Monday 21 January 2019

Valentine's Day Letterbox Cakes from bakerdays - A Review

One of my favourite things about blogging is being introduced to brands that really appeal to me. I love to purchase unique and special gifts for friends, so when I first became aware of bakerdays a couple of years ago, I knew that they were a company that would quickly become one of my favourite online stores.

When shopping for the perfect present, I always try to find something that is personal for the intended recipient. It is nice to show that you have put a little thought and effort in to finding the perfect gift and I believe that bakerdays makes this simple, especially when shopping for friends and family who can sometimes be very difficult to buy for.


The company bakerdays create personalised cakes for all occasions, with a whole host of different themes, flavours and sizes available. This review will focus on their popular letterbox cakes, however they do offer some much larger options which also makes them ideal for weddings, birthdays or even corporate gifts. There is a huge selection available to choose from, but the website makes it easy for you to narrow your options down, by using the search or category functions.

My favourite choice though is the Letterbox Cake which measures approximately 5 inches in diameter. As the saying goes, the best things come in small packages which certainly rings true with this product. They have been designed to fit through your letterbox, so there is no need to worry about the recipient being at home at the time of delivery and they are sure to put a smile on anyone's face when they return to find their gift.


With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I opted to try a cute romantic theme for my Letterbox cake, so after having a search through all the available designs I finally made my choice. The website is really easy to use which makes choosing and personalising your cake, a really easy process. Once I had chosen my selected cake image, I simply clicked on the required size and my flavour option, then added a special message of my choice. You can either choose the template design or amend this to suit your requirements.

The hardest decision I had to make was the choice of flavour as they all sounded delicious. The available options were:
  • Traditional Sponge
  • Lovely Lemon Drizzle
  • Rich Chocolate Chip
  • Gluten Wheat Free Sponge
  • Dairy Free Sponge
  • Fabulous Fruit
I decided to go with Rich Chocolate Chip after some deliberation, as to be honest chocolate and cake are two of my favourite things, so it seemed the most obvious choice for me. Also as the whole family would no doubt be sharing it, I needed to make sure I chose a flavour that we would all enjoy.  Once I had made all of my choices and continued to the checkout page, I saw that there was the ability to add extras to the order such as balloons, teddy bears or a card. I thought that this was a great idea and the price was clearly displayed for each add-on so you can customise your gift package to suit your budget.

Once my order was completed, it was simply a matter of waiting a couple of days for it to arrive. Due to various family members being unwell and having an extremely hectic week, I had actually put it to the back of my mind, so when it popped through my letterbox on Friday it was a lovely surprise and certainly cheered me up. 


The cake came well packaged in a sturdy cardboard box branded with the bakerdays logo and securely fastened with tape. It was good quality packaging and there was no damage to the exterior at all, not even a scratch. On opening the box, we found a beautiful miniature cake tin, a small card and further bubble packaging that prevents the tin from moving around whilst in transit. I thought that the presentation was lovely and my children and I couldn't wait to look inside.

When we opened the tin, we found the cake exactly how it had been displayed on the website. The image and text were clear and it looked a really good quality product. My husband has been poorly for a couple of weeks, so I knew that it would cheer him up and I was really pleased with the whole presentation of the item. 


I had chosen the text "To my darling Valentine, I love you with all my heart now and forever!" This was actually one of the template scripts, but as I was happy with the message I felt no need to amend it and I was really pleased with how it was displayed. I particularly liked the hearts which went all around the border as I felt this created a lovely romantic design that made it that little bit more special.

There was a large paper tag that hung over the side of the cake tin and continued underneath the product itself. The aim of this is to help you remove the item from the tin without any damage and it is a simple idea that works well. I was able to remove the cake from the tin really easily and we placed it on a small plate ready to cut and share between our family.


The cake looked even better on the plate and we went to get a knife to cut it into pieces. Although it recommends this cake as being suitable for 3-4 people, we were actually able to cut six nice size pieces which meant that one of us were able to enjoy two slices. (I wonder who claimed the extra slice?) 

