Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at The Lowry

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is an absolute family classic and something I have loved since I first watched it with my parents many years ago as a little girl. Whenever it was shown on TV, we'd settle down to watch it on TV together. This is a tradition that I have continued with my own children through the years. It is storytelling at its finest. This year though, instead of watching it at home, we've been lucky enough to watch it live on stage.

We were invited to the press night at The Lowry, Salford where we were entertained by a choir singing the songs from the show along with some festive favourites, while we waited in the foyer for the show to start, which really got us in the mood. Starring Jason Manford, Phill Jupitus and Claire Sweeney, this spectacular production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang brings all the excitement, adventure, comedy and emotion of the film to the stage.

From the moment the show began, my children (aged 7, 14 and 20) were all hooked. Jason Manford in the role of Caractacus Potts is superb, conveying the pathos and emotion with as much conviction as the humour. And he can sing too!  The children in the roles of Jemima and Jeremy are amazing and bring such wide eyed innocence and excitable childish enthusiasm to the story. Such talented kids!

The real star of the show is of course the car and the use of theatre magic brings Chitty to life. The car drives down country lanes, floats on the ocean and flies in the sky! Thanks to some cool special effects technolgy, some clever scenery and the use of projected images, the audience is completely immersed into the production, being transported from land to sea to air, from England to Vulgaria.

The two Vulgarian spies, Boris and Goran bring laugh out loud comedy to the show. With their exaggerated accents, ridiculous disguises and their habit of getting things wrong, they have everyone giggling. Baron and Baroness Bomburst (played by Jupitus and Sweeney) also play it perfectly for laughs and their rendition of You're My Little Choochy Face is a delight! The Vulgarian, child-hating, toy loving dictators are such colourful characters and have some very extravagant scenes. Grandpa Potts is another super character who adds some eccentric humour, warmth and fun to the show.

The songs of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang are all so memorable and you can't help clapping or singing along at times. We loved the scene where Truly and Caractacus are dressed as toys to infiltrate the castle during the Baron's birthday celebrations. They sing a mix up of Turning around on a Music Box and Truly Scrumptious, which is just lovely.

Perhaps the darkest character from any family film ever is the evil Child Catcher. He is the stuff of nightmares, taking children away, locking them in a cage and then making them disappear. He was brilliantly and sinisterly played by Jos Vantyler.

This production is a breathtaking show for all the family, filled with great choreography, funny moments, brilliant music, amazing special effects, wonderful acting and heartwarming emotion. It is recommended for children over 5 (although if you don't attend a matinee, be prepared for the kids to have a late night!)  Freddy at 7 absolutely loved it and we would definitely recommend it for families this festive season. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is at The Lowry until January 15th 2017. 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

The Lowry, Salford

Tue 6 December 2016– Sun 15 January 2017

7.30pm (Wed, Sat & Sun 2pm)

Tickets: £19.50 - £47.50 (Including booking fees)

Box office: 0843 208 6000

Website: http://www.thelowry.com/event/chitty-chitty-bang-bang

Catch the spellbinding show Wicked at The Lowry Theatre

I'd heard nothing but good things about the hit musical Wicked. With its special effects, make-up, incredible costumes and awesome songs (we all love a good rendition of Defying Gravity) the show promises to be completely magical. It is the untold story of the witches from Oz that has broken records and won major international awards.

Wicked is flying into Salford on the last leg of its UK and Ireland tour, bringing all the energy and excitement of the West End to The Lowry theatre.

From now until the 25th July 2015, you can catch the spellbinding performance at The Lowry.

We had press tickets to see the show last night.

Our verdict: "Unbelievably spectacular and awe-inspiring. Simply wonderful."  We loved the way that Wicked gave an insight into the story of the Wizard of Oz, adding a back story for the characters and relationships. The sets, props and costumes created a lavish spectacle and the performance itself was incredible.

The Wicked Stage

You can find out more and book tickets to see the show at www.thelowry.com/event/wicked.

         

Half Term Fun in Salford and Trafford for #FamFest14

This half term, the arts are staging a take over in Salford and Trafford bringing some great entertainment to families.  The Lowry have partnered with major local attractions, including Media City UK, Ordsall Hall, Sea Life Centre Manchester, Lowry Outlet, Manchester United Museum and LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre to deliver some exciting activities to the region up until November 3rd.

We were invited to come along and see some of the attractions for ourselves, which is fabulous for us as both my older daughters Ella and Megan live in Manchester.  It was the perfect excuse for some half term fun and an opportunity to see the girls.  We booked into the newly refurbished Travelodge at Salford Quays ready to experience #FamFest14.

With pop-up workshops, activities and performances taking place, there is a whole host of things to choose from, from arts and crafts, to theatre to literature.  While in Salford Quays you can enjoy shopping at the Lowry Outlet where they  have a free Halloween Trail that takes you around the shops collecting stamps. Once you collect them you can exchange your card for a really cute bag of Halloween sweets!  Kids can enjoy some Halloween crafts from 12 - 3pm on the 31st October in a free workshop.

