There was an excited buzz of bouncy toddlers as we parked the buggy in the theatre foyer and took our seats ready for the show.Â
As a long-time fan of the hit Cbeebies programme I couldnât wait to introduce Rory to Hey Duggee. And this show didnât disappoint.Â
Each child was given their own Hey Duggee sticker sheet so they could earn their badges along with the Squirrels during the show.Â
With the familiar set and format the Squirrels set out to earn their Theatre Badge, calling on friends (such as Mrs Weaver the Beaver) to help along the way.Â
We learnt how to beat box, and how to sing a cappella. We learnt about the solar system and of course had a good old dance to the Sticky Sticky Stick song!Â
Itâs no surprise the show was named this yearâs Best Family Show at the Olivier Awards.Â
Itâs on at the Theatre Royal York until Sunday 2nd July and is not to be missed!Â
My 6 year-old daughter, Rose, and I were very excited when we heard that ‘Can Bears Ski?’ was coming to the York Theatre Royal. Not only because we both love a trip to the theatre, but because I knew this was going to be an exceptionally special and poignant performance for us to behold.
‘Can Bears Ski?’ is based on the book of the same name by Raymond Antrobus, who draws upon his own experience as a deaf child in a hearing world to create this very special story. Little Bear cannot hear his Dad shouting him and he cannot follow the jokes that his friends share at school. No matter how hard he tries, the world is a difficult place for little bear to understand. This is until he visits the audiologist and is given two beautiful blue hearing aids! The Little Bear portrays the very real issues that deaf children navigate on a daily basis.
Rose took her seat and sat in suspense, sporting her own stylish pink hearing aids. Rose was diagnosed with hearing loss as a baby and has experienced many of the same challenges as the main character in the story, it is very rare for us to be able to enjoy a performance on a mainstream stage that reflects our own experiences as a family. I was, therefore, very excited if not slightly apprehensive to see how this special story would translate onto the stage.
From the outset, Rose was enthralled! We walked into the studio at York Theatre Royal to the most beautiful, dimly lit set of a childrenâs bedroom. The lights came on and we didnât take our eyes off the stage for the whole 50 minutes! The set skilfully moved to create new scenes, which seemed like it was picked straight out of a childâs imagination. The BSL interpreters were not plonked to the side of the stage as usual, but were a huge part of the performance! It was magical for us to see other children copying some of the British Sign Language signs. We have been learning as a family for the last couple of years so Rose was also very excited to show me the signs that she already knew and practise some new signs too!
Looking around the auditorium it was clear to see that this production can be enjoyed by a variety of ages of children (and their grown ups!). “Babes in arms’ were amused by the beautiful, lifelike puppets and stunning child-friendly sets. Older children were able to leave with a greater understanding and awareness of hearing loss and how it can effect those around them. One of our favourite parts was when the paper snowflakes that were falling in front of the window were gathered up by the performers and whisked up into the air and into the crowd. This spectacle was met by an audible gasp, cheers and giggles!
During the performance Rose asked for her copy of the book and followed the performance page by page! She couldnât believe it when one by one, the âlittle bear’sâ classmates came onto the stage. The beautiful puppets were exact replicas of the illustrations in the book! Rose was amazed! When I asked Rose her favourite part of the performance – she replied âAll of it!â âŠ. I think that says it all!
If you didn’t get chance to see this beautiful production the book is widely available to share with your children. You can also catch Rose Ayling-Ellis (who you will recognise from Strictly Come Dancing fame) sharing the âCan Bears Ski?â Story on the popular CBeebies bedtime stories here. The Government have finally made BSL an official language in the UK and we will soon see the BSL GCSE being offered in secondary schools. It is an exciting time for all our children and I hope it is embraced by all!
We were very lucky that our friends from Lollipop we also in the audience. Lollipop is a York based charity, who offer social support to deaf children, young people and their families. They all loved the performance too and we spent an hour chatting about our favourite parts and completing the wonderful worksheets that accompanied the performance (link here).
