For the last few years an essential part of part Christmas build up has been going to the theatre to see a children’s play – usually adapted from a Julia Donaldson book. It now feels like a Christmas tradition.What the Ladybird Heard is a show aimed at children aged 2+ and we all loved it including my 6-year-old twins. I was really excited about this adaptation because What the Ladybird Heard is one of our favourite Julia Donaldson books but I had no idea how they were going to turn it into a play. Molly thought there would be puppets with an actor dressed in red and black to be the ladybird with pipe cleaner antennae. I don’t want to spoil too much about the performance as half the delight is seeing how they bring the story to life but I have to say I loved how the animals were created.
We saw the performance at the Town Hall Birmingham. This is such a great venue for children’s theatre as you are close enough to what is happening and really feel a part of it. The set is lovely and just like a large version of the Lydia Monks illustrations. It has lots of clever touches which make it magical for the children, like roses which flower around the doorway and ears or corn which grow from the front of the stage. The girls loved the whole show. The songs were very catchy and we were soon singing and clapping and having a lovely time. They loved the cats and the cow but the highlight was the ladybird. It was so much better than someone dressed up as a ladybird and how they made the ladybird appear felt really magical.
Pikachu enjoyed the performanceMy only worry with the performance was with the baddies. My girls can be scardy-cats at times and which they find the baddies in the book funny it is different seeing them on the page than right in front of you on stage. The way the baddies were introduced was brilliant and meant that the children weren’t scared. It is such a great story for children because the baddies plot is foiled by the tiniest creature. The play is spot on for young children. The performance is a great length to keep their attention (there is no interval so make sure you buy treats first). It is the perfect first theatre trip for little ones and for a treat in the holidays. Tickets cost £12 which is a great price for such an inventive and engaging show. You can still catch the show at The Town Hall in Birmingham on these dates.You can also get a discount in their Boxing Day sale.
- FRI 30 DEC 201611:00AM
- FRI 30 DEC 20161:30PM
- WED 4 JAN 201710:30AM
- WED 4 JAN 20171:00PM
- THU 5 JAN 201710:30AM
- THU 5 JAN 20171:00PM
- FRI 6 JAN 201710:30AM
- FRI 6 JAN 20171:00PM
- SAT 7 JAN 201711:00AM
- SAT 7 JAN 20171:30PM
- SAT 7 JAN 20173:30PM
- SUN 8 JAN 201711:00AM
- SUN 8 JAN 20173:00PM RELAXED PERFORMANCE
- TUE 10 JAN 201710:30AM
- TUE 10 JAN 20171:00PM
- WED 11 JAN 201710:30AM
- WED 11 JAN 20171:00PM
Disclaimer: We were given tickets for the performance for the purposes of this review.