When it came to the taste test, we were all pleasantly surprised. We have eaten bakerdays cakes before and have always enjoyed them, but the rich chocolate chip flavour was so tasty. I had thought that the chocolate chips may be hard, but the chocolate was so smooth and delicious, that we all agreed it was extremely yummy!

Overall we find that bakerdays offer a wonderful product that makes the perfect gift for any occasion. They offer a great range of designs that not only look great, but taste superb too. I love the fact that they can be personalised to your particular requirements, making a beautiful present for friends and family. I would definitely recommend bakerdays to others and my family and I will also continue to use them in the future.

If you would like to find out more about the great range of cakes that bakerdays offer, then you can visit their website or social media channels on the links below:

Website - www.bakerdays.com/
Facebook - facebook.com/bakerdays/
Twitter -  @bakerdays
Instagram - @bakerdays


*Disclaimer - We were provided with a complimentary letterbox cake from bakerdays for the purpose of writing an honest review of the product. Opinions and thoughts are my own unless stated otherwise. 

Wednesday 2 January 2019

Happy New Year - It's 2019!!

I would like to thank each and every one of my readers for taking the time to support the blog during 2018. The site has grown from strength to strength and we have some exciting new projects planned for 2019 which I cannot wait to get started on. We have worked with some amazing brands, attractions and travel companies in the past 12 months and look forward to sharing more news and reviews over the coming year. We would therefore like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!


Monday 31 December 2018

Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester - A Review

I always find that after a couple of days at home over Christmas, the whole family are keen to get out and about. So when we received an invitation to visit The Legoland Discovery Centre in Manchester, this sounded like the perfect opportunity to enjoy some family fun and get creative. We therefore decided to spend a morning at the attraction on Friday and see some of the new additions and changes that have been made since our last visit in early 2017.


The Legoland Discovery Centre experience begins with an introductory factory tour where you are welcomed by a Lego professor. A fun interactive demonstration soon follows where we learnt about how lego bricks come to be created and the process involved. My youngest son Riley loved participating, as all the children (and adults) were encouraged to jump, shout and wave their arms to get the machinery working. We followed the action through two rooms and once we reached the end, all of the children were rewarded with a Lego Duplo brick to thank them for their help.


As we exited the factory tour, we immediately joined a queue for the Kingdom Quest Laser Ride. We remembered this from our previous visit, where we had enjoyed competing against one another for the best score. We were all able to fit into one car, which is a rarity at some attractions when visiting as a family of five, so we immediately liked the fact that we could enjoy the ride together. My children all really enjoyed this and my daughter managed to obtain the highest score, though I am convinced that I should have won! It is a great little ride for younger children as it isn't scary and the laser guns are quite light to hold, so my five year old was able to use his on his own without any assistance needed from me.


We then made our way into Miniland, which is an area packed full of recognisable landmarks, all built of Lego. I also found out from their website that this area is constructed from over 1.5 million bricks, which I think is incredible. My children enjoyed looking at them in great detail and we loved that there were some santa and elves figures peeping out of some of the windows. A Santa Dash had also been created near the Blackpool Tower which we thought was a lovely idea. My son Ben also spotted The Woolpack, docks and a yellow submarine. As we looked at all the creations, the lights began to dim and this provided the opportunity to see all the landmarks how they would appear at night time. The tower lit up lovely as a tram made its way up and down the tracks. It looked really beautiful and must have taken a very long time to build.


As we entered the main attraction area we came across the Space Mission Experience which had not been here on our previous visit, so it was fun to be able to enjoy a new activity that we had not seen before. Some of the creations looked absolutely superb and my children enjoyed pretending that they were astronauts navigating their spaceship. There were building areas where guests could create their own Lego rocket ships, planets or spacecraft and the mission control base offered a great opportunity for some pretend play. Riley really enjoyed this area, so we spent quite some time here getting creative with all the different Lego pieces on offer.



