Following our recent deep dive into the bold lineup of the 2026 Edinburgh International Children’s Festival, we have heard from another two of the wonderful performers and makers bringing work to the festival. We caught up with them to find out exactly what drives them to create for the most ruthlessly honest demographic in theatre.
Young audiences will not politely sit through a scene that has lost its tension; they vote with their voices and their feet. For Jetse Batelaan, director of the absurdist comedy It would be such a shame if you missed out, this pressure is entirely welcome.
The Welcome Pressure of a Young Crowd
“I am always looking for ways to involve and activate my audience,” Batelaan explains. “I like an audience that has his specific desires, frustrations etc. and dare to express them. By this they become part of the major dramatic conflict in my work. Not an conflict between the characters on stage, but between what is happening on stage and the ones who are watching it.”
“I am always looking for ways to involve and activate my audience,” Batelaan explains.
Clara, representing the Italian circus production Gretel, similarly relies on this tension. “One tool I find particularly effective for capturing the audience’s attention and breaking up the narrative flow is the ‘surprise effect’,” she notes. “It is important to build in small, unexpected twists – unanticipated events that can hold and spark the audience’s interest.”
Nurturing Rebellion
Creating work for children is a distinct artistic choice. For Clara, the motivation is rooted in social responsibility. “I create shows for young audiences because they are the future, and I find speaking to them both necessary and inspiring,” she says. “The more their minds are nurtured, open and curious, the more likely they are to imagine a different future.”
Batelaan’s reasoning is a little more anarchic. He makes performances for young audiences because he simply enjoys “their rebellion, their honesty and their openness. And they dare to participate in a game they do not know.”
Returning to the Capital
Both artists see the festival as a vital global hub. Gretel uses fairy-tale imagery and circus language to tackle the urgent theme of migration, and Clara views the Edinburgh run as a crucial opportunity “to reach different audiences” and “exchange practices and visions” with international peers.
For Clara, the motivation is rooted in social responsibility. “I create shows for young audiences because they are the future, and I find speaking to them both necessary and inspiring,”
For Batelaan, returning to the city holds a special resonance. “It’s a big honor to me to be part of this festival again. I keep so much good memories of the two other performances I presented here,” he recalls. “Especially about the audience. How expressive they are. Their sense of humor. And that they there to take the risk to visit an international performance for young audiences.”
He adds a final, fitting tribute: “Shout out to the people of Edinburgh!”
Featured Image: Gretel by Quattrox4 Company © Alessandro Villa
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