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.

Dinosaur Zoo, The Fairfield Halls - Review

On Saturday we went to see Dinosaur Zoo at The Fairfield Halls in Croydon. We decided to skip football and gymnastics classes for it as we love seeing shows and Noah is Dino mad at the moment. Every bedtime includes either a fictional dinosaur story - Dinosaurs Love Underpants is a big favourite or a factual book where I have to try and pronounce ALL the dinosaur names!

We arrived at the theatre and starting at the same time was a Frozen Singalong! All the little Elsa and Anna's were running around and looking very excited about the prospect of singing their hearts out to Let It Go (and the mums too I would imagine!). We went to a Frozen Singalong before Christmas and it was brilliant!

Anyway, back to Dinosaur Zoo. The show is really interactive with the kids, which is great - with each introduction of a new dinosaur a child in the audience gets invited up to take part. The whole show is about dinosaurs that lived in Australia, so that meant that we didn't see T-Rex but we did see his Australian equivalent, the Australovenator - he was fierce! Noah reassured himself that it was just a puppet when he told me that he could see the legs of the person inside! Aside from the fierce carnivore there were also some baby dinosaurs, some huge dragonfly type creatures that 'flew' round the audience and a really huge gentle herbivore dinosaur.

The presenter of the show gave the audience loads of factual information about dinosaurs throughout which was great for adults and kids and he was also really good with the children, poking gentle fun out of them to raise a laugh from the audience and with the little ones it felt like they believed the dinosaurs were real which was magic.

After the show the kids were able to meet and greet the dinosaurs, Isla touched the the Australovenator's nose and then got to stroke one of the baby dinosaurs. This was a nice touch as she is ever the child who wants to get up on stage, and this time she didn't so meeting the puppets more than made up for it.  

For more information about the show go to: http://dinosaurzoolive.com/

The Fairfield Halls always has a great selection of shows and screenings for all ages. This half term The Fairfield Halls are showing family films for only £2! For anyone who’s not seen Big Hero 6, then I thoroughly recommend it and it’s not long been released. Personally I think we’ll be going to see the Shaun the Sheep Movie, Isla is a big fan of the TV series and I hope to take the kids on the Shaun in The City Trail too. Going to the cinema can be such an expensive family outing, sometimes costing over £30 for a family of 4 but at these prices you could afford to go a couple of times in the holidays – particularly if we get typical school holiday wet weather! Details of cinema showings can be found on the Fairfield Halls website

 

Thanks to the Fairfield Halls for inviting us along to see the show, we look forward to visiting again soon!

Santa Claus and the Magical Christmas Journey - Review

Last Thursday we popped along to the Fairfield Halls in Croydon to see a special little Christmas production they have going on in the run up to the big day. It's called Santa Claus and the Magical Christmas Journey and it's a short, sweet festive show that's brilliant for pre-schooler age and upwards. 

When we arrived we were directed to the little studio theatre where a small stage is set up. It's a great intimate space where the kids can get up close to the action and right from the start the actors did come out into the audience, engaged the kids and encouraged them to call out. Mine love a bit of shouting out and joining in! It's also only 50 minutes long and so restlessness doesn't really happen, making it a pleasurable experience for parents too.

Both my kids were enchanted by the play and really warmed to both of the elves, Charlie & Kara who are a bit naughty! There was also Muffin the bear who Isla loved and felt very sorry for him when he lost his job navigating Santa's sleigh. There was also a familiar voice in the show, Russell Grant! He was the voice of the computer on Santa's sleigh. 

The story goes like this: 

It’s Christmas Eve, and Santa Claus is flying high above the clouds delivering presents to all the good boys and girls around the world. Hiding in the back are two naughty elves, Charlie and Kara, who have snuck on board for the ride!

All is well until suddenly, just as Santa Claus flies high above Croydon, the Sat Nav goes haywire and breaks leaving him stranded without his list of postcodes to deliver presents to! With the clock ticking and morning fast approaching it’s down to Charlie, Kara and Muffin the bear to come up with a clever plan to save Christmas!

Our favourite part was when Isla got chosen to go up on the stage to sing Twinkle Twinkle. She was a star! She loved every minute of it and actually may have been slightly put out if she hadn't been picked! And the next best bit in her book was getting to sit in Santa's sleigh and meet the big guy himself and they were both given a colouring book. There was also a lovely moment when snowflakes fell down all around us, Noah loved that bit. 

