Peppa Pig’s Surprise
Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury
25-26 May 2016
Reviewed by Sarah Bryan
We were invited to the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury for the showing was at 1pm showing of Peppa Pig’s Surprise so it was a good opportunity to see the theatre in daylight – what a great location in the heart of Aylesbury Town and the glass windows ensured a light airy feel to the foyer.
We were welcomed by door staff and friendly faces at the ticket booths. It was spacious with a designated area for eating and drinking, we found a table easily and saw an array of delicious looking lunches go by – clearly a popular eating establishment in its own right, there were people there having a bit to eat before the show as well as those just dropping in for lunch in the cafe. There was plenty of bar staff present and willing to help, the toilets were spotless and it was useful having regular tannoy reminders informing us of how long we had until showtime.
The merchandise stall selling Peppa Pig items from programmes to t shorts to flashing wands was popular with customers and not overly priced.
We took our seats in the auditorium which was warm and cosy. The view of the stage was fantastic from Row P; my 2 year old daughter could sit in her seat by herself and see the stage perfectly. The show opened, full of energy and noise and the crowd which was mainly made up of mums, dads, grandparents and preschool aged children were instantly drawn into the catchy songs and easy to follow dances. The lead “human” character Daisy was very good, she was positive, enthusiastic and engaging. She held the show together with her exuberant personality and to keep the attention of over a hundred toddlers for 1 hour and 20 minutes with a short interval is really quite impressive.
The Peppa Pig characters were adored by the young audience; their shrieks and squeals filled the hall. The look on my daughters face to see her TV and book heroes come to life on stage was priceless. The show was wonderfully conducted and very well planned; the puppeteers of the smaller characters blended into the background allowing those little imaginations to keep it all alive.
The storyline contained lots of exciting chunks from the TV shows and books which added to the attraction and the games used such as Eye Spy and Hide & Seek were very age appropriate.
A short interval gave the opportunity to sample the delicious Beechdean ice-cream but the keen and impatient crown were eager for more Peppa and friends and when the curtain lifted for the second half, the excitement was amazing.
What a great show to see for those children who are huge Peppa Pig fans. My 2 year old daughter cried as it finished as she desperately wanted to see more of her favourites. She has talked continuously about it since. We enjoyed our trip to Aylesbury Waterside Theatre enormously. Just one thing that would have been a cherry on the cake for these little pre-schoolers would have been a “Meet and Greet” of the Peppa Pig cast in the foyer after the show. I enquired but was told there had been no plans made.
With tickets priced at just over £21 for the stalls (cheaper tickets are available from £13.15), it isn’t the cheapest couple of hours spent with your toddler but it’s so worth it to fill your little person with happy memories. We will return to see this show again.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £13.15 to £28.15 (plus £2.85 transaction fee).
Peppa Pig’s Surprise is at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury until 26 May 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 871 7607.
Waterside Theatre, Exchange Street, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 1UG | 0844 871 7607
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