Natural food chains don’t matter when you live in luxury at New York’s Central Park Zoo.

Best friends Alex the Lion and Marty the Zebra have everything they need, handed to them on an all-inclusive plate – except for adventure.

Inspired by a team of escapee penguins, Marty’s thirst for freedom leads the gang on a wild journey - but Alex is so hungry their friendship is at risk of being torn apart!

Based on the 2005 DreamWorks animation, Alex and Marty and their mates Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo, burst out of the zoo for a night exploring the Big Apple.

They end up on the adventure of a lifetime, when they find themselves ship wrecked on the African island of Madagascar, where the natives are a little cuckoo in the head!

On stage in Wolverhampton, a cheeky monkey opens the show, reminding the audience to turn off their phones – or risk having poo flung at them.

The show moves quickly through the movie plot, but doesn’t miss out any of the essential moments.

With a running time of 1hr 45min, including an interval, it’s the perfect length for a younger audience.

The musical production showcases a fantastic mix of theatrical puppetry, mixed in with the main characters in full costumes.

Even as adults, it’s easy to watch the performance through the animals, as the puppets come to life and the actors working them are seamless in the background.

A small cast of just 11 actors, bring a range of wild animals and characters to life and the pesky penguins make a regular appearance throughout the show, bringing continued chaos and laughter.

The scenery was great, changing from the cages of the zoo to the wild forests. For me, the film scene when the animals are talking in their transfer boxes, came to life perfectly on a blacked out stage.

In the second act, the lemurs and their leader, King Julien XIII really get the party started.

A clear favourite is King Julien, played by CBBC and Strictly Come Dancing star, Karim Zeroual.

 It is a lively and high energy production, with an upbeat score throughout, ensuring the audience were ready to Move It, Move It by the finale, which saw everybody on their feet.

It’s crack-a-lackin' entertainment for all the family and is touring across the UK until August!

The Boy at the Back of the Class is an award-winning book that tells the story of a 9-year-old refugee. 

Forced to flee his home in Syria, with his sister, parents and cat, Ahmet arrives alone in the UK. Where are his parents? What is his story? 

Written by Onjali Q. Raúf, adapted for a live audience by Nick Ahad and directed by Monique Touko, this is one of the most powerful pieces of theatre I have ever seen. 

The heart wrenching story is told from a child’s perspective and is largely narrated by 9-year-old Alexa. She is an inquisitive and brave girl, who believes that kindness is the most powerful tool in the world. 

After learning that Ahmet has fled his war torn country and doesn’t know where his parents are, Alexa and her school friends come up with a royal plan to reunite him with his family.

I loved the bravery and determination of a young girl who plans to march right up to the Queen in order to be listened to. 

Courage, friendship, kindness and standing up for what is right, are just some of the main themes that run through this play, making it perfect for younger audiences, despite the difficult subjects. 

A cast of just 10 talented actors take on the roles of a group of school friends, their teachers, parents and a few members of the community. 

At just 9 years old and not yet in ‘double digits’, their innocence is cemented early on, when they each go home to ask their parents what does the word refugee mean? 

Alexa is played by Sasha Desouza Willock. She perfectly embodies the determination and positivity of a young girl ready to take on the world. 

Ahmet is played by Farshid Rokey. He captivates the audience without the use of language. He doesn’t speak for the first act, but his facial expressions and body language reflect the trauma he has been through, flinching at the kind hand of his teacher upon his shoulder. 

Unable to speak or understand English, confusion and anger is etched on his young face. He shouts in Kurdish when frustrated and fearful. He is in a strange place without his family and unable to communicate with other children or his teachers. 

Having seen and been through things that no child should ever experience, Farshid perfectly portrays an innocent child forced to grow up, but once in the UK, he is verbally abused by adults, bullied and called a ‘filthy refugee kid’. 

Understanding that Ahmet is lonely, the children focus on making him feel welcome. Sharing sweets and playing football are really powerful moments in the play, showing that children don’t need to be able to speak the same language to connect. 

Clever lighting and timed kicks worked brilliantly to bring the game to life, even with an invisible ball.  

As the first act ends Ahmet finds his voice and says ‘This is my story’.

The children are told not to ask Ahmet too many questions, but in the second act, he provides a snippet of what he has endured. 

Using simple drawings, he tries to explain to the class how the bombs fell on his home and they walked for days, trying to find safety. 

The play is charged with gut-wrenching emotion throughout, but for me, the line ‘My sister is in the sea’ was the most upsetting moment of the play. 