The Big Family Play Date, on Sat 1 November, sees venues  popping-up  with activities from 10am – 5pm.  The cast of acclaimed new comedy Peter Pan Goes Wrong head to intu Trafford Centre, before their run at The Lowry this Christmas, for a shambolic photo-shoot at Sea Life Centre Manchester! The Octonauts are also appearing at Sea Life Manchester until November 30th and there is a downloadable Kids Go Free voucher on the Family Arts Festival website.

Best-loved children’s books come to life, with music, drama and audience participation at the Lowry Outlet (Sat 1 November) with interactive readings of  We’re Going on a Bear Hunt! and Emily Brown and The Thing.  

Emily Brown and The Thing also has its own stage show which runs at The Lowry until Sunday 2nd November.  It's a great show for children aged 3 and up, taking place in the smaller Quays Theatre in the Lowry.  We had tickets to see the show, which is based on the much loved children's book by Cressida Cowell and Neal Clayton. .

It tells the story of Emily Brown who is trying to get to sleep, but keeps being disturbed by The Thing who wants her to help him at bedtime.  Along with her toy rabbit Stanley, Emily goes on some amazing adventures to find his pink cuddly, his bedtime milk and his green medicine. But Thing just can't seem to settle.  Will Emily ever find out what he really needs?

The show is really kid friendly with lots of music, action and fun.  The cast of three give their all in their energetic and comedic performance, getting totally into character and delivering the story brilliantly. It's a lovely introduction to the theatre for young children. Freddy loved it, especially when Emily demonstrated her ninja moves! He laughed and joined in with the audience participation.  It was perfectly pitched for little ones.

The global phenomenon STOMP! are bringing their signature style of percussion, humour and dance to the Lowry Theatre until November 1st.  I was lucky enough to have tickets to the show and took my girls for a night of STOMP! action!

The show sees the super talented cast playing their tunes on anything and everything they can lay their hands on...including the kitchen sink!  From matchboxes to Zippo lighters to their trademark dustbins, the eight highly energetic performers create the most incredible rhythms with some insane choreographed routines.  The cast never miss a single beat in their fast, fresh and very funny performance.  It is a truly brilliant, inventive and entertaining show.  The talent of the six guys and two girls as they make their own brand of music on drain pipes, shopping trolleys, buckets, brooms, balls and plastic bags is really breathtaking.  The humour that runs through the show is really engaging, with perfect comic timing complementing the amazing routines.  The scene with the Zippo lighters is simply incredible and quite beautiful, quite unlike anything I have ever seen before.  The whole audience seemed as enthralled as we were and the standing ovation at the end was completely deserved!

The ferocity of the banging and jumping did kick up a lot of dust into the air, which actually triggered my eldest daughter's asthma, so if you are asthmatic, don't forget your inhaler!!  It's also very loud so be prepared for some noise.  

We had a fabulous couple of days in our favourite city.  It is a great place to visit as a family with so much to see and do.  You can find out all the details of what is going on by checking out the Family Festival website.  You can check out what's coming to the Lowry at http://www.thelowry.com/ or follow them on Twitter @The_Lowry.

We Met Alex Winters at The Lowry

We love Manchester.  It's where my eldest daughter lives.  It's where Ella plans to go to university.  It's a home from home for us.  There is always so much going on and so much to do. 

The Lowry is a great spot to visit.  It boasts an art gallery, three theatres, a cafe, gift shop, exhibition spaces, activity workshops and as from today a brand new family activity space known as The Lookout. I was invited to the official opening today along with Ella, Kizzy and Freddy.

It's free to enter the building and families get a warm welcome with a focus on fun and learning for all ages.  The Lookout is a lovely, light and airy space where children can play, curl up with a book or practice their drawing skills.  It overlooks the Quays with excellent views to inspire budding artists. The Lookout is sponsored by Derwent who supply art supplies for kids to use.

The space is open everyday 11am to 5pm except on Saturday when it is open from 10am to 5pm, and is free to use.  It is a great place to enjoy whatever the weather, adding another reason to visit The Lowry.  There is a great play area for the under 5's with puzzles and story books.

The Lookout has a programme of family friendly activities.  Freddy enjoyed taking part in a puppet making workshop. The activity was demonstrated and then the children were able to create their own.

He made a great horse puppet using a paper plate and some arty bits and bobs, based on War Horse, a theatre production of which is coming to the theatre soon.  He called his horse Ben and was very proud of it!

CBeebies favourite Alex Winters came to the launch event and was on hand to entertain the little ones.  Freddy was very proud to show him his horse puppet!  Alex liked his golden tail.

Alex entertained the children with a fabulous interactive story telling session.  Freddy was really excited to join in with Alex's version of We're Going On A Bear Hunt, which he knows from nursery.  It was lovely meeting Alex and he was so good with the children!

