EDINBURGH 2026: Review: SHOWSTOPPER! THE KIDS SHOW, Pleasance Courtyard
In the shadow of the apple
Six extraordinary musical theatre performers take to the stage with one seemingly impossible task: create a brand new musical from scratch, based entirely on suggestions from the children in the audience. The result is Showstopper! The Kids Show, a wildly inventive hour of music, comedy, storytelling and pure theatrical spontaneity, which proves how exhilarating live musical theatre improvisation can be.
There is no script, no predetermined plot and, crucially, no safety net. Instead, the performers embrace every wonderfully unpredictable suggestion thrown their way, transforming random ideas into rhyming verses, soaring melodies, create vibrant characters, join forces in choreography and embrace an entire narrative before the audience’s very eyes.
On this occasion, the adventure begins, rather wonderfully, inside a pizza, with a song about kneading dough and crusts going bust. From there, the story introduces Astro, a robot from a video game whose greatest wish is to have a pet horse and whose unlikely superpower is eating an apple. Enter Shadow, Sonic’s mean alter ego, who loves karaoke and is more than happy to cause trouble.
The performers display astonishing musical dexterity as they weave the children’s suggestions into the unfolding story, effortlessly rhyming their ideas and composing songs which sound as though they have been rehearsed for weeks rather than invented seconds earlier.
When the children are asked for facts about mammals, the performers do not simply acknowledge the suggestions and move on. They turn them into a hilarious and surprisingly educational musical interlude, exploring everything from green poo to mammals which live in the water. Soon, children from the audience are invited onto the stage to become part of the chorus, divided into groups representing dolphins, elephants and whales.
Then comes Wilbur, the high spirited tall horse who loves penguins and will only agree to become Astro’s pet if Astro shares that passion. Unfortunately, a fatal programming error leads Astro to declare that she hates penguins, leaving her vulnerable to Shadow’s dastardly schemes. Before long, she is captured inside a teapot filled with penguins who are transformed into billy goats.
It is gloriously bonkers.
Yet beneath the chaos is a remarkable ability to create genuine theatrical moments. A nightmare sequence sees Astro grappling with sadness, leading to a beautiful song about feeling blue. Then, as if conjured from another universe, an electric guitar wielding Southern American bear called Gerald storms onto the stage with a huge rock ’n’ roll entrance, helping to restore Astro’s joy via song.
The sheer confidence of the performers is extraordinary. They never appear fazed by the wildest suggestion, instead treating every idea as an invitation to play. Every child’s thought can and will become a character, a song can emerge from a single word and the childrens suggestions direct the narrative.
The cast’s willingness to surrender control to their youngest audience members is what makes the show so special. Their ideas are treated with genuine respect, enthusiasm and theatrical imagination. The result is a production which is a collaborative creation.
Even the title becomes part of the improvisational game. The cast sing a final number inspired by the suggested title Bears, only for a child sitting a few rows behind us to offer the alterative title In the Shadow of the Apple. It is a perfect example of why this format works so brilliantly: no ideas are wrong and each idea is valuable.
The energy is electric, the playfulness infectious and the musicianship exceptional. Showstopper! The Kids Show captures the joy of making something which has never existed before and will never exist again.
It is chaotic, clever, generous and genuinely magical, reminding its young audience that their imaginations are worth listening to. For an hour, the children are not merely watching the show, they are the writers.
SHOWSTOPPER! THE KIDS SHOW runs at Pleasance Courtyard - Grand from 10:30am (runs 60 minutes) on 22, 23, 29 and 30 August
Reader Reviews
To post a comment, you must register and login.