What better place to have a science lesson from Doctor Kaboom than in Beyond at The Pleasance Courtyard, a venue that gives the feel of turning up for a lesson in a lecture hall.
If that gives you flash backs of terrible times at school don’t panic though, as this lecture hall has been turned into what looks like a mad scientist’s lab, with the stage strewn with all sorts of contraptions and gadgets, the centrepiece consisting of a giant wheel full of intriguing sounding names of what we can only assume are experiments to be had by the crowd.
A big (ka)booming voice announces the arrival of Doctor Kaboom, and from the second he takes the stage he has the crowd enthralled.
The theme of this show takes experiments from all his other shows and throws it to chance as to what the crowd will see with a spin of the wheel deciding each experiment.
It seems the wheel of chance gremlins are in full force this afternoon as time after time the spin lands on the experiment just performed, or lets the audience choose, but each time raises a laugh and is handled expertly.
The experiments are fun, interesting, clever, but the thing that really stands out and makes this a must-see show is the way Doctor Kaboom handles the crowd.
Kids and Adults alike are listening to his every word, shouting “YA” in agreement, and learning something at the same time.
There is a lot of interaction with the crowd with volunteers coming up for each experiment, and the joy on their faces as they do something ‘dangerous’ with science is delightful.
There is no real danger as each experiment is expertly thought out, suggesting other ways these experiments could go, and also managing to teach the kids about consent, self-worth and addressing safety all in a way that doesn’t feel forced at all.
As the show goes on the children stand up, shouting out answers and accidentally learning something at the same time (shhh, don’t tell them) and when the show ends the kids file out to meet and greet Doctor Kaboom and take pictures with their new science hero.
Doctor Kaboom and The Wheel of Science. 12:00 at Pleasance Beyond, Aug 9-21
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/doktor-kaboom-and-the-wheel-of-science