A gasp rippled through the audience, as we realised through his broken English, that Ahmet’s sister had died trying to reach the safety of the UK. 

The sheer horror of what Ahmet has been through was captured in one single line. 

Factually, we knew early on that he had been separated from his parents, unsure where they were or if they were still alive, but listening to a child retelling his journey was very difficult to watch. 

You would think that a play about a child refugee fleeing his war torn home and losing his parents and sister, would not give way for too many funny moments, but you would be wrong. 

The play has genuine laugh out loud moments too, making the audience cry and laugh in equal measure. 

Alongside the difficult themes of immigration, death, war, racism and bullying, there are some wonderful moments, bringing light relief to my tear filled eyes.

Alongside the plot and characters, the set and staging is simplistic, yet so very effective. 

Set mainly in a class room, with climbing bars and gym apparatus, the cast use small props to move the storyline into Alexa’s living room, supermarket, bus stop, tube lines and even Buckingham Palace.   

The play doesn’t need fancy scenery, the power is in the dialogue, whilst the use of clever lighting transports the children on to the bus, tube and taxi. 

Basic props help to carry the story from place to place, a laundry basket and lampshade, a fruit and veg stall or just a bus stop sign. 

However most powerful prop is the rippling blue sheet, portraying the dangerous sea in which Ahmet crossed, desperate for safety on the shores of Britain. 

Overall, the play is relatable to an audience of all ages and is a very special piece of work, in text and on stage. It is more relevant today than ever before. 

It is an uplifting story with such a simple, but important message – just be kind. 

The play is a lesson in humanity for adults and a reminder to children that being kind is the most powerful super power to have. 

The play is genuinely moving and regardless of your views on immigration, this play is a stark reminder of what millions of innocent children are going through right now.  

The play successfully humanises a group of people that have been vilified by the media. 

A timely reminder that there are humans behind the headlines, children in the boats and they have nowhere to ‘go back’ to, because their homes have been destroyed.

The play has a somewhat happy ending, with news that his parents have been located and we are told that his mother is a journalist and his father an engineer.  

After the show, I tuck my little boy in to bed – at 7 he is not much younger than Ahmet. 

I tiptoe in to check on my 4-year-old daughter, sleeping soundly and head downstairs, where I spot our cat, blissfully asleep on the sofa. 

I’m also a journalist, a mother and wife, with a son, daughter and cat. The similarities to Ahmet’s family are not lost on me. 

There but for the grace of God go I.

The play is a poignant reminder that it could so easily be us instead, if not for the luck of where in the world we were born. 

We are all human and every child deserves a safe place to call home.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ - A high energy, laugh out loud show, perfect for all the family!

I’m sure everyone knows the story of Shrek but just in case, here goes! Shrek has all the ingredients of a traditional fairy-tale.  Princess in a tower, fire breathing dragon, Ogre and a prince.

Only Fiona isn’t a typical princess and after a farting and burping competition, she falls in love with the Ogre who rescues her - instead of the not so charming Prince she is expected to marry.

Throw in a non-stop talking donkey and all the characters from classic tales and you have a perfect family musical.

The 2001 DreamWorks Animation works really well on stage and the Broadway and West End show is certainly a hit with audiences of all ages.

After Shrek and Donkey set out on a quest to defeat the fearsome dragon and rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona, the delighted squeals of youngsters filled the theatre as Shrek and Fiona compete to outdo each other with their rather disgusting personal habits! Better out than in, as Shrek says!

Disgusting but loveable Shrek is played by theatre legend Antony Lawrence, while Princess Fiona is played by Strictly Come Dancing star Joanne Clifton.

Hair flicking Lord Farquaad was brilliant, played by James Gillan and Brandon Lee Sears was hilarious as Shrek’s partner in crime, Donkey.

All the lead performances are fantastic and additionally, incredible vocals by Cherece Richards, who plays the dragon – alongside a hugely impressive pink puppet.

The enthusiasm of every member of the cast is infectious and the costumes are colourful and creative, especially the fairy-tale characters.

With a cast of around 20, there are regular, very quick costume changes for all involved in the fast paced, high energy show.

A special mention about the scenery and technical staging for this musical. It is exceptional, as huge pages of the floating book turn and transport the audience into the fairy tale.

The digital video scenery moves the story from woodlands, to lava lake and to the castles and churches.

The technical elements of an otherwise, fairly bare stage are brilliant and really bring the story to life in a magical way.

A live orchestra provides the fun soundtrack, with fabulous songs like 'Big Bright Beautiful World', 'I Know It's Today' and ‘I’m a Believer.’

