Family Fun

Family Panto Offer!

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Sleeping Beauty

GET £10 OFF A FAMILY TICKET*

Using the code CARABOSSE

This half-term Regal Entertainments present the most spellbinding panto of them all, the enchanting Sleeping Beauty.

Featuring a star-studded cast including TV and West End Star Claire Sweeney as the evil fairy Carabosse, Shameless’s Warren Donnelly as The King, the hilarious Tam Ryan as Chester the Jester, the incredibly talented Laura Gregory as Princess Aurora and St Helens’ resident Dame, Si Foster as Dame Queenie.

Sleeping Beauty tells the enchanting tale of Princess Aurora, who is cursed by the evil fairy Carabosse after failing to receive an invite to the Royal Christening. Aurora is tricked into piercing her finger on a spinning wheel on her 16th birthday by the evil fairy, and is destined to eternal slumber unless a handsome prince can break the curse with true loves kiss.

SLEEPING BEAUTY
ST HELENS THEATRE ROYAL
Date: Sat 21 – Sun 29 Oct
Time: 1pm & 5pm
Tickets: Family Tickets £31 & £45 with this offer

* Offer is valid for online, telephone and in person bookings. Offer DOES NOT apply to Sat and Sun 1pm performances, and CANNOT be used for Golden Seats. The offer will allow customer to receive £10 off a Family Ticket. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, or redeemed against tickets already purchased. Offer expires at midnight on Sunday 15th October 2017

 

 

Stick Man

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Stick 3

“Stick Man, I’m Stick Man, I’m Stick Man, that’s me.”

Most likely most people who have or know young children will be familiar with the heart-warming and witty work of Julia Donaldson and her illustrator Alex Scheffler (The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom)

One of the duo’s most popular works, Stick Man – the 2008 tale of a good natured wooden fellow separated from his home and family (which will be extra familiar to many thanks to the recent hit Christmas TV version) – has been brought alive on stage by Scamp Theatre, and is back at the Lowry this weekend.

For anyone yet to experience the bittersweet tale of Stickman, it centres around our eponymous hero who lives in his Family’s tree with his “stick lady love and his stick children three.”

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Upon waking early one morning, Stick Man goes for a jog, before being caught up in a serious of misadventures involving dogs, swans, children and the elements, which serve only to take him further from home.

“Will I ever get back to the family tree?” He wonders? (If only he’d hit the snooze button instead! 

The wonderfully inventive production sees three talented performers play all the roles, along with a mixture of puppets and props – everything from wellies to umbrellas, beach balls and rolls of cardboard are pressed into action to tell the tale on stage.

Christopher Currie brings a nice sense of bewilderment and frustration to the title role, while Euan Wilson and Kate Maylon have great fun bringing all the other characters to life. All three give a masterclass in physical and vocal comedy.

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There’s live music and clever sound effects, and some witty and seriously catchy songs too – the opening number in particular is a total ear worm that I’m confident will be in my head for days.

Absolutely not a panto, there’s still a bit of audience participation and forays into the auditorium by the cast.

And there’s just the right amount of peril without being too worrying for little ones – my almost three year old Godson did slide off his booster seat and onto my lap when Stick Man was caught up in the choppy ocean, but that was as scary as things got.

And being the only one of Donaldson and Scheffler’s tales that is set at Christmas, complete with a scene stealing cameo from the big red man himself, the production has a gloriously festive feel, 

“Again” was the immediate verdict from my little reviewer, as the lights went up in the Quays Theatre.

This really is a beautiful and thoughtful piece of children’s theatre, which treats both the much-loved source material, and young audiences, with the respect they deserve.

For further tour dates head to http://www.scamptheatre.com

 

 

 

BRB – Aladdin

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Birmingham Royal Ballet returns to the Lowry’s Lyric theatre this week with their magical, family-friendly production of Aladdin. Taken from the stories of the Arabian Nights, David Bintley’s splendid version of this classic tale, with music by the BAFTA award-winning Carl Davis chose Salford to begin their Autumn/Winter ’17 season.