đ» The York performances of Can Bears Ski? were actually the last shows on the tour for this particular touring show; however, you can find out about what’s on next at York Theatre Royal here. Look out for another family-friendly book adaptation – “There’s A Monster In Your Show!” – coming during the Easter holidays!
đ» You can also find the show’s activity sheets and education pack here.
đ You can find out more about Deafinitely Theatre here.
â Find out more about Lollipop and their support of deaf children in York here.
Thank you very much indeed to York Theatre Royal who gifted Stacey and Rose’s tickets to York Mumbler.
Cluedo 2 is currently on at York Theatre Royal until Saturday 16 March & we were lucky enough to go and see it last night!Based on the classic Hasbro boardgame, (which we love) celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the five-month UK tour marks the world premiere of Cluedo 2, which started at Richmond Theatre in February and is visiting theatres across the UK until July. Find out what we thought of Cluedo 2 in our review below.Â
As well as loving Cluedo the boardgame, we also love a good ‘who dunnit’ mystery and with hopefully a large dose of comedy thrown in, this sounded like the perfect show for my 10-year-old daughter and me to go along to!
Following the success of the original play (which I checked we didn’t need to have seen, as we unfortunately missed that!), Cluedo 2 is a comedy mystery set in the 60’s, written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, and directed by Mark Bell.
We were looking forward to seeing Ellie Leach as Miss Scarlet (reigning champion of Strictly Come Dancing no less!) and Jason Durr as Colonel Mustard!
The whole performance was brilliant – it is fast-paced, very funny and the set is amazing! The way the set is changed through the play by the actors (and at times they become part of the set itself!) is one of the cleverest things I’ve seen on stage for a long time. As more and more murders happen, the plot gets thicker and thicker we were enthralled and desperate to know whodunit!
We spent the whole interval chatting about who we thought might be the murder and why but I don’t want to give anything away with our theories other than to say we were wrong!
The second half was even more fun and every time we thought we’d worked out what was going on, there was yet another twist!
Cluedo 2 is perfect for anyone who’s a fan of a good old murder mystery that doesn’t take itself too seriously!
đ Venue: York Theatre Royal, St Leonard’s Place, York, YO1 7HD
đ Dates and times: 7.30pm on Wed 13 Mar, 2pm & 7.30pm on Thur 14 Mar, 7.30pm on Fri 15 Mar & 2.30pm & 7.30pm on Sat 16 Mar 2024
đ Performance running time: 2 hrs (including interval)
đ Tickets: from ÂŁ15 each. Booking via the York Theatre Royal website here or at the Box Office.
đ Age guidance: 8+. Â
đ Mumbler top tip: If you can’t make it to the York dates, Cluedo 2 is on tour across the UK including Hull, Sheffield & Newcastle – find out more information here.
York Mumbler were gifted tickets for the press performance of this production by York Theatre Royal; however, views in this review are the reviewer’s own honest review of the show.
Professional production photos supplied by the York Theatre Royal press office, and used with permission.
When all of his friends go on holiday, the hapless Norman Price decides to find adventure in his hometown of Pontypandy instead, and hopes to become the star of a visiting circus. But with a tiger on the loose, and some dubious fire safety, the adventure soon turns to danger. Can Fireman Sam and his team come to the rescue and save the circus in this all-singing, all-dancing show?
The show brings to the stage larger-than-life versions of the show’s best-known characters – Fireman Sam, Penny, Elvis, Station Officer Steele and Norman – and there was much excitement in the room when they first entered the stage. Before the lights went down and the curtain came up, it was clear that Fireman Sam has many big fans of small stature – I could spot several children in the audience dressed up in fireman uniform or with a fireman’s helmet (the latter, I think, were available to buy in the theatre before the show).
At a running time of around an hour, the show was the perfect length for little ones – the show was well-paced, with frequent song and dance interludes to hold their attention well. There was fun and surprises (confetti explosion, and of course smoke effects), but nothing to scare more nervous youngsters. Set design was simple but effective, and there was an audible buzz of excitement when Sam’s fire engine came onto the stage for the first time!