Once we had finally convinced Riley to explore the other activities on offer, we made our way over to the Merlin's Apprentice Ride where you could take to the skies by pedaling as fast as you can, which would then raise the vehicles up to the roof, whilst also spinning around. Each vehicle can seat two passengers and there are height restrictions which means that younger guests between 90cm to 120cm will need to be accompanied by an adult.


Riley then asked to go straight to the Lego City Forest Ranger Pursuit Ride where children can drive around in purpose built Lego police cars. Children have to be at least 4 years old to operate the vehicles and there are also height restrictions which apply. I think that this is because children need to be able to push the pedal down to make the vehicle move, as well as steer it around the course, so I can completely understand why the age and height restrictions have been implemented. There was only a short queue for this attraction, so my two boys didn't have to wait too long for their turn. Once you reached the beginning of the queue, a staff member provided the children with a safety briefing, before allowing them to enter the course and select their vehicle. Riley absolutely loved being able to drive his own car and because the road was in a simple oval shape, it was easy for younger guests to navigate their way around. It was also well supervised and we noticed that if any child appeared to be having difficulty operating the vehicle, then a staff member would go straight to them to assist.


After the excitement of driving his own vehicle, Riley decided that it was time to build one, so we moved over to the Lego Racers Build and Test in partnership with Jaguar Land Rover. This area allowed all my children to be both creative and competitive as they all challenged themselves to build the best Lego vehicle that was capable of taking on the ramps and the Land Rover Discovery Build Table. My son Ben really enjoyed this area and he was very pleased with his creation.



One area of the attraction that my children had really been looking forward to, was the Lego Ninjago City Adventure, which was under construction during our last visit. I had assumed that this would just be a soft play area, however it offered much more, with numerous activities being spread across three floors. Amongst the play zone was a build table, some ninja skill training areas, along with a reaction time board and a rotating climbing wall, though unfortunately the latter wasn't open on our visit. It was a great area to enjoy some interactive play as well as being able to let little ones imaginations run wild too, with lots of pretend play possibilities. Riley enjoyed pretending to be a ninja and imagined that he was in training to become the best ninja on the planet!


We followed this up nicely with a visit to the 4D Cinema Experience that was showing a Lego Ninjago movie featuring the Spinjitzu Master and his scroll. As we entered the screening area we were provided with a pair of 3D glasses each and we chose some seats central on the second row. This was perfect for families of all ages to enjoy and it was great hearing all the children in the audience laugh as the water and snow effects fell from the roof. The movie itself only lasted around ten minutes, so it was also the perfect length of time for smaller children to enjoy without becoming too restless. We had previously watched The Lego Movie so it was nice to be able to watch a different film which again added variation to our visit.


Unfortunately we ran out of time to check out the Creative Workshop as my children had been too busy enjoying all of the other areas, but from the outside this looked like a large classroom where guests could sit and be given top tips to help with their lego creations. We also didn't get to try out the new Great Lego Race VR Experience which was a shame as this looked fantastic and it is something that we would certainly try out when we return in the future. There is an additional cost for this of £5 per person, We finished our visit with a trip to the shop, where two of my children purchased some lego items with their Christmas money. There was a huge selection of products to choose from as well as some fantastic displays, including a huge Hagrid figure. This must have taken such a long time to build and I cannot imagine how many bricks it would have required. My daughter is a huge Harry Potter fan so she thought this was magnificent.


Overall we had an enjoyable few hours at the Legoland Discovery Centre and it was great to see all the changes that have been made since our last visit in 2017, which show that it is an attraction that is always looking to make improvements for its guests. The staff we came across were all really friendly and also showed a lot of enthusiasm throughout the attraction, encouraging guests to enjoy themselves and have a great time. We regularly saw the Lego creation areas being checked and staff would pick up any loose pieces of Lego off the floor, helping to make it a safe environment to play in. My children loved the Lego Ninjago City Adventure area, which offered a whole variety of different activities to enjoy and to help improve on your ninja skills. Our favourite though had to be the 4D cinema experience which is really enjoyable for families of all ages. We had plenty of fun and a very creative time during our visit and would definitely recommend it to others.

