Did you say family friendly shows? Well you’ve come to the right place. From toddlers to teens and every age in between, we’ve done the research to bring you the top picks in family friendly theatre in London this March.
Hansel & Gretel
Open Theatre Company has joined forces with award winning METRO-BOULOT-DODO to bring their creative flair and quirky sense of humour to the infamous fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. A flustered storyteller is joined by a mischievous mockingbird as he follows Hansel and Gretel deep into the forest. All is not what it seems, as the characters start to tell their own version of this peculiar adventure.
When: 1 & 2 March 2020 at 11am and 2pm
Where: Arts Depot, Finchley
How much: £9 more info and bookings here.
Alice and the Little Prince
A girl from Oxford meets a boy from Asteroid B-612 in this joyous mash-up of Lewis Carroll and Saint-Exupéry. Curiouser and curiouser!
When: 1 March 2020 at 2pm
Where: Pleasance Theatre, Islington
How much: £9 with £7 concession tickets available. More info and bookings here.
The Bed (Toddler Version)
This enchanting poem by Sylvia Plath, written for her own children, is brought to life in a special show for babies and toddlers. Curl up and get comfy for a bedtime story like no other and go on a journey sprinkled with fantasy and escapism, where you will meet elephants, macaws and parakeets. Venture underwater, to the North Pole and even outer space without ever leaving the comfort of your own bed. Beds come in all shapes and sizes, from cots to king-sized, and some you might never have heard of before – see if you can discover them all along the way. Recommended for children aged 18 months to 3 years.
When: Ongoing until 22 March 2020
Where: Little Angel Theatre, Islington
How much: £11 full price adults and £9 for children. More info and booking here.
Little Monster
Explore fear and friendship using the magic of shadows, live songs and the unique, loveable puppets that Touched Theatre are renowned for, Little Monster is a sure-fire hit for all your little monsters and their friends, created by the award-winning team behind early years hit Twinkle Twinkle you will venture into the forest, peep into deep, dark caves, build walls and knock them down alongside two helpless and hapless storytellers. Suitable for 3-6 year olds.
When: 8 March 2020 at 11am and 2pm
Where: Arts Depot, Finchley
How much: £9 more info and booking here.
Mustard doesn’t go with girls
Mustard Doesn’t Go With Girls is an inclusive feminist musical for the modern child. Travel to the surreal town of Bow-on-Tie, a town deeply rooted in tradition and run by the dubious mayor Croque Madame (or is it Croc?!). When the children start mysteriously disappearing, eight-year-old Abigail decides to investigate further, embarking on an adventure where social norms are questioned and the town’s secrets are uncovered. Will Abigail and the rebel children be able to prevent their horrific fate, and by doing so change the town’s divide of boys and girls? Suitable for under 12s.
When: 14-22 March
Where: The Vaults, Leake Street
How much: £13 more info and bookings here
Gulliver’s Travels
An adventure-filled modern adaptation of Jonathan Swift’s surreal masterpiece that sees Gulliver sail away to a world of strange islands and even stranger creatures – from the tiny inhabitants of Lilliput, to the giants of Brobdingnag, and the mysterious Houyhnhnms – and embarks upon an epic adventure of survival, unexpected friendship and self-discovery. Recommended for everyone aged 7 and above.
When: 15 March – 3 May 2020
Where: Unicorn Theatre
How much: from £8 with prices rising due to demand. More info and bookings here.
The Bear
Ever wondered what it would be like to sit on a polar bear’s lap? Or ride on its back? Have you ever tried to give a polar bear a bath, or clear up its poo? One night when she’s fast asleep, Tilly is visited by an enormous bear. It has a big black tongue and a yawn as big as your head. But Tilly’s not scared. Join her as she befriends a mischievous polar bear in this playful, funny and heart-warming tale is one of imagination and growing up.
When: 15 March 2020 at 1:30pm and 4pm
Where: Greenwich Theatre
How much: £18 adults and £9.50 for children. More info and bookings here.