Photo by Andrew Robinson

We had a brilliant time in The Lookout.  We were treated to lunch and were really impressed by the latest family friendly facility available at The Lowry, especially as it is free to use.  It was great to catch up with some of my blogging buddies and to meet Alex too!

For more information visit www.thelowry.com

A Day Out in Salford Quays

Last week we were invited to visit Salford Quays in Manchester to explore some of the attractions that make this such a great venue for a family day out.  We had a very hectic schedule with visits to Ordsall Hall, the BBC, The Lowry and Old Trafford.  In typical Manchester style, the weather was miserable, wet and windy, but it didn't spoil our enthusiasm for a fabulous day out.

Ordshall Hall

Hidden in the heart of Manchester stands this Elizabethan manor house which is beautifully preserved and lovingly restored to showcase its former glory.  We were given a private tour where we got to see the bedrooms, the kitchen, the servant's quarters and many original features, some dating back to the 1600's.  There was a lot of interactive elements to the tour.  We got to try on some old armour and experience some of the techniques that would have been used in an Elizabethan kitchen.  We even learned about the ghosts that are said to haunt the manor.  A room full of interactive games and activities was a big hit with the children who enjoyed getting hands on with history.  Freddy was really excited walking around the building and trying out things such as turning a spit roast and grinding spices.  He was enjoying being a little historian and discovering the story of Ordsall Hall.  Ordsall Hall has a lovely little coffee shop where we enjoyed a coffee and a cake!

http://www.salford.gov.uk/ordsallhall.htm

BBC Studio Tours

The BBC have relocated many of their operations to Media City in Salford Quays. The BBC offer tours where you can get to take a peek behind the scenes and even have a go at presenting!  Kizzy and I went on an Interactive CBBC Tour for kids aged 6 and over.  We had a guided tour across the buildings where we saw the Blue Peter studio, a radio drama sound stage and various props from BBC programmes.  Kizzy had a go at presenting Newsround, reading the weather and being a CBBC presenter.  She also got to take part in a diddy Dick and Dom play.  She loved seeing herself on a TV screen and using the autocue machines.  It was really interesting to go behind the scenes and we were able to take a look into the BBC Sports studio where everyone was hard at work.  It is a fascinating place and we loved the hands on experience.  Kizzy really enjoyed feeling like a TV presenter and was fascinated by the technology used such as the green screens.  She was also very interested to find out about the use of widescreen cameras to make the tiny Blue Peter studio look really impressive onscreen!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/tours/salford_cbbc.shtml

The Lowry

The Lowry is an arts and entertainment complex set in a stunning waterside location.  There is a lot for families to do including theatre shows, activities and art galleries.  There are also plenty of temporary exhibits to enjoy such as the National Portrait Gallery Comedians exhibition.  We stopped there for lunch followed by a guided tour of the Lowry Collection.  Kizzy was enthralled by the 'What's in a Picture?' session where she was guided through the process of 'reading' one of Lowry's works.  The insight into his life, his work and  his personality was really interesting.  Unfortunately we were really pushed for time and had to dash off, but the Lowry is definitely somewhere I want to explore at my leisure.  It is free to enter and many talks and activities are available which help bring the collection to life.  There are also creative workshops for young children to enjoy.  Kids can borrow a rucksack filled with games, puzzles and activities designed to take them on an adventure as they explore the art on display in the magnificent building.  It is a really family friendly venue with easy access, changing facilities and with kids well catered for in the cafe.  There are some really good shows coming to the theatre next year including Horrible Histories and Sleeping Beauty On Ice.

http://www.thelowry.com/

Old Trafford Museum and Tour

Across the water from the Lowry stands the football stadium of Manchester United.  We had a 15 minute walk through torrential rain to get there but we soon warmed up when inside.  The stadium has a museum and holds guided tours.  We had a walk around the three floors of the museums looking at memorabilia, trophies, paper cuttings and football shirts from Man Utd's history.  Freddy loved looking at and handling the exhibits that included an old leather stitched ball and steel toe-capped football boot.  There was a really moving tribute to the Busby Babes who were involved in a plane crash in Munich which killed some of the team's most promising players.  The tour lasts an hour and takes you around the stadium, the changing rooms, the player's lounge, the tunnel and the stands.  Unfortunately, Freddy needed a wee half way round and we had to cut the tour short to find the toilets!  We made our way back to the Mega Store which sold loads of Man Utd merchandise.  Fans will love this experience.  It was very interesting, especially seeing the pitch in all its glory, but it is probably more suited for older children.

http://www.manutd.com/en/Visit-Old-Trafford.aspx


We finished our trip with a visit to the Lowry Outlet which is a shopping mall on Salford Quays.  It has loads of shops and restaurants and we enjoyed a hot chocolate at Costa before heading back home, exhausted after our family day out at Salford Quays.