Duckie / credit: Manuel Vason
Summerhall
Katie & Pip (Tin Can People)
Katie & Pip celebrates the relationship between Katie, a 15-year-old Type 1 Diabetic girl and Pip, her five-year-old border collie, trained by Katie to save her life on a daily basis. Led by performance-making duo Charlotte and Rob alongside Katie (Rob’s little sister) and Pip, the performance explores compassion and companionship between humans and dogs. On a journey of extreme highs and extreme lows, the cast celebrate freedom and living life to the full despite life’s significant obstacles. Watch dogs be humans and humans be dogs as this chaotic and unpredictable collision of youth unfolds.
Katie & Pip, Summerhall, Fri 3–Sun 12 Aug, 1.20pm, £10 (£7). Previews Wed 1 & Thu 2 Aug, £5.
Duckie (Le Gateau Chocolat)
Critically acclaimed cabaret star Le Gateau Chocolat breaks out of his shell in his first work for children, a classic tale of identity and belonging. Duckie is a reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling with a message of tolerance and self acceptance at its core. Set in an animal circus, we join him on an adventure of self-discovery, asking questions that celebrate difference. Walking a little differently? Sounding a bit strange? Watch Duckie triumph by realising these are his strengths.
Duckie, Summerhall, Wed 1–Sun 12 Aug (not 2), 2pm, £12 (£10).
Woogie Boogie (BRUSH Theatre LLC)
BRUSH Theatre, last seen at Summerhall with The Overcoat, are back with another vivid and inventive show for younger audiences. A lonely boy Woogie and his troublemaking pet turtle Boogie experience their first sea adventure. What will happen to them in this beautiful but scary new watery world, and will they return home safely?
Woogie Boogie, Summerhall, Fri 3–Sun 26 Aug (not 13, 20), 10am, £9 (£8). Preview Thu 2 Aug, £6.50.
The Ballad of the Apathetic Son and His Narcissistic Mother (21Common)
This high-energy performance features real-life mother Lucy and her 15-year-old son Raedie. Not much connects them anymore, but they both love the singer Sia. They love her music, her videos and her hair, especially when it moves in a choppy, black-on-platinum swivel. They decided to use the iconic motifs of this Australian pop superstar to make a show about their relationship. So, hold on for dear life through this all-singing, all-dancing journey of rejection, nurture, transforming, hurting and becoming. For ages 12+.
The Ballad of the Apathetic Son and His Narcissistic Mother, Summerhall, Tue 14–Sun 26 Aug (not 20), 1.45pm, £12 (£8).