Wizard of Oz St Helens, Fun for all the family

Just been to St Helen's Theatre Royal to see the Wizard of Oz and very good it was too. With two teenagers who generally don't want to be in the same room as us, let alone come to the theatre, I wasn't sure how much of a success it would be, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was lovely to see them laughing and singing along, forgetting to be cool and joining in with the usual panto banter - even if it is slightly disconcerting to realise that they get the adult humour behind the jokes! 

You generally know what to expect with a panto - and The Wizard of Oz gave us this  - and more. All the usual panto script and jokes were there but there was much more on top of this that I hadn't seen before and it was extremely funny.  Linda Lusardi made a very glamorous Wicked Witch and all the cast did a fantastic job, but the real star of the show was Reece Sibbald playing the Scarecrow.  Pure comedy genius who made even the simplest things funny, he had the audience in stitches whenever he was on stage. The ad libs were particularly hilarious - so much so that I'm hoping it was actually staged so future audiences will enjoy them as well! 

It just goes to show you don't need a cast full of big names or expensive special effects to make a great show, you just need talented actors who engage with the audience and make them laugh. Add in the fact that the Theatre Royal is a lovely venue which doesn't seat too many people, with friendly staff, cheap parking nearby (that you don't have to queue for ages to exit) and a family ticket at not too much over the £50 mark, then it is definitely worth making the trip over from Manchester. 

We've seen many pantos, and watched the Wizard of Oz a fair few times, but this was probably the best version we've seen. The fact we were surprised how late it was when it finished showed how enjoyable the show was as the time flew. It certainly has our recommendation for a family outing to suit everyone whatever their age. 

Wizard of Oz is on at The Theatre Royal until 22nd April with family friendly showings at 1pm and 5pm most days. Ticket prices start from £15 Adult, £13 Child and £54 for a Family ticket. Visit Theatre Royal website  for more information. 

Thanks to David Munn Photography for all photos above.  

Cinderella at St Helen's Theatre Royal

OK so Christmas may be a distant memory, but a trip to the panto is fast becoming an Easter tradition too. This weekend we were invited to review Cinderella at The Theatre Royal in St Helens and would definitely recommend it to other families looking for an outing over the school holidays.

The theatre generally put on an excellent panto (and we've seen quite a few of them) but this one was the best we'd seen in a while. It's always a good sign when a show ends and you think "is that it finished already?" - and then look at your watch and realise you've been there for over 2 hours.

All the cast - from the stars to the youngest dancers - did a great job. But star of the show for me was Lewis Devine as a very cheeky Buttons whose highly energetic performance had the audience laughing along. 

The role of Prince Charming was filled by former Steps band member Lee Latchford-Evans who showed that he could act as well as sing. And let's face it, what's not to love about a show that finishes with a Steps medley to get the audience dancing along?

Resident dame Si Foster was back as an Ugly Sister with his sidekick Mark Newall making up the other half of the pair, with both putting in a great performance.

With a few pyrotechnics thrown in, a fantastic coach pulled by Shetland ponies, lots of laughs and a few traditional panto gags, this is a great way for people of all ages to spend a couple of hours.

The show is running from Sunday 24th March right through to Sunday 15th April and at £56 for a family ticket comes in a lot better value than many of the nearby big city theatres.

The Theatre Royal is easily accessible with plenty of free or cheap parking nearby and reasonably priced refreshments available. It is a lovely old theatre, not too big so you don't feel too far from the action wherever you sit and friendly, helpful staff.

Well worth a visit!

The Siege of Christmas

Looking for a family festive show with a difference? Then the Siege of Christmas at the Contact Theatre is well worth a look.

I was invited along to review it tonight along with my 12 and 14 year old boys. To be honest I wasn't sure what to expect and I was worried they might find it a bit babyish. But I was pleasantly surprised as we all enjoyed it and came out smiling. It was lovely to see some of the young children really getting into the story and joining in. But looking around the adults all looked like they were enjoying it too.

Photo credit Joel Chester-Fildes

So what's different about it? Well for a start you don't have a seat. You stick on a pair of headphones and are taken on a magical mystery tour around the building on a mission to save the spirit of Christmas meeting various characters along the way.  Perfect for fidgety little ones with some audience participation to keep them interested

Photo credit Joel Chester-Fildes

Although the show isn't very long at only one hour, they manage to fit plenty in. What's really great is the small cast of young, enthusiastic actors who made the characters come alive and the well decorated scenes along the way. It was also quite interesting to see some of the backstage areas you wouldn't normally get to venture. What really sells the show though is the engaging story, that is simple enough for young children to follow, whilst still keeping the interest of the grown ups.

