The Power of Imagination: Stones and Bones by Squashbox Theatre, Bristol Old Vic

Q: Where can you get a whole lot of laughs, a lesson in prehistory, a selection of entertaining puppets, a spot of magic and a sing along, all for £6 a ticket? 
A: At Squashbox Theatre’s Stones and Bones at the Bristol Old Vic.

Funnyman Craig Johnson delivers everything and more that his website promises in his 45-minute slot at one of Bristol’s favourite theatres, a show perfectly pitched to children of 5+ years. 


The audience is invited to use the power of imagination to travel back millions of years to a time when dinosaurs ruled the earth and volcanos raged in Cornwall.  From the moment we are introduced to the first of Craig’s alter-egos, Archaeologist Dr Winifred Jones, it becomes clear that his set will be full of delightful little surprises.


The young audience remains fully engaged and their chaperones belly laugh as we meet a catalogue of characters, either in the form of Craig himself, one of his puppets or a model.  Prehistoric facts are shared with us: did you know that dinosaurs didn’t eat grass? Or that the word Dinosaur means terrible lizard?


We learn about stone circles, the earth’s make-up, Arthurian legend, fossilisation, Druidry and … rock music.  As the accordion-accompanied rock song prompts rows and rows of little people to bang their heads in rhythm to the music, we know that the content of this production has laid foundations that we, as parents, can build upon. 


Bristol Dinosaur Project also make a good job of providing free activities for the kids to do before or after the show - fossil making, puzzle solving, book reading, face-painting or simply drawing dinosaur footprints on the canvas-covered tables.


Yep!  History is Fun!




Stones and Bones runs at Bristol Old Vic until Wednesday February 15th




By Becky

Newsletter: 11th January 2012

Here are the winners of our Christmas Raffle:


Jenny Lines: Family portrait shoot at WoW Photography
Moffat: Cut & Finish at Hair Associates
Viv Kennedy: Cut and Finish at Hair Associates
Hobson: Cream tea for 2 at Dr Fox's Tearoom on Knightstone Island
Rej: An illustrated, unique Babimal picture (name of your choice)
Susan Oldfield: One month's free membership to Sweat FA
Lucy Frampton: I am Going to Save the World by Gail Richardson
Willow: Gift Set of all 3 Ping and Pong Books, by Amy T* revaskus
Sarah Fletcher: Aladdin Pantomime programme, signed by the cast members
Richmond: Whittard of Chelsea Lemon Balm & Lavender Bathtub Teabags
Mollie:  Two tickets to The Liminal event


Thank you to everyone who donated a prize.  We raised £85, which will go to putting on future Weston-super-Mum events ♥


News, Views and Discussions:
* Priory School to accept pupils from 4 years old - what are your views?
* New events on our events wall
* Family camping 2012 - for all members, on a local and inexpensive site
* Weston-super-Mare Food Buying Group - join up and save money
* The Liminal - an evening of book readings by local authors (for adults) - this Saturday and on February 18th at Dr Fox's Tearoom
* The new edition of Mum's Diary is out!
* Our Christmas Residence at the Blakehay Theatre, in the Mercury

Dreamland Adventure at The Blakehay Theatre, Weston

Today, Dreamland Adventure, a pantomime for 2 to 7 year olds, began its five-day residence at the Blakehay Theatre in Wadham Street, Weston-super-Mare.

The buzz could be felt all over the Theatre: the festive Brandon Trust-run café serving drinks and snacks, the Blakehay staff dressed in nightwear in honour of the show, while mums, dads, grandmothers and children got arty in the upstairs' studio.  The kids made some fabulous pictures to adorn the stage, using a wide range of materials and very little instruction – it’s amazing to see how imaginations go into full swing when we’re given reign to do nothing else but create!

After two hours of non-stop making, we headed to the auditorium for the 2pm showing of Dreamland Adventure, an interactive and well-thought out show by The Big Act, a Bristol-based theatre production and training company.  Elf Number 1 has to find his way back to the North Pole to get our presents ready or else Christmas will be cancelled and we, the boys and girls, have to help him, shouting, screaming, waving, clapping and singing our way through his myriad adventures.

Elf Number 1, gleefully played by Martin Williams, gets the whole audience going as they squeal with delight, joining him on his travels.  And on-stage he is accompanied by one of two Weston schoolgirls, Courtnei Danks and Nina Halper.  Today, Courtnei was our young actress, who played the part with gusto and professionalism, showing us her dance moves and acting abilities, an inspiration to all young spectators.

