Dexter and Winter's Detective Agency

• Kelly Apter
• 5 August 2019

credit: Rebecca Need Menear

Chasing criminals has never been so much fun

With crime fiction such a hit with the grown-ups, it's only fair that kids get a bite of the bad apple. But unlike the dark detective stories that adults lap up, this lively show for ages seven-plus is as light as a feather. Well, almost.

Dexter and Winter are best friends, they've known each other forever and regularly hang out at each other's houses. This arrangement is made semi-permanent, however, when Dexter's mum is imprisoned for robbery. Convinced of her innocence, the two ten-year-olds set out to clear her name and find the real culprit.

Each scene arrives on the stage like a brick through a window, jam-packed with energy and humour. Charlotte O'Leary as Winter and Toyin Omari-Kinch as Dexter breathe pre-teen life into the characters, whether they're high on problem-solving or suffering the low blows of disappointment.

Which leaves Charlotte Bate to put in a cracking performance as everyone else the duo encounters, from mums to shopkeepers to police officers and even an aerobic granny.

Yet despite the abundant wit and charm, this show doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of life, looking them square in the face with warmth and compassion.

Roundabout @ Summerhall, 10 & 11 Aug, 17 & 18 Aug, 24 & 25 Aug, 11.20am, £10 (£8).