Persuading a cheeky 18-month-old boy to sit still for longer than five minutes is a challenge in itself, so I approached Theatre Severn with a certain amount of trepidation to watch a stage show with my son for the first time.
The Wheels On The Bus is aimed at children of all ages and is a classic “sing along” affair, full of the songs we all remember from our own childhood – including Ten Green Bottles, Row Row Row Your Boat and The Grand Old Duke Of York.
Looking around the audience, the majority of children were in the three to six age bracket, but there was plenty to keep my 18-month-old amused too.
The fact that he was happily transfixed by the stage throughout the vast majority of the show is testament to the bright and engaging “Bertie the big red bus” – which forms the centrepiece of the stage – and the excellent singing and dancing of the performing trio.
We were up and out of our seats for much of the show to join in with the actions and sing along with the characters, Row Row Row Your Boat being a particular favourite with George – which he has now learned the actions to and demands on a regular basis.
The theatre was not full, but the audience was enthusiastic and certainly enjoyed the show.
It’s a pity the audience wasn’t bigger, but perhaps the ticket prices of £12 for an adult and £10 a child put some people off – although a family ticket was on offer for £35.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable afternoon and served as an exciting introduction to the world of theatre for George.