Octonauts and the Deep Sea Volcano Adventure - Review

Noah is a big Octonauts fan and it’s actually something that took me by surprise because with Isla being the older sister she really does dominate what channels are watched in our house and I thought we’d lost CBeebies forever! But somehow he managed to reclaim the channel and he is now permitted by her ladyship to watch Peter Rabbit and The Octonauts. He loves it, sings the theme tune and has already asked for an Octonauts birthday cake (birthday in 2 months time). When I told him that we were going to see the live show, he was so excited and actually Isla loves the theatre and the fact that it wasn’t one of her choice didn’t matter.

We went to see Octonauts and the Deep Sea Volcano Adventure at the New Wimbledon Theatre, which is fairly close to us, we’ve been there a few times, seeing Dora and Ben and Holly there previously. We took our seats, gave out the obligatory sweets and waited for the show to start and when it did it was clear that Noah was going to love it, having human sized versions of his favourite characters right in front him gave him such a thrill. He knows all the characters which was useful for me because there were some that I hadn’t noticed before in the TV show.

In Octonauts and the Deep Sea Volcano Adventure the entire crew of the Octonauts, led by intrepid explorer Captain Barnacles, Lieutenant Kwazii and Medic Peso, embark on an exciting new underwater quest and visit amazing underwater worlds full of adventure, with surprises around every corner. I won't go into anymore detail as I wouldn't want to spoil it but it has a real sense of drama in line with the age group it caters for.

Things we loved about it were all the audience participation – from being told to help steer the Octopod to being encouraged to call out to Captain Barnacle, it was great and it really helped to make the kids feel that they were part of the whole adventure. There were also some really lovely songs throughout (from BAFTA-award winning composer Mani Svavarsson no less!), songs aren’t usually a feature of the TV show but they were great and catchy too. I personally loved the bit when the stage was blacked out the UV underwater creatures came out – this was also something that happened in Peppa Pig's Treasure Hunt and it was really effective in that show too.

All in all it had a good plot and was easy for the kids to follow. Both of them loved it, Noah in particular felt like this was a big treat for him and seemed to believe that these were the real Octonauts. The show is around 90 minutes in length and there is a short interval in the middle, which allows for the inevitable kids need for the toilet!

If you would like to see Octonauts Live, go to and check out www.octonautslive.co.uk  and see if they are near you.

We were given tickets free of charge to see the show. All opinions are our own.

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland at The Polka Theatre - Review

Last weekend I took Isla, my best friend Soula and her son Samuel along to the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon to check out their new production of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Soula is a busy mum like me but when I asked her if she'd write the review of the show, she obliged,as in another life she would have loved to write and with the little spare time she does have she wrote this wonderful piece for I Heart Motherhood! Over to you my lovely.

Having a best friend who runs a successful blog does have its occasional perks; so when she invited my son and I to go and see Alice in Wonderland with her at the Polka Theatre I thought I’d be a mad hatter to turn her down! 

I wasn’t even aware of the Polka Theatre (although later discussions revealed that I had indeed been there with my father as a child many years ago). The theatre is solely aimed at producing and presenting Children’s theatre and to my surprise has been there since 1979 (probably why I can’t remember going as a child)!   Samuel and Isla were born 3 months apart and the two of them are good friends, and their excitement as we walked to the theatre was palpable.  As we entered we gathered in the main foyer where the kids could play with the various toys scattered around, whilst we purchased some snacks for the performance  - from a reasonably priced bar which even served a decent cappuccino!  As we made our way to the main theatre we passed a lovely area filled to the brim with teddy bears, which the children can play with, and enjoyed the nostalgia generated by seeing the more collectible bears displayed in beautifully presented glass cabinets;  remember Super-Ted and Fozzie Bear from the Muppets anyone? Well this is where they are enjoying their retirement!

