My kids have all loved Horrible Histories as they have grown up and we have seen many of their live shows before. It is a brilliant way to teach them some history in a fun and sometimes gruesome way.
I have wanted to do the Horrible Histories Terrible Thames tour for some time, so when I booked to go and see Frozen the Musical, I knew I could tie it in to the day.
I highly recommend you book in advance, especially during peak times as our show was fully booked and people hoping to join on the day were turned away.
The tour starts at Tower Bridge Quay, where you board the boat and wait for the fun to begin.
I hadn’t read any reviews before we went as I wanted to be surprised. The boat is identical to other Thames Clipper tours we have done, albeit with a small stage and Horrible Histories branding around it.
Instead of having a recording, or a member of staff pointing out landmarks, this one has a teacher and his unruly student, Billy, joining us on their school trip for this tour of the Thames dashing up and down the boat telling gory stories about the city’s landmarks in the way only Horrible Histories can.
As we sail along the river towards Westminster, they reveal surprising facts and figures inspired by the buildings and bridges we pass, with quite a lot of emphasis on toilet humour to reveal the Thames’ stinky past.
The action-packed script is Written by Deary and the show’s director, Neal Foster, and is quick, witty and most importantly filled with gruesome deaths and stench jokes which appeals to the kids on every level, although Lilah (4) was a little concerned someone might chop her head off at one point.
For those who like the musical side of Horrible History, you are treated to a couple of songs including finishing with a resounding “What shall we do with the Drunken Sailor? at the end of the tour.
The tour is filled with school age history, with Guy Fawkes, Mary Tudor, Boudicca and Julius Caesar all featured as well as some newer history including the Kray twins, God’s Banker, the Slave Trade, theThames whaling past and a few topical jokes as we passed Parliament.
All in all, we really enjoyed the Terrible Thames tour. I am just sad the boys missed it as they would have loved it too.
Tickets are available from terriblethames.com/ and cost £25 per adult, £15 per child or £70 for a family of four.
Disclaimer: We were invited to review the Terrible Thames tour. All thoughts and opinions are our own