My little boy particularly enjoyed the audience participation parts – like a panto, there was lots of encouragement to shout magic words and oooh and aaaah at the designated time, and to join in with some dance moves to some of the songs. His favourite character was the flamboyant ringmaster, Bruno Perfecto, who performed some magic tricks and juggling at intervals during the show. I had wondered whether at 5 and a half years old he may be slightly too old for the show (I would say that the average age of child attending today was more like preschooler), but he was actually the most engaged I’ve ever seen him at a theatre performance, and loved getting into the spirit of it.
The occasional serious message of fire safety was also interwoven into the plot and the songs, so we were reminded to “stay low”, and shown how to safely put out a pan fire with a fire blanket. And we and the other audience members enjoyed becoming honorary fire-fighter cadets!
Show Duration: 1 hour approx
Dates: The show was at York Theatre Royal for one day only on Tuesday 4 April 2023. However, it is in the middle of a nationwide tour and there are various remaining dates for Fireman Sam Live! across the country throughout 2023 – more details can be found here.
You can find out what other family shows are coming up at York Theatre Royal on their website here.
Good to know: This is the 4th time that I’ve visited York Theatre Royal for a family show with my little boy, and I’ve always found it to be very child friendly. They are well set up for their younger audience members, with plastic booster seats available at no charge in the auditorium – just pick one up as you go in.
York Theatre Royal, St Leonard’s Place, York YO1 7HD.
My daughter (aged 10) read the book ‘The House with the Chicken Legs’ over the summer holidays, so it was perfect timing to go and see this show together. A lovely midweek treat after going back to school this week!
The story follows Marinka, a young girl who dreams of a normal life, where she can stay somewhere long enough to make friends; but thereâs one problem â her house has chicken legs and moves on without warning… which does sound pretty crazy!Â
I didn’t fully know the story, so was unsure what to expect and it did take me a little while at the start to work out what was going on (note to self… read the book or a summary first), but once the performance got going, it was really impressive and I found myself immersed in Marinka’s life.
The sets are amazing (think an actual house that moves), which must have been challenging on a fairly small stage! The cast (which is only 6 people) is absolutely excellent. Many of them play a range of different roles, and you hardly notice it’s the same actor. They can sing, dance, play a fabulous range of musical instruments, create inventive scenes with puppets… unbelievable talent!
It was a show of two distinct halves. The first half is much slower and more thought-provoking and the second half is really lively and quirky! The songs throughout the performance are excellent.
The whole performance is quite long (nearly 3 hours with an interval) so best suited to children who can concentrate and are used to live theatre. In places, it did feel quite a grown-up show. If I hadn’t known, I would have been surprised it was based on a children’s book. It is worth being aware the story is based on themes of loss and death but this is accomplished in a positive way and covers how lives and people should be celebrated.
The House with Chicken Legs is a little bit bonkers, magical and very different to anything we’ve seen before. We were talking about it the minute we left the theatre and again this morning at breakfast!
đ Venue: York Theatre Royal, St Leonard’s Place, York, YO1 7HD
đ Dates and times: Fri 08 Sep 7pm, Sat 09 Sep 2.30pm (Relaxed Performance) & 7pm
đ Performance running time: 2 hrs 30 mins (including interval)
đ Tickets: from ÂŁ15 – ÂŁ30 each. Booking via the York Theatre Royal website here or at the Box Office.
đ Age guidance: 9+.  Content warnings: The show contains minimal haze and smoke effects and some flashing lights. The story contains themes of loss.
đ Mumbler top tip: If you can’t make it to the York dates, The House with Chicken Legs is off to Leeds next! Catch it there from 13 – 16 September at Leeds Playhouse.
York Mumbler were gifted tickets for the press performance of this production by York Theatre Royal; however, views in this review are the reviewer’s own honest review of the show.
