, The End of Everything Ever draws
on true stories and accounts of the Kindertransport – 10,000
Jewish children who were saved by their parents’ decision to
send them out of Nazi occupied Europe. The award-winning NIE shine
a light into some of our continent’s darkest history and emerge
with a story of survival, love and hope.