Tickets can be purchased online here and you can also view the different combi tickets which are available. Children under 3 can visit for free! There are also some advantages to booking online as you can save money on standard admission and also scan your mobile ticket for faster entry. The Sea Life Aquarium Manchester is also next door, so by purchasing a combi ticket you can enjoy a full day out enjoying both attractions. It is important to note that adults are not permitted to enter the attraction without being accompanied by a child under the age of 17. However, they do run Adult only evenings on certain dates throughout the year, to cater for older Lego loving guests!

Attraction Details

Attraction - Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester
Address - Legoland Discover Centre Manchester, Barton Square, The Trafford Centre, Manchester, M17 8AS
Website - https://manchester.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.uk/
Opening Times - Monday to Sunday 10am til 6pm with last entry at 5pm. Closing times may vary over the festive period. Closed on Christmas Day.


Disclaimer: We were invited as guests to Legoland Discovery Centre for the purpose of writing an honest review of our experience. All opinions and thoughts are my own unless otherwise stated.

Saturday 22 December 2018

The Snowman Tour 2018 at Parr Hall, Warrington - A Review

Watching The Snowman on television every Christmas has been one of our favourite festive family traditions for as long as I can remember, so when we learnt about the wonderful Snowman Tour earlier this year, we were very excited.

The Snowman Tour from Carrot Productions visits a total of 16 different venues from all across the country this December, including seven cathedrals in Blackburn, Chester, Durham, Gloucester, Lichfield, Liverpool and Winchester. The show brings the magic of the animation alive, as the iconic film is accompanied by a live orchestra and a young soloist who performs the song Walking in the Air. We were invited along to Warrington's Parr Hall to review the show on Thursday evening and it really was a wonderful experience.

 Photo Credit: ©Tom Bangbala
Unfortunately for me, I was informed by the doctor on Thursday morning that I have somehow caught chickenpox, so despite looking forward to this since earlier this year, I was personally unable to attend. I did however have a very willing volunteer to take my place and so my mother in law attended with my family instead and as such the remainder of this review will be written by my husband Mr.F.

The venue of Parr Hall is approximately a 30 minute drive from our home, however it is a venue that we had not visited before. It was very easy to find and with a stroke of luck, we were able to find on street parking right outside the entrance. My youngest son Riley was very excited and began to sing Walking in the Air as we left our vehicle and made our way to the entrance.

To begin with we were treated to a festive overture by the orchestra which featured a variety of well known Christmas songs such as Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. This lasted approximately ten minutes and it was a superb way to start our evening. I was pleased that they had chosen to play songs that the children would recognise and my youngest son loved listening to the music play and naming the tune.

We were then introduced to the different elements of the orchestra, which had been produced in an interesting, but comical way. The gentleman on the double bass began to tell a story as to how the orchestra had reached a venue after becoming stuck in the snow. An animation played on the screen as the narrator delivered an explanation of their adventure. The way it was told allowed children to identify with different instruments which I thought was particularly clever.

Following this was the heartwarming tale of The Bear and the Piano, based on the book by David Litchfield. This animation was narrated by Joanna Lumley, and being a story that I had not been familiar with before, it was very entertaining for my family and I.

It told the story of a bear cub who found a piano in the woods. Over time he grew bigger and gained fantastic musical talent that led him to the city to seek fame and fortune. Eventually he returned back to his home in the woods and was worried that his friends and family may have forgotten all about him, when in fact they couldn't have been more proud. The woodland had been covered with merchandise, surrounded by his friends and family, which led to him performing for the most important audience of all.

Photo Credit: ©Gareth Widdowson
There was an interval between The Bear and the Piano and The Snowman which lasted approximately 15 minutes. Given that the audience was predominantly families, I think that this interval was a good idea as it provided the opportunity for a toilet break or to purchase a drink. A character costume of The Snowman came out to the audience and waved to all the excited children as it made its way around the venue.

Soon enough it was time for the main event and the atmosphere was absolutely wonderful. My son was captivated by the animation on the screen, however I did try to take the time to also observe the orchestra, who were all extremely talented and quite fascinating to watch too.

