The Reviews
The Herald
****
True to the everlasting popularity of pirate themes, this year's Edinburgh Fringe is chock-full of nautical choices for children. The slick production of Potted Pirates from popular Fringe veterans Dan and Jeff is bound to raise a chuckle from mum and dad as well as the wee ones.
Sticking to the personalities honed from previous Fringe blockbuster Potted Potter, Dan and Jeff proceed to entertain and educate the crowd with their winning mixture of fact and whimsy. Jeff, playing the pedant, begins to lecture the crowd on piratical history. Dan butts in with anachronistic and childish suggestions, playing the fool to perfection. Jeff soldiers on with histories on actual pirates, while Dan appeals to the audience with his spirited insistence on including more contemporary villains. Many laughs ensue. The schtick is practised, the jokes fast and furious and the whole play a great swashbuckling trip.
The Scotsman
****
Ex-crewmen of the good ship Blue Peter, Dan and Jeff make no secret of the fact that they're hitching a ride on the Pirates… bandwagon in Potted Pirates, even going so far as to promise a finale of all three films performed back to back live on stage in just five minutes (the duo did something similar to great effect last Fringe with Harry Potter). Jeff tries to give an "educational lecture" on the history of piracy from William Dampier to Blackbeard; Dan makes life difficult for his pal, by, for instance, performing a Long John Silver rap while shaking his "real pirate booty", and getting the audience to bombard him with plastic cannonballs – an exact(ish) recreation of the historic defeat of the Spanish navy by the English in 1588 (which wasn't exactly an act of piracy but let's not be pedantic). This is still energetic and fiendishly clever stuff.
Whatsonstage.com
*****
"Yarragh!” Practice this phrase in a suitable pirate accent before you see this wickedly funny production. As, from the moment you sit down and the cast is wandering around the auditorium handing out play balls, to the rousing end song, audience involvement with this show is mandatory. Brought to the stage by the same team who gave us Potted Potter, this is a barrel of fun. Dan Clarkson and Jeff Turner guide the audience both young and old through a series of pirate stories. Although the basic facts are there, you have never seen these tales done this way before. A simple set design, a few well chosen props, clever costumes and a great deal of talent propel the audience at breakneck speed through tales of William Dampier, Treasure Island, Anne Bonney and Mary Read, Sir Francis Drake, Henry Morgan and Blackbeard, with some Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates Of The Caribbean thrown in for good measure, me hearties! I have to admit to having never seen the history of the British Naval defeat of the Spanish Armada in quite that way – and will probably never be able to take it seriously again. A tremendously funny script, written by the pair, along with their director Richard Hurst, is enhanced by the obvious enjoyment of the performers and their willingness to ad-lib as they go. With dramatic music by Phil Innes and effective lighting by James Mathews, the two cast members skilfully handle the lightning-speed changes of subject, moving between acting, comedy and singing with swashbuckling ease. The younger members of the audience are held captivated throughout, with very few pauses inbetween the giggles and hearty laughter. Slapstick comedy appeals to both children and adults, and the gently suggestive asides mean that us oldies can laugh at the odd double entendre on our own! But underneath it all, the core of factual information will encourage both children and adults to find out more about the pirates that are parodied so well here. Go and relish the opportunity to join in with your kids for an hour. But, don’t forget to wait around at the end to find out what the play balls are for! A must-sea, Captain!
The List
*****
Hilarity on the high seas. Sensible pirate devotee Jeff just wants to give a serious, educational lecture about famous pirates. His crewmate Dan, while also a fellow fan of all things swashbuckling, has a different approach. An enthusiast of the Jack Sparrow variety of privateer, he hops about the stage, encouraging jaunty songs and nautical silliness, much to the chagrin of the mortally serious Jeff. This straightman/foil approach works brilliantly in Dan and Jeff's Potted Pirates. Fresh from their raucous parody of the Harry Potter franchise, their show is pitched at just the right level to keep children entertained and adults unsuccessfully trying to hide their grins.
Protracted bouts of audience participation ensure everyone's attention is held. In particular, a chaotic re-enactment of the defeat of the Spanish Armada has the audience hurling scores of plastic blue 'cannonballs' at a stoic Jeff who, by this point, has resigned himself to the wilful tomfoolery of Dan's celebrity pirate fixation. This, along with an adapted musical number, proves a fittingly energetic climax. Never afraid to send up their own improvised props and limited cast, the talented duo cover most facets of pirate pop culture, and in doing so, spin a solid hour of genuinely funny farce for kids both big and small.
Broadway Baby
*****
Despite almost drowning amidst a tidal wave of props, costumes and word-play Dan and Jeff emerge from the blue-briny with a blistering hour of high-ranking kids comedy. Following on from the sell-out Potted Potter, our able seamen take arms against a sea of pirates. This is kids comedy with verve, vigour and intelligence - both in structure and performance. Dropping anchor at every historical port to bring buckle-swashing figures like Henry Morgan and Blackbeard to life, Dan and Jeff present a giggle-riddled voyage of buccaneering fun. Following in the traditional double-act format, the dopey comic attempts to scuttle the high-brow schemes of his partner. It opens as a serious lecture but swiftly sinks beneath waves of manical piratical gags, guffs and guffaws. Dan and Jeff have a strong, vibrant and engaging style - complimented with some good panto-participation - and this Jolly Good Ship is worthy of a very long voyage!
one4review.com
*****
I love the Fringe as I can use it to indulge my inner child and what child at one time or another hasn't wanted to be a pirate, sailing the seven seas searching for treasure?
After finally seeing 'Potted Potter - The unauthorised Harry Experience - A Parody by Dan and Jeff' last Fringe I was first in the queue to see 'Potted Pirates' and was definitely delighted.
They seem to be able to get the whole audience behind them and joining in from the very start, mind you with the opportunity to join in with a battle using cannonballs most of the kids hung on their every word. Now for my sob story I wasn’t given a cannonball and couldn’t join in!
Dan and Jeff work together with almost perfect timing, working ideas which appeal to both adults and children, the laughs and giggles come thick and fast. I'm sure there are jokes the kids don’t get just as I am sure there are references that pass directly over the adults heads.
Dan and Jeff are building themselves a specialised niche market I just look forward to seeing what they come up with next.
ThreeWeeks
*****
Potted Potter's wondrous double act, Dan and Jeff, are back, much to everyone's delight. And this time with Pirates! All hands ahoy! Come aboard their pirate ship for an exciting and hilarious adventure across the seven seas. You'll journey through fictional time and meet the most famous of pirate legends, from Long John Silver of 'Treasure Island' to Jack Sparrow of 'The Black Pearl'. Help recreate the Spanish Armada and you're sure to find yer gold! This is a fantastic and farcical story of pirate life interspersed with silly songs, pirate rap and an educational slide show. Their props and costumes are colourful, inventive and outright ridiculous, adding polish to this rare diamond among children shows which is perfectly pitched for all the family.