Lynn and I spent a few days in Edinburgh last week, where the Festival is in full swing. We had a ball, but the absolute piece de resistance was Dr Bunhead's show at George Square Theatre. We had wanted to see one of his shows for ages, as we got to know him ('him'? actually, his aka Tom Pringle) when he started dating our friend Jessica. We've seen lots of YouTube videos from the Brainiac TV series, but were never in the right place at the right time..
If you're a kid - go. If you've ever been a kid - go!
It's the best entertainment, a madcap hour of highly professional pandemonium: big bangs, projectiles, fire, smoke; and weird, wonderful and often beautiful science which combines fun with education.
When we mentioned to my niece (em, 27) that we knew Dr Bunhead, she said, 'DR BUNHEAD?!' and we knew we were rubbing shoulders with a hotshot - I choose my word carefully.
The Festival show, which must have been a near sell-out the day we went, is called 'Dr Bunhead is Volcano Head'; and I thought immediately of the last email Tom sent me, in which he signed off with the words, "gotta go, currently building a suit of armour out of a dustbin so that I can fire pyros off my shoulders". Sure enough, he opened by walking on stage with the words, 'I am Volcano Head', a dustbin round his torso and an upturned bucket (I think) on his head, to both of which were attached various fire-spewing appendages.
And if that sounds dangerous..
This link will take you to Dr Bunhead's festival programme (the remaining shows are Wednesday 25th to Monday 30th August inclusive, 11 am in George Square Theatre, George Square, Edinburgh)
