For anyone who may have somehow avoided this phenomenon which swept through the country over 20 years ago now – Peppa Pig is a character synonymous with muddle puddles, bossiness and falling on the floor laughing. However, for many parents with young kids, the gregarious pre-school-aged pig is an inevitability that we must suffer through for our child’s enjoyment and for the short bursts of peace we get as a result.
But for toddlers, Peppa and her friends are like catnip and of course, after months of trying to steer my daughter toward Ms Rachel or another age-appropriate show – I finally relented.
Surprisingly the cartoon and its many weird and wonderful characters have grown on me over the past year or so, particularly Miss Rabbit who manages to hold down all the jobs in the Peppa universe and probably most accurately represents the juggle of modern-day living.
So when Peppa Pig’s Big Family Show came to The Lowry, I thought it only fair that I take the tyke along to see the gang on stage.
Not sure what to expect, we marched our way past the merchandise stall – although I did crack under the unrelenting pressure and ended up purchasing a £5 sticker book which kept her occupied while we were waiting to be seated.
The Lowry itself is very child-friendly, which we all know is a non-negotiable for parents looking for a day out. The regular theatre expectations, that everyone remain seated and quiet throughout the performance do not apply, which is good when you have a room full of small people with even smaller attention spans. On top of this, a seemingly endless supply of booster seats were available for the little-legged clientele.
Countless youngsters and their parents let out a collective gasp of excitement when the theme tune, which is pretty catchy, came over the speakers.
When the curtain first lifted I wasn’t expecting to see ‘humans’ on stage, but we were presented with four adults dressed in black bases and colourful dungarees singing a welcome song.
At that point my daughter looked at me a bit bemused, the inevitable “where’s Peppa?” coming shortly after.
Thankfully, the star of the show turned up promptly and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Peppa and George were undoubtedly the most impressive characters, two puppets operated by the cast members themselves. Mounted on a spring base, the two toddler pigs bounced up and down much like their cartoon counterparts – and I must admit being pretty impressed by Peppa’s voice, which was more accurate than I would have thought possible.
The premise of the production, that Peppa Pig, Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig and brother George along with their human friend Daisy – who acted as a narrator of sorts – are preparing for the arrival of baby Evie.
The show followed a chronological and more importantly simple storyline, with catchy songs showing the decoration of Peppa’s home, complete with UV dancing paint pots and paintbrushes, which were mesmerising even for me.
We were introduced to Daddy Pig and Mummy Pig in short order, both of whom were – to put it bluntly – absolutely massive. One of my main concerns was that they might topple off the stage, but thankfully this didn’t come to pass.
Daddy Pig, true to form, was a bit of a bumbling fool and Mummy Pig, ever weary with his incompetence, went into labour at the start of the first act.
The highlight of the show for both me and my daughter, was the surprise factor. During one particular scene the ever-busy Mr Bull, who also works in a plethora of roles, helps the family when a leak springs up in the house – at which point water is squirted into the audience to a chorus of screams and giggles.
In another exciting moment, bubbles stream from machines at the side of the stage, delighting both younger and older audiences.
Once Evie came along (strapped to Mummy Pig’s chest), audience members were encouraged to wave and say hello, another moment to keep the little ones engaged.
But for anyone who is well acquainted with the show, the piece de resistance was the group rendition of the “Bing Bong song”, which is a banger at the best of times.
As soon as the curtains fell my daughter turned to me and asked if we were going again tomorrow – sadly not – but we will be going again next time they come to town.
★★★★⯪