This enchanting production perfectly balances humour with beautiful chorography, and explores aspects of the tale that audiences may not have been aware of. The story begins with a young, cheeky Aladdin (Mathias Dingman) escaping the clutches of the palace guards with the help of the mysterious Magician, the Mahgrib (Iain Mackay), who subsequently tricks Aladdin into entering the dark cave on his behalf to retrieve the lamp.

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Each Act has its own crescendo which does not fail to dazzle the audience. The Cave of Riches at the end of Act I, is one of exquisite beauty, in which mischievous Aladdin is surrounded by an array of dancing gems who demonstrate a wide range of styles and techniques much to the delight of the audience. The gems lead Aladdin to the old lamp which places him on a road to riches and leads him to his true love, princess, Badr al-Budur (Momoko Hirata).

The sets and costumes become more vibrant and luxurious as the story unfolds, and as Aladdin himself becomes more accustomed to his life of luxury under the brilliantly blue Djinn of the lamp (played by Tzu-Chao Chou). The performance would not be the same without the dazzling orchestra conducted by Paul Murphy and led by Robert Gibbs, which adds to the atmosphere immensely, allowing the performance to swap and change between suspense and humour seamlessly.

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This production is bound to astonish audiences of all ages, with its delightful and superbly delivered chorography, technicoloured sets, sumptuous costumes and enchanting score. Birmingham Royal Ballet once again prove why they are one of the most loved and celebrated companies around, visually stunning, highly entertaining and not to be missed!

On at The Lowry until Saturday 23rd of Sepember tickets available here http://www.thelowry.com/events/aladdin

Reviewed by Emily Cotter

Lowry Competition!

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Comp

We are thrilled to be able to offer a family ticket to see the fabulous Fauna on either Thursday 21st or Fri 22nd September at the Lowry.

Winner of the Total Theatre and Jackson’s Lane Award for Circus at Edinburgh Festival 2017, Fauna is a unique mixture of acrobatics, dance and movement with a brilliant live musical score – a mesmerising evening of extraordinary strength and sublime skill!

To enter all you need to do is follow our page and share this post, good luck!

Further information can be found at http://www.thelowry.com/events/fauna

Cheshire Fest is back!

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 Cheshire Fest Promo 1 small

Cheshire Fest is back later this month for a weekend filled with music, food and drink, a guaranteed end of summer celebration in the heart of the Cheshire countryside!

The two-day festival returns on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th September at its new location, Manchester Rugby Club in Cheadle Hulme.

Launched in 2016 the weekend is a celebration of music, food and drink and returns bigger and better than ever for 2017, with a whole host of food and drink offerings alongside a fantastic entertainment programme which includes some of Cheshire’s finest talent.

Organisers have revealed a full programme for the weekend detailing the wide range of activities that revellers can expect from the family friendly festival which boasts free entry for children under the age of 15 with adult tickets starting at £10 (plus booking fee) which includes a free drink.

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The weekend festivities kick off from 11am on both days with a full main stage programme of live entertainment throughout the day.

On Saturday, the #RememberWhen Main Stage plays host to Cheshire’s finest tribute acts including Want You Back (Take That tribute), Dan East is Ed Sheeran, Be-Beyonce, MJ Mimms (Michael Jackson) and Elvis. Joining the line-up are some of Cheshire’s finest local artists Leon Meya and The Sound as well as Britain’s Got Talent finalists’ MD Productions.

Sunday’s musical programme is sure to get the crowds rocking as the #FestivalAnthems Main Stage delivers rock anthems. Line-up includes Antarctic Monkeys, Oashish, The Absolute Stone Roses and Yellow (Coldplay tribute). Local artists Nolan and Leon Meya complete Sunday’s Main Stage Line-up.

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Elsewhere across the festival site attendees can head to the Street Food Village to enjoy an array of gourmet street food and international cuisine. Beer lovers can sample the delights of the Mini Beer Fest with over 30 varieties of beers, cask ales and ciders from across the UK.

In addition to the Mini Beer Fest, festival goers can enjoy a relaxing G&T in the tranquillity of The Gin Garden, grab a cocktail at the Cocktail Bar, enjoy a glass of fizz in the Champagne and Prosecco Bar or savour the taste of summer at the Pimm’s Bus.

