It isn’t just the elephant’s shape and size, though. His character is fairly hard to stomach too. Puppeteer Elaine Hartley plays the elephant with grumpy gusto but he’s a horrible bully with a horrible catchphrase, boomed out in a horrible voice (“Silly boooooy!”). That leaves the kids with very little to latch on to. Heidi Goldsmith is perfectly likable as Sam, particularly when she sings Tom Gray’s catchy new songs, but her performance feels a little forced. In fact, there’s something about Samantha Lane’s production that feels a little overblown. It’s too loud, too bright and too brash – especially for a theatre where subtle detail and gentle charm tend to work so well.

In Nails It! at Gilded Balloon, Jesus L'Oreal delivers 'a sacre-licious energetic hour of song, dance and Jehovah's Fitness'. 'Taking to the trial stand, fighting for justice and liberty,' Karen From Finance Is Doing Time at Underbelly. At BlundaGardens, Joanne Tremarco and Maral: Mother Earth (The Oldest Stripper) is an 'interdisciplinary BSL-integrated show, blending clown, burlesque, puppetry, live film'. Mr & Mrs Love are at Pleasance, offering 'a battle of hearts, minds and music… as the two sing for their survival, with a surprising array of musical instruments, outrageous dancing and acidic wit'. And Shakesqueer at Bedlam Theatre is a 'drag-show parody rewrite of five of Shakespeare's most famous works'. Write a letter from Sam to the zoo that explains what has happened. Can you write the reply from the zoo? Edinburgh Music Theatre bring two shows to St Andrew's and St George's West, George St this Fringe. EMT Does Pop promises 'anthemic songs that you love, performed with EMT's signature quality and style', while Anthems – New Generation Musical Hits has 'a stunning collection of anthemic songs from newer musicals from recent decades, performed with a live band'. A little girl is sent to retrieve a needle and thread from the ferocious Baba Yaga' in A Girl Called Grace at The Royal Scots Club. At Central Hall, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane'is a wonderful story about love, loss, change and finally, finding your way home'. And the Helena Academy of Drama and Expression presents two productions at Paradise Green: Children of Eden Jr, 'Stephen Schwartz's epic and heartfelt musical', and Journey to the West: In Search of the Way, an interactive show filled with 'martial art, music and mischief'. Two different shows are encouraging audience members to sing along this Fringe: Pub Choir – This Worked At Home is 'the low-effort, high-return show of your dreams' at The Liquid Room, while Choir!Choir!Choir! at Underbelly is 'a show where the crowd is the star'.

The slightly annoying elephant is a fantastic story written by the hilarious David Walliams. Walliams has moved away from the usual style of his novels to a short story which younger readers can enjoy. This is guaranteed to become a classic. The story is about an elephant who comes to stay with Sam, after Sam fills out a form to adopt an elephant at the zoo. As you can guess from the title the elephant is ‘slightly annoying’, in the way that he behaves and how he just assumes that he has control of the house, ruining the house and having no care for the mess he makes. There’s a buzz in the theatre and the children in the audience, including Ceci (aged three), hold their breath. When will the Slightly Annoying Elephant – pulled straight from David Walliams’s bestselling picture book – arrive in young Sam’s living room? The anticipation builds and – finally! – the elephant arrives. But let’s just name the elephant in the room, shall we? This one is a bit of a disappointment. One of the highlights of the book is its premise - an unexpected visit from an elephant that claims to be slightly annoying. The concept is unique and intriguing, and it sets up the story for some humorous interactions between the elephant and the main character, Sam. The illustrations by Tony Ross are also colorful and appealing, adding to the overall visual appeal of the book.

This is an enjoyably silly story with a very large blue elephant… There are some bright, cheery performances to fit the bright, cheery visual appearance of the production.”– British Theatre Guide Unsurprisingly for a company with the experience of the Little Angel Theatre, the elephant puppet is of a high quality. Large and well detailed with an adaptable trunk allowing for flexible movement. Giving the puppeteer, who also voices the animal (and many others) the opportunity to embody the role and stomp about to impress the scale of the giant mammal. Fringe audiences can 'experience the passionate and mesmerising Flamenco Guitar Odyssey by Philip Adie' at Alba Flamenca. Flamencodanza at C venues is an 'inspired, powerful and elegant show of Flamenco dance and guitar presented by Aylin Bayaz, Raul Mannola'. And the 'award-winning Daniel Martinez Flamenco Company presents their long-awaited second album and production' Andalucia at YOTEL Edinburgh. Elephants are nosier than ANY other animals- Their trunks can weigh 400 pounds and can grow to be 7 feet long giving them the biggest noses in the world A slightly annoying elephant, of course! One day Sam gets a very big surprise as a tired, hungry, antique-loving, cycling enthusiast elephant turns up on his doorstep. Adopting an elephant at the zoo turned out to be a lot more than he bargained for as he didn’t realise the elephant would actually come to live with him – silly boy!

