In the Night Garden comes alive in Liverpool

The first-ever staged event of award-winning BBC children’s TV show In the Night Garden will be visiting Liverpool in the summer.

Excitement is growing with tickets already on sale for the Liverpool performances and further announcements to be made about the tour dates in London, Glasgow and one more city.

In the Night Garden Live will have two different shows, the Ninky Nonk and Pinky Ponk shows, each featuring a different storyline but with the main characters appearing in both, and arrives to Liverpool’s Sefton Park from 17 July to 1 August.

The live production has been written by the creator and composer of the original children’s TV series, Andrew Davenport, directed by Will Tuckett, and produced by Andrew Collier of Minor Entertainment.

This is the first time that children will be able to see the programme’s characters, Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka in a live event. The characters will be brought to life in full-size costumes, with music, puppets and panoramic projections, which aims to create a theatrical experience to make audiences feel they are actually entering the magical world of In the Night Garden.

Andrew Davenport said: “I’m thrilled at plans for an In the Night Garden Live experience for children and their families that sets out to match the celebrated quality and high production values of the television series. I hope that In the Night Garden Live will become a memorable experience for children up and down the country.”

Producer Andrew Collier added: “We’re delighted to be bringing In the Night Garden Live to Liverpool for the world premiere. Liverpool is a fantastic city with a strong cultural legacy from its time as the city of culture – it’s the perfect destination for this world-class event.”

In the Night Garden was launched in spring 2007 and has won multiple awards including the Best Preschool Programme for 2010 at the Broadcast Awards, BAFTA’s Best Preschool Live Action for 2007 and 2008, and has sold over one million DVDs, 2,500,000 books and 4,400,000 toys in the UK alone.

The TV show is broadcast in 35 countries including Canada, Australia, Spain and China, and has been translated into 19 languages.

In the Night Garden Live is created in an inflatable, purpose-built touring theatre made up of two show domes which recreate the magical world of the popular children’s television show produced by Ragdoll Productions.

The show domes will have all the facilities of a regular theatre, in the smaller dome, including box office, toilets and catering points, but these will be family-friendly with buggy parks, baby-changing areas and microwaves to heat up baby food. The auditorium, which is located in the larger dome, will have 500 seats.

For further details on how to book tickets for the Liverpool performances, please visit the show’s website here