Professional production photos are by Andrew AB Photography and Rah Petherbridge, supplied by the York Theatre Royal press office, and used with permission.
Photo credit: Robert Day
The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her Mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? What they certainly donât expect to see at the door is a big furry, stripy tiger! Â
Bringing the nationâs favourite tea-guzzling tiger to life on stage, this musical slice of teatime mayhem entertains with sing-a-long songs, oodles of magic and interactive fun.
Our party of two adults and two 6 year olds were captivated from the start with the uptempo musical numbers and audience participation. The Tiger itself doesn’t make an appearance for the first 15 minutes (building up the suspense!), but there is plenty to entertain – our boys particularly enjoyed the physical comedy slapstick of the “Daddy” character trying in calamitous clumsy fashion to get ready to go to work.
It was quite something when the Tiger finally made its appearance – a hush briefly descended on the (full house) audience, only interrupted by the occasional little voice breathing “Is it a real tiger, Mummy?”, before we all quickly got into “panto mode” with loud cries of “It’s behind you!”. We all loved watching as the Tiger quickly demolished all of the food and drink in the kitchen – the items really did seem to magically disappear!
As well as following the plot of the book, we also enjoyed the added bonus of getting involved in the Tiger’s aerobic dance routine – or “Tig(a)erobics”, as it was introduced – audience participation is encouraged!
From an adult’s point of view – I loved the attention to detail on the costumes and set design, which are very true to the book. I was particularly delighted to see that Sophie’s outfit and styling was perfectly done, from the blonde hair tied back with an outsized blue bow, to the iconic chequerboard tights so familiar from the Judith Kerr illustrations in the book.
It was lovely to see lots of the young audience either with plush tigers (or in our case, a much-loved ginger cat which was very similar to one which appeared in the story), tiger ear headbands, or even some excellent full tiger onesies!
This is a purr-fect introduction to live theatre for young children – it’s short enough in overall length at 55 minutes to make it very manageable for younger children, and the production is structured in such a way that you’re never far from a song, dance or audience participation to keep everyone constantly engaged. Our two 6 year olds were as spellbound as the younger children in the auditorium. The physical comedy will entertain the whole family; and the adults enjoyed it as well, marvelling at the clever stage props making items of food, drink and shopping appear and disappear!
It’s a very popular show with most performances this weekend almost sold out (an extra show was added for Saturday 2nd September due to popular demand), but there are a handful of tickets left if you are quick!
đ Venue: York Theatre Royal, St Leonard’s Place, York, YO1 7HD
đ Dates and times: Friday 1st September (2 performances) and Saturday 2nd September (3 performances)
đ Performance running time: approx 55 minutes
đ Tickets: ÂŁ15 each. Booking via the York Theatre Royal website here or at the Box Office.
đ Age guidance: the production press release advises that it is suitable for age 3 years +. If you’ve got a child of a sensitive disposition, be aware that the Tiger is huge and quite an imposing figure! But it’s quickly made clear that this is a very friendly and funny tiger.
đ Mumbler top tip: As with any other production at York Theatre Royal, booster seats are available free of charge to collect at the auditorium doors so they can see the stage more easily. Helpful even for a 6 year old! And don’t worry about little ones making noise during the performance – it’s very relaxed and there’s a constant hum of low-level chatter of excited kids throughout.
York Mumbler were gifted tickets for a performance of this production by York Theatre Royal; however, views in this review are the reviewer’s own honest review of the show.
Professional productions photos are by Robert Day, supplied by the York Theatre Royal press office, and used with permission.
Since he was a toddler, my little boy has really enjoyed reading “There’s A Monster In Your Book!” – a fun interactive book for young children, written by Tom Fletcher (he of McFly fame, if he looks familiar!). We were therefore excited to see how this imaginative book would translate from page to stage.
The “Who’s In Your Book” series later grew to include all sorts of other characters including Unicorn, Alien and Dragon, and all of these friends escape their respective books to make an appearance in this lively show (much to the delight of the young audience!).
