Chester Tuffnut – Design by Robyn Wilson-Owen
How’s your summer been so far? Long? Me too. So I’m back with a few more ideas of Stuff To Do To Entertain Those Dang Kids.
First off, if you’re looking for entertainment in East London TODAY! then don’t forget Slap Haddock are rolling out their street theatre mayhem at Chingford Mount (11:30) and South Leytonstone (junction of Harrow Green and Leytonstone High Road) at 2pm and 3pm. It should be fun.
I am also very, very pleased to give a plug to the wonderful-sounding Chester Tuffnut shows at Polka Theatre in Wimbledon (see image above). With design by one of my very talented imaginary friends, it’s a magical woodland adventure suitable for ages 2-5. It’s 50 mins long, with time afterwards to explore Chester’s world – I believe some Saturday shows also have workshops after them. I’m late to the game on this one, as it’s been running since June and is closing next Saturday but all the more reason to book quickly!
Of course August is also the month of Kids Go Free week, which is a great opportunity to see some West End shows for reduced prices. There’s everything from “The Tiger Who Came to Tea” for the littlies to huge shows like “Wicked” and “Kinky Boots” for your older kids and teens. Well worth having a look.
If you fancy something smaller scale, I’ve heard good things about the Little Angel Theatre in Islington. This weekend, they have a puppet show called “Isabel’s Well” on, which sounds pretty charming. It’s suitable for 3-7-year-olds but babies are admitted for all-age performances. Unicorn Theatre is another child-friendly venue and this month they have a show on for the very smallest theatregoers, called “It’s Baby’s First Adventure“, suitable for 6-18 month-olds, and tickets are very limited so book quickly!
And for fans of Peppa, she is returning to the Hackney Empire for just two days on the 20th and 21st August for “Peppa Pig’s Surprise“. I know how obsessive these Peppa fans can be, so make sure you don’t miss out on her brief flight back. For older kids (5+), I think “Air Play” at the Southbank Centre looks good – it’s a mime show, with giant umbrellas flying over the audience and all manner of air-based trickery. It runs till 14th Aug.
Chickenshed sadly don’t have any shows on over the summer but are returning with “Tales from the Shed” in the autumn. Their shows are affordable, accessible and lots of fun so I would definitely recommend going. Plus, it’s something to look forward to in September so you’re not moping over those kids going back to school…
