“Yes my name is Iggle Piggle, Iggle Piggle, niggle, wiggle, diggle” – if you don’t know those words then you clearly don’t have a child under 5 in your house! For the rest of you, who all have little ones mesemerised by Iggle Piggle and his colourful characters, we had the pleasure of visiting In The Night Garden Live when the showdome touched down in Richmond, London.
We’ve been lucky enough to review a few shows recently and a couple of weeks ago went to Dinosaur World Live. Miss A wasn’t very impressed by all the noise and action though so I was looking forward to taking her to something I knew she would enjoy. She is a big Upsy Daisy fan and although J has outgrown In The Night Garden a bit now he’s five, he was still excited about going.
In The Night Garden Live Review
When we arrived, we were a bit late as we’d got stuck in traffic but luckily we were able to get a seat fairly near the front even though door open half an hour before the performance. If you want one even closer, you can pay for premimum tickets. The seating is on tiered benches with all levels having lots of space and good view. Plus there is space for the children to go down to the front, which is where my two spent most their time.
The production is in its very own inflatable white showdome which does add to the experience. It also means they are able to project images onto the walls and ceiling which was really effective and along with the music, created a great atmosphere. When the curtains opened there was a lot of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ – from the parents as much as the children I think!
The set is very simple but cleverly done and most In The Night Garden fans already know the stories – we saw the Pinky Pink show which revolves around Makka Pakka washing everyone’s faces, or you can choose to see the Ninky Nonk show, where Iggle Piggle loses his blanket. The characters look just like they do on TV, everything is very recognisable and there is such a magical feel about bringing it all to life.
Both Miss A and J were captivated all the way through. Like a lot of these shows, it is quite expensive (starting at £14.50 per person for week day tickets) for less than an hour’s entertainment but the whole experience is so well put together that it is well worth the price.
There are a few extras you can purchase once you have your tickets. You can meet a character for £15, which I think is very expensive considering you only get a few minutes with them but it does include a free picture and would be a wonderful treat for a big fan. There is also a goody bag you can buy for £29 which is good value, again if you have a big fan or perhaps for a special birthday gift.
Our verdict
This is my favouite children’s show we have seen. I think the ideal age is two or three but J still enjoyed it a lot even though he is five. The production has done an excellent job of capturing the magic and whimsy that captivates children about In The Night Garden in the first place.
Disclosure: We were provided complementary tickets for the show in return for our review. All images and opinions are our own.
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