Johnny is having trouble since his parents split up, and he spends a lot of time in his room playing computer games. But one day when he is hard at work splatting the aliens on the screen, they start talking back to him. They are tired of being shot at by humans and want to surrender and go home. They want Johnny to offer them safe conduct.
A fully fledged musical based on Terry Pratchett's bestselling novel for children, this is a pretty ambitious undertaking, and although you get the impression that it's still in the development stage, it has a lot going for it. It shows a freshness and directness that is rather appealing, and though the music is sometimes bland, it has moments of emotional delicacy, and keeps the story rolling.
But the show needs to find a way to integrate its two different realities, and few of the characters are sufficiently well developed to really make you care about them. Yet there is strong potential here, and even as it stands it is a zippy and enjoyable 90 minutes performed very nicely by its young cast.
· Until August 30. Box office: 0131-556 6550.