Despite having lived in Manchester for over 25 years I'd never been to the Contact Theatre before and to be honest wasn't really sure where it was - within the Manchester University complex of buildings in case you're wondering. My top tip - get the bus, or the train, or even the tram and walk - but leave the car at home. Trying to find our way to the car park caused major stress and a lot of driving in circles and u-turns - who knew you couldn't just drive down Oxford Road anymore. If you do decide to drive, bring a £2 coin with you - the nearest car park must be the only one in Manchester not to accept £1 coins.

Photo credit Joel Chester-Fildes

So if you fancy a change from the traditional panto, where you don't know what is going to happen next with a lovely story to enjoy, and if you want to avoid the crush and the queue for the loo at the big theatres and watch a show in a select group, The Siege of Christmas is the one to watch.




It's running at The Contact Theatre until Wednesday 20th December with shows daily at 11am, 2pm and 6pm. Visit the Contact Manchester website for more info & to book

Brush up your IT skills with Google Digital Garage

So it appears you can teach an old dog new tricks. Today I've been learning how to create a website thanks to a free training session run by Google Digital Garage. And whilst I may not be an expert I at least know where to start now.

Whether you run a business and want to make better use of social media, or you're job hunting and want to brush up your CV, want to keep the kids safe online or are an internet novice, Google have it covered.

I've been to a couple of sessions now - social media strategy and writing for social media - and I have to say I'm impressed,  The sessions are around 60 - 90 minutes so long enough to give some useful information without being too in depth. They take place in Google's bright and colour space on King Street W right in the heart of Manchester's shopping district and run during the week and at weekends. The staff there are knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. You can book a free one-to-one session if you want more specific advice.

Best of all it costs absolutely nothing to go along. So why not have a browse online and see if there is something you fancy trying

Winter Wonderland Manchester

Winter Wonderland is back at Event City! It's become a part of the Manchester festive calendar - and a welcome one at that, offering fun for all the family indoors in the warm.

I took two 12 year olds along to the press launch last night and they had a great time. There are plenty of rides to choose from with a firm favourite being the Toro Loco Rodeo ride. It's probably as much fun watching the adults get flung off as it is going for a bumpy ride! Plus there's dodgem cars, plenty of spinning rides, mini roller coasters, inflatables and mazes to explore. You're not going to find the equivalent of the Smiler, but there is plenty to suit all ages

Younger visitors are spoilt for choice - as well rides, there are shows to watch on the stage. Become a Jedi master with training school, sing along with the ice princesses or watch Daisy & Ollie Live. And a trip down memory lane for the parents .. 'Up above the streets and houses, rainbow climbing high, everyone can see it smiling over the sky' - or is it just me that still remembers the theme tune? Yes George and Zippy are in town! There is even a small circus - no daring feats on the high wire or trapeze, or any acrobatics, but a couple of entertaining performers.  

Where else in Manchester could you visit the beach in the middle of December?

Sadly the 12 year olds couldn't be persuaded to visit Santa, but for younger visitors a visit to Winter Wonderland wouldn't be complete without a visit to the grotto. £3.50 gets you an audience with the man himself and a token to exchange for a gift in Santa's workshop. You can skip the gift and just have a free chat with Father Christmas.  

Purely in the interests of research I visited The German bar which was doing a roaring trade, selling beer, mulled wine, prosecco, hot chocolate and much more. If you're feeling peckish, there is a range of German market style food stalls selling hot dogs, pancakes, ice cream and carvery sandwiches.

In all, I'd say it was a good night out. The boys had to be dragged away at closing time. Not particularly cheap but if you can avoid pester power, most of it is paid for once you're in. We took our own drinks and this didn't seem to be an issue. Pre-booking also saves a few quid - and guarantees entry as it does get very busy.

Visit the Winter Wonderland website to find out more

Day One

Been thinking about this a while but never found the time to get started. But I've just been made redundant after 10 years in the same job so I've decided to take the leap and start blogging.

I'm a mum to 2 boys and I feel like I've reached a new stage in family life - in a few short months I'll have 2 teenagers in the house and suddenly how we spend time as a family has changed and it's getting harder to find ways they want to spend time with the aged parents.

I wanted to start this as a way of recording some of our days out and holidays so that we have something to look back on and remember. Amazing how often we say to the boys about a family holiday - do you remember when ....? and the answer is No! And it has recently starting dawning on me that the days when they want to do anything with their parents are numbered.

I'm not a writer and I've never done anything like this before, so I've no idea if anyone else will ever want to read my ramblings, but maybe some of my days out reviews will be interesting to parents looking for things to do. So here goes .....