Ever since I heard that Madagascar Live was heading to the BIC (Bournemouth International Centre) I just had to get tickets and as the posters started creeping up around the local area, the kids started asking to go too.
Tickets started around £35 each, but in the last few weeks I have seen offers at £20 each, so it is worth shopping around and looking for local deals. I, on the other hand, was very lucky to be offered some tickets to review the show..JPG)
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We got to our seats in good time and enjoyed listening to the music as the auditorium filled up around us. We had amazing seats in row BB, so were really close to all the action. I was surprised the venue wasn’t filled to capacity, but there was a good crowd nonetheless.
We were all given free Lemur glasses too, which kept the children amused as we waited for the show to start.
I hadn’t read much about the show before it started, but was instantly gripped by the colourful sets and the wonderful costumes. We were whisked away to Central Park Zoo, by two Zoo Keepers, who managed a super fast onstage costume change as they introduced our film favourites – Marty (the Zebra), Gloria (the Hippo), Melman (the Giraffe) and finally Alex (the Lion).
The costumes were amazing, and the actor who played Marty had his mannerisms from the film down to a tee, and how Melman managed to stay on his stilts and act, was just fantastic. They all stayed true to the animation, which helped the kids adapt to the stage version.
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| In the Zoo |
Next up were the Penguins, who really added a comedy element to the show. The show followed the same plot as the original film, with the Penguins plotting their escape. This led to them waddling through the audience whilst plotting on their walkie talkies.
The show is filled with original music that will have your toes tapping and we soon see Marty celebrating his 10th birthday wishing he could go into “the wild” and the adventure begins.
The first set change is to that of a subway station, complete with a moving train. Here we see Gloria, Melman and Alex set off to find their missing friend Marty. The trio first meeting various people “in the wild” had hilarious results and the reporter sent to cover the story came into the audience to ask questions.
The set then cleverly moved to the ship, with the animals all in crates. Of course the plotting penguins managed to escape and we witnessed them scaling the ship (with the aid of puppets) and taking over the helm.
On then we make it to Madagascar, where we meet King Julien and his friends before it is time for the interval, with a small teaser of the song “I like to Move it”
After a short break of 20 minutes, we were back in our seats ready for the next half. I took some snacks and drinks with us to ensure we were not subjected to the extortionate prices normally charged in a theatre, although they were barely touched as the children were having so much fun.
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The cast told us to put on our Lemur Glasses and almost immediately launched into an energetic rendition of “I like to Move it” which had us all bouncing in our seats and singing along. King Julien was brilliantly mad and his sidekick was adorable, even if he was a know-it-all.
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It wasn’t long before Alex (the Lion) was very hungry and dreaming of meat – a very amusing dream sequence ensued, ending with Alex biting Marty’s bum and subsequently running away so he didn’t hurt his friend.
If you are wondering where the Penguins have gone, they briefly landed on Antarctica where they decided it was too cold, so headed back to Madagascar to rescue their friends.
The next scene was quite scary for little ones, as there was an onstage thunder storm and some creatures wandering around the dark stage with glowing eyes, but then it brightened up and Marty came to tell Alex the Penguins were back and they were going home.
PARTY TIME!!!!
We were treated to another rendition of “I Like to Move it”, only this time we were expected to join in. Some of the cast joined us in the audience and persuaded some of the reluctant dads to get up and dance. I turned to see most of the audience on their feet and having a great time!
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Eliza enjoyed a boogie too!
Each half lasted 45 minutes, so not too long for little ones and I can honestly say that we all enjoyed it. With us, were an almost 2 year old, two 4 year olds, a 12 year old, my sister-in-law and I. My children are fairly used to seeing shows, however I will say that the family in front of us had two girls of about 5 and 7 who cried through most of the show as they were scared of the animals, so you would have to judge by your own children. The merchandise was pricey and a little scarce too. They had mugs at £8, a cute Penguin bag at £15 and some light up toys, but that is all I saw!
We were lucky enough to be invited upstairs to meet some of the cast, however, as the children were tired they refused point blank to have any photo’s taken. The cast were fantastic though, they stayed in character, even whilst being interviewed by the local paper (much to the journalists disgust at one point as she was trying to get a straight answer)!
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The children were, however, prepared to have a photograph taken with a rather famous local children’s celebrity!
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Thank you Madagascar Live – we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!!
You can find out more about the tour and play games on their website, follow them on twitter for news and competitions and like them on facebook for even more gossip and chances to win!