Whilst those familiar with the books will recognise the basis of the plot (monster/character escapes from the pages of their book; chaos ensues…), you don’t need to have read the books to enjoy the show. The show’s simple storyline brings in a group of performers (the StoryMakers) who are preparing to start their show, but quickly discover that they may have at least one surprise performer making a break for freedom in the hope of joining them. Can Monster be returned to his book before the show begins?
We were pleased to discover that the show is just as interactive as the books, with much encouragement to sing, dance, shout, applaud and generally get involved! The show is rightly billed as high-energy, with plenty of lively original music and well-paced action to retain the attention of the young audience. There’s a good sprinkling of pantomime vibe as well – we found ourselves shouting “he’s behind you!” several times as the players searched the stage for the missing monster!
Visually, it’s very pleasing and true to the vibrant illustrations in the book. The puppets are very faithful recreations of the illustrated characters in the book (we particularly fell in love with Dragon), and the puppetry is well done. The brightly-coloured set echoes the look of the books, and there are some clever visual touches such as the alien’s light-up spacecraft and the smoke emerging from Dragon’s nose when she feels a sneeze coming on!
All in all, my son and I had great fun at this performance and thoroughly enjoyed it. I would say that the show is primarily geared towards preschoolers and I had wondered before our trip if, at 6.5 years old, my son might have been a bit too old for it as he seems to have become very grown up recently! However, he adored the interactive elements of the show and threw himself into the audience participation, and declared at the end of the show that he had enjoyed it.
đ Venue: York Theatre Royal, St Leonard’s Place, York, YO1 7HD
đ Dates and times: There are 6 performances of this show in York – 2 per day on each of Tuesday 26th March to Thursday 28th March 2024. The show continues its tour around the country throughout April and May.
đ Performance running time: 55 minutes
đ Tickets: ÂŁ16.50 adult/ÂŁ14 under 16s. Babes in arms free. Booking via the York Theatre Royal website here or at the Box Office.
đ Age guidance: Everyone! The perfect introduction to live theatre for youngsters. The target age is probably under 5 but my Year 2 age child enjoyed it, as did some older children sitting in front of us. The theatre has booster seats available free of charge for smaller visitors – just pick one up on the way into the auditorium.
đ Mumbler top tip: A Relaxed Performance of this production is on Thursday 28th March at 1.30pm.
đ Production details: “There’s a Monster In Your Show!” is adapted for the stage by Zoe Bourn and directed by Miranda Larson with new music composed by Tom Fletcher and Barry Bignold.
After last year’s incredibly popular production of “The Ugly Duckling”, Northern Ballet returns to York Theatre Royal with another ballet for children.
When a cheeky Hare wonât stop boasting about how fast he can run, thoughtful Tortoise decides it is time to join him in a race. No one thinks Tortoise can win, but when Hare gets distracted by games and treats, Tortoise might just surprise us all.
The perfect introduction to live ballet and music, your little ones will be cheering along as a playful cast of characters re-tell this classic tale.
5 performances over a two-day period (2nd and 3rd April 2024) – book tickets here.
York Mumbler were gifted tickets for the press performance of this production by York Theatre Royal; however, views in this review are the reviewer’s own honest review of the show.
Professional production photos supplied by the York Theatre Royal press office, and used with permission. Unusually for theatre shows, the audience was also expressly permitted to use their cameras during this performance.
Professional photo credits: Pamela Raith Photography for There’s A Monster In Your Show; Brian Slater for The Tortoise and The Hare.
We had the buggy with us and were able to leave it in the foyer along with lots of others; the friendly staff showed me where was best.
We sat in the dress circle on row C and had a brilliant view. Booster seats were available for the children but I didnât bother getting one for Lil as I knew sheâd fidget around and be on and off my lap. Even without the booster she could see the stage no problem as the rows are tiered.
The show is based on the book series âOi Frogâ which Iâve recently introduced to Lil. Thereâs a big focus on rhyming which she doesnât quite understand yet but she still enjoys all the animals that are featured. I wouldnât say youâd need to have read the books to go and see the show but it definitely helped having some knowledge of the story as sometimes we were encouraged to shout out some of the rhyming words from the story.
