A while back Florence, Jimmy and I made a trip to the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon to see their production of ‘Too Many Penguins’ which we absolutely loved (read my review here). The theatre, which is the other side of London for us, is dedicated to children’s live entertainment and playing and was an absolute find! We would make the trek over there any time for it is so wholeheartedly worth it! The show we saw was perfect for Florence’s age although Jimmy too took great delight in rolling around on the carpet and soaking up the atmosphere! We know this is a theatre we will visit and recommend for a long time to come. Just last night I tweeted about the merits of this treasure in SW and had replies from other Mum’s telling me they used to love it when they were children themselves and that it evoked such great memories for them, memories I want to create for my little ones too!
I think what we loved about it was that it was not simply just a trip to the theatre but a whole day out. We ate our lunch on the train in the cafe and played outside and in with their fab equipment! They also do work shops for older children and budding actors which would have been just up my street as a child, I don’t know about you?!
Looking at their line up for the Spring/Summer season and some truly fab things look to be on offer; I can’t wait to go and try some of them out! (I’ll let you know all about it when I do!) One of the things that immediately caught my eye is that from 3 – 25 May the Early Years audiences will be charmed by Polka’s brand new interactive performance, Lullaby, for 0 – 12 months. This playful and intimate experience has been specifically designed for one parent or carer to engage and share with their baby. Singer and performer Natalie Raybould creates a relaxing setting full of musical and visual surprises on a journey of exploration and discovery. Now that Florence is at nursery I have some time on my hands to do some special things with just Jimmy which is lovely because he will get to have some Mummy time on his own for really the first time. I did so much with Florence when she was tiny and have continued to do that which means Jimmy has just had to come along for the ride. I’m sure he does enjoy the activities we do but something like this which will be dedicated just for him and his age range is very appealing for a treat!
Another eye catcher for children aged 2 – 4 years, Norwich Puppet Theatre presents Three Colours- a performance that uses colour and light to create a vibrant, sensory world placing children at the centre of the experience (26 June – 17 August). It’s funny because I don’t live in Wimbledon or Norwich but these two places have special places in my heart as I grew up in the latter and spent lots of my youth in the former with my best friend who lived there. The fact that Norwich is coming to Wimbledon in the form of the Puppet Theatre is a massive incentive for me to go! Growing up in Norwich there wasn’t a great deal of entertainment on offer for children and school trips mainly consisted of three places within the City: The Castle Museum, The Bridewell Museum and of course, Norwich’s Puppet Theatre which is utterly wonderful! I remember them coming to my school and being delighted with the show I saw which I remember had hearty women puppets with great big bouncing bosoms! Funny the things you remember! I’m sure I will take Florence to their theatre in Norwich on one of our trips home and I think a trip to see them in Wimbledon with my best friend and her children might be in order too!
FEBRUARY HALF TERM
If you can’t wait for the new season to start don’t worry because they still have plenty of winter activities to offer including the ‘Too Many Penguins’ show we loved and still talk about! For half term there’s lots of fun to be had too with The William Stories which are five magical stories, complete with a musician and illustrator. You can go and enjoy just one, or see more and you’ll see how the stories connect and evolve into an even bigger adventure!
Or how about celebrating the Chinese new year in style and booking tickets for ‘Why The Lion Danced‘ which is presented by Yellow Earth, the award-winning British East Asian Theatre Company! There’s also plenty of opportunities for the children to take part and try on of the work shops on offer for the holiday!
‘Why The Lion Danced’ on stage.
Whatever you choose to see and do at Polka I know you’ll have a superb time and be pleased you made the trip! We see lots of children’s theatre on HUGE scales sometimes and this is of no less quality than some of the arena tours we see. It also provides a real homely feel and just as my Mum friend’s on Twitter agreed, it creates good, interesting and old-fashioned memories!
I was not paid in any way to write this post. My love of the theatre and this venue in particular is my motivation for writin
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