5 Actors, 2 Musicians, Multiple Cardboard Boxes, 100% audience participation and you have the recipe for the most fantastic hour of family fun The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has to offer.
On walking into the theatre I was greeted by the Actors singing a little ditty and making observations on audience members. This set the mood straight away, the kids loved it, the grown ups loved it and right from the word go the Showstoppers had their audience in the palm of their hands.
For those unfamiliar with Showstoppers; they take ideas from the audience and transform them into an all singing all dancing 1-hour interactive musical adventure performed by 7 extremely talented individuals. For example our musical was about a Haunted Fireplace in which lived several ghosts with names such as ‘Newt’ & ‘Bob The Dumb Crank’. We were taken on a journey to meet Flying Sandwich making Unicorns & Sharks who enjoyed behaving instead of being silly. All the suggestions stemmed from the active imaginations of the excited, captive audience of children.
I found Showstoppers hilarious, exciting and a whole lot of fun. Looking around at the audience’s response they absolutely loved it. I couldn’t quite tell who was having the most fun; the children, the parents or the actors on stage?
This sterling piece of family fun is one not to be missed; I truly cannot recommend it highly enough.
By Bryan Mennings
Rating: ★★★★★