There were only 4 actors on stage playing a range of different animals and I thought they were all fantastic! The puppets were so believable and seemed to come to life on stage, and Lil was mesmerised! The story alternated between talking and songs – Lilâs attention was lost a little in the songs but was always brought back again as the story continued.Â
The frog was played by Sarah Palmer during the performance we saw and she was fantastic at bringing him to life and giving him a perfect little voice!Â
There was just the right amount of audience participation – the children were encouraged to finish off the rhymes, and clap along sometimes to the songs. It was also very well received when an elephant began to squirt water into the audience! I feel that youâd get the best experience by sitting in the stalls – for example sometimes some of the cast came out into the audience or scattered paper from the stage but this only benefited those sat in the stalls.
Another thing that went down really well with the children was a lot of references to bottoms/bums!! It was done in a very age appropriate way and there was always a lot of laughs whenever the topic came around!!
Iâd really recommend this show, especially for 3 or 4 year olds who are fans of the books! Lil was a little too young to understand all the rhyming and appreciate the humour but she still had a fantastic time, as did I. A really well put-together show and a lovely treat to attend together with my little one.
Guest Review by Local York Mumbler, Ellen
When I told my five year old twins we were going to the theatre they were so excited, although immediately asked “What is it like at the theatre?” It hadnât occurred to me that they had never experienced the magic of theatre before. “Itâs real people bringing stories to life” was my response and with that they were counting down until show day! Like families up and down the country, we have always loved sharing Julia Donaldson stories together and couldnât wait to see the stage adaptation of The Smeds and The Smoos.
On entering the theatre we were met by very helpful staff showing us to our seats and handing out booster seats to those who needed them. As we waited for the show to begin it was lovely to see the theatre full of excited children (and adults!) all full of anticipation for the show to begin.
The story of The Smeds and The Smoos is based on a far-off planet with two families, the Smeds and the Smoos, who are strongly opposed to mixing with one another. Bill (a Smoo) and Janet (a Smed) unexpectedly meet up and friendship and love soon blossoms! Their special bond is discovered by Grandfather Smed and Grandmother Smoo who forbid them for seeing each other again. Bill and Janet sneakily escape together in the Smed family rocket leaving the Grandparents to give chase and bring them home.
The brilliantly talented cast of four were fantastic from beginning to end. They each took on multiple roles and used the imaginative puppets seamlessly to portray the different creatures and aliens the Grandparents met along the way in search for Bill and Janet. The production was full of catchy songs (Joy, jam and jumping being our particular favourite!), impressive dance routines and jokes to make all ages laugh. Grandfather Smed and Grandmother Smooâs banter filled relationship warmed into friendship when they discovered they werenât so different after all. The cleverly hidden props and impressive lighting engrossed the audience and took them on a journey to the many different planets.
Audience participation was actively encouraged throughout with screams of âItâs behind youâ coming from excited children jumping out of their seats! This, along with spontaneous clapping and dancing provided us with an hour of pure fun!
The story draws to a close after Bill and Janet are found, back on the planet they were so quick to escape from. The beautiful song which celebrated their return underpinned the main message behind the story which was to âplay with whoever you chooseâ. Not only did this show provide giggles and engrossed faces throughout, it also gave the youngest of children a powerful message to accept everyone for who they are.
We thoroughly enjoyed watching The Smeds and The Smoos and canât wait to see another Tall Stories production.
The Smeds and The Smoos have two performances at York Theatre Royal on Sunday 30th January, 10.30am and 1.30pm. The show is approx 1 hour long (no interval) Book your tickets here.
Find out everything thatâs going on at York Theatre Royal in the coming months on their website.
For more Mumbler reviews of the shows and attractions in and around York visit the Mumbler Review section here.
Disclaimer: York Mumbler was given complimentary tickets for âThe Smeds and The Smoosâ at York Theatre Royal in exchange for an honest review.