On to the show… Now I have to hold my hand up here and admit that I have never actually read the original book of Alice in Wonderland and have only seen the rose tinted Disney version – and even that was many years ago.  This meant that as the show began, I was trying to remember what I could about the Disney adaptation – and it ended up being quite different to what was actually portrayed!  The show opens with Alice and her sister stuck indoors on a cold snowy day. Alice is energetic, inquisitive and a total contrast to her older more restrained sister. They bicker and at this point I wasn’t really sure what happened as Alice calls her sister a ‘Pig’ and then suddenly she is falling into Wonderland.  If there was a reference to the rabbit hole I must have blinked and missed it because I remain still unsure of how she actually entered Wonderland!   

Alice’s indecision about whether she should drink the potion labelled ‘drink me’ had the audience laughing, and the way she moved her body to represent shrinking and growing, was clever enough that my 4 year old understood what was being portrayed.   The show goes on to accurately portray the chapters in the book (something I have learnt now having investigated the original story)  and Alice progresses through her journey in Wonderland meeting varied and interesting characters along the way.   The scene that introduces the duchess, her cook and the Cheshire cat is noisy and bewildering, with lots of shrieking and sneezing, and banging, amidst a smoky haze – and quite frankly is completely bizarre to those unfamiliar with the book.  

The fearsome Queen of hearts was played brilliantly and her frequent cries of ‘off with their head’ kept the audience amused before we observed the most entertaining game of croquet I’ve ever seen! As Alice’s journey through Wonderland comes to an end, and she herself almost becomes a victim of the queen’s ruthless rein, we breathe a sigh of relief when she is transported safely back to her home, just as she had left it – with head firmly attached to her body!

I thought the small team involved in the production do an amazing job – not only portraying all the main characters between them, but also managing all of the props and stage rotations.  The entire cast is played out by just 6 people, with some playing up to 5 characters each!  The costume changes were so quick it was hard to believe the same person had just been playing something else.  They were all great but of course I think it’s the Queen who steals the show.

Samuel enjoyed it although I think a lot of it went over his head (to be fair he is only 4 and the production is aimed at children aged 6 and over so he was probably a bit too young really).  That said, he and Isla were completely gripped throughout and both had a thoroughly good time. 

All in all I thought it was a clever production and well worth seeing. The Polka theatre in itself is a lovely venue and worth a visit even if you are not taking in a show – they even do children’s tea parties there which I imagine are a nice way to celebrate a birthday if you live in the local area. Thanks to Sharon for inviting Samuel & I to Alice in Wonderland and for introducing me to the Polka Theatre – I will be returning… and to make up for my ignorance I promise to also read the original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland  by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (more commonly known as Lewis Carroll)!

Thanks Soula for writing a brilliant review! All I have to add is that I thoroughly enjoyed it too and the only thing that Isla was aggrieved about was that Alice retained her head! When her head was on the block she groaned audibly, to which I asked her what was wrong and she sighed and said she thought she would see her head come off….not sure what to make of that, she's not usually such a lover of gore… 

Alice in Wonderland is on at The Polka Theatre until 15th February 2014 and tickets are available here and by calling the theatre on 020 8543 4888. If you're looking for any other shows the kids will love then you should also check out our review of another Polka Theatre show Gorilla.

Thanks to the Polka theatre for inviting us to see Alice in Wonderland. We received 4 tickets in exchange for this review. All opinions and views are our own.

Gorilla at The Polka Theatre - Review

I must be really late to the party as I've only just found Anthony Browne's book Gorilla. What a lovely story and what a great job The Polka Theatre has done bringing it to the stage! We saw it on Saturday and had such a lovely time. For anyone who doesn't know it's about a little girl who has a rather big obsession with Gorillas. She thinks about them every waking and (non waking) moment. On the eve her her birthday she goes to bed with just one wish, to get a REAL Gorilla for her birthday. Her disappointment when she opens her present in the middle of the night to find that it's a toy gorilla is very physical, she throws it across the room and returns back to sleep. Only to be woken, not too long after by her toy gorilla who is now fully grown and who offers to take her to the zoo. And there starts a wonderful moonlit night of friendship and adventure between Hannah and the Gorilla; where they share a trip to the zoo, a visit to the cinema and a birthday tea together where Hannah can choose whatever she likes from the menu in unlimited quantities.

