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Review: Horrible Histories- The Terrible Tudors

July 1, 2008

The Terrible TudorsVenue: The Lowry
Date Reviewed: 2nd July, 2008

star

The auditorium fills and the noise levels rise as children and adults arrive for a performance of the Terrible Tudors. The lights dim and the theatre reverberates with a scream of excitement as we strap in for a roller-coaster ride through the horrible side of history.

Originally conceived as a way of getting younger children excited by history, Terry Deary’s Horrible Histories books use a combination of cartoons, jokes and the more gruesome historical facts to bring the past to life in new and interesting ways. Building on the huge popularity of the books, these touring adaptations (the Vile Victorians alternates with the Terrible Tudors) aim to recreate this mixture of learning and fun on stage.

The cast of four - Benedict Martin, Alison Fitzjohn, Zara Plessard and Timothy Speyer - perform a minor miracle with their range of characters and the speed of the dialogue and physical interaction. The broad humour of many of the jokes wouldn’t work if delivery and timing were not perfectly honed and it is testament to their abilities that it never slips throughout the two hour show.

The set and props are minimal with many items performing many different roles, but these are augmented by a large back-projection screen which provides the scenery and also forms the highlight of the second-half: Boggle-Vision. This is a 3-D show which accompanies the tales of Elizabeth I and performs the necessary job of retaining the audience’s attention.

Where the original books can be read and reread over time, this show packs a lot of information into only a hundred minutes of stage time and it seems in the second half that the audience’s concentration falters except during the bursts of 3-D mayhem from the screen. Although similar in tone to a pantomime, the involvement of the audience was not always as great as it could have been and at times the audience participation felt a little flat.

That said, it is certain that this show captivated and amused from the start. This is a solid piece of entertainment executed by a team of well-choreographed performers. With a range of jokes for both adults and children, thrills, chills and lots of blood, this is definitely a great family night out.

-Calum Kerr

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