Guest Review by Local Mumbler, Jane
We enjoyed a nice treat on Saturday afternoon with a visit to York Theatre Royal to see Unbelievable Science. With two 9 year old’s in tow, we grabbed our 3D glasses on the way in and waited for the show to start! We were hoping to see experiments, explosions and plenty of mind-bending tricks and we weren’t disappointed!
Morgan & West are one of the most recognisable conjuring acts around! Plus they hide a secret… they are both Oxford graduates with degrees in physics and chemistry and are fully qualified secondary school teachers!
Audiences can expect captivating chemistry, phenomenal physics, and bonkers biology in this fun for all the family science extravaganza! Fires, explosions, lightning on stage, optical illusions, mass audience experiments, and 3D shadow puppets await all those wily enough to come along and be intrigued by science.
In the age of âso-called expertsâ Morgan & West felt it was time to bring families together to marvel and wonder at science and nature, provoking questions and discussions as to how things work and what regular people themselves can learn from it.
The show started with 7 great reaction experiments with some pretty impressive colour changes happening! That was followed by plenty more scientific fun, including messing with sounds and 3D through our eyes and ears!
Our favourite part was the cardboard box trick! We don’t want to give anything anyway but let’s just say it involved a box, a very tall man and a lot of wooden sticks!
As Morgan and West explained, their show is called ‘Unbelievable Science’ but maybe it should be ‘Believable Science’ as everything they did was real and based on their scientific knowledge!
My 9 year old thought the show was…
“…very funny and silly! I really enjoyed it and the electricy stunt right at the end was amazing and terrifiing!”Â
Find out everything thatâs going on at York Theatre Royal in the coming months on their website.
For more Mumbler reviews of the shows and attractions in and around York visit the Mumbler Review section here.
Disclaimer: York Mumbler was given complimentary tickets for the âUnbelievable Scienceâ at York Theatre Royal in exchange for an honest review. Â
Guest Review by Local York Mumbler, Ellen
The Story
Based on Julia Donaldson and Axel Schefflerâs bestselling sequel, Zog and the Flying Doctors follow Zog, a hilariously mild-mannered dragon, who is now a keen student turned air-ambulance helping his friends, Princess Pearl and Sir Gadabout. The flying doctor trio care for creatures including a mermaid, a unicorn and a sneezy lion. However when bad weather forces them to land at the palace, Princess Pearl is locked up by her uncle, the king. We were excited to see how Freckle Productions would bring this story to life on stage.
The Show
The show begins with Zog and the flying doctors in puppet form soaring through the sky before Zog himself appears! Archie thought he was amazing! The super talented cast of six entertained a theatre full of excited children for the next hour. The cast took on multiple roles and all had really impressive singing voices.
Credit: Mark Senior
The show is full of dancing, singing and clever puppetry. The story is quite fast paced although there is a good mix of upbeat and more reflective moments in the show when the lion, mermaid and the unicorn sing solos about their medical troubles. Audience participation is encouraged throughout and my son loved shouting at the pantomime style villain the King. The final song ‘If it wasn’t for you’ was a heart warming ending and celebrated the talents of the characters.
Just like Julia Donaldson’s story of The Smeds and The Smoos, which we were lucky enough to review early this year, this story too comes with a special message. Â In this case, that children can grow up to be whatever they want to be. We would really recommend this fantastic Freckle Productions of Zog and the Flying Doctors.
Useful Links & Information
Zog and the Flying Doctors have three performances at York Theatre Royal on Saturday 25th June at 11.00am, 2.00pm and 4.30pm. The show is approximately 1 hour long (no interval) Book your tickets here.
Find out everything thatâs going on at York Theatre Royal in the coming months on their website.
For more Mumbler reviews of the shows and attractions in and around York visit the Mumbler Review section here.
Disclaimer: York Mumbler was given complimentary tickets for âZog and the Flying Doctorsâ at York Theatre Royal in exchange for an honest review.