 

A silent disco will also be on site where you can dance to hearts content with music as loud as you please with passers by continuing to enjoy the festival. Comic Con and Sci-Fi fans are also being catered for with Star Wars characters parading around the site which is well worth a selfie!

Cheshire Fest Promo 4 - credit Jazamin Sinclair

The Kids Tent will keep the younger festival goers entertained throughout the weekend with a whole host of workshops, games and live entertainment. Stars of the TV show The Voice Kids UK will entertain throughout the day. Frozen meets Beauty & the Beast offers children the chance to meet and greet some of their favourite characters with stage performances throughout the day. There will also be a huge range of giant inflatable castles in Bouncy World, a Family Fun Fair and Little Explorers Activities.

Festival Director Philip Osbourne said, “After launching our first festival in 2016, we’ve taken huge steps to bring on board a cracking team of organisers this year to reinvent the festival. We’re all about big days out with family and friends and we think this new format, location and programme will offer just that! It has been an absolute pleasure to put together the programme for Cheshire Fest, we hope the people of Cheshire enjoy what is sure to be a great weekend.”

Tickets to this unmissable event start at just £10 plus booking fees, which includes a free drink for every ticket buyer! Book now for the perfect end to summer. For tickets head to http://www.cheshirefest.co.uk

 

 

The Wizard of Oz

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The Wizard of Oz Image 3

It may be August (although looking out the window you’d never know) but that hasn’t stopped Regal Entertainment Limited returning to Stockport Plaza with their sparkling summer panto, fan favourite, The Wizard of Oz.

Starring the much loved Cheryl Fergison of Eastenders fame, The Wizard of Oz is a high energy, action packed, family fun show which delivers first class entertainment for all ages. The traditional panto booing and shouts of ‘it’s behind you’ that we all know and love feature, as well as some brilliantly choreographed routines and hilarious performances. There’s just the right amount of cheeky jokes for the Mum’s and Dad’s in the audience as well as lots of giggles for the little ones and plenty of opportunities to sing along to much loved classics and have a boogie to lots of recent favourites too.

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Cheryl Fergison leads a fine cast firstly as Miss Windy Bottom (much to the hilarity of the audience) and secondly as Eva the Witch. She portrays the perfect baddie, bad tempered, witty and of course totally wicked! Fergison is joined by a very strong cast who each deliver great performances. The casting particularly of Scarecrow (David Heath), Tin Man (Philip Shaun McGuinness) and Lion (Si Foster) is perfect, each give keenly observed performances and are immediately likeable, engaging with their audience and making great fun companions to Dorothy (Maddie Hope Coelho). Coelho delivers a fine performance as Dorothy, firmly doing justice to Somewhere Over The Rainbow with her incredibly beautiful voice she is most certainly a worthy wearer of the ruby slippers.

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As our cast follow the yellow brick road to Emerald City they’re guided along the way by the glamorous Glinda (Olivia Sloyan) who speaks in rhyme and isn’t afraid to get messy with the rest of this wonderfully talented cast.

This great production will have you wishing it was panto season all year round, laugh out loud funny, highly entertaining and most of all jolly good fun!

On at the Stockport Plaza until Saturday 12th August

 

Family Fun this Summer at The Lowry

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Room on the Broom

credit: KW & NB Ltd

Throughout August The Lowry are running a ‘Non-stop Summer of activities’ and Opening Night thought we would head along with our mini-reviewer Daisy to spend the day experiencing all they had to offer.

First stop for us was Room on the Broom, a wonderful family show from Tall Stories theatre company. It is a musical adaptation of the worldwide bestselling children’s novel by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler and its arrival at The Lowry follows on from the company’s successful run with their version of The Gruffalo last year.

Fans of the book will be familiar with the tale being told in rhyme and it works perfectly here, with a number of original songs added for extra entertainment. With the duration being just over an hour it also suits the age it caters for (which is 3 years up) keeping them enthralled from start to finish.

