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.

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!