Presented by Fairy Jasmine’s Entertainment
Reviewed 16 February 2020
The Fairy Wonderland Show was a hit with littlies on the opening weekend of the 2020 Fringe. As the oldest of all the fairies, Fairy Jasmine looked incredible for her 129 years. And as Fairyland’s resident elder, it’s her job to teach all the newbie fairies to master their skills in her special fairy school.
The show opened with an original song (the entire score is original) welcoming all the children to Fairyland. Kids were able to sit on mats on the floor of The Parlour tent at Gluttony (or stay with parents in the round seating) and were led through an interactive song and dance series. Fairy Jasmine taught all the little fairies in the audience how to use their wands and wings and how to do a special call that only other fairies can hear.
Post this initial intro, Fairy Jasmine was joined by Fairy Jack – a very hairy fairy indeed! Jack was once just an ordinary little boy, but he wanted to be a fairy so badly that, one day, Fairy Jasmine granted his wish. A word to parents here – the message is drilled home that if you just believe hard enough, you can become a fairy. While this is qualified to some degree later in the show that everyone who is kind, loves themselves and brings joy to others, qualifies as a ‘real fairy’, this may be misunderstood by eager youngsters.
Fairy Jack is great – he looks big and manly, tempered by his most excellent fairy costume and nervous, clumsy manner. It was truly beautiful characterisation and his adult jokes made the whole thing far more enjoyable for parents. This was especially so when Fairy Jack went looking for fairies in the audience who were just like him – watch out dads!
Jasmine was high voltage energy throughout, and together the two made wonderful foils. There’s lots of kid interaction through song, dance and learning things about Fairyland. Several children were chosen to participate in the show in various ways and a good portion of them got to be part of it.
Overall, this was a great show for toddlers up to children around the six to seven-year-old age bracket. Lots took the opportunity to dress up as little fairies and the glittery wings and costumes added to the magical atmosphere. Just one cautionary note, they sell fairy wands and CDs afterwards which attract quite a hefty price tag. I had to deal with crying children because I wasn’t prepared to pay $20 for a wand afterwards. But if you’re crafty and strategically avoid this add-on at the end, The Fairy Wonderland Show is a lovely Fringe show for the very young and young at heart.
Reviewed by Samantha Bond
Twitter: @SamStaceyBond
Rating out of 5: 4
Venue: The Parlour at Gluttony
Season: 15 Feb – 15 March
Duration: 60 mins
Tickets: $18-25
Bookings: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/the-fairy-wonderland-show-af2020
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