Delving into Edinburgh's gruesome history, Plague, Poo n' Punishment at The Lost Close features 'live music and horrible stories from centuries gone by'. In Taiwan Season: World in a Word at Summerhall, 'language is the springboard for fun and games in an interactive, family-friendly production'. Bumble's Big Adventure at C venues is 'a one-act educational play following Bumble, a honeybee, on an adventure to find a bee balm flower'. Smithy's Scavenger Hunt at Panmure House promises you'll 'have a blast while learning about the Scottish Enlightenment and its leading figures'. And 24 Solar Terms at theSpaceUK is 'an immersive theatre production' from QFunTheater Children's Experimental Troupe, 'condensing the time of each season into a performance.' At Assembly, Rutene Spooner's Thoroughly Modern Maui is a 'cabaret extravaganza… fusing myth and legend with rhinestones and glitter'. In Child of Sunday at Laughing Horse, ' Elisa Riddington recounts fables of her childhood as a preacher's kid, through stories and songs'. And Anna Vanosi's 'soulful voice transports you from Billie Holiday to Björk' in Late Bloomers' Tales at The Jazz Bar.

The book is written in a simple and accessible style, making it suitable for young readers. The pacing is generally good, with a brisk pace that keeps the story moving along. The humor is quirky and offbeat, which may appeal to certain readers who enjoy that type of humor. Additionally, while the humor had its moments, there were times when it felt forced and repetitive, which dampened my overall enjoyment of the book. I also felt that the resolution of the story was somewhat rushed and could have been more developed to provide a more satisfying conclusion. The Octavoce ensemble present 'a whirlwind a cappella trip through our favourite Disney tunes' in 100 Years of Disney at Leith Arches. Searchlight Theatre Company presents two shows at Palmerston Place Church: A Spoonful of Songs features 'some of the most iconic songs from films like Mary Poppins, Aladdin, Toy Story and The Prince of Egypt', while Her Majesty's Musicals celebrate 'the rule and reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II, featuring songs from musicals that have played Her Majesty's Theatre in London's West End –including Fiddler on the Roof, Phantom and West Side Story'. AXIOM–'11 incredible singers ready to take your breath away'–present Fundamentals of A Cappella at Paradise Green. With my own child in attendance that enjoys Walliams' books, we wanted and tried to find the best in the piece, but the story feels as though it’s dated and needs a new interpretation, as the messaging throughout for children is unrelenting, negative and overall left us deflated. Look at this video that shows the eBook edition of the story. Could you plan the features of an eBook for a different story?

A ballroom phenomenon with fab-u-lous dance routines to suit the whole family, Strictly Barking is a high-energy comedy following a lonely old man and a homeless dog whose friendship leads them to enter a ballroom dancing competition. Each performance combines clowning, non-verbal storytelling, and audience interaction for all. Strictly Come Dancing meets Wallace and Gromit, this is a must-see family show. The story is short, yet it is not short on humour, and with the amount of cross curricular activities you can do from this short story. Geography activities on the story could investigate where elephants live, and the countries he crossed on his route to Sam’s house. The literacy links could include story writing focusing on the elephant’s thoughts or feelings. Or a letter of complaint to the zoo for the misunderstanding Sam has found himself in. For a drama activity children can act out conversations between Sam and his mother. Art activities could include showing different variations of elephants or pictures representing the activities the elephant does. As we watched the elephant take poor Sam for a ride, and destroy his shiny red bicycle, I hoped there might be a message hidden in here. Don’t let the bullies win, perhaps? Yet the show ends on a throwaway note – something about reading the small print (you had to be there, I guess). Fun, I suppose. But I can’t help wishing for more.

From classic close-up to parlour prestidigitation, Tim Licata brings his brand of delightful deception to the Scottish Arts Club' in Close-Up and Personal. Meanwhile, at PBH's Free Fringe, magician and comedian Chris Cook Asked a Robot to Write Him a Five-Star Show and This Is What It Said. Today, Thursday 11 May, we're delighted to announce that more shows for the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe will be available to book at edfringe.com. Read the story and find all of the words that the author has used to describe the elephant (e.g. gigantic, annoying). The South London Jazz Orchestra'dazzles you with big-band favourites from the whole history of jazz - as well as some more surprising choices - in an afternoon of funk, Latin, swing and much more'. They're playing at both Broughton St Mary's Parish Church and St Andrew's and St George's West, George St. 'Award-winning international blues star Giles Robson, one of the greatest living blues harmonica virtuosos, showmen and singers,' is joined by Edinburgh blues guitar player Sandy Tweeddale in Up Close with the Blues at Ryrie's Bar. And 'two-time Grammy nominee' Beth Nielsen Chapman has released 14 solo albums, with 'songs recorded by the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson and Elton John'–catch her at The Queen's Hall.

Registered in England and Wales No: 1681278. Registered office 2 Tony Wilson Place Manchester M15 4FN. Write a timetable that shows the events that took place on the day that the elephant arrived at Sam’s house. Children at Broadford Primary have recorded their own retelling of the story. Could you make your own?