Wild
Wild’s home is the forest. Bears teach her how to eat, birds help her to speak, and foxes show her how to play. She is irrepressibly wild. Then one day, some new animals arrive. They look oddly like her – and they want to take Wild away. But what if she was happy where she was? Adapted from the glorious picture book by artist Emily Hughes, Wild is brought to life by inventive young company How It Ended (The Little Gardener, UK tour). This energetic story, told with atmospheric sound, movement and puppetry, celebrates the free spirit in all of us. Suitable for ages 2 to 6.
When: 17 March – 3 May 2020
Where: Unicorn Theatre
How much: £12-22 with prices rising for popular performances more info and bookings here.
Jamboree
It’s time to make some noise! Let our Balkan band guide you and your friends and family through a colourful world, where the music can be felt through your whole body. Created by Oily Cart, Jamboree is a vibrant piece of gig-theatre made for and with teenagers who have profound and multiple disabilities, that’s a sensory theatrical riot like no other.
When: 20 – 21 March 2020 various times.
Where: Stratford Circus
How much: £8/£10 more info and booking here.
Comedy Club for Kids
Since 2005, the Comedy Club 4 Kids has been getting the best stand-ups and sketch acts from the international circuit to do their thing for an audience of children (aged 6+) and their families… but without the rude bits!
When: 21 March 2020 12pm
Where: Soho Theatre
How much: £12 more info and booking here
Kaleidoscope
Inspired by research into how a baby’s sense of sight develops and how they instinctively begin to categorise colour, watch as a multi-coloured kaleidoscope is brought to life for you and your baby.
When: 26 March 2020 at 11:30, 12:30, 2 and 3pm
Where: Arts Depot, Finchley
How much: £12 each for an adult and a baby. More info and booking here.
Sunshine
Mr. Sea and Mr. Sand are very different. They look different. They act different. They are very different. And now they are stuck on the same part of the beach together. Both wanting to enjoy it in their own way. But can they learn to share? Whirlpools of laugher, some smelly seaweed and frying pants. Sunshine encourages the child in all of us to play and accept ourselves for the wonderful creatures we are! Highly interactive, brilliantly bonkers, life affirming Sunshine for everyone. Suitable for ages 3 and above.
When: 28 March 2020
Where: Cockpit Theatre
How much: £7 more info and booking here.
Dust
When Little Titch and her scruffy rucksack arrive at the giant, pink house it is not what she expected – a blanket of thick grey dust covers everything in sight and it is wild and overgrown. Her new home is cold and unwelcoming until she meets Nelly, a flamboyant and loveable hoarder. Together the pair discover they have more in common than they first thought and that friendship can heal hidden wounds. Suitable for ages 4 to 9.
When: 28 March 2020
Where: Stratford Arts Centre
How much: £8 to £10 more info and bookings here.
Puss in Boots
Would you trust a talking cat? You never know, he might turn you from a pauper to a prince just like the hero of this story, brought to vivid life on our incredible sloping stage by Patrick Lynch from Cbeebies. Using smoke and mirrors and hidden trapdoors he’ll show you how this sure-footed feline fools both the King and the Ogre to put his master at the top. With a host of puppets, a working windmill and an avalanche of fruit and nuts, come and see this classic furry tail, it’s the cat’s whiskers!
When: 29 March 2020
Where: Arts Depot, Finchley
How much: from £9 more info and booking here.
Hamlet reimagined
Hamlet’s dad is dead. His uncle has taken over the kingdom and married Hamlet’s mum. The whole world feels like it’s turned upside down. A ghostly encounter reveals a dreadful deed has been done. Should Hamlet take revenge? Find out in this energetic and engaging retelling of Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedy, by Jude Christian, directed by Tinuke Craig.
When: 30 March 2020 – 9 April 2020
Where: National Theatre, Southbank
How much: from £12 more info and booking here.