A young soloist performed the solo of Walking in the Air and their voice was exceptional. Having watched the animation numerous times over the years, seeing this song being performed live was wonderful and is certainly something that my family will definitely remember.

Overall our family had a wonderful time at The Snowman Tour and it was a truly magical experience. It was the perfect opportunity for my youngest son to be introduced to an orchestra and learn more about the instruments and musicians involved. I felt that the way the show had been presented was really well thought out and the inclusion of the Christmas overture and The Bear and the Piano certainly added further enjoyment. It is the ideal show to get you in the festive spirit and we would like to thank Carrot Productions for creating such a beautiful presentation of this heartwarming animation.

If you would like further information on The Snowman Tour 2018 or to check remaining availability, then you can visit the Carrot Productions website here.

Photo Credit: ©Gareth Widdowson
*Disclaimer: We were provided with 4 tickets for the purpose of writing an honest review of our experience. All thoughts and opinions are my own unless otherwise stated. Review written by Mr.F. Images are from previous tour and do not feature the Warrington Parr Hall venue.


Sunday 16 December 2018

The Wizard of Oz at Storyhouse, Chester - Review

On Thursday evening we were invited along to the press night of The Wizard of Oz at Storyhouse in Chester. This is one of our favourite venues in the area and we are very lucky to live less than ten minutes away from such a fantastic arts centre. We have been to a few performances here and have always been very impressed by the quality of the shows on offer. The Wizard of Oz was no exception and we followed Dorothy and her friends along the yellow brick road, in a wonderful and well thought out production.

Image kindly provided by Storyhouse
The show was very similar to the film with only a few variations arising from some modern interpretations. We really enjoyed the staging from the beginning and it was great for my daughter to see how the story began and relate it to the characters that Dorothy would meet once in Oz. I did however feel that the introduction was perhaps slightly too lengthy, though that being said I can understand why they have chosen not to rush this part, so that the audience can fully appreciate the relationships between Dorothy, her friends and family.

Consuela Rolle has been cast in the lead role of Dorothy and her portrayal was magnificent throughout. Her energy and enthusiasm ensured that guests remained entertained as the story was performed on stage. I felt that she connected with the audience well and there was a believable vulnerability from the character. When her journey began along the yellow brick road, she was able to exhibit her fear of the unknown, whilst also ensuring that she had a vibrant and positive personality to help lead her new found friends to the merry old land of Oz.

Our favourite scene from the show was actually very early in the production, when Dorothy first met the Munchkins (performed by children from House of Dance). The talented skills of the children involved are highly commendable and their performance of Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead was absolutely superb. We loved that the choreography had a modern twist, featuring dance moves that the children in the audience could relate to.

Image kindly provided by Storyhouse
The first friend that Dorothy makes on her journey, is that of the scarecrow, played by Natalie Woods. We all agreed that her acting was wonderful and it was great to see her interaction with Dorothy, which created a convincing friendship.

Ben Oliver's interpretation of the Tin Man brought happiness and laughter to the audience, especially during his explanation as to how he came to be created of Tin. Watching the friendships develop was exciting to see and although we were familiar with the story, there was still an element of intrigue as to what might happen next.

The cowardly lion (Richard Colvin) introduced an element of comedy, which I did feel was needed at times and this could have potentially been pushed further, with the inclusion of a few more witticisms. He played the role really well and soon established himself as a very loveable character. He was in fact our favourite performer of the show and we enjoyed the humour that he delivered.

Kenny Thompson appears as both Uncle Henry and The Emerald City Guard and admittedly we much preferred him in the latter role. We loved the powerful performance he presented in Oz, that made me want to sing and dance along. This was complemented by Natasha Bain who starred as Aunt Em and Glinda the Good Witch, who created a loving but authoritive figure in both roles.

Fergus Rattigan delighted as the intriguing and powerful Wizard of Oz as well as Professor Marvel and I really enjoyed both of his characters. The clever use of technology featured throughout the show, but I particularly liked how this was used to deliver his booming voice over video projection.

