Today we headed to Oakengate's Theatre in Telford to see Andy & Mike's Tick Tock Time Machine. Freddy was very excited about meeting yet another CBeebies presenter and watching the show. It was his first visit to a proper theatre and he excitedly took his seat in the second row with a great view of the stage. We bought him a light up wand to wave during the performance!
The show started with instant high energy action that set the scene for the next 90 minutes. The comedy pairing of Andy and Mike had everyone from the tiniest tots to the mums and dads laughing out loud and joining in with some interactive fun and games.
The story is based around Andy and Mike discovering a time machine invented by Andy's great great great grandfather Wally Bum *cue sniggers* which uses the power of a "flush" capacitor to transport them back and forward through time. The kid-friendly toilet humour comes in bucketloads!
Their adventure takes them back to the Wild West and to Medieval Times and then forward to the 23rd century. They have to find some important objects and deliver them to the future in a bid to help save Future Mike from a rather odd fate involving Babybel Cheese!
The two man show adopts imaginative use of a shrinking box to turn one of them into a Mini version of themselves (subsequently played by a Ken doll) freeing up the other one to play one of the other roles - such as a hapless sheriff, a posing knight and a futuristic robot. Audience participation provided another character who appeared repeatedly throughout the show. It was a well devised idea to keep the action going and maximize the talents of Andy and Mike! The scenery was minimal, but by rearranging it and turning it round, it transformed the stage into a castle, a jail, Wally Bum's workshop or the future world.
The show contains lots of songs and silly dances which has everyone clapping their hands and stamping their feet. It also provided us with a very novel way of winning Rock, Paper, Scissors courtesy of Mike!
The banter between the pair added to the entertainment value, with a few gags that made the grown-ups snigger. Andy's ad libbing regarding Mike's sweating was a running gag (literally). Mike ribbing Andy about his CBeebies presenting and in particular the Number Wrap that he performs with Sid was also very amusing.
The show was a big hit and I think it would translate brilliantly into a CBeebies show seeing the pair travelling through time introducing pre-schoolers to periods from history. Great fun! All the kids in the theatre were joining in with the audience participation and laughing at Mike and Andy's antics. They really know how to entertain children.
After the show we got to meet Andy and Mike in the foyer where the kids got a sticker and a signed photo. They had so much time for the families who queued up to say hello and it really made the experience special for little CBeebies fans (and those with a 'mummy crush' on Andy!!)
A collection for the Lullaby Trust was also held as Andy and Mike are supporting this fantastic charity, in memory of Matilda Mae, during their Autumn/Winter tour. Putting in your small change can really help make a big change, giving support to families affected by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and providing funding for research into the prevention of SIDS.
Here is a list of upcoming tour dates. If they are coming to a venue near you, it is well worth a watch if your kids love: Andy Day/ silly mad-cap adventures / all-singing, all-dancing shows / having fun at the theatre. It is great entertainment for little ones aged 3 and up.
Autumn/Winter 2013
Sat 26th October Frome, Memorial Theatre 01373 462795
Sun 27th October Malvern, Festival Theatre 01684 892 277
Mon 28th October St. Albans, The Arena 01727 844488
Tues 29th October Worthing, Connaught Theatre 01903 206 206
Wed 30th October Dartford, The Orchard 01322 220000
Thurs 31st October Yeovil, Octagon Theatre 01935 422884
Fri 1st November Porthcawl, The Grand Pavilion 01656 815995
Sun 3rd November Bournemouth, Pavilion Theatre 01202 456400
Spring 2014
Sat 15th February Leeds, City Varieties 0113 243 0808
Sun 16th February Lincoln, Theatre Royal 01522 519999
Tues 18th February Redditch, Palace 01527 65203
Wed 19th February Barking, Broadway 020 8507 5607
Thurs 20th February Dorking Halls 01306 881717
Fri 20th February Radlett Centre 01923 859291
Sun 23rd February Dunstable, Grove 01582 60 20 80
Sat 8th March Burnley Mechanics 01282 664400
Sun 9th March Bolton Albert Halls 01204 334400
They are also running a competition in conjunction with Duplo which you can enter by posting a pic on their Facebook page. www.facebook.com/andyandmikes
Find out more at andyandmike.com
We received free tickets to enjoy the show but the opinions are all ours!
