The Tiger Who Came To Tea at the Birmingham Town Hall Review
The Tiger Who Came To Tea
Town Hall, Birmingham
23 December 2014 to 14 January 2015
Reviewed by Shelley Owens
Every child has a favourite bedtime story book which they insist on having read to them over and over again and for 3 year old Imogen it is Judith Kerr’s fabulous short story, The Tiger Who Came to Tea. You can imagine her excitement then when I told her we were travelling to the beautiful Town Hall building in Birmingham, to see her favourite story as a show!
The stage adaptation extends a relatively short story into a fabulous 55 minute production full of songs and audience participation such as the Tiger aerobics session, captivating the imaginations of both the young and old! Following the story of Sophie and her mummy, we see the adventure unfold when a tiger knocks at their door and invites himself in for tea!
Using some fabulous stage magic we watch as he eats and drinks his way the contents of their entire house! The set is cleverly designed and beautifully simplistic, I love that the characters costumes were exact replicas of those in the books and the script is beautifully written. Imogen immediately recognised the set as being Sophie’s house and couldn’t wait for the show to start!
From the very beginning the audience are “included” in the adventure, with Mummy, Daddy and Sophie all waving “hello” and “hi” in just one of the cleverly written songs by David Wood. Throughout the show, the audience find themselves singing along with an almost pantomime style feel to these beautifully simple songs which are totally in keeping with the original book. Full marks to the brilliant cast for bringing a beloved childhood book to life, the tiger was truly enchanting!
Souvenir merchandise is available to purchase before or after the show starting from £1.50 for a “Postergramme” which is a cross between a poster and programme and up to £8 & £10 for books and cd’s of the stage show. We opted for a “postergramme” and a beautiful fabric tiger “flag” on a stick for £3 which Imogen proudly walked around Birmingham with and he very much enjoyed his ride home on the train!
The Town Hall Theatre is easy to find and just a short walk from New Street Station or the main shopping centre car parks. The beautiful columned building is located in Victoria Square with its own coffee shop on the ground level, handy pushchair park on the lower level where you will also find the toilet facilities.
Staff are very friendly and helpful, with plenty of people on hand to direct you to your seats or the theatres facilities. Our seating was in the stalls with seating all on one level and booster seats are available to hire for £1 which is non-refundable. I recommend the booster chair for the under 5’s although unfortunately if a tall adult sits directly in front of your child, you may find them needing to sit on your lap anyway for a good view of the stage. Tiered seating is available on the upper floor in the dress circle however this is some distance from the stage.
We had a lovely time at the theatre with the enigmatic tiger and give the experience a fabulous 4/5.
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £12 to £14 (plus £3 transaction fee unless purchased in person at the box office).
The Tiger Who Came to Tea is recommended for children aged 3 years and over and is at the Birmingham Town Hall until 14 January 2015 with a relaxed performance on Sunday 11 January. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0121 345 0600.
Town Hall Birmingham, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B3 3DQ | 0121 345 0600
