Tam Tam Theatre bring their lovely show for 2-5 year olds Little Hippo and His Magic Pen to TARA arts.

For his birthday Little Hippo received lots of beautiful presents, but it is Daddy Hippo’s present that Little Hippo prefers, a red pen. Inside the red pen are the most beautiful things in the world, but how to get them out…?

In this interactive version of the enchanting story Petit Hippo et son stylo maqique, by West African writer Alain Serge Dzotap from Cameroon, children will be invited to make their own use of Little Hippo’s pen.

‘Dramatic, delightful and -that rare thing- Children’s theatre which appeals to the very youngest, without making older and more sophisticated audience members feel left out.’ Time Out

‘Wow, this is the best show ever!!!!’ Iris, 5 years old, Balham Nursery School.

Tam Tam theatre are dedicated to creating high quality multicultural theatre for young children.

They are renowned for creating fascinating an unusual puppetry theatre to tell traditional stories. Little Hippo and His Magic Pen is the first story they have used from a modern writer.

Tam Tam Theatre have toured their imaginative children’s theatre shows to theatres and festivals in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Spain, Singapore and Malaysia.

Sat 5th May
Tickets:£7.50, £6.50 children/concessions
10:30am & 1:30pm, 50 mins
Address: TARA Studio, 356 Garratt Lane, London SW18 4ES
Website: http://www.tara-arts.com
Booking: 020 8333 4457

Monday 31 May

Babyfest is back as part of this year’s Spark Children’s Arts Festival in Leicester and this year is even bigger and better. Bring out your babies on bank holiday Monday 31 May as De Montfort Hall hosts a day of play-centred activities for your little ones.

This year’s Babyfest will feature a Play Garden from the Pre-School Learning Alliance with all sorts of creative play. Even the littlest little ones are catered for, with special activities for newborns and babes in arms. Out in the gardens is the old favourite Messy Marquee, with paint, jelly and rice krispies galore – naturally! New for 2010 are two Music Marquees where babies can strut their tiny stuff all day long. The Chill Out Room is the place to take it easy and recharge those little batteries. There’s even baby shopping, food stalls and a tea room! Babyfest has it all. It’s baby bliss and toddler heaven. All the cool kids will be there! With a line-up including magical storytelling and fun soft play, Babyfest really is the only festival to be seen at this year!

Babyfest is at De Montfort Hall on 31st May from 11am until 4pm. Babyfest is for 0-4 years only. Wash down facilities are provided but dress for mess! Buggies will need to be parked in the foyer at the Hall in a supervised buggy park. Tickets are £10 each or £32 for a family of four. For more information or to book call 0116 233 3111.

The Spark Children’s Arts Festival returns to venues across Leicestershire between 31st May and 13th June. Visit www.sparkfestival.co.uk for more information.

9 – 13 February, 2010

Specialists in productions for the very young, Oily Cart, present their new production Drum, the successor to Baby Balloon. Drum is to premier at the TARA Studioo, Earlsfield in February and the production will then tour to children’s centres and nursery groups in the Greater London area until 12 March 2010. For each 55 minute show up to 30 babies and toddlers and their parents and carers will join a playful performer and an accomplished musician in a multi-sensory exploration of drums and rhythm.

Drum is a highly interactive piece, which can readily adapt to the specific requirements of audience members and like all Oily Cart’s work, it will be multi-sensory, aiming to delight each and every one of the senses.

Tim Webb, Oily Cart’s Artistic Director, who created the show tells us, “Everything rolls into the performance space inside a very big bass drum. Within this drum are nested a whole family of smaller drums, Russian doll style. The big bass drum can be set down and, with a light underneath used as a huge, circular light box. Patterns of gels or lentils can be made on this light box surface. Raised up on its side, with a light source behind, the drum will become a shadow screen, to show the strong, uncluttered images that young babies prefer. The smaller drums within the base drum have a wide range of functions. There is an ocean drum to evoke the sound of the sea, monkey drums for the young children to handle themselves, African, Indian, Irish and other drums from around the world. There are up-turned drums containing perfumed petals to be smelled, and others containing rice grains through which you can run your fingers.”

Booking: 020 8333 4457 / www.tara-arts.com
Venue: TARA Studio, 356 Garratt Lane, London SW18 4ES

Until 17 January 2010

This weekend is the last chance to catch The Gruffalo at the Apollo Theatre. Be a brave little mouse and make your way through the concrete jungle to see everyone’s favourite bedtime story live on stage at the Apollo on Shaftesbury Avenue. The book by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler has sold over 4 million copies in 38 languages and was even adapted for television which aired on BBC1 on Christmas Day.

Since its 2006 premiere, this exuberant smash-hit production has been performed over 3000 times to the delight of 700,000 children aged 3 and above, across the UK, Eastern Europe, the Americas and even the Far East.