I loved the relaxed nature of the show - it's in the very intimate Adventure Theatre at the Polka and the kids can sit on the carpet right in front of the action. There are a few benches towards the back that people can sit on but it's nice to feel a part of the show. It's a two person show and both actors also do the puppeteering and all set moving. They were both fantastically skilled and had a lovely chemistry. I asked Isla what she liked best and she said she liked it when the Gorilla grew big, which is actually when the parts of Hannah and the gorilla are played by the puppets. So even though Hannah and the Gorilla are small as puppets, she grasped that the Gorilla had grown.

We also loved the part when Hannah and the gorilla go to the zoo and they look out into the audience and make out that we're the gorillas! On each side of the set were the haunting faces of the Orangutan and Chimpanzee from the book, both looking so very sad. There is a great song, 'Cherry on Top' during the birthday meal that Hannah and the Gorilla have and you can listen and download it here Both of mine loved it. 

We couldn't fault this show at all, it stays completely faithful to the book and brings it to life just how I would expect it to. For us this is a must see and we're looking forward to returning to the Polka Theatre for more fabulous productions in the near future!

Gorilla is on at The Polka Theatre until February. The running time is 45 minutes and the recommended age is 2 - 5 year olds

We were given free tickets to see Gorilla in order to give this review but all views expressed are my own.

Peppa Pig's Treasure Hunt Review

CRITERION THEATRE: 6 December 2012 – 6 January 2013

So after our girls afternoon at Aladdin we followed it up by spending Christmas Eve back in London watching Peppa Pig's Treasure hunt with Aunty K and Cousin M. It was fab. The girls both love Peppa Pig and it was the perfect holiday time treat! 

In Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt Peppa Pig and her friends set off on a new adventure, a treasure hunt. Peppa, her brother George and friend Danny Dog get up to fun and games on a day out on Granddad Dog's boat. There are clues aplenty as Pedro Pony, Polly Parrot and Zoe Zebra help them find their treasure as they all enjoy a day of adventure. Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt features true-to-life puppets, sing-along songs and a story that will charm and delight all her fans. 

What did we think?

Well the girls loved it! It was a hit from the very beginning, they were shouting out, singing along, laughing and did the usual worried look when the interval started and said "it is coming back on, isn't it?". The puppets are great and the puppeteers are also good as they manage to convey the characters of the cast of Peppa Pig without being too obviously present on the stage. They also do a really good attempt at sounding like the characters, the girl speaking as Miss Rabbit did a good job of sounding mildly sarcastic! There are some funny moments when George cries and the audience get slightly wet with his tears. We also loved the bit when Peppa is on the beach looking in a rock pool and it all goes dark and then fluorescent starfish, jellyfish and seahorses come out - it felt really magical for the kids. 

The only human character is Daisy who brings the whole story together, talking to audience and helping Peppa and her friends find the clues to the treasure - which was lots of presents from Father Christmas. Father Christmas made an appearance on stage which was very exciting for the girls and everyone sang a rendition of Jingle Bells. 

We had such a lovely morning and it was a really nice way to spend Christmas Eve and start to feel the magic build up. Theatre trips with the kids at Christmas time really are a must! For tickets go to www.peppapiglive.com

Disclaimer: We were given 4 tickets to Peppa Pig's Treasure Hunt

Activity Superstore - Champagne Afternoon Tea Review

If you're stuck for ideas for Christmas presents for your friends and family then look no further than Activity Superstore. I also think it's a brilliant 'lazy' option, no need to trudge out the door in the freezing cold and scour the high street, just turn on the laptop and order a gift experience for your nearest and dearest!

I was lucky enough to sample one of the many treats that Activity Superstore has to offer, a Champagne Afternoon Tea for Two at the Park Lane Hotel and it was blooming lovely, blissing out in the calm tranquil surroundings of the Palm Court, sipping champagne and gorging on eating dainty sandwiches and delicious cakes whilst a harpist played in the background. The Park Lane Hotel is situated close to Green Park station so very easy to get to and perfect for a bit of relaxation after hitting the shops in London's West End. 

