Horrible Histories Terrible Tudors at Lighthouse Poole Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Lisa
I just had the most amazing afternoon with my 9 year old son seeing ‘Terrible Tudors’ at Poole Lighthouse. We absolutely loved it! The theatre was packed, which is always a good sign, and from the moment it started there was loads of energy, laughter and audience participation.
The show covered all the Tudor kings and queens, as well as briefly covering right before and after to give it context. It also looked at topics like Tudor medicine and the Spanish Armada, but it never felt like a history lesson! Everything was delivered with humour and loads of silliness. My son was laughing almost constantly (which made me laugh as much as the play!), especially whenever the actors started shouting “Blood! Blood! Blood!” while pretending to spray it everywhere. There were even times when the actors were obviously ad-libbing and trying not to laugh themselves which was even funnier!
The cast consisted of just three main actors, and the scenery was simple but really effective, with a wagon wheeled on stage containing most of the props they needed and a simple backdrop that came to life in the second half with the extra effects. There were plenty of quick costume changes and character switches, and the actors never seemed to run out of energy or get lost with what bit they were up to.
There was lots of audience participation, plenty of singing (and the song about Henry VIII’s wives will be in our heads all week!), and even some pantomime-style moments where everyone joined in with ‘oh no he’s not!’. There was also a singing contest between both halves of the audience at one point – our half won! One surprise was a quick ventriloquism section, which went down really well with the audience as it was, again, very funny.
The second half included 3D effects, which added another layer of fun. Most of these were fantastic with fireworks, blood and shrapnel coming out at us – getting lots of reactions from the crowd. The only real downside for us was that some of the 3D glasses could have been cleaner. Also, one particular 3D skull effect that came flying out towards the audience was quite scary for my son and even myself! He enjoyed most of the gross and gruesome bits, but that skull definitely made quite a few people jump and I don’t think it was needed.
The show was split into two halves, with the first lasting about 50 minutes, followed by a 20 minute interval and then a second half of around 40 minutes. The interval was just long enough to grab some yummy ice cream and drinks from the bar before heading back in. One thing we always like about Poole Lighthouse is how family-friendly it feels. It’s also easy to get to, with parking nearby or a quick walk from the train station.
Overall, Terrible Tudors was a fantastic family show and we would love to see more of these shows in the future. It managed to be educational, funny and entertaining all at the same time, which isn’t easy to do. My son left talking about the Tudors and laughing about his favourite moments, which says everything. We’d happily recommend it to families with children who enjoy history, or simply want a good laugh together! If I could rate it higher than 5 out of 5 I would!
Rating: 5/5
Price: Starting from £16.50. You can buy online at www.lighthousepoole.co.uk or ring the box office on 01202 28000.
Address: Lighthouse,21 Kingland Road, Poole, Dorset. BH15 1UG.