Tall Stories have created an inventive and clever show about the mouse on her quest for food who narrowly avoids being gobbled up by a wily fox, guileful owl and slithering snake by telling them of the terrible Gruffalo with who she is meeting for lunch. The show is full of fun and has bounds of energy, catch it while you can.

Read our review here.

Address: Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7EZ
Website: http://www.nimaxtheatres.com/
Phone: 0844 579 1971

Friday 19 December

Alex Scheffler the illustrator of The Gruffalo, the Gruffalo’s Child and Room on the Broom is to sign books at the Pleasance in Islington on Saturday 19 December at midday.

The book signing will follow the 11am performance of Room on the Broom, Tall Stories new show based on the book by Julia Donaldson which was illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Children (and childish Adults!) wishing to get their books signed should all attend, it’s an opportunity not to be missed.

Address: Pleasance Theatre Islington, Carpenters Mews, North Road, London, N7 9EF
Website: http://www.pleasance.co.uk
Phone: 020 7609 1800

The Gruffalo, tells the story of a little mouse in search of a precious nut in a deep, dark would this is a bouncy and lively adaptation of the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler picture book which is now a classic in every child of the noughties home.

On her quest for food poor little mouse crosses paths with a wily Fox, blundering Air Sergeant Major Owl and a vain Mexican dancing Snake who are all determined to gobble her up but she cleverly manages to escape their clutches by telling them of the terrible Gruffalo, who as every child knows has terrible tusks and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in its terrible jaws.

The movement work and choreography is inventive and clever, with clear attention to detail in creating the animals which is lovely to watch and is aided by some great vocal sound effects. Real praise must go to Naomi Said, Napoleon Ryan and Alan Park who have more energy than you can shake a very large stick at and throw open the chance for the children to interact with the show. The audience willingly jump at the chance but not always with the expected results, keeping the cast firmly on their toes.

It would have been nice to see a brighter and bolder design to fit in with with Scheffler’s wonderful illustrations but the big personalities of the characters more than makes up for this and the show will certainly prove a great treat for young people over the Christmas period.

For all those Gruffalo lovers out there the festive season holds another treat in store, The Gruffalo will arrive on our TV screens on BBC One on the 24th December in a 30-minute animated film featuring an all-star voice cast. Including Robbie Coltrane as The Gruffalo, Helena Bonham Carter as the narrator, Rob Brydon as the Snake, James Corden as the Mouse, John Hurt as the Owl and Tom Wilkinson as the Fox. It is produced by Magic Light Pictures.

Address: Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7EZ
Website: http://www.nimaxtheatres.com/
Phone: 0844 579 1971

Handa’s Hen author Eileen Browne, will be signing copies of her book at the Unicorn theatre on 28 November.

The signing will take place after the 11:45 performance of Handa’s Hen, the stage adaptation of Browne’s book by Little Angel.

Browne has been writing books for children for more than three decades and her work includes Through My Window, No Problem and the popular Handa adventures, including Handa’s Hen and Handa’s Surprise, both of which have been adapted for the stage by puppet theatre company Little Angel.

Handa’s Hen, which plays at the Unicorn theatre from 15 November to 13 December, uses 55 specially made puppets to bring to life the story of Handa and her friend Akeyo, who go looking for Grandma’s hen Mondi. Along the way they find fluttery butterflies, stripy mice and little lizards, but where is Mondi?

Little Angel’s production is suitable for ages two to five.

27 November 2009 – 03 January 2010

Acclaimed children’s theatre company Oily Cart are returning to the Lyric Hammersmith to present Christmas Baking Time, a fantastic festive feast for the senses for 3-6 year olds.

Christmas Baking Time finds two playful bakers, played by Jumoke Oke and Griff Fender, sifting through magical flour storms, with mischievous doughy characters amidst shelves of baking ingredients and utensils. Griff and Jumoke, who play Baker Bun and Baker Bap, will be inviting all the young audience members to become bakers themselves.

Oily Cart is renowned and highly regarded for their interactive shows in which the young audience are encouraged to participate in the performance and Christmas Baking Time will be no different. There will be lots of opportunities to smell the baking dough from the live onstage oven, feel the flour and see the sugar and salt sparkle as Bakers Bun and Bap make and bake their way through the story.

The Lyric Hammersmith will also be running their Family Sundays on 20 December and 3 January where they throw open their doors on selected Sundays and combine watching a production of Christmas Baking Time with special festive activities run for children. Parents or guardians can treat themselves to a leisurely brunch with the Sunday papers, whilst the children get creative in Messy Play or join the fun in Party Play there might even be some special guest entertainers, a day of fun for all the family.

Tickets: £8 adults, £6 children, Family Ticket £25 (4 people inc.1 child), Nurseries and Schools £6
Duration: 50 mins
Suitable for 3 – 6 year olds and their families and friends.
Bookings: 0871 22 117 20
Address: Lyric Hammersmith Lyric Square, King St, London W6 0Q
Website: www.lyric.co.uk