Alongside the storyline, the dance numbers were brilliant, showing how talented the cast are, with flawless, high energy routines.

The tap number was a highlight for me and perfectly showcased why Joanne is a former Strictly champion.

Finally, the princess and ogre get their happy ever after, proving that true love’s kiss is about more than skin deep appearances.

Overall, it’s a great family night out, with silly jokes and laugh out loud moments.

The show ends with everyone on their feet singing ‘I’m a believer’ and ensuring that everyone left the venue on a real high.

Natural food chains don’t matter when you live in luxury at New York’s Central Park Zoo.

Best friends Alex the Lion and Marty the Zebra have everything they need, handed to them on an all-inclusive plate – except for adventure.

Inspired by a team of escapee penguins, Marty’s thirst for freedom leads the gang on a wild journey - but leaves Alex feeling so hungry their friendship is at risk of being torn apart!

Based on the 2005 DreamWorks animation, Alex and Marty and their mates Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo, burst out of the zoo for a night exploring the Big Apple.

But they end up on the adventure of a lifetime, when they find themselves ship wrecked on the African island of Madagascar, where the natives are a little cuckoo in the head!

On stage in Birmingham, a cheeky monkey opens the show, reminding the audience to turn off their phones – or risk having poo flung at them.

The show moves quickly through the movie plot, but doesn’t miss out any of the essential moments and with a running time of 1hr 45min, including an interval, it’s the perfect length for a younger audience.

The musical production showcases a fantastic mix of theatrical puppetry, mixed in with the main characters in full costumes.

Even as adults, it’s easy to quickly watch the performance through the animals, as the puppets come to life and the actors working them are seamless in the background.

The small cast bring a range of wild animals and characters to life and the pesky penguins make a regular appearance throughout the show, bringing continued chaos and laughter.

The scenery was great, changing from the bars and cages of the zoo to the wild forests. For me, the film scene when the animals are talking in their transfer boxes, came to life perfectly on a blacked out stage.

In the second act, the lemurs and their leader, King Julien XIII really get the party started and the high energy show is perfect for younger viewers.

A clear favourite is King Julien, played last night by Connor Keetley, understudy for CBBC and Strictly Come Dancing star, Karim Zeroual.

It is a lively and full energy production, with an upbeat score throughout, ensuring the audience were ready to Move It, Move It by the finale, which saw everybody on their feet.

It’s crack-a-lackin' entertainment for all the family*! (*Please note no children under 3 will be admitted.)

The show is on tour across the UK until August, and will be in Wolverhampton and Stoke on Trent in May.

For full tour dates and more information, visit: www.madagascarthemusical.co.uk/

I was thrilled to be invited to the opening night of The Bodyguard UK last night.

 I’m honestly lost for words, which ask my husband, never happens!

The international, award-winning smash-hit musical has returned to Birmingham for Christmas 2023 and this show is simply phenomenal in every way.

It delivers an experience like no other for the audience and I had goose bumps, tears and laughter.

This musical is an emotional roller coaster and has the most incredible soundtrack.

Featuring the hits of Whitney Houston including Queen of the Night, So Emotional, One Moment in Time, Saving All My Love, Run to You, I Have Nothing, Greatest Love Of All, Million Dollar Bill, I Wanna Dance With Somebody and one of the greatest hit songs of all time – I Will Always Love You.

Aside from the unrivalled songs, the musical is also an edge of your seat thriller. It tells the story of a superstar, her stalker and her protector.

The show starts quite literally with a bang and has slices of real jump out your seat moments. Mixed perfectly with comedy, laughter and fatal heartbreak, this show provides the audience with every emotion.

Leading lady, Emily Williams was undoubtedly Queen Of The Night as Rachel Marron! Her voice is simply breath taking. I can’t describe how perfect her vocals are.  A review can’t do that level of talent justice; you have to see for yourself how phenomenal she is.

Ayden Callaghan, plays Frank Farmer. His Bond charm in full force, he never falters in his protective stance and dominates the stage with his strong presence and exceptional acting.

It’s great to see a softer side of him too, the karaoke scene was a personal favourite, and Ayden plays the character and his conflicting emotions perfectly.

Emily-Mae plays the side lined sister. Despite her character living in the shadows, Nicki’s voice is equally outstanding.

The entire cast are 5 star performers and the overlaying use of a minimal set and projections is fantastic.

Finally, as the storyline comes to an end, you know there is only one song to close the show.

You could feel the audience’s anticipation as Emily began to sing, I Will Always Love You.

You could hear a pin drop as the audience held their breath as she slowly sang the iconic track.

