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Theatre for kids

28 replies

TheChosenTwo · 19/02/2024 10:24

Ds is 12 and apart from seeing Matilda the musical has never been interested in the theatre - until now! He said he’d like to go again.
What have you taken your dc of a similar age to that they’ve enjoyed?
I love the theatre and have seen quite a bit but mostly not suitable for that age group.
Ruling out the lion king, frozen and shrek the musical from the outset…

OP posts:
minipie · 19/02/2024 10:28

The Play that goes Wrong is good for this age

We are off to see Operation Mincemeat soon with the DC which looks good

Hamilton if at all into history but it’s more serious than the above two

idontlikealdi · 19/02/2024 10:28

DTs loved Wicked, they're 12 and I am going to take them Starlight Express becuase I was obsessed with that as a child hope they haven't ruined it!

minipie · 19/02/2024 10:30

I wasn’t that impressed with Wicked tbh, especially for the cost 🙀. Not a patch on Matilda IMO. I know loads of people love it though so maybe just me

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TheChosenTwo · 19/02/2024 15:35

Thanks, will have a look at the play that goes wrong, I’ve heard it’s really funny.

Absolutely not Wicked, I walked out of that one in the interval, joint with moulin rouge it was the worst thing I’ve ever seen at the theatre 😂

OP posts:
NotFastButFurious · 19/02/2024 15:40

Why have you ruled out Lion King? The production of it and the animal puppets were amazing. Even my mum who's not a musical theatre person at all loved it!

AnnPerkins · 19/02/2024 15:43

I thought about suggesting Operation Mincemeat too. I absolutely loved it and it has a cult following. That said, I'm not sure my 14yo DS would like it so much.

I took DS to see The Unfriend last year and he enjoyed that. I'm pretty sure he was the youngest in the audience though.

ConstantastheNorthernStar · 19/02/2024 15:48

The Unicorn theatre is doing The Odyssey, for ages 8 - 13. Might be worth a look?

ConstantastheNorthernStar · 19/02/2024 15:51

Also, the Globe is doing a 90 minute version of Romeo and Juliet, aimed at teenagers - maybe worth a go?

Singleandproud · 19/02/2024 16:01

DD and I go all the time we aim for once a month at 12 she moved away from musicals into more traditional theatre and has she's enjoyed....

The Ocean at the End of the Lane - more grown up themes, puppetry, adaptation of a Neil Gaiman book, Charlie Brooks is fantastic baddy.

Animal Farm - this was puppets and fantastic

Lord Chamberlain's Men - Outdoor traditional Shakespeare production - Hamlet this year

The Woman in Black - fantastic, just two cast members and a couple of jump scares, she had read it at school so nice accompaniment

Hamilton is fantastic and tends to attract more young males who wouldn't necessarily be interested in a traditional musical, it is beneficial to know the story of Hamilton and hes place within the American Independence to fully enjoy it. There is a accompanying Hamilton musical book. The actual biography it's based on is huge with teeny tiny font so wouldn't recommend that unless he loves history.

Six - Tudor Queens experience with HVIII more of a short music concert

Inspector Calls - she loved this and does it for GCSE next year.

Young Frankenstein - a little bit risque but otherwise enjoyable.

Bonnie and Clyde, musical booked for March
Sweeney Todd booked for May
Birdsong booked for November, my favourite book and ties in with school WW1 work.

These were all at our local regional Theatre and have now headed to London if that's where you are intending to go.

The Play that Goes wrong crew do several great shows.
A magic one produced with Penn and Teller I can't remember the name,
Grown Ups - following a group of 'children' from nursery to school reunion
Peter Pan goes Wrong
They also do an improv show in the summer which is great and the audience decide the show - there are a few groups that do this.
The same team had a series on BBC which was great I think it was called The Show That Goes Wrong and might still be on iPlayer.

TheChosenTwo · 19/02/2024 17:14

@NotFastButFurious I’ve seen it and agree it’s brilliant but when I suggested it he said he didn’t fancy it (he didn’t like the film which I think put him off). Theatre tickets can be expensive so whereas I will often gently encourage him to do things i’m not prepared to spend potentially £300 on something he’s outright said he’s not interested in. Fair question though; the dds loved it too!

But neither of us really know what’s around that’s suitable for this age group so I was hoping for some suggestions from people with similar aged dc and there are some cracking suggestions that I’m going to look into.

I think the woman in black is now finished 😔 I had thought about this too! Happy to be proven wrong though, I’ve seen it 5 times over the years.

The ocean at the end of the lane was stunning visually but I’m not sure it’s for him.
i don’t think it was really even for me tbh!

an inspector calls is also a really good suggestion, I will also look at Romeo and Juliet.

OP posts:
NotFastButFurious · 19/02/2024 17:28

Are you based in London?
I'd look for things that are "classics" or feature in school English up to GSCE level. Even a ballet?
The Kite Runner
There's something about Jamie
Les Mis
Phantom of the Opera
Six

LIZS · 19/02/2024 17:42

The Mousetrap is a classic. Lion King? Look out for kidsweek tickets in the summer when kids go free with an adult ticket.

JessicaBrassica · 19/02/2024 17:53

War horse is touring again this year.