The OH and I enjoyed this treat so much as we'd been here some years ago in our early years of dating and so it was a nice reminder of how we need to take some time out to enjoy eachother's company more away from the children every now and then. The hotel was decorated from head to toe with Christmas trees and gorgeous decorations it really made me feel that the holiday season was in full swing.

So what does a champagne afternoon tea in London in the Art Deco surroundings of the Park Lane Hotel involve, apart from the obvious champagne.....? On arrival you are served with a glass of Mumm champagne and offered the tea menu. We're really boring when it comes to tea and we chose English Breakfast tea - nothing beats a cup of builders! Then we were served with a selection of delicious sandwiches, followed by some warm scones with the obligatory jam and clotted cream but also the most delicious lemon curd I've ever tasted! As if that wasn't enough we also followed up the scones with 2 fine french pastries each that we could choose from a selection. I chose a delicious passion fruit and coconut number and another little cake that I forget the name of. OH chose a chocolate cake and a pannacotta. All were exquisite. We were so pleasantly full after that lot that if we didn't have to get back to pick the kids up from nursery then we would have easily have sat in the Palm Court for another hour and indulged in another glass of champagne.

The surroundings are relaxed and the staff are attentive enough and make you feel very special. I think this is the ideal kind of present for the person who has everything. These kinds of gifts are memorable and taking time out for yourself these days is a very rare thing. The Afternoon Tea for two at The Park Lane Hotel will set you back £79, but in my opinion it would be worth every penny as a treat for your nearest and dearest - it's something I will be considering doing for my parents when my Dad finishes his cancer treatment in the not too distant future.


Thank you Activity Superstore for letting us have this enjoyable experience, all views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Shrek The Musical - Review

I was really looking forward to seeing Shrek last week as I'd been invited to a media night performance, so when Noah was poorly that morning I just knew that I wasn't going. Obviously priorities lay with the babies so I hand over my blog to my two best friends now to give you the low down, over to you girls:

"When Sharon asked me if I wanted to go to see Shrek with her as she had been invited to review it for her blog, I was thrilled. Even though it is primarily aimed at children (and we were not taking ours), I love seeing musicals and having seen the film years ago, I was interested to see how it had been adapted for the stage.  However, on the day, Sharon’s youngest was ill and she was unable to go. She asked if I could take someone else and review it for her. It was such a shame that Sharon couldn’t come but as they say; ‘the show must go on’ (or in this case the ‘review must go on’), and I found a friend happy to accompany me.

We arrived at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and were kindly given our tickets and a programme. Now I never buy programmes but I really liked this one. It was beautifully designed and gave good background information on all the cast and my 3 year old son loved looking at the pictures the next day (and now wants to go and see it). We went to the evening show which is actually a really good time to see it. I imagine the matinees are much busier and it was great to not have to queue for drinks or the toilets at the interval!  We had great seats which enabled us to get a close up view of the cast and their fantastic costumes.

I won’t go into the story of Shrek as I can’t imagine many people don’t know it. If there is anyone out there who hasn’t seen it, it is essentially a love story about an Ogre and a Princess, with a vertically challenged self obsessed Lord who wants to be a King, a host of fairy tale characters and a talking donkey.

From the opening scene, involving many disgruntled fairy tale folk, we were taken on a colourful musical journey, meeting some brilliant characters along the way.  Lord Farquaad in particular is excellent and raises the most laughs by far. I liked that they made Fiona slightly more narcissistic and sarcastic than in the film – referring to herself as bi-polar in the scene in the tower where she is impatiently waiting for her prince, ranging from hopeful romantic to a crazy female obsessed with being rescued. The donkey was great, as you would expect for one of the main characters. Shrek himself did the job really well, although I did find at times I couldn’t understand his singing over the voice of Fiona and the loud music. The costumes were great; the fairy god-mothers being a particular favourite of mine with all its glorious purple sparkle!

The most impressive scenes by far were those involving the dragon. Seeing the 4 actors bringing this huge dragon to life across the stage, with its shining eyes and soulful singing voice was amazing; only beaten when the same dragon flew over the audiences head to land on the stage! I thought the young boy behind us would be terrified but he loved it. I think that is why it is recommended for children aged 5 and over. I know my 3 year old would have been terrified and begging to leave!