Then without hesitation the audience erupted into a standing, dancing ovation and the roof of the theatre was lifted as finally we could belt out the classics too!

The cast took their bows and the encore turned into a concert, ending with I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

The best night out at the theatre I’ve ever had!

If you’ve not seen it, go! If you’ve seen it, go again!

WELCOME TO HOLLYWOOD!

I had the pleasure of attending the Gala night show of Pretty Woman The Musical, in Birmingham.

I went along with my mum, and if you’re a fan of the movie, you will know that despite the fairy-tale ending, the story line certainly isn’t one I would advertise to my usual, younger audiences through Behind The Magic Curtain!

However, grown-ups if you miss this one, in the words of Vivian, you’ll be making a BIG mistake. HUGE!

Based on the iconic 1990s movie starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, the story follows the extreme differences of two lives in Hollywood – one in the penthouse heights of Beverley Hills and the other on the street corners of L.A.

Down on her luck, Vivian meets a successful multi-millionaire named Edward, who pays her to spend the week with him at formal dinners and dances.

Despite living at opposite ends of the social class system, they find themselves falling in love.

The characters are real, raw and relatable and the classic romantic comedy moves effortlessly from screen to stage.

The musical is emotional, upbeat and hilariously funny in parts.

The show pays homage to all the favourite scenes from the movie, the rude shop assistants, the night at the opera and the unlikely friendship between Vivian and the hotel manager.

Sadly, the only iconic scene missing from the musical is the bubble bath moment, which happens off stage.

The lead roles were perfectly cast, actress and former Love Island winner Amber Davies, holds a striking resemblance to Julia Roberts when wearing the blonde wig, but really makes the loveable character her own throughout the rest of the show.

Edward is played by Oliver Savile, who oozes the Gere charm and shows his conflicted vulnerability perfectly.

As well as the two main characters, the supporting cast were all incredible too.

Natalie Paris plays Kit De Luca, showing off her protective mother nature as she teaches Vivian to take care of herself on the streets. Her character is instantly likeable, despite drinking the rent money and her vocals are outstanding.

Ore Oduba is fantastic as Happy Man and hotel manager, Mr Thompson. His dancing skills were of course, Strictly sensational and he switched seamlessly between his characters, providing plenty of laughs.

The costumes transported the audience back to the 80s, with a collection of neon tops, fish nets and thigh high boots -  a world away from the cocktail gowns and outfits from Rodeo Drive.

While the set showcased the luxury of the dizzy heights of the penthouse, compared to the graffiti covered back streets down town.

The musical has an original soundtrack through-out, and the audience had to wait right until the end to hear the movie’s signature title song by Roy Orbison. Once it did play, it was worth the wait and had everyone dancing in their seats.

This is an uplifting story, filled with love, hope, overcoming adversity and chasing dreams.

Pretty Woman The Musical is showing in Birmingham until this Saturday, but tickets are extremely limited!

However, due to phenomenal demand, the show is already booked in to return to Brum next August!

Marc Brenner Photography

Bring It On - Stage Experience ️️️️️

Last night I had the pleasure of being invited to the opening night of Bring It On at The Alexandra Birmingham 

Now in its 18th year, Stage Experience is a chance for local rising stars to take part in a full scale production.

There was NOTHING amateur about the West End worthy cast, who perfected the high energy show in just two weeks. 

 Honestly, I was absolutely blown away by the incredible talent on stage last night.

 The non stop choreography was electrifying. Scene after scene was filled with fast paced routines and cheer tricks to make your head spin.

All flawlessly executed without a foot, flip or pom pom out of place. 

 The energy on stage was unrivalled and left me desperate to jump out of my seat and beg for a chance to be part of the crew.

 My date for the evening was my 6 year old son James. He is a member of a local musical theatre group and I was keen for him to see the opportunities on offer in the Midlands for youngsters with an appetite for the arts.

 Over 80 local cast members, aged 9-24, took part and every single one of them gave their all. It was emotional to see their beaming smiles as they each took their bows and experienced a thoroughly deserved standing ovation. 

 A special mention to the leading ladies who were simply phenomenal in their roles.

 Performing today and tomorrow, there’s still time to see the show!

Get your tickets now to the biggest competition of your life! 

All the dinosaurs have names and cheeky personalities and they are quite a handful for explorer Miranda, who leads the show and invites the audience to meet her dinosaurs.  

Miranda is so full of energy and enthusiasm, even when she is alone on the stage sharing interesting dino facts, she has the full attention of even the youngest explorers in the audience.  