OUr Y7 are going to see life of pi with school.
12yo is coming to see winters tale shortly (but mainly because his sister is in it>. She enjoyed the tempest and Macbeth at that age and I'm wondering about taking them to Stratford to see Dream.

CountingToThree · 19/02/2024 17:55

Back to the future is great for this age, and definitely play that goes wrong

KnickerlessFlannel · 19/02/2024 17:58

We went to see Mrs Doubtfire recently, which dd loved. She has Hamilton, The Cursed Child, Six and Starlight Express on her list of must sees

Iam4eels · 19/02/2024 18:49

Spirited Away at the Colosseum and My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican are supposed to be amazing.

Six is short enough to not be boring but no less entertaining for it.

I've heard good things about The Little Big Things and Choir of Man.

socialdilemmawhattodo · 19/02/2024 18:59

My DS is not a particularly keen theatre goer. You take him, he has a nice evening and you never ever hear another word about the play. So I have taken him to see ( these are not shows that are necessarily currently on now): the Railway Children; the Dog who barked in the night ( I've got the title wrong haven't I?); George's marvellous medicine (Bloomsbury theatre); Harry Potter cursed child; lion witch & wardrobe (Bridge theatre). I took him to see Dear England as a film showing - he loved it. And next on my list are guys & dolls and back to the future. But I have been clear - he is older than your son - that I will not be shelling out for decent seats until I feel that he really appreciates what he is seeing!! PS I went as a child to the Unicorn. I am so thrilled it is still going.

Ilovelurchers · 19/02/2024 19:07

My daughter is 12, and a massive fan of all theatre but especially musical theatre, and in the last year or so she and I have enjoyed:
National Theatre Live version of Othello
Animal Farm
Of Mice and Men
Phantom of the Opera

And very much not not enjoyed:
Joseph and his Technicolour Dream Coat

Also her and her dad go quite often. I can remember all they have seen but I know they walked out of the Lion King!

She and I were discussing other West End shows we might save up and go to next year - from memory she liked the sound of:
Fawlty Towers
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Six
Les Miserables

We'd also go to Jesus Christ Superstar and Love Never Dies if we could find them anywhere.

She does love her musical theatre!!! I am quite into it too, so although we aren't rich it's one of the things I am quite happy to spend money on. I do always go for the cheapest seats however, as for me it makes little or no difference to the experience.....

JaninaDuszejko · 19/02/2024 19:23

Blood Brothers is probably touring and is often studied at school. RSC does short versions of Shakespeare plays although at 12 I'd take him to see a full version of Macbeth which he'll know from school. But check what's on at your local theatres, some shows have age recommendations or you could ask the theatre. We're taking the kids to see An Inspector Calls later this year (aged 12, 15 and 16), the older two have studied it at school. Or if you want a safer option David Walliam's Awful Aunty is touring again.

A slightly cheaper option would be to go to a NT live at the cinema, Dear England is on at the moment and might be good if he likes football (I've not seen it).

Riverlee · 19/02/2024 19:25

Back to the Future - superb show.

MsAustin · 19/02/2024 20:22

JessicaBrassica · 19/02/2024 17:53

War horse is touring again this year.

OUr Y7 are going to see life of pi with school.
12yo is coming to see winters tale shortly (but mainly because his sister is in it>. She enjoyed the tempest and Macbeth at that age and I'm wondering about taking them to Stratford to see Dream.

Just took our 8 and 11 year old to see A midsummer's nights dream in the RSC and they LOVED it- highly recommend

JaninaDuszejko · 20/02/2024 13:26

I took my DDs to see the RSC perform As You Like It when they were 10 and 12 and the actress who played Celia came and had a chat with them during the interval which they thought was fabulous.

Jules912 · 20/02/2024 13:34

My 11 year old likes most things but his favourites were Back to the Future, Harry Potter and Les Mis (though he's only seen the film of this so far as hoping for cheap tickets in kids week). Oh and The play that goes wrong, he almost fell off his seat laughing at that one.
I also wouldn't rule out Lion King, the puppetry is amazing and it's certainly not just for little kids. If you can go at short notice and persevere you can get tickets on Disney Magic Monday's for £30.

mybrainisfull · 20/02/2024 13:38

Back to the future.
Also good to see the classics like Les Mis and Phantom.

ThinkingAgainAndAgain · 20/02/2024 13:39

Ilovelurchers · 19/02/2024 19:07

My daughter is 12, and a massive fan of all theatre but especially musical theatre, and in the last year or so she and I have enjoyed:
National Theatre Live version of Othello
Animal Farm
Of Mice and Men
Phantom of the Opera

And very much not not enjoyed:
Joseph and his Technicolour Dream Coat

Also her and her dad go quite often. I can remember all they have seen but I know they walked out of the Lion King!

She and I were discussing other West End shows we might save up and go to next year - from memory she liked the sound of:
Fawlty Towers
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Six
Les Miserables

We'd also go to Jesus Christ Superstar and Love Never Dies if we could find them anywhere.

She does love her musical theatre!!! I am quite into it too, so although we aren't rich it's one of the things I am quite happy to spend money on. I do always go for the cheapest seats however, as for me it makes little or no difference to the experience.....

Superstar is touring at the moment. We are seeing it at the beginning of March. I last saw it in the west end in about 1997.

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