Peppa Pig’s Adventure

★★★★☆   Toddlertastic

Kings Theatre: Sat 30 June – Sun 1 July 2018
Review by Natalie Walker

The average age of the audience for Peppa Pig’s Adventure – at the King’s Theatre this weekend and on tour – has to be about three.

But given the noise level throughout this short and fun new show, each and every toddler is captivated by the experience.

Bronte Tadman with George Pig, Pedro Pony, Peppa PIg and Suzy Sheep. Pic: Dan Tsantilis

It is a lovely sunny day and Daisy (the only human in the show) arrives at school – but can not find her classmates. Slowly, with the eager young audiences help. she manages to track down Gerald Giraffe, Suzy Sheep and Pedro Pony before managing to convince George and (the main attraction, obviously) Peppa to join her.

Before long we are transported to our favourite cartoon pal’s school room with a life-size Madame Gazelle ready to take class. The group learn how to play some musical instruments – all the while the audience are taught how to clap and shake their over eager hands and arms in the air.



Mummy and Daddy Pig soon arrive to join in the fun – also life size and drawing lots of squeals of delightful recognition.

The sun was blaring on this summers day in the Capital – but inside the King’s the wee ones were being just as dazzled. Every time the Peppa puppet spoke there were yelps of delight and a sea of thrilled kids waving their hands at their porky heroine.

interaction

Daisy, played by Bronte Tadman, is the thread to the show, constantly seeking and getting interaction with the crowd with lots of actions and songs. Before long she is busy rounding up her cuddly looking school friends into a bus driven by Daddy Pig to take them on an adventure.

The cast of Peppa Pig’s Adventure. Pic: Dan Tsantilis

The second half finds Peppa and co at a campsite. Pig-tailed Daisy makes their packed lunches – managing to feed some ducks and sing a few songs before bedtime.

As night falls four life size tents appear and the crew are urged to sleep. Well of course they are  too excited for slumber. Clever lighting shows the characters silhouetted in tents and we hear them chat about how it is too noisy for them to sleep.

They all emerge and are told by an always smiling Daisy they need to dream about things to help them sleep. Cue a darkened stage and lots of neon props in dream bubbles.

One of the highlights is watching the puppet handlers (clad head to toe in black who push the life size puppets about on wheels while voicing the characters) fly creatures in the sky –  bats, frogs, owls and very effective fireflies which seem to take over the entire theatre.

water guns

Another fun bit is when the schoolmates awake and find out it is raining – time for their boots and the audience being squirted from the sides with water guns. The surge of water is not enough to make you wet, more you get a wee feeling of water. The crew behind this imaginative show got that spot on – although my wee girl (three) was sad there were no actual real muddy puddles to be seen…

The cast of Peppa Pig’s Adventure. Pic: Dan Tsantilis

This really is the perfect show for pre-school kids. It’s a squirting, snorting and fast paced hour which brings lots of the best elements of the TV show to stage including the music, most of the popular and famous songs (such as the Bing Bong Song) and recognisable voices.

It takes a little time to get used to seeing puppeteers standing behind all the characters on wheeled bases and moving their flapping arms and mouths. But it is more the parents and grandparents whose eyes are drawn to this than the wee ones – who were mesmerised by seeing their favourite characters live.

It is a very simple show, with simple songs and routines and predictable phrases from the sweet, if slightly basic, puppets. The sets are simple. The content is unoriginal. But that is what makes this so effective when your audience is so young. This is fast-paced, colourful fun. And for the older members of the audience it is over before you know it.

Running time: 1 hour (including one interval)
King’s Theatre, 2 Leven Street EH3 9LQ. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000
Saturday 30 June/Sunday 1 July 2018
Three times daily: 10am, 1pm & 4pm.
Tickets and details: www.capitaltheatres.com/peppapig

Tour website: http://peppapiglive.com/home.php
Facebook: @peppapigliveuk

ENDS

Tags: Bronte Tadman, King's Theatre, Natalie Walker, Peppa Pig, Peppa Pig's Adventure, Review, Theatre