The show moved along at a good pace, I didn't find my mind wandering as it has at some other theatre productions where some scenes fail to impress that much.  The storyline was enough away from the original film that you didn't feel they were adding or missing parts, whilst still keeping the characters (mostly) in character. The scene changes were flawless and I was very impressed with how quickly they changed Fiona to an ogre at the end, it was fascinating watching that happen.

The finale was a real feel good sing a long which saw the entire audience clapping away, made even more special by the Confetti that exploded all around us. I watched the young boy behind us collecting up the pieces to take away as a small memento of a show he clearly enjoyed.

So all in all I would definitely recommend Shrek the musical as a great show for the whole family (not including those under 4 or 5). It was a real feel-good show and my friend and I left having had a thoroughly entertaining couple of hours.  So a big thank you to Sharon for giving us the opportunity to go; and I am sorry you missed out!"

Thanks for the review guys - sounds like you had an amazing time! Instead of going to the show I took at the look at this video that the cast of Shrek The Musical and Centrepoint have made to celebrate Christmas. Centrepoint believe in giving homeless young people a future. To donate £2 to Centrepoint's Christmas appeal, simply text OGRE12 £2 to 70070.

Noah is Given his Marching Orders!

On Friday I had myself a really lovely lunchtime stroll around Borough Market with Noah and one of my dear friends. I was a little bit anxious about venturing to London on my own with Noah, but given I was only travelling to London Bridge, I knew that we weren't far from home and that we didn't have a tube journey to contend with.

We were all having a really lovely time, Noah was taking in the sights and sounds and my friend and I were spending on delectable foodstuffs! After an hour we thought it best to have a cuppa and a cake and get Noah fed, so we went to a Patisserie on the edge of the market.

Being on maternity leave at the moment I'm finding myself having coffee and a cake in cafes quite a regular thing, so on entering the cake shop I had no inkling that we would be asked to leave as that has NEVER happened to me before, so I was blissfully making my way to a table to sit down when the waitress intercepted me and said that we couldn't come in here with THAT. I initially thought she meant the buggy and given that it was a really small shop I thought, fair do's it is a bit tight, so I said, that's fine I can fold it down (handy Maclaren!), again she said no and I mistakenly thought that as she had an Eastern European accent that she didn't understand what I meant, so I repeated that I could fold it down and put it under the table. How wrong was I? She understood quite well what I meant and she then had to think up some other reason that we weren't welcome. 'Erm, we have no seat for him'. Well that's easy I said, he can't sit up on his own anyway and he would be sitting on my lap. I'm very calm, really still not getting that she doesn't want my baby in the place - it's not the buggy at all!!! To which she just bluntly told me that her boss wouldn't welcome us. So 'THAT' which she was referring to was my baby.

The penny dropped.

I was a bit gobsmacked and anyone that knows me would know I would at that point normally have flipped, blurted out a load of angry words and flounced out. But my saviour was my friend who I hadn't seen for ages and I really didn't want to make a scene and embarrass her. So we walked off up the road perplexed, with my friend feeling bad that she'd suggested the place.

On reflection now I'm actually outraged. When we found somewhere to sit down and have coffee, Noah was brilliantly behaved, had his milk, looked cute, giggled and did not once cry, he drew admiring looks and we got on with our afternoon.

I found myself thinking about the incident quite a lot since it happened and I decided that it deserved a blog post as I've never been refused entry to a cake shop because of my kids and it got me wanting to google this particular place and I'm glad I did as I now feel that I wasn't singled out, apparently this place has a terrible reputation for pushing people out the door for not spending enough, telling people they can't use laptops and now telling people with kids that they can't come in! Unfortunately this establishment will not suffer as there is enough trade in the area but I now feel it's my duty to add to the online log of dissatisfied customers (although obviously I can't call myself that, not actually having imbibed anything!) and name the place as PATISSERIE LILA.

Don't go there unless you really can't find anywhere else and you fancy potentially being humiliated.