Review: Whale, Where Are You Going?, EdFringe

Part of the Taiwan Season at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Whale, Where Are You Going? is a charming show for children that celebrates curiosity, playfulness and embracing the inner child in all of us.

Let’s start with the venue though. This is a production aimed at ages 0+, playing at Assembly Roxy which has a forward facing stage and raked seating. I’m grown-up size (though some might debate that) and so were most of the rest of the audience for the performance I saw – or barely saw because I was peeking around people, leaning out into the aisle, and had real issues with sightlines. For smaller audience members this could be problematic, especially for moments in the action that are performed quite near to the stage floor. The whole thing might be better played in a different format where the children could have priority seating at the front. However, let’s not let that detract from the show itself, which is perfectly delightful.

There’s a very friendly welcome from the performers, who wave and welcome the children, playing with paper aeroplanes amongst the audience and setting the scene for a show about friendship. The play tells the tale of an old man set in his ways, who has a repetitive, boring life, although he fondly remembers a time he once met a huge whale. One day a young boy unexpectedly arrives who reminds him of the value of companionship and playfulness, and he eventually embraces his inner child, resulting in a more joyful life.

The three actors are full of energy; their characterisations and clowning joyfully exaggerated and entertaining. It’s great fun for the children, who giggle away at the cheeky little boy puppet who breaks all the rules and reimagines a more exciting life with the old man. The show creates a lovely space for imagination and possibility, as the actors break the fourth wall to allow the audience to respond directly with their colourful world. This is a non-verbal performance, and the music throughout is excellent, building atmospheres and moods that tie the sequences together with ease to give coherence and lively, informative tones.

There are some amusingly creative and surprising moments in the show, including flurries of snow and huge projections of the whale that extend across the auditorium, causing everyone to look around and see the space differently. The set is flexibly designed and has at the centre long banners that double up as screens for some great shadow puppetry storytelling.

At 50 minutes long this show is possibly a little long for actual babies, but for the intergenerational audience at the performance I attended it was lots of fun and everyone came out grinning.

Produced by S. Production

Whale Where Are You Going? Is aimed at all ages from 0+ and runs at Assembly Roxy until Sunday 24 August.