For those uninitiated with the tale it follows a jolly witch and her cat on their ‘broom’ adventures. Directed by Olivia Jacobs and designed by Morgan Large every box is ticked in bringing this novel from the page to the stage.

The Witch, played brilliantly by Amy Harris, and her cute cat (Emma Crowley Bennett) are travelling on their broomstick when they pick up some friends along the way – an excitable dog, a green bird and a crazy singing frog. But the broomstick is not meant for five, let alone one, and it snaps in two with hilarious consequences just as a fire breathing dragon appears!

David Garrud and David Bloom add the main comedy and energy to the show, as the extra puppet characters who sing and bound around the set at every opportunity, much to the hilarity of the young audience.

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‘Mini-reviewer’ Daisy has her pen and paper at the ready for Room on the Broom!

Mini-reviewer Daisy (7) was enthralled from start to finish and she loved singing and clapping along to the audience participation songs. The whole show is good family fun full of laughs and surprises as the energetic cast of four produce larger than life characters and perform with all the puppet characters seamlessly.

Following on from Room on a Broom we checked out the dining experience in The Lowry’s ultra-modern restaurant, Pier 8. Throughout the summer children eat free with a paying adult as long as there is a children’s show on at the theatre at the time. It’s the perfect place for a pre or post show meal and the staff were lovely, in particular Rob our waiter.

We ordered the 6oz burger with the added extra of garstang blue cheese and Daisy opted for fish and chips with an ice cream sundae to follow and us, a dreamy rhubarb creme brûlée. It was a great meal and ticked the boxes for choice for adults and children in the perfect setting.

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One very excited child at her free kids meal in Pier 8

If you want to make a full day of it, the fun doesn’t stop there, The Lowry has lots of activities running throughout August for families, from storytelling to drawing and dressing up. We walked off our lunch by visiting the art gallery upstairs and seeing some of the LS Lowry paintings along with getting involved with some of the free creative workshops on offer.

If you are looking for somewhere where the whole family can enjoy a day out then you can’t go wrong this summer with paying a visit to The Lowry.

www.thelowry.com

Room on the Broom runs until 27th August at The Lowry

 

The Railway Children

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Exeter Northcott Theatre’s charming production of E. Nesbit’s much loved classic The Railway Children arrives at the Lowry Theatre this week.

Directed by Paul Jepson, the play brings together a well-adapted screenplay, outstanding acting and technical wizardry to create a highly atmospheric and snappily-paced adaptation of the children’s novel.

The production is mostly true to the original story of a mother and three children forced to abandon their comfortable London home for a small cottage in the country following the wrongful conviction of their father. The twists and turns in the plot are cleverly adapted from the original to suit the stage with Perks (the excellent Stewart Wright) as the omnipotent observer who fills in the gaps of the lengthy novel without ever losing an opportunity to show off his excellent comic timing.

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The quality of the directing is clear in the naturalness of the dialogue, particularly between the three children Phyllis (Katherine Carlton), Roberta (an outstanding Millie Turner) and Peter (Vinay Lad). Callum Goulden as young John Perks is an excellent comic foil to his more earnest peers; it was a shame not to see a bit more of a highly amiable Andrea Davy as Mrs. Perks. Joy Brook as Mother gives an emotional performance, and the excellent portrayal of family drama is lightened and enlivened by the visits of an increasingly frayed Andrew Josh as the family doctor.

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The stage is often transformed into a sepia-toned 19th century by the beautiful semi-transparent backdrops and there are also very effective video projections which give the big moments a cinematic immediacy. There was some evidence of first-night nerves (a banner went up at the wrong time, and the show started somewhat late) but these could not distract a rapt audience. This excellent production runs until Sunday, July 30th and is not to be missed.

Tickets can be found at http://www.thelowry.com/events/the-railway-children

 

Reviewed by Deirdre Warr

Brazilica Carnival hits Liverpool!

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Brazilica Parade Crowd Scene - smallA carnival atmosphere will take over the streets of Liverpool this weekend as Brazilica prepares to bring Rio-style colour and music to the city centre!

