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Announcing the Winner of The Primary Times Children's Choice Award 2019
1st March-7th September 2019
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Address: Edinburgh, EH1
Venue: Various venues across Edinburgh
The winner of the 2019 Primary Times Children’s Choice Award has been revealed as The Listies: Ickypedia.
The Australian duo’s madcap show, based on their best-selling book Ickypedia, clinched the award in a bumper year, with an unprecedented eight shows being awarded five stars by the magazine’s team of reviewers.
The Listies - Richard Higgins and Matt Kelly – were given full marks by both the adults and the children reviewing the show at The Pleasance for the Primary Times award, which is now in its seventh year.
Our reviewer said: “This two man show is loosely based around silly made up words and phrases - have you had a fartle recently? - but quickly diversifies into daft and cleverly observed sketches and jokes. There is lots of audience participation, shouting out, throwing objects and getting a little wet.
“I was genuinely crying with laughter and wishing they would stop for a moment so I could catch my breath. This is the Fringe at its best - simple, hilarious and truly wonderful.”
Our young reviewer said: “So funny, I want to come back every day.”
Richard and Matt were presented with their award on stage after the final performance of their show at the Fringe. They said: “We're so happy to come to Edinburgh and win the Eurovision Song Contest. As Australians we're ever so grateful to be allowed to compete.
“SRSLY though, we are honoured by this award, and are thankful to Primary Times for taking our silliness so seriously. It is important that work for children is recognised as a legitimate sector of the festival, there are so many great family and children shows at the Fringe. We sincerely thank the Primary Times for organising the Children’s Choice award.”
Runner-up was Islander: A New Musical, for 8+. Set on a small Scottish island on the brink of a big decision, with a contemporary Scottish folk-inspired score, the story follows a young girl Eilidh and what happens when the tide washes in a mysterious stranger.
Our reviewer said: “I lost count of the characters in the story, but feel I saw and knew them individually, despite the fact they were all played by just two actors, Bethany Tennick and Kirsty Findlay. The story moves between emotions, sadness followed by humour (it is very funny in parts) and despair followed by hope. A rich and powerful experience … a truly special show, one that will stay with me for a long time.”
Our young reviewer said: “A very touching story. I would recommend it, it was incredible.”
The Primary Times Children’s Choice Award is now in its seventh year and has become both a fixture and sought-after accolade of the Fringe, with more than 70 shows reviewed. Primary Times’ Edinburgh and Lothian’s Managing Director, Linda Edwards said: “This year has proved to be an outstanding one with more five-star shows than ever before. The Listies: Ickypedia is a very worthy winner, delighting both our adult and children reviewers. It might look like effortless fun but to keep an audience of all ages in stitches for an hour is no easy task – even with a toilet roll gun!
“I would also like to say a big thank you to all the performers involved in family and children’s shows at the Fringe; for giving 110 per cent on the days when there is only a handful of folk in; for making our children laugh, and cry, and gasp, and shout, and wriggle on the edge of their seat with excitement; for taking our small people as seriously as an audience of adults and for showing them where imagination can take them.”
The other shortlisted shows for the award were: Shark in the Park, Hey Diddle Diddle, Morgan and West: Unbelievable Science, Cirque Berserk!, Mustard Doesn’t Go With Girls and Superhero Academy: Environmental Adventure! All the shows were reviewed by both adults and children, with strict series of scoring criteria for both.