Horrible Histories is touring the UK and stopping off in Dublin this year with two great live productions.
Terrible Tudors & Awful Egyptians, will be touring from February until mid July, with the live on stage action also including 3D special effects. Hear the legends (and the lies!) about the torturing Tudors. Find out the fate of Henry's headless wives and his punch up with the Pope. Meet Bloody Mary and see Ed fall dead in his bed. Survive the Spanish Armada as it sails into the audience!
And don't forget those awful Egyptians - from the fascinating Pharaohs to the power of the pyramids, discover the foul facts of death and decay with the meanest mummies in Egypt. Are you ready to rumble with Ramesses the Great, and do you dare enter through the Gates of the Afterlife?
Then, from mid July until the end of October, you've the chance to catch the Gorgeous Georgians & Vile Victorians tour. Are you ready to swing with a Georgian king? Does the Duke of Wellington get the boot? Would you stand and deliver to dastardly Dick Turpin? Can you help detectives find the headless man? Dare you dance the Tyburn jig? Will you be saved by Florence Nightingale? And can you move to the groove with party Queen Victoria?
We love family time at the theatre and Birmingham Stage Company produce fantastic shows for kids. I attended a couple of their Horrible Histories events with my sons Odhran, 9, and Reuben, 6, last year. Both performances were fantastically fun and educational.
Most recently, we attended Horrible Christmas! at Alexandra Palace Theatre in North London. The restored Victorian theatre, with its exposed stonework, was the perfect venue for a Horrible Histories show. The story centred around a boy, Watson, who found a mysterious man in red, stealing presents from under the tree. The Santa impersonator, named Sydney Clause, was determined to erase the tradition of Christmas, and the boy, along with the help of Shirley Holmes and her time-travelling scooter, had to chase him back through time to save Christmas for future generations.
It was an engaging storyline and Odhran and Reuben loved the giant projection of a clock that wound back through different periods of time in history that were significant in establishing how we celebrate Christmas today.
The journey took us from Medieval monks to Tudor feasts, with appearances by Charles Dickens, King Henry VIII, Oliver Cromwell, and St Nicholas himself. We learnt lots of interesting facts, such as how turkey came to be the traditional dish served on Christmas Day, and how 'Merry Christmas' came to be a common festive greeting. There were fun singalongs and panto-style booing. The performances were high-energy, with expert comic timing.
The show proved to be a great conversation point on the journey home, as the boys spoke about some of the things they'd learnt and asked me to Google other facts. Reuben talked me into buying him a Horrible Histories book - Awful Egyptians. He keeps in the car and reads out facts when we're out and about. The show also ignited Odhran's interest in Charles Dickens.
Earlier in the year, we enjoyed the Horrible Histories: Terrible Thames tour, which took us on fun and laughter-filled sightseeing tour to uncover the dark history of the River Thames. Horrible Histories shows have plenty to keep both kids and adults entertained, making them the perfect choice for a fun and educational family day out.
Tickets for Terrible Tudors & Awful Egyptians and Gorgeous Georgians & Vile Victorians start from £15. Find out more about dates and venues here and here.