Of course the Wizard of Oz wouldn't be complete without The Wicked Witch of the West. This was played by Zara Ramm who had a very commanding stage presence. Her performance was strong, but at no point did I feel that it would be too scary for younger audience members, which helps to make it more family friendly.

I felt that all of the musical performances throughout the show were really entertaining and consisted of perfectly timed choreography, beautiful vocals and plenty of enthusiasm and gusto. Particular highlights included Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Follow the Yellow Brick Road and also the inclusion of Jitterbug.

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed the Wizard of Oz, but with a running time of 2 hours and 30 minutes it is perhaps a little too lengthy for younger audience guests. I think if we had brought my five year old along then he would have definitely got restless at some point. For older children and adults though, then this is a commendable production with magnificent staging, lighting and sound. It was great to see a show of this quality in the local area and it also offers something a little different for a Christmas production. Ultimately it is a well written musical, with a credible cast that offer a talented interpretation of an iconic story.

The Wizard of Oz is appearing at Storyhouse, Chester on various dates until Sunday 6th January 2019, with ticket prices starting from £15. For the most up to date information or to book tickets, you can visit the Storyhouse website here: Storyhouse Chester

Image kindly provided by Storyhouse
Disclaimer: We were invited as guests to the press night performance of The Wizard of Oz for the purpose of writing an honest review of our experience. All opinions and thoughts are my own unless stated otherwise. Images kindly provided by Storyhouse.

Friday 14 December 2018

Peter Pan at St Helens Theatre Royal - A Review

On Wednesday evening, St Helen's Theatre Royal & Regal Entertainments Ltd took us on a swashbuckling adventure, when we attended the press night for this years Christmas pantomime of Peter Pan! This was our fourth visit to St Helens Theatre Royal this year alone and if there is one thing we have learnt, it's that they certainly know how to put on a fantastic show! We know from past experiences that their pantomimes are always superb, but having never seen Peter Pan in panto form before, there was an added element of excitement as we took our seats ready for the show to begin.

The production features everything you could hope for - from upbeat well known songs to some musical favourites, exceptional choreography to fantastic flying, plenty of laughter and even a 3D scene thrown in too. Their pantomimes never disappoint and it is very clear to see that they have a fantastic team that have recognised exactly what families want, when coming to see their shows.

Photo Credit: David Munn Photography
The whole cast were excellent from start to finish and they are evidently a very talented team. Georgina Parkinson stars as Wendy Darling and she has the most beautiful singing voice making her vocal performances a pleasure to listen to. She suits the role perfectly and works extremely well alongside Peter Pan.

Kristina Rihanoff sparkles as the loveable but tempremental Tinkerbell and certainly adds some fairy magic. At one point during the show, she takes part in a dance off and being Strictly fans, it was great to see some wonderful moves on stage. Everything she took part in was done with elegance and pizzazz and we really enjoyed all of her performances!

Photo Credit: David Munn Photography
Captain Hook is played by the magnificent Louis Emerick who delivers the perfect pantomime villain. Although he is the ultimate baddie, his witty remarks, powerful confidence and comical relationship with Mrs Smee made him very entertaining to watch. The St Helens theatre-goers never failed to shout Boooooo when he took to the stage and it was great to see a lot of audience interaction throughout the show.

It was fantastic to see the lovely Lewis Devine playing the starring role of Peter Pan and having always viewed him as a comedian, we were intrigued as to how he would play a more serious role. Whilst there was less of the slapstick style comedy that we have seen from him in previous productions, his portrayal of Peter Pan showed that there is far more to him than just creating a giggle. He consistently wowed us on stage whether acting, singing, or simply interacting with the audience members. He definitely knows how to keep a crowd entertained and can always be depended on to deliver a wonderful performance.

Photo Credit: David Munn Photography
Resident Dame Si Foster has also become one of our panto favourites. In this years Christmas production he stars as Mrs Smee and his interaction with Captain Hook was absolutely hilarious at times. We loved his performance of Fernando & Gimme Gimme Gimme, which was a scene that I could have quite happily watched several times over.

