With the heatwave set to end tonight
And schools starting to go back
We are beginning a new year of home education
One of the joys of educating at home
Is that we set our own course
Plot our own journey
And choose our own destinations
One thing that all my children adore
Is going to the theatre
In two weeks
Edie will start dancing
At the same dance school as her older siblings
The four of them love singing, dancing and acting
They love putting on shows
And they all love going to the theatre
It is only very recently that I have started booking seats for Edie
She has been too young before
But she is ready
Especially for shows created with little people in mind
Between now and Christmas we have lots of exciting theatre trips planned
Some local
And some in London
We are punctuating our learning and play
With family theatre
And I cannot wait!
This is what we are going to see … so far
The Very Hungry Caterpillar at Troubadour White City Theatre
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show features a menagerie of 75 enchanting puppets
During a magical show that faithfully adapts four of Eric Carle’s best loved books for the stage
The 50th Anniversary production will feature a brand-new line-up of stories for 2019
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, 10 Little Rubber Ducks
The return of The Very Lonely Firefly and, of course, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show is adapted for the stage by director Jonathan Rockefeller
Whose production sees four master puppeteers weave their way through Eric Carle’s stories
Bringing to life 75 magical puppets that faithfully recreate
The wonderfully colourful world of Carle’s illustrations
Eric Carle’s books are so special to us
Especially Brown Bear Brown Bear
We cannot wait to see the show!
The Zoo Too!
Dear Zoo at The Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone
The Hazlitt is our nearest theatre and yet we have never been
However over the next few months they have some great family shows coming up
Including, the awesome Dear Zoo
Dear Zoo live on stage! has been successfully touring the UK since 2018
Celebrating 35 years in 2017, Dear Zoo, published by Macmillan Children’s Books
The story of a child who writes to the zoo asking them to send a pet
Continues to delight each new generation of children
As they lift the flaps in search of the perfect animal
Written by Rod Campbell
Produced by Norwell Lapley Productions and directed by Michael Gattrell
Dear Zoo live on stage! is suitable for children aged 2 – 6 years
Brought to life through child-engaging puppets
Original music and lots of audience interaction
The show immediately appeals to families and children who already love the book
And will serve as a wonderful introduction to those coming to the story for the first time
For us, Dear Zoo, is an old friend, a firm favourite
We have had the honour of hearing it told by the author himself
We are super excited to now be able to see the story brought to life on stage
And so close to home too!
Tiger Territory
The Tiger Who Came To Tea at Brighton Theatre Royal
Another story with a very special pace in our heart
I adore Judith Kerr
And this is a classic picture book that every child should read
The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea
Who could it possibly be?
What they certainly don’t expect to see at the door is a big, stripy tiger!
YOu can join the tea-guzzling tiger in this delightful family show
Packed with oodles of magic, sing-a-long songs and clumsy chaos!
A stunning stage adaptation of the classic tale of teatime mayhem… expect to be surprised!
Oooh we will! We will!
Annie at The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
I know every song from this show
Bea has been learning this show in her musical theatre class
And we all LOVE the original movie
I cannot wait to take the children to the show
They have already asked if they are allowed to sing a long!
The smash-hit production of Annie comes to Canterbury direct from London’s West End
This “glorious revival” (The Times) stars Birds Of A Feather’s Lesley Joseph
As the tyrannical Miss Hannigan!
Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression
Brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage
Her luck soon changes when she’s chosen to spend a fairytale Christmas
With famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks
Meanwhile, spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search
For her true family…
It is going to amazing!
I wish it was tomorrow!
The Princess and the Frog at The Marlowe Studio, Canterbury
At only 30 minutes long
This ballet sounds perfect for tiny dancers
A heart-warming ballet about the power of friendship
The story of The Princess and The Frog
After sell out tours around the UK
Let’s All Dance is delighted to return with this beautiful, classical ballet
To charm audiences young and old
An original score, gorgeous costumes and crystal clear story-telling
Draw you into the magical world of ballet and make it accessible to all
A lovely production and a heart-warming tale with the theme of friendship at its core
I am taking Bea, Edie and Esther to this and I think we will all love it
The Bear and the Weeping Horse at The Marlowe, The Kit, Canterbury
I am really intrigued about this production
Grimms fairy tales for families.