The 10th annual Brazilica – the UK’s biggest Brazilian Samba Carnival – is a fabulous three-day festival of all things Latino, promising pulsating samba rhythms, fantastic food, entertaining and thought-provoking film, and not forgetting of course dazzling carnival costumes!

One of the absolute highlights of the entire festival is the Carnival Parade, which takes place this Saturday 15 July. Thousands are expected to line the streets to watch the parade as it makes its way from Abercromby Square to Williamson Square, filling the air with colour, music and fun as it passes by in a blaze of feathers, sequins and energetic samba bands.

Starting from Abercromby Square at 8pm, the parade will turn on to Oxford Street and then left on to Hope Street. It will then turn right by the Philharmonic pub and will then follow Hardman Street downhill before moving onto Bold Street. The Parade will then continue into Church Street, before finishing in Williamson Square – a new location for 2017.

The entire Parade will be led by the newly-crowned Carnival Queen, who will be chosen during a hotly-fought competition evening at PANAM on the Albert Dock the night before.

Bascillica route

Details of the parade have been released and will include music and dance from more than a dozen amazing Samba bands including Grupo Sambafriq, Katumba, Paraiso School of Samba, G.R.E.S. Cidade Brilhaute, Manchester School of Samba, Liverpool Samba School, Baque Ogun, Oxiris Wirral School of Samba, Som de Meio, Arco Iris, Karamba Samba, Batala Mersey and Worldwide Samba Drummers & Preston Samba Dancers, ensuring the parade will capture true Brazilian flare, colour and carnival spirit! Meanwhile the samba party will continue until the early hours with the official Brazilica After Party taking place at Camp and Furnace on Saturday 15 July from 10pm – 4am, featuring carnival DJs and live music. Entry £5.

Maeve Morris, festival director, said: “This is the 10th anniversary of Brazilica and we can promise Liverpool a fantastic carnival atmosphere all weekend, with a non-stop party on the main stage at our new location at the Pier Head Village down on the marvellous Mersey waterfront.

“The Carnival Parade on Saturday evening is always a real highlight of Brazilica, and I promise this year will be no exception with a host of brilliant samba and carnival bands and some truly fantastic costumes on display making it a must-see event.”

For details of the full Brazilica 2017 programme be sure to check out the Brochure: http://bit.ly/2tuw3LF

Keep up to date with all Brazilica Festival activity at:

http://www.brazilicafestival.com

http://www.facebook.com/brazilicafestival

Twitter – @BrazilicaFest

Fantastic Mr Fox

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Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox, amazingly written 47 years ago, has aged well in this stage adaptation by Sam Holcroft for the Nuffield Sothampton Theatre and Curve Production. Although not originally intended to be performed on stage, and certainly not as a musical, this production bravely combines song, live music and a strong, funny script to re-tell the tale of Mr Fox, his motley crew and his arch enemy farmers, Boggis, Bunce and Bean.

The personification of Fantastic Mr Fox (played convincingly by Greg Barnett) and his fiercely loyal crew of woodland creatures contrasts colourfully with the hapless, selfish and at times dark characters of Boggis, Bunce and Bean, those mean-spirited farmers determined to put a stop to Fox’s antics.

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Mr Fox, a literary version of Robin Hood, who steals from the rich to give to his hungry comrades, has no faith in those friends, despite losing his tail (and balance along with it), and refuses to rely on them in his time of peril.

Despite the obvious challenges faced in staging this production, the creative team cleverly rejected the temptation to recreate wildlife scenes, and instead used modern day set and funky materials, giving the staging a contemporary feel. The costumes similarly drew on more modern materials including sportswear, headbands and fluffy leg warmers

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The cast worked hard, with Richard Atwill, Raphael Bushay, Gruffurd Glynn and Kelly Jackson all playing 2 roles, and completing some speedy costume changes. Although laced with humour, there were some ‘comedy gold’ moments provided by the excitable Rabbit (played by the very funny Sandy Foster) and Mole, played by Gruffud Glyn.

As well as being a story about good winning over bad, the audience is taken on a journey of discovery as Mr Fox realises that that with true friends around you, anything can be achieved and no problem is insurmountable. With tension building throughout the production, there were lots of laughs for the younger audience, and a few jokes too, to benefit the parents. Overall this is a perfect family show with a strong moral content, which will ensure that everyone is talking about it long after the curtain falls.

