I’m pleased as punch to announce that I’m now working for a real gem of a Edinburgh Fringe show!
The Boy and the Bunnet is a family show written by acclaimed novelist James Robertson with gorgeous illustrations by Jojo Norris and music by James Ross. It’s about a wee boy called Neil who lives with his Granny and a wee, grey Cat. One day he goes out to play, gets lost, and hatches a plan to alert Granny by sending his Bunnet (or cap) on a journey home.
He encounters some animals on the way, like the shy, sleekit Selkie, the muckle, handsome Stag, and the crabbit Craw. And there’s also a mysterious beast, the Urisk, that Granny says likes to eat wee laddies for supper…
Originally performed in Scots Gaelic and based on the book of the same name, the show made its Fringe debut last year in the Scots language.
Yup, that’s no joke, Scotland has its own language, well actually several. Unlike Scots Gaelic though, Scots is fairly easily understood by most English speakers and really anyone who’s spent any time in Scotland. The language is based on the vernacular way that many ordinary Scots speak and it’s always a joy to hear. Many Scots words have crossed over into everyday English use too. You probably know a few yourself: blether, bonny, canny, dram, loch, scunner, stramash…
I’m really looking forward to this project as it looks like such a charming and interesting show. It has educational value too, as it’s been devised to help teach we’ans (there’s another one) to learn a bit of Scots in a fun way, with lots of stirring traditional Scottish music and songs thrown into the proceedings. The Sunday Herald described it as being ‘Scotland’s answer to Peter and the Wolf.’
I’ll be handling a short, but intensive, social media campaign to get the show up and running and holding its own amid all the Ed Fest hubbub over the next few weeks.
You can follow the show on twitter and please also like and share their freshly minted page on Facebook. 🙂
Here’s the wee animation video that opens the show, which gives you a fine taste of what’s to come.
The Boy and the Bunnet Animated Introduction from Big Sky on Vimeo.
For those of you in or near Edinburgh for the Fringe in the next few weeks, the show runs from 12 – 18 August at the Acoustic Music Centre, in the St Brides Centre, Dalry. Tickets are just £9 or £25 for a family of four. A bargain by current Fringe standards!
Described as ‘Scotland’s Peter and the Wolf” by the Sunday Herald, Gerda Stevenson narrates the tale, accompanied by seven of Scotland’s finest traditional musicians in a captivating musical adventure written in Scots by award-winning novelist James Robertson, with music composed by James Ross. The truly beautiful illustrations are by Jojo Norris.
If you’re in Edinburgh during the Festival, please do support it and come along – and tell us what you thought afterwards on your own social channels!
Need some help promoting your show or arts project? You know what to do! 🙂