A princess living as a goose girl…
A man wrapped in the skin of a bear…
A horse that speaks only the truth…
Storyteller Ben Haggarty and musician Sherry Robinson
Embark on two bold adventures into the fairytale forest of the Brothers Grimm
Complete with strange curses, jealous tricksters, deals with the devil
Magical beasts and startling transformations
These are proper full-blooded tales of wonder
Come for a roller coaster ride of enchantment!
For brave children aged 7+ and their grown-ups
Sounds amazing!
The Snowman at The Peacock Theatre, London
Starting our advent with The Snowman
Has become a family tradition since Tilda died
It is what we do to honour her and remember her
At the most wonderful time of the year
This year will be Edie’s first time seeing the ballet
She LOVES the animation and the audio story
I just know that she is going to fall in love with the show too
I cannot wait to go and this year we are taking the children’s Godmother with us
Which will make it extra special
The Canterville Ghost at Unicorn Theatre, London
I actually would like to see ALL the shows at Unicorn Theatre
The Canterville Ghost is the one that has really caught Esther’s eye
We are hoping to attend with a home ed group
To see the show and take part in a workshop
This wonderfully witty, delightfully spooky retelling of Oscar Wilde’s 1887 comic novel
Is brought to life this Christmas with spine-tingling magic
Spectacular illusions and ghoulish effects
Mr and Mrs Otis and their boisterous children arrive from America to move into Canterville Chase
A rather old, rather creepy Gothic mansion
Of course, like all the best old mansions, the Chase comes with its own ghost
The rather tormented Sir Simon Canterville
The spectral knight does his best to spook the trespassers from his ancestral home
But his ghostly machinations hold no fear for this rational modern family
Sir Simon succumbs to utter despair until he meets young Virginia Otis
Who sees him for who he really is…
Think I might need to do some reading before seeing this one!
Nativity! The Musical at The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
This promises to be such good festive fun
With all the songs from the film that we love
We will be ready to sparkle and shine
When we go to see this with our Home Ed friends
Mother Goose at The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
The Marlowe Pantomime is always awesome
And this year stars Dr Ranj
Which my children are very excited about
Cannot wait to see the new show
And really get into the festive spirit
With Evolution Pantomimes!
Paper Dolls at Polka Theatre, London
We adore this beautiful book by Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb
And cannot wait to see it brought to life on the stage
When a little girl makes a string of paper doll
She takes them by the hand on a fantastical adventure
Whirling through the home and garden they fly through the air
Until they are confronted with some very sharp scissors…
Adapted from the acclaimed picture book created by former Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson
And award-winning illustrator Rebecca Cobb
The Paper Dolls comes to life with stunning puppetry and original music
In Polka Theatre’s much-loved production
I think that this will be magical
I hope so
Under The Frozen Moon at The Marlowe Studio, Canterbury
In this heart-warming tale, a young girl sets out on a quest
To confront the dragon under the ice who has hoarded all of the fires and lights for himself
It’s so cold in Nunavik that the moon has frozen!
A greedy dragon has gobbled every fire and every light
Leaving only the white glow of the frozen moon
You can’t feel your toes, fire freezes in the hearth
And it doesn’t even snow… but not all warmth is lost
Under the glittering stars and dazzling aurora
Amka’s family huddle together, fishing for eels and knitting plenty of hats
With lively poetry, transforming sets, atmospheric live music and exciting puppetry
Under The Frozen Moon brings to life a beautiful world of ice and adventure
This sounds wonderful and a perfect way to get in the mood for winter
The Nutcracker at The Marlowe Studio, Canterbury
Seeing The Nutcracker is a Christmas tradition I have longed to start
Esther and I have been together once and are going again in February
But this one hour version of the famous festive ballet
Sounds like the perfect introduction for the other children
My little troupe of tiny dancers
Will love this little taste of festive ballet magic
We are also planning to see
Stickman at Leicester Square Theatre, London
We have seen this before and loved it SO much that we all want to go again
And we are going to be taking Edie this time
We are still singing the songs
Over a year on
It is a wonderful adaptation of a super special story
Photo Credit Robin Savage 2018
The Snail and the Whale at Apollo Theatre, London
Another play that we have seen before
But Esther and William were so young that they barely remember it
This is one of my favourite Julia Donaldson adaptations
It is stunning!
The Snow Dragon at The Gulbenkian, Canterbury
I adore this book
And I know that Tall Stories will adapt it beautifully for the stage
I think this will be wonderful theatre to watch with all the family
What is your favourite family theatre production?
Do you have any shows booked for the weeks and months ahead?