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On at The Lowry until Sunday tickets available here http://www.thelowry.com/events/fantastic-mr-fox

Reviewed by Margot Power

Fantastic Mr Fox preview

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Fox 1

The brand new adaptation of Roald Dahl’s much loved classic Fantastic Mr Fox arrives at the Lowry next week and promises to be a gloriumptious treat for the whole family!

Although Mr Fox is smart, clever and of course completely fantastic, does he underestimate how determined the farmers are to get their revenge? Can he hatch a cunning plan to save his friends and family? And can rabbit keep quiet for long enough not to give the game away? You’ll simply have to watch to find out!

We sat down with composer Arthur Darvill (familiar to many as Rev. Paul Coates in Broadchurch) to hear more about the show and find out what audiences can expect from this dahlicious family theatrical feast!

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Arthur felt it was a real privilege to write music for this new production. “It is a pinch yourself moment. When re reading the book I thought I love this book but I don’t know if I can do this, which I think is a good reaction to have. Throughout the writing process, it has been about honouring what Dahl wrote and making sure the music tells the story in the best way we can tell it.”

A massive Roald Dahl fan, Arthur remembers reading Fantastic Mr Fox in his cabin bed when he was a child growing up back in Birmingham. “I read it in one go, in one night and just absolutely loved it. It had a drastic impact on the way my world was shaped. Dahl made the most disgusting things in life seem like the most joyous. He also had a great sense of justice, which can only be a good thing.”

Arthur expanded on what he wanted to capture about the story and its characters via the music; “There are a definite group of characters in Fantastic Mr Fox; humans and animals. I wanted to give them both a very different sound to start with and as the story develops, these sounds slightly cross over depending on what is happening. The farmers have a dirty earthly English sound and the animals are freer. Mr Fox is arrogant at times and Mouse sings about cheese, which is very sweet.”

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We asked Arthur what he hoped audiences would take away from the show? “I hope audiences take away melodies that they can sing on their way home. This show is so much fun and the right people get their comeuppance. It is not black and white. You will go home discussing the moral content of the story whilst laughing at the jokes. It’s a perfect family show for all ages”.

You can catch Fantastic Mr Fox which is adapted by Sam Holcroft and directed by Maria Aberg, from Wednesday 5th July until Sun 9th July at the Lowry theatre, Salford. Tickets available via the following link; https://www.thelowry.com/events/fantastic-mr-fox

 

 

Teletubbies Live!

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Tele

Time for Teletubbies! Time for Teletubbies!

The World Premiere of the first EVER Teletubbies stage show will take place in Manchester this November!

Everyone’s favourite colourful characters, Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po will take to the stage at the Palace Theatre in celebration of their 20th anniversary and we have all the details you need in order to join them!

Teletubbies Live promises to be a show filled with love, laughter and Teletubbies favourites including the Tubby Phone, Noo-ooo and Sun baby. Young audiences will be invited to join in the fun as they enjoy regular much loved features of the TV show as well as brand new songs by from BAFTA award-winning composer Mani Svavarsson.

Produced by leading children’s theatre team Fiery Light, in partnership with licensor DHX Brands and specially adapted and created by Richard Lewis, who has also created and directed the super popular Peppa Pig Live shows, Teletubbies Live is the perfect way to introduce little ones to the magic of the heatre as this colourful and mesmerising show plays out before them.

Teletubbies

Tickets go on sale on Wednesday 28th June and the Palace theatre will be marking the event with a FREE family friendly launch party from 10am-12 noon where you can meet Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po! There will be giveaways, face-painting, photo opportunities, cupcakes and babycinos as well as EXCLUSIVE ticket offers!

Anyone who buys tickets at the event for Teletubbies Live will be entered into a free prize draw to win some fabulous Teletubbies merchandise! So don’t delay head down to the Palace Theatre, Oxford St, Manchester at 10am on Wednesday June 28 to join in the fun and be the first in line to get your tickets! For more information head to; www.Teletubbieslive.com