New Children's Theatre Show Breaks All Records At Edinburgh Science Festival

Presented by Edinburgh Science Festival, working in partnership with Scottish Theatre Producers and Imaginate, Sam and Melody: Record Breakers is a new children's theatre show as part of Science in the Spotlight programme at Edinburgh Science Festival 2019.

Sam and Melody want to break a world record. They train every day. They want to be the best, the fastest, the strongest, the largest, the longest - anything so long as they get their names in the big record book. Their official record attempt is just around the corner, when a message brings news that will possibly break up the team forever and take them on a journey across the seas, through the waves and into the deep.

Science in the Spotlight, the special theatre-meets-science strand of the Festival returns with another world premiere, Melody and Sam: Record Breakers, a hilarious and tender story of determination, friendship and record-breaking success. Directed by Caitlin Skinner and developed with support from Creative Scotland through the Scottish Government's Festivals Expo Fund and presented at The Pleasance, the show is aimed at children 5 - 8 years old.

Caitlin Skinner is an award-winning theatre director based in Edinburgh. She is one half of feminist theatre company Jordan & Skinner and Director with new writing theatre company Pearlfisher. She was Artistic Director of acclaimed new writing pub theatre company Village Pub Theatre from 2012-2018.

Her recent directing credits include: Propeller (SDTN/Pleasance Futures), Woke (Apphia Campbell, Fringe First award winner), At A Stretch (Jordan & Skinner, ThreeWeeks award winner), The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde (Lung Ha Theatre Company), Sanitise (Jordan & Skinner, Fringe First award winner), Selkie and The Happiest Day of Brendan Smillie's Life (A Play, A Pie and A Pint) and Noye's Fludde (Lammamuir/McOpera). Caitlin was dramaturg on Animals and As the Crow Flies (Greg Sinclair/Imaginate) and The Hall (Bullet Heart Club/New Zealand). Caitlin has worked as Assistant Director with National Theatre of Scotland (The James Plays, Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, Driver's Seat) Dundee Rep (In My Father's Words) Traverse Theatre (Breakfast Plays) and Royal Lyceum Theatre (Cinderella).

Caitlin Skinner said: "We've had so much fun working with the Science Festival to create the characters of Melody and Sam and discover the adventure they will go on in this show. The way that water shapes our planet is going to become more and more significant as our climate changes and so we hope this show will not only show you a good time but will ignite your curiosity about our watery planet and give you hope about how ordinary people like Melody and Sam, innovate in the face of adversity."

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said: "Melody and Sam: Record Breakers successfully bridges the gap between science and theatre, and I am pleased the Scottish Government's EXPO Fund has made this bold production possible.

"This is the first theatre production by the Edinburgh Science Festival which was specifically commissioned with the potential of touring as a core element, I look forward to seeing it reach an even wider audience when it goes on the road."