Tigerlily is played by Abigail Middleton who has a fantastic stage presence and great vocals too. The pantomime also features some extremely talented children who were certainly stars in their own right. The two young boys who played John and Michael were wonderful and it was great to see some younger performers trusted with main roles. The show also involved plenty of fast paced dance and the juvenile dancers completed the choreographed moves with ease and always with a smile on their faces.

Photo Credit: David Munn Photography
We felt that there was a great music selection throughout the pantomime with something for everyone to enjoy. A particular highlight for me was seeing the whole audience sing along to George Ezra's Shotgun song, which had a lot of the children up on their feet singing and dancing away. My youngest son Riley absolutely loves this song, so he was delighted when it began to play. Be warned however that Baby Shark is also on the playlist, so parents be ready to get involved and sing along!

The 3D scene added a new element to the pantomime and it was great to have this incorporated into the show. One thing that I would say though is that if you are attending with very young children who scare easily, then it maybe best to watch without the glasses. There are parts where sharks, fish and crabs do jump out at you, which even caused some screams from the adults too. It is a lot of fun and the audience loved it!

Overall we had a wonderful time watching Peter Pan at St Helens Theatre Royal and we haven't stopped talking about it since. We enjoyed it so much that we have already planned a return visit in the New Year. We cannot wait to see the show again and we also intend on bringing several other family members for a fun filled afternoon. This production provides so much for families to enjoy, making Peter Pan the perfect pantomime to visit this Christmas.

Listing Details

Show - Regal Entertainments Ltd present Peter Pan
Dates - Saturday 8th December 2018 to Sunday 13th January 2019
Times - Performance times vary, so please visit the website for the most up to date information.
Venue - St Helens Theatre Royal, Corporation Street, St. Helens, Merseyside, WA10 1LQ

Tickets - From £11*
*All prices are inclusive of a £1 per seat transaction fee. On-line bookings are subject to an additional 50p per seat on-line processing fee.

Box Office - 01744 756000
Website - www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com
Twitter - @TheatreRoyalStH
Facebook - www.facebook.com/St-Helens-Theatre-Royal

Photo Credit: David Munn Photography
*Disclaimer - We were invited to attend the press night for the purpose of writing an honest review of our experience. All thoughts and opinions are my own unless otherwise stated.

Wednesday 12 December 2018

Cinderella at the Manchester Opera House - A Review

My family and I have been looking forward to this pantomime all year, ever since the casting of the Ugly Sisters was announced back in April. In what I would consider to be a stroke of genius, the pairing of Connor McIntyre and Les Dennis meant that I had no doubt in my mind that we would be in for a great night, and we were definitely not disappointed. Although our initial focus had been on these two characters, it soon become apparent that the entire cast excelled with talent and it was a whole team effort that created a laugh a minute show from start to finish.

As the lights began to dim, there was a sense of excitement throughout the theatre, whilst the audience waited in anticipation. We were introduced to the Fairy Godmother played by Hayley Ria-Christian who has an absolutely stunning soul voice. She caught our attention immediately and her performances throughout the night were beautiful and a pleasure to listen to. She exhibited a lovely warm and friendly personality and we knew from the beginning that we had a great show ahead.

Photo Credit: Phil Tragen Photography
When Cinderella (Shannon Flynn) took to the stage it was clear to see that she suited the role perfectly. She was a familiar face for my children as they recognised her from CBBC and so they were looking forward to seeing her perform in pantomime. We found some of her collaborations with Buttons (Ben Nickless) really funny, along with a particular scene involving the Ugly Sisters shopping bags. Her vocals were lovely and you could see that she seemed very comfortable with her performances. The constant smiles and sometimes unexpected giggles ensured that her presence on stage was enjoyable to watch. There was a quick change scene involving Cinderella and The Fairy Godmother that also added a wonderful element of magic and left my children asking "How did they do that?" Though this was quickly followed by the most superb horse and carriage which literally took to the skies above the audience. Everyone watched in amazement at this stunning sight and it was obvious that no expense has been spared in creating such a beautiful moment.

