The fourth annual children's festival Kidfest got off to a rocky start with a disappointing Suzy and Uncle Joe Family Show.

The Southampton Princess' auditorium was packed with children -- and adults -- ready for some light entertainment.

But there were a lot of bemused faces when the show ended after little more than 40 minutes.

The two performers, Calvin Cairns and Gina Bastone, exited the stage leaving many assuming this was part of the act and the duo would return.

But bemusement rapidly turned to calculation as many parents, who had brought two or more children, worked out exactly what they'd got for the $15 a head show. One parent said after the lights came up: "It was a long way to come for very little. I'm a bit disappointed.'' And 11-year-old Damion Tait, who was probably at the upper end of the age limit for the show, damned with faint praise. He said: "It was all right -- but it was too short. It was quite funny, though.'' But another mother was more blunt -- she said: "It was pretty expensive and a long way to come for 40 minutes.'' Kidfest organiser Paula Maguire said she had asked for cuts in the show's content to tone it down for a Bermudian audience.

And she added she was horrified when the lost 15 minutes was not replaced with other material.

Ms Maguire said she spoke to the performers after the first show at 1 p.m. on Sunday and the show was lengthened to around 55 minutes for the 3 p.m.

performance. But she added: "They won't be back -- this has probably been a good learning experience for booking shows.'' The show was a particular disappointment because it started well with the two characters -- a strait-laced uncle figure and a `girl' who was a bit of a brat sparking well off each other.

And children loved the Suzy character's jokes about boogers and why it was okay to say Winnie the Pooh -- but not to talk about dog pooh. And the song about a mother and daughter taking the day off work and school respectively -- with the cheery refrain "me and my mummy lied'' -- leaving the answering machine on and just chilling out was the cause of a certain amount of embarrassed laughter, at least among the adults.

Slapstick took over when Suzy started an Italian lullaby, then threw a tantrum when she thought the audience had dropped off.

Children shrieked with horrified laughter as she roamed the audience with a spray gun filled with water in a bid to wake them all up again.

And Uncle Joe's virtuoso performance of Pop Goes the Weasel, involving a fair amount of gymnastics and using the back of a chair as a bow, entertained all age groups.

But the bottom line is it was too little for too much money. Kidfest organisers cannot be criticised as the act has a good reputation and both performers good track records.

The idea of Kidfest, however, is a splendid one, particularly for the winter months and, some criticism of one act notwithstanding, is well worth supporting.

RAYMOND HAINEY THEATRE REVIEW REV