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Michael Morpurgo's Farm Boy @ Lichfield Garrick

The author Michael Morpurgo is a brilliant story teller and his Farm Boy story is no exception. This production has at its core a story that hooks you in and keeps you captivated. A grandfather and his grandson talk you through stories from their family that intertwine with the history of World War One and life on a farm. This play had parts that made me smile and chuckle but more parts that gave me goosebumps and a ripple of emotion. When grandfather made a confession and called on his grandson to help him, I was hooked waiting to hear the burden that he had born for his entire life. No spoilers though, come and see the play for yourself. The music in Farm Boy is an original score written by Matt Marks. It enhanced the story telling evoking memories and pictures in my mind. This combined with the strength of the story is clearly the reason the show has been at the Edinburgh Fringe and 'off Broadway' in New York. Throughout the show, there are just two actors on the stage: Gran
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There is no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothes.

My youngest daughter is not deterred by rain, wind or cold. She is happy out side in all weathers and I just have to wrap her and myself up warm. Even then, she often tries to discard gloves, hats and scarves.  If you have a free range child who loves being outdoors, here are my Top 5 suggestions for outdoor family activities this February half term. 1. Wild Families Nature Wonder Hunt and Crafts at The Wolsley Centre on 13th February between 10am and 12 noon. £7.50 for the first child, then others are £4.50. https://www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/events/2024-02-13-wildfamilies-survival-skills-wolseley-centre 2. Crafts, story telling and Stick Man screenings are on from 12th to 16th February to complement their excellent Stick Man trail at The National Memorial Arboretum. This means that you can warm up before heading outside again. All activities are free. https://www.thenma.org.uk/what's-on/events/february-half-term 3. Campfire fun and Hot Chocolate at The Parkridge WWT centre in Sol

Best Family Friendly Offers this Twixmas

If you love a special offer, here are the best family deals available to book now. All the offers come with their own terms and conditions so please have a good read before you book anything. Please do let me know if you take advantage of any offers. I love hearing what you get up to.  Hoo Zoo in Telford For animal and dinosaur loving kids Hoo Zoo is a great combination. There are currently discounts available on Wowcher and Groupon starting at £42 for 2. https://www.hoo-zoo.com https://www.wowcher.co.uk/deal/birmingham/activity/animals/e/hoo-zoo-animal-experiences https://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/wills-wild-animal-encounters-23 Twycross Zoo There is an amazing offer currently available direct through the Twycross Zoo website- pay for a day and visit free for 12 months. To take advantage of the offer, you must purchase your ticket in advance online. Twycross zoo has some big animals such as giraffes, orangoutangs and a snow leopard. There are also a number of outdoor play areas and the

Little Red Riding Hood @ Birmingham's Rep

                                                           An introduction to family theatre at its best!  As we came out my 11 year old declared, "I really, really enjoyed that!" So too had my 4 year old who was full of excitement and talking about her favourite character. Two happy, satisfied children counts as a huge win for me. I believe the Little Red Riding Hood show was an all round hit because it highly engaging. The actors were out and about before the show, putting the children at ease and helping them to know what to expect. The show was a mix of speaking, singing, music and sign language. The whole audience was encouraged to join in, shout up, sing out and join in the Makaton signing. This was just what an auditorium of excited children need to keep them thoroughly engaged for the whole show which lasted just over 50 minutes. Makaton signing was integrated within the show. Whilst the whole show wasn't signed lots of it was and we all learned the sign for the b

Beauty and the Beast @ Lichfield Garrick

“That was so funny I nearly wet myself!”  Such was my 11 year old daughter’s review of the Lichfield Garrick’s 2023 Christmas Panto - Beauty and the Beast. Truth be told, although I hopefully have more bladder control than that, I was in pretty close agreement with her. I’m not sure which part of the show was the most hilarious. It may have been the obligatory slapstick gunge and slide routine making pudding in the Beast’s castle kitchen. However, Figgy the animated (and socially borderline) Greek statue was in hot pursuit. Had I been the unsuspecting gentleman who sat on the front row I may have found the audience participation rather less comedic (he loved it really!!!). What I do know though is that by the end of the evening my sides hurt, I’d become seriously dehydrated and my daughter and I were ready for the festive Christmas season to begin! You may wonder how Beauty and the Beast could pass for panto? However, Sam Rabone’s annual Pantomime dame, reappearing as Belle’s hideously

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe @ The Rep

The Rep in Birmingham is well known for having a big hitting show at Christmas and this year was no exception. Arriving straight from the West End is a captivating production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I went with high expectations and this show did not disappoint. Staying true to the original book, the show begins with the evacuation of Lucy, Susan, Edmund and Peter to Aberdeenshire. Sensible Susan is my favourite and she was the calm and reassuring presence whilst Edmund quickly takes on his irksome character. All of the actors were superbly cast and true to the characters that I read about as a child many years ago. The special thing about this production is the mixture of acting, music and dance. There is no orchestra in the pit. Why? Because they are on the stage acting and playing music all from memory. This is something that I haven't seen on stage before and it was captivating to watch. One of the scenes which did this brilliantly was right at the end when Asl

The Amazing Bubble Man at Lichfield Garrick

The Bubble Man is in town! I was a bit concerned that the reviews were over inflated and that maybe The Lichfield Garrick was finally going to burst my bubble. However, this show is not to be missed! I had no idea that bubbles could be so much fun or that there was so much that you could do with them. As The Bubble Man said, it may have been that growing up in the ’80’s meant that my bubble horizon was rather limited to small plastic pots and tiny wands. There is so much more that you can do though - smoke filled bubbles, helium filled bubbles, bubbles that encase a whole human being (large and small), bubbles that look like caterpillars, bubbles that look like snowmen (and snowwomen), even a square bubble!   The Bubble Man’s show, with backing music by the very talented, Jet Black Pearl, is mesmerising, hilarious and scientifically educational  - just don’t sit on the front row if you don’t want to get involved… The time flew by as my husband and I with our 11 year old and 4 year ol