Prince Charming is played by the delightful Gareth Gates and it was superb to see him perform the song Unchained Melody. I had secretly hoped beforehand that he would sing this, so it was definitely an added treat for me. He worked well alongside Cinderella in creating a believable chemistry and the wall scene in the woods when they first meet is absolutely hilarious.

Dandini (Jack Wilcox) was wonderful and has that likeability factor. We have seen a few different performances of Cinderella over the years and my daughter Emma said that his portrayal was by far her favourite.

Photo Credit: Phil Tragen Photography
When the Ugly Sisters first took to the stage there was a large cheer that resounded throughout the Opera House. It was the moment we had all been waiting for as Phelena & Michaela appeared. Phelena is played by Connor McIntyre (best known as Pat Phelan in Coronation Street) and Michaela is played by the legendary Les Dennis. It was an absolute delight to see these two perform on stage together and their performances far exceeded our expectations. There are plenty of references and quips relating to Coronation Street which provided numerous belly laughs. We absolutely loved the outrageous costumes which seemed to grow in extravagance in each scene. Our personal highlight though has to be the performance of "If I Were Not" which also included Gareth Gates and Ben Nickless. We were all close to tears from laughing so much and although we have seen this routine performed elsewhere before, the cast involved created a whole new dynamic of fun, that my children spoke about all the way home.

Photo Credit: Phil Tragen Photography
My favourite scenes however, were those that contained Buttons (Ben Nickless). I will be honest when I say that I personally hadn't heard of him before, but I am certainly aware of him now and genuinely hope to see him again on stage in the future. He is what I would consider to be an all round entertainer and brings with him a wide range of skills that offer far more than just jokes. Along with bringing continuous comedy to the stage, he was also incredible at impressions, with his Michael McIntyre, Gary Barlow and Ozzy Osborne being absolutely spot on. At one point he performed an Elvis Presley song and it was so wonderful hearing all of the laughter created throughout the theatre. Another highlight was when he appeared on stage alongside a talking bear, which was not only funny, but also a really sweet moment too that created lots of aaahhhs.

Photo Credit: Phil Tragen Photography
The ensemble featured some highly skilled performers who dazzled throughout, in their vast array of costumes. There were also some wonderful dancers from the Stalder Academy of Dance who helped to create some of the most memorable scenes with their superb choreography, dancing and gymnastics. I am always extremely impressed by talented young performers and it was clear to see their passion for performing arts. Whether dancing to a fast paced number or displaying their acrobatic skills, everything was just perfect and I am sure that there were plenty of proud parents in the audience watching their children on stage.

Of course no production would be complete if it wasn't for the creative team as well. It can sometimes be very easy to forget the efforts that go on behind the scenes with the writing, choreography, costumes, scenery, special effects, lighting and sound and this pantomime exceeded our expectations in those elements too. Ultimately it is the combined effort of all involved that makes a show successful and I have no doubt that audiences will love Cinderella during its December run.

Without a doubt QDOS Entertainment have pulled out all the stops in producing a highly entertaining show. There truly was never a dull moment and the cast and creative team have succeeded in delivering a production that is suitable for all. Packed full of all our favourite panto characteristics, along with plenty of audience participation, this definitely ticks all the boxes. Overall, Cinderella provides entertainment and comedy in abundance which makes it a must-see pantomime this festive season!

Listing Details

Show - Cinderella
Dates - Saturday 8th December to Sunday 30th December
Times - Performance times vary, so please visit the ATG Tickets website for the most up to date information.
Ticket prices - From £12 (transaction fee will also apply)
Address - Opera House Manchester, 3 Quay Street, Manchester, M3 3HP
Box Office - 0844 871 3018 or for group bookings 0333 009 5390
Website - www.atgtickets.com/Manchester



*Disclaimer: We were invited to the press night performance of Cinderella for the purpose of writing an honest review of the show. All opinions and thoughts are our own. This post contains an affiliate link.