Line Kings/All White Now!

If you are currently carting small children around Edinburgh it is likely that you have become accustomed to enduring the tedium of ‘family-friendly’ shows. These shows can be painful affairs that leave a sour wince in the mouth and a profound sadness for the plight of those involved; they can also be genuinely delightful, offering a welcome distraction for tots with insatiable energy levels.

Line Kings falls somewhere in-between, often rising to points of relatively amusing entertainment, whilst never veering far from a well-earned groan as the audience falls foul of yet another pun(ch) ‘line’. The show is structured around poetry, or rather simple rhyming, presenting a “wonderful lyrical journey” that goes nowhere, but ultimately satisfies the young’uns for an hour. The duo never tire in their admirable attempt to exhaust their audience, whether through laughter (and/or groaning), direct participation, or standing them up to make them dance about. Quips like “I’m sick of doing these awful jokes”, and “Bit by bit the audience took over the show”, are telling tag lines that potential audience members should consider when queuing at the box office.

The Line Kings are on the cusp of providing a great kids' show, but are currently just missing the mark with a performance that dips more often that it rises. Some attention to pacing and a re-evaluation of their own view of the jokes could lead to a slicker performance, and perhaps given time the show will improve accordingly. Despite these faults the show is undoubtedly an ample means of quelling the infant horde before lunch time.