Kidz Theatre

The Panto session is over- ‘Oh No It Isn’t! Oh Yes It Is!’- as the greasepaint is packed away and the Dames go into hibernation until next Christmas, your last hope of entertaining the kids leaves the stage with them. And it will be half term soon!!! Have no fear though, theatres and dance companies throughout the country have released their Spring programmes and the range of children’s productions is magnificent.

This January the Royal Opera House will be putting on Will Tuckett’s acclaimed version of Kenneth Grahame’s classic The Wind in the Willows narrated by Blackadder and Timeteam star Tony Robinson. Suitable for children over 5 years old it follows the antics of Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad of Toad Hall. For younger audiences the Scottish Opera will be performing BabyO and SensoryO at the Linbury Studio Theatre from March 3^rd to March 4^th. Designed for children between 6 and 36 months it journeys into a secret garden using sound, words and movement to stimulate language development. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLmdNMbKAh8 After there success with the Ugly Ducklings last year the Northern Ballet is taking its children’s production on tour again. On March 11^th The Three Little Pigs will open at Middlesbrough Theatre then travel throughout the country before closing at The Mayflower in Southampton on 30^th May. The English National Ballet is also touring between 5^th April and 25^th May with a new episode of its My First Ballet series. A comical version of the ballet classic Coppélia the English National Ballet intends to use the traditional tale of the eccentric toymaker who brings the doll Coppélia to life in order to give young audiences their first taste of Ballet. From the 24^th April to 27^th April the London Children’s Ballet will be returning to the Sadler’s Wells Peacock Theatre with a ballet adaptation of the film Nanny McPhee. Fifty-six children aged between nine and sixteen will be taking to the stage to re-enact the story of Widow Cedric Brown and his seven unruly children for their peers.

The Ballet is not the only option this Spring the theatres are full of family friendly musicals from Roald Dahl’s Mathilda to the Scooby Doo Musical. The Gruffalo will also be touring throughout the year opening in Camberley Theatre on 14^th February. So there no excuses to be not to get your dance shoes on this Spring as children’s theatre did get put away along with the pantomime horse.