The dinosaurs are exceptionally realistic and even as an adult it’s very easy to forget they are a mix of costumes and mechanical puppetry.  

As with many audience participation shows, the numerous children chosen to go on stage were always seated in the stalls and you could hear a wave of disappointment from the little ones who eagerly waved their hands from the dress circle.  

This may be something to consider when choosing where to sit, or perhaps explaining to older children in advance.  

The lucky children chosen had the chance to stroke a dinosaur or feed it, however a fully inclusive element of the show was the panto style ‘tell me if the egg wobbles’.  

On the corner of the stage, sits an almost ready to crack Giraffatitan egg.  

Through-out the show, when eagled eyed youngsters spotted the egg shaking, everyone could shout Miranda, and she would race towards it, but it wasn’t quite ready to hatch until it was almost time to say goodbye, and a tiny dino head pushes it’s way out of the giant egg.  

Cuddles with a newborn dino is a very sweet and calming end to the show, after the excitement of the loose and hungry Titus the T-Rex.  

Now, about that starring moment!  

Even I was shocked at the size of the ginormous T-Rex and his tremendous roar.  

To add to the atmosphere, the stage is darkened and fills with red and green smoke as the enormous dinosaur stomps his way to within chomping distance of the front row.  

Given the size of the beast and the seat shaking sound effects, I did feel my youngest jump in fright, although it was incredibly impressive to see and she was all smiles moments later as Miranda encouraged the audience to roar loudly back at Titus. 

One unusual aspect of the show is the permission to take photographs throughout and it was wonderful to capture a couple of quick snaps as my children sat wide eyed during the performance.  

The  interactive show is advertised as suitable for little explorers aged 3+, but because the T-Rex is so big and his roar is so loud, I would personally suggest that it may not be suitable for all children under 4  or older sensitive children, but if you watch the trailers you can decide if your little ones will be ok. 

Sadly it ended too quickly for my children. Whilst I think 50 minutes is the perfect length for a children’s show, some older children would have liked to have met more dinosaurs or had a little longer interaction with each one of stage. 

After the show, anyone brave enough can enjoy a very quick minute meet and greet with the smaller, better behaved dinosaurs.  

Overall, my little ones gave this show a T-Rex sized thumbs up and it’s a very engaging and educational show, so grab your compass and help to discover a pre-historic world. 

It’s not too late to get your tickets to this roar-some adventure and tickets are priced at £15 -£20 (Babes in arms are welcome)  

Programmes were £3.50 and merchandise varied from £5-£15 including cuddly toys, flashing wands and hatching eggs.  

Starchitects follows five adventurous kids on their mission to the moon – but what will they find when they get there?

Starting in the bedroom, the children build their rocket and it’s time to blast off.

It’s a simple stage set up, with only a handful of cardboard boxes as props, but by using a digitally projected backdrop, the audience is transported into space where they discover moon fairies and aliens!

It’s a fully immersive performance, as the cast glide effortlessly through the backdrop and use it so seamlessly throughout the performance. Whether it’s a rocket or a cave,  the use of the projections bring their out of this world adventures to life.

The cast showcase a fantastic mix of dance and circus style acrobatic tricks and their energy is infectious. 

A small inclusion of panto style hide and seek, allows the audience to get involved and join them on their adventure.

Starchitects is a celebration of our childhood, where nothing is impossible when using a sprinkle of imagination.

I loved the beautiful dance by two fairies that live on the moon,  a moment of calm in their crazy adventure, before the children find themselves in the company of a long armed slinky style alien with very big eyes.

The children then spiral down a cave, but will they get out and back to their rocket? 

Starchitects is a very creative show, perfect for all ages, with an easy to follow story line.

It’s got everything a children’s adventure needs – fairies, aliens,  danger, races and lava of course.

A special mention about the ‘floor is lava’ part of the show. This is a game that spans every generation and was relatable to every audience member, from the youngest toddler to the oldest grandparent.

Adults can truly appreciate the physical difficulties of the lifts and circus tricks, whilst children gaze in awe as the performers fly through the air and bounce, jump and slide effortlessly across the galaxy.

As parents, we left with a feeling of nostalgia as we remembered the endless opportunities a simple cardboard box could bring. It also got a big thumbs up from our children aged 3 and 6.

This show is action packed and one not to miss. Running for 55 minutes, without an interval, it’s the perfect length for younger ones.

During the tour, there is also the opportunity to meet the cast, stay and play sessions,  relaxed and audio described performances.

For more information visit The Motionhouse website.

Follow the team @Motionhouse