Holly Sands is fun in her role of jungle native, pirate, sea creature and Elf Number Two, an actress with a sweet, strong singing voice and a command of the stage, particularly in her pirate role, when she invites us all to be her crew.

The show is fast-paced and short enough to hold the attention of even the youngest theatre goer.  The set is simple but effective and the projected images convincing and easy to understand.  There is also snow and a visit from a very special person, as Elf Number 1 finally finds his way home!

Dreamland Adventure is showing until Saturday 24^th December and Weston-super-Mum will be running free art workshops every day from 12 till 2pm.  The kids are welcome to take their pieces home or leave them on the stage for everyone to enjoy and add to.

Recommended!

Buy tickets for Dreamland Adventure here or at the Blakehay Theatre Box Office.

The Big Act's website

- by Becky

Bath Time at the Brewery Theatre

We were not really sure quite what to expect, coming to a seated theatre performance for under 5’s. On walking into the Brewery theatre, I immediately felt it was a perfect venue for this type of show, being small, intimate, and well lit so that it did not feel dark and threatening in the way other theatre venues might. As the lights began to dim to signal the beginning of the show and my 2 and a half year old daughter began to look perturbed and a little worried, I was pleased to see that the lights were dimmed just enough so that you could still see everything around you and that it was not completely dark, the first of many thoughtful touches.



The premise of the show is a familiar one to even the smallest audience members, and revolved around all the fun and silliness that can be had at bath time, with bubble beards, make believe, play, lots of singing, and a seemingly endless stream of rubber ducks! We were introduced to Robin and Matt, the only characters in ‘Bath Time’, and immediately they got on their audiences level with an underpants gag that had the kids squealing with laughter. You know how your 2 year old will often repeat things endlessly because they find it funny or fascinating? The writers and performers of ‘Bath Time’ clearly understood what makes little people tick, with just the right amount of repetition of jokes and themes to draw the smaller members of the audience in, but not too much that the adult members switched off. It was all perfectly silly, and pitched so well at the under 5’s. The older children were able to join in with the audience participation, while the younger ones could appreciate the very visual nature of the production. My girl was initially unsure of quite what was going on and clung somewhat tightly to me, but it didn’t take her long to warm up, and by the time the “magic cupboard” was spilling forth its contents, she was hooked and giggling along with the rest of the audience, adults included. The show lasted 45 minutes which again, was perfectly pitched, any less and you might have felt short changed, any more and my daughter would have got fidgety.



We had a ball at The Brewery Theatre, and loved the show. I found myself forgetting I was there because it was theatre aimed at my daughter, as I would have happily sat through it anyway, even if I hadn’t been accompanying a child! ‘Bath Time’ is a perfect introduction to theatre for the under 5’s. I urge you to catch it if you can, great value for a great little show.



Bath Time is on at The Brewery Theatre until the 8th of January 2012.


- Review by Karen

Aladdin at the Playhouse, Weston

On Wednesday night my 6 year old daughter and I were lucky enough to wrap up warm and join another Mummy and her 6 year old to walk through the Christmas lit streets to the 7pm showing of Aladdin at the Playhouse.

My 6 year old was very excited, in part because we saw Cinderella at the same venue last Christmas, and she was fondly recalling the silliness of the panto on our journey there. As the show started at 7pm meaning we didn't get home until 10.30pm, I would strongly recommend an earlier performance if you don't want tired and grumpy children the next day! Was it worth it though? Oh yes it was!

The show began with hissing and booing as Abanazar (John Challis) entered the stage. "We're only booing him because he's pretending aren't we Mummy? He's not really a bad man." The little wise one reassured, we were set up for the rest of the show. And how we very much enjoyed it! Aladdin (Craig Daniel Adams) in particular lit up the stage with his smile and energy. When he was dancing it really felt as if he - and the rest of the cast - were truly enjoying themselves, which helped us to do exactly the same.

Some of the singing was particularly enjoyable, especially the operatic wonders from the Emporer (Paul Arden-Griffith) What a voice! And such an unusual twist too. The litte ones enjoyed the versions of modern pop songs the cast belted out for us, and the cultured one in the group was impressed by the Gilbert and Sullivan number.

This was panto though - and the highlight for adults and children alike were the VERY silly moments! The policemen (brothers Keith and Ben Simmons who also directed the show) with their word play and disappearing box caused hilarity in the six year old reviewers. But my favourite, without a shadow of a doubt, was the perfectly camp Wishee Washee (Terry Gleed)... "SHOW US YOUR FISHY WISHY!" He did a fantastic job of really getting the audience involved and had my own silly smile spread right across my face as soon as he came back on stage.


