The Octonauts at the New Theatre Cardiff Review
Octonauts and the Deep Sea Volcano Adventure
New Theatre, Cardiff
1-2 November 2014
Reviewed by Lee-Anne McCarthy
Anyone with pre-schoolers will know the theme tune and be able to hum along. When we found out we were going to be reviewing the Octonauts we were extremely excited. After a little research I found that this is the first time that the Octonauts has been brought to stage and we were keen to get to see how this fantastic TV show could be brought to life in the theatre.
The story surrounds a mission to save animals endangered by a deep sea volcano in the Pacific Ocean. The show begun with the entire audience learning how to drive the Octopod. Finn took great delight in holding his imaginary steering wheel and driving us to Octonaut HQ. Luke Lennox the only non-character cast member really encouraged all the children to have a go and the repetitious actions were easy enough for even the littlest people to attempt. The Octonauts characters were brought to life as life size mascots on stage. They were every bit the characters we see on our TV screens. The set was beautifully decorated and really made you feel like you were aboard the Octopod. It wasn’t until sitting with my boys in the New Theatre watching the show that I really realised the educational nature of the Octonauts show. I learnt so many new things about life under the water. There was one particular scene with Dr Shellington, not just any old otter but a marine biologist, spent time talking about the zones of the sea. For my little people this was quite a way beyond their understanding however for some of the other primary school aged members of the audience it really appealed. As a mum I was hugely impressed with the time and effort taken by the makers to teach these children about nature in simple easy to understand terms. The underwater scenes using impressive effects and lighting were really striking. It was that moment that you could see every little member of the audience was completely mesmerised by the colour, movements and sequences the entire cast were engaged in. Throughout the performance there were songs that were incredibly catchy and had even the toughest Daddy toe tapping along. The performance length is more than manageable. My two year old twin sons managed the entire performance without becoming distracted. The length of the two halves has been thoughtful considered and tailored perfectly for its younger audience.
The show really encouraged the full participation of the children throughout the theatre. It was a real delight and my two year old twins were so excited to leave the theatre feeling like fully fledged Octonauts. I have to say I was a little proud too. This is a fantastic show for the fans of the Octonauts we highly recommend it as a fabulous start to any little person’s theatrical experience.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £8.50 to £15.50 (plus £2.95 transaction fee).
The Octonauts are at the New Theatre in Cardiff until 2 November 2014. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 029 2087 8889.
New Theatre, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3LN | 029 2087 8889