Check out http://santaclausonstage.com/christmas-journey/tour_dates_info for information and tickets. It runs until Wednesday 24th December. Tickets are priced at £12.50 & £14.50 for adults and £10 & £12.50 for children. Family tickets are £40 & £49. £1.50 booking fee applies. 

This is one Christmas delight you won’t want to miss!

We were given free tickets to see Santa Claus and the Magical Journey. All opinions are my 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.

The Snow Gorilla this Christmas at The Rose Theatre - Review

On Monday night I popped along to Kingston to see a fantastic family circus themed show at The Rose Theatre. I can safely say that The Snow Gorilla will wow the kids this Christmas! I wasn't sure what to expect before we went along, I purposely hadn't looked into the show too closely as I didn't want to have any expectations. Any expectations that I did have were exceeded though as the show just kept giving. 

The Snow Gorilla is set in a travelling circus, Circus Marigny where the Ring Mistress, Fanny Marigny is struggling to keep the circus going due to dwindling funds and a thief in their midst. Along comes Sunny, a runaway looking for adventure and that's definitely what he gets, along with a romantic dalliance with the ring mistresses daughter Chloe. He discovers The Mighty Gor hidden in a cage in the circus and strikes up a beautiful friendship with him. Sunny unwittingly becomes the suspected thief within the circus, but between him and Gor they trap the real criminal and restore happiness to all. 

What is brilliant about this show is throughout the story the audience gets to see all the circus acts as they practise for their performance, so we were treated to African acrobats, Flamenco dancers, a contortionist, a juggler and an aerial act. My favourite were the African acrobats, they had such energy, the musicians that played along to their act really got the audience into it. They were massively entertaining, showing skill and humour every time they appeared. I also thought the aerial act was amazing, but just a word of warning if you're in the stalls downstairs at the back you may struggle to see them as they are high up. I craned my neck to make sure I saw all of their daring act. 

Now I have to mention how brilliant the Gorilla is! He is voiced by Brian Blessed who is someone I absolutely love. I couldn't imagine anyone else voicing him now to be honest. Then the look of Gor is amazing. You can't appreciate how clever the costume is until you read about how the costume was made for the man inside to wear it and how he has to use buttons and levers within the suit in order to animate Gor's face and make movements. The way he moved around the stage was so real to a Gorilla, he shuffled around on his knuckles, he rose up in anger and his face had such expression.

The entire cast are fantastic and you can tell that they have a great chemistry. The singing is good, I particularly liked Chloe and was lucky enough to get a snap of her before the show when the cast were circulating amongst the crowd in the foyer. There is a baddie in the show and he got great pantomime treatment from the audience with lots of booing and hissing when he appeared. 

This show has everything for everyone, great songs, spectacular performances from circus acts, to a show stopping singing Gorilla, a pantomime feel to it and an engaging story. We didn't take the children as it was an evening performance but I wouldn't hesitate to go back with them as I know they would love it. 

The Snow Gorilla runs until the 5th January 2014 and tickets are on sale now. For more information about the show visit www.rosetheatrekingston.org or call the Box office on 0844 4482 1556.

We were given 2 tickets to see The Snow Gorilla in exchange for this review. Thanks for inviting us! 

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.

We Are Polka Theatre Reviewers! First Up: Gorilla!

We've been very lucky to be asked to be reviewers of Polka Theatre productions! I haven't taken the children there before but I remember the theatre from when I was little (yes, a long time ago!) and I cannot wait to revisit. 

Our first review will be of 'Gorilla', and it sounds fabulous! 

Hannah loves gorillas, but she’s never seen a real one.

It’s the night before her birthday and something amazing

is about to happen...

When Hannah’s toy gorilla comes to life, dressed in her

father’s coat and hat, they embark on a thrilling, moonlit

adventure.

Meet the world’s friendliest gorilla this winter as

we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the classic

award-winning picture book by former Children’s Laureate

Anthony Browne – brought to life with puppetry, music and

a giant sprinkling of Polka magic.

We'll be going along to see the show next weekend and we'll have a review on the blog to give you the low down on what we all thought. 

Check out the details and ticket info for Gorilla here: 

http://www.polkatheatre.com/whats-on/gorilla

We're Going on a Bear Hunt - Review

Last Saturday I went with a load of girlfriends and their children to see 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' at The Lyric Theatre and I have to say I was most impressed. I would even go so far as to say that it was the most fun childrens' production I have ever seen - we've seen a few - Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly, The Gruffalo amongst others and Isla and Noah would probably agree with you. And yes, Noah came too and he's only 2 years old and he was mesmerized by it!

