Can I start talking about Christmas yet? Is it Too Soon? Well it’ll be December next week, so you really should just get used to it. Besides, there is excitement in the toddler air. Peppa Pig is coming back to the West End – the cheeky little piggy will be appearing at the Criterion Theatre from 2nd December to 5th January. Eva was excited at the very sight of this photo:
…although she raised concerns about the whereabouts of Peppa’s teddy (I follow her logic – George has his dinosaur so why does Peppa not have her toy? Worrying thoughts for a 2-year-old). I’ll be honest with you – showing her that photo was a bit of a mistake, as she then demanded to see all the other photos and what should have been productive blogging time was instead a running commentary along the lines of:
“Oh, dat’s Peppa and dat’s Danny Dog and Peppa is laughing and she is wearing a red dress and George is laughing too and….”
See? You can imagine how excited she’ll be to actually go and see the stage show. If you have a similarly porcine-obsessed toddler, make sure you book quickly. The weekend shows especially are likely to sell out. More info here.
For older kids, there are a couple of shows that look great – for the 3+ market, try “Stick Man” at Leicester Square Theatre, running from 26th November to 4th January. It’s based on the book by Julia Donaldson about a stick man trying to get home to his family in time for Christm….sorry, I think I broke down a little there. Stick Man always makes me cry. But kids love it!
For more wistful Christmas fun that makes me cry, there’s a production of “The Snowman” at the Peacock Theatre. It’s a mixture of dance and music, with a live orchestra. At 1hr 50 (with an interval), it’s longer than most kids’ shows, so might be better for the 5+ market. Of course, if you have older kids and fancy something completely different, why not take in some axe-juggling lumberjacks from Quebec? Only at the Southbank Centre…
I’ve also got wind of a company called Happily Ever After, who specialise in creating magical fairy tale shows for kids. This Christmas they’re doing a run at Theatro Technis in Camden (11th -21st Dec), with fairytales likes “The Elves and the Shoemaker” and “The Snow Queen”. It sounds lovely and as an added bonus, the kids get to meet the characters afterwards!
Lastly, one for the grown ups and specifically for the grown-ups who, like us, gather round the telly once a year to drink Baileys and sing about washing their hair with snow. It’s Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” and it’s come to the West End in all its festive silliness, creepy Generals and all. It’ll be at the Dominion Theatre until the 8th of January. If that sounds like something you’d like, book now. If it sounds like something you’d hate, come and babysit for us so that we can go…
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