Grand Opera House York – Wednesday 9th March 2022
Reviewed by Michelle Richardson
3***
Peppa Pig’s Best Day Ever! is based on the well-loved children’s television series. There have been other Peppa Pig tours, this is the latest, but the first I have seen. Accompanying me was my 3-year-old grandson, who especially loves George and his dinosaur. This is the first time he’s been to a live theatre and was so excited.
Guided by a very perky Daisy, Peppa’s human friend, the story follows Peppa, her brother George, Mummy and Daddy Pig, all looking forward to a special day out in the families red car. It promises to be their best day ever, full of all sorts of adventures.
Off they go, only to be thwarted at their first hurdle by roadworks and a burst watermain, but they do eventually get on their merry way. A visit to some caves and a castle ensues and we get to meet a variety of characters, the enormous dragon receiving the most attention, after the initial sighting of Peppa that is.
Mummy and Daddy Pig were played by adults in costumes, with Peppa and George as puppets, with actors operating their actions from behind. They all looked just like the characters on television, was very effective and put to best use. When the dragon came out it was a definitive wow from us, but occasionally, as he was moving around on stage, you could see the actor controlling him. It would have been better to have him always covered up, just to keep the illusion going. The set was very cartoonish and just what you would expect from Peppa Pig.
Our favourite bit was getting wet through the burst watermain. We spied water guns being fired from the grand circle onto the audience. My little man was full of it when he got home, full of tales about George getting him wet, it wasn’t George but that is his favourite character.
The show is 1 hour 20 minutes long, which includes a 20-minute interval. The interval was unnecessary, it would have worked a lot better with running straight through. The story is a bit lacking though and didn’t fully engage, certainly not the best day out. I found it quite repetitive really and padded out with a lot of unforgettable songs. The actors did what they could with what they had.
It is still a joy to watch the expressions on the children’s faces when they first see their favourite cartoon characters, and it’s great that they are experiencing live theatre, long may it continue. We have a few more outings planned and can’t wait!