Strange title for this post you might think but I have to say I’m inclined to go with Mr Polari’s end of the show feelings and categorically state that there are NEVER too many penguins! What on earth am I talking about? Well that’s a good question and one you will be glad you asked because the answer may just provide you with something wonderfully special to do with your children this winter!

As you may know, Florence, Jimmy and I are often to be seen at the theatre because as well as being an actress myself I think it’s very important to go and watch as much live theatre as you possibly can! It’s good for the mind and good for the heart I always think, even if a play is rubbish at least you went out and saw it; you’ve been there and experienced the magic! And theatre is magic, from the waiting in the wings as a performer to the sitting in the audience with anticipation of what