The Ministry of Science Live At The Hawth Theatre, Crawley Review

Reviewed by Amanda Hayes

The Hawth Theatre in Crawley, West Sussex is a great place to watch any show, so we were very pleased to get tickets to The Ministry of Science Live. Situated just ten minutes from Gatwick Airport, with very easy access to the M23 motorway and plenty of free parking the Hawth made our evening out at the theatre extremely simple. With its two bars, on site restaurant and multiple viewing spaces it is suitable for any size show from the intimate play to a full sized production.

The Ministry of Science Live was being held in the main theatre, which is large auditorium with perfect acoustics, and a brilliant view from every seat. Being half term, it was absolutely packed with only a handful of spare seats, and you could actually feel the bubbling excitement in the audience as we walked in.

The stage wasn’t full of loads of props just a large desk backed with Ministry of Science banners and a large wall mounted screen, so we weren’t sure what to expect. When the show started however, the two bubbly and enthusiastic presenters Mike & Colette bounced on to the stage wearing white lab coats and introduced themselves to whoops and claps from the audience immediately giving an uplifting vibe. From the start you could tell that this was going to be a show full of audience participation, and there was a constant show of hands to be volunteers which showed just how much the children were engrossed all the way through the show.

The two presenters were engaging with just the right balance of facts and humour, making the show interesting for both adults and children alike. The periodic table and chemical properties might sound boring to some, but they were turned into fun and frolics whilst still being educational. Running for approx. two hours plus interval the show goes through science topics of all types from sound & electrical energy to gases and liquids with plenty of accompanying experiments, all backed by the theory. I think it’s fair to say we all learnt something over the course of the evening not just our ten year old!

The experiments included plenty of wow factor as you would hope, with fire and explosions to excite the audience but there were also super interesting experiments using light, shadows and harnessed electrical energy. I won’t give away any spoilers but the Ministry of Sound Live is a definite must see for children of all ages. Its not aimed at one particular age group and we were pleased to see an entirely mixed audience ranging from 3 years old to early teens, plus plenty of parents all having a fabulous time.

Whether you are an avid science buff or just want a high-octane night out you will not be disappointed with the Ministry of Science Live, with tour dates throughout the year across the country there is bound to be a performance near you. The performance we attended was almost sold out so I wouldn’t leave it too long to book.

Rating: Highly recommended 5 out of 5.

Tickets cost from £16.00 . Ministry of Science Live is running across the Country from now until October 2023, for more information or to book tickets visit https://ministryofscience.org/tour-dates/