I'm going to admit something now. I'd never read 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' before. I only knew about it as it gets read at nursery according to Isla so I had a feeling that it was going to be a good one if she liked it enough to mention it. 

The idea of the day was to just take the older kids but then I had a babysitting issue and so Noah came too. All the older ones were the same age - 4 and mostly are my NCT friends. 

The show is lovely because of the audience involvement. The actors ask the audience at the start what a bear looks like so they will know how to recognise one and all the kids were shouting out. They come down into the aisles as well so that people further back get their answers relayed back to the stage. I loved that.

So as I now know the story is about a bear hunt and all the different weather they encounter, and the landscapes and a whole lot of fun they have on the way (and back). There is a Dad, his two children and a dog and they manage to convey the journey so simply - with a relatively small amount of props. Our favourite bit was when they were walking through the river - prepare to get wet is all I'll say and don't think you're safe if you're at the back of the stalls! Isla was actually laying flat down on the floor at this point to avoid the water! We also loved the snow falling down on the audience. It was so interactive and imaginative and good inspiration for making up our own bear hunt one day. There were sweet, catchy songs and the audience were encouraged to join in with those. There was lots of laughter and a little bit of scary stuff with the bear (although, he looked quite sweet to me!).

We had such a great time and I can categorically state that a 2 year old would love it as well - he was captivated, as were all the kids. Go and check it out - it's on for the remainder of the school holidays.

If you fancy going to see We're Going on a Bear Hunt it's on at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue until 8th September. Check Out Bear Hunt Live for details and tickets.

Quick footnote: this wasn't a freebie for us, we paid for the tickets and I genuinely wanted to let everyone know how good the show is!

PEPPA PIG’S BIG SPLASH LIVE

BRAND NEW & BIGGEST EVER SHOW ON TOUR FROM OCTOBER 2013 

including 

FOURTH WEST END CHRISTMAS SEASON 

www.peppapiglive.com

Fresh from the huge successes of previous tours Peppa Pig’s Party and Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt comes Peppa’s brand new show, Peppa Pig’s Big Splash. Opening at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford on 24 October, this touring production will travel throughout the UK and into Ireland until summer 2014. The tour will also include a fourth consecutive Peppa West End Christmas season (details will be announced in due course) and it will be the biggest ever to date.

The nursery roof is leaking and Peppa and her friends need to fix it quickly. They set up a fete to raise the money for Mr Bull to do the repairs. There’s plenty of fun to be had as Peppa, George, Mummy and Daddy Pig, as well as Danny Dog, Pedro Pony and Suzy Sheep put up bunting, run stalls and organise a great day out. There's also a Champion Puddle Jumping competition judged by Mr Potato where everyone gets wet and Peppa needs to find her Golden Boots. Another all-singing, all-dancing adventure full of songs, games and muddy puddles is guaranteed for all the family.

Peppa Pig returns live on stage with puppets and brilliant sing-a-long songs from BAFTA award-winning composer Mani Svavarsson. Richard Lewis adapts and directs this brand new show, following his previous successes with the first two Peppa Pig stage shows and the the current Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom tour.

Martin Ronan, Executive Producer, said, ‘Fiery Light are delighted to be presenting their third live Peppa show in 2013-2014. Following the huge success of Peppa Pig's Party and Peppa Pig's Treasure Hunt comes the biggest tour yet for Peppa. Touring the UK & Ireland for 47 weeks, Peppa Pig's Big Splash will be a fun-packed experience for all Peppa fans. To date Peppa Live has played to almost 650,000 people and as we approach the 10th anniversary of Peppa being a family favourite, we hope the new show will thrill fans up and down the country’.

Find out about Peppa Pig's Big Splash UK and Ireland Tour at www.peppapiglive.com

Dates close by in Surrey are:

SAT 2 – SUN 3 NOVEMBER FAIRFIELD HALL CONCERT HALL, CROYDON
Sat 2 at 1 & 4 pm www.fairfield.co.uk
Sun 3 at 10 am & 1 pm

TUES 5 – WED 6 NOVEMBER G LIVE, GUILDFORD
Tues 5 at 1 & 4 pm www.glive.co.uk
Wed 6 at 10 am & 1 pm

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