The panto is a lovely festive treat, and a big thumbs up is deserved to everyone involved in the production. If you want to enjoy a few hours with your family this festive period and have a good old giggle, you could do a lot worse than this.

- by Holly

Aladdin is on at The Playhouse, Weston, till 8th January 2012

Peter Pan at the Bristol Hippodrome

Panto is changing. At least it is at the Bristol Hippodrome and, as the writer of Peter Pan is a man who has adapted no fewer than eight pantomimes in the UK this year, then this most certainly has the promise of the Ghost of Christmas Shows Yet to Come. Eric Potts, who delighted us in the flesh as Fairy Bowbells in last year’s production of the excellent Dick Whittington, brings a fresh, less traditional approach to an old family favourite.

This production of Peter Pan is certainly not as clichéd as many that have gone before: no panto dame and less innuendo, while a lack of invitation to scream “Behind you” or “Oh, no you didn’t” doesn’t necessarily mean less audience participation: after all, by now, we all know what to do. But it is undoubtedly sleeker and less camp than its predecessors.

The stage at the Hippodrome is vibrant and the costumes are a riot of colour. Hats off to Terry Parsons and his team who have really gone to town on detail – the set is beautiful. The sound is booming, the voices clear and the jokes understood. In short, the production is polished. Panto often allows for mistakes, a lot of bumbling and confusion: none of that here.

Our Panto Dame might be lacking but her replacement is excellent in The Three Divas, three very feminine, gorgeous women of soulful, strong voice, belting out numbers that we all know, including a medley of Christmas songs to open the show. And the posse of pirates, fun and crucial members of the crew, offer that camp element that we have come to expect at this time of year.

Bristol’s big name this year is David Hasselhoff, a solid and entertaining Captain Hook (how tall is that man?), who becomes a quivering wreck at the mere mention of Baywatch. He’s not as menacing as other panto villains but how could he be with that bunch of playful pirates behind him?

Andy Ford is the main stay of any Bristol pantomime and he never, ever, disappoints. Smee’s rapport with the audience is a pleasure to witness – the perfect fool and, once again, the star of the show for the adults. It’s hard to imagine a December Hipp without him.

The kids, of course, love the eponymous hero, played by Robert Rees, and every little girl adores Wendy, the ‘mother’ of the piece in Janine Esther Cowell – both roles are competently played, in an understated way. Along with her two brothers, Michael and John, Wendy leaves her London home with Peter, flying out of the bedroom window with impressive lighting by Tim Mascall. Their passage to Neverland is magical and wonderfully executed, so special mention must be given here to Flight Director, Karl Magee, and to Freedom Flying because this is this scene that will lodge itself into all of our children’s minds.

The Lost Boys and the Indians fill the stage, a mix of accomplished actors and young stars of tomorrow. Like the rest of the cast, they are professional and well-choreographed.

Is this, then, the future of Pantomine? That remains to be seen

Peter Pan runs at the Bristol Hippodrome until 8th January 2012

Review by Becky

Newsletter - 12th December

Win a family ticket for 4 to Dreamland Adventure at The Blakehay Theatre, Wadham Street, Weston - a Christmas show for children aged 2 to 7. Choose the performance that best suits you!

Views, News and Discussions:
* Watch Weston-super-Mum on the Sofa, where 4 of our presenters interview members of the Aladdin cast, complete with scenes from the rehearsals at the Playhouse, Weston. Up on our home page.
* Buy special Weston-super-Mum £10 tickets to see Aladdin at the Playhouse this weekend
* Becky reviews Cinderella: A Fairytale at the Tobacco Factory Theatre
* Sasha, aged 11, and Phoenix, aged 9, review New Beginnings by Rebecca Emin
* Check out this week's events
* A list of places where you can find Santa in North Somerset in Mum's Diary
* Holly is looking for German classes in Weston
* New support group for multiple birth parents
* Splat Messy Play sessions in January 2012
* Victorian Christmas Fayre at Weston-super-Mare Museum on Saturday 17th December
* Congratulations to Michelle who has won tickets to see Bath Time, for 2-5 year olds, this Christmas at Tobacco Factory Theatre
* Help needed for our Crafty Corner during Christmas week, when we're building part of the set of Dreamland Adventure with the kids.
* Thanks to all the businesses who have donated prizes to the Weston-super-Mum Christmas Raffle
* New to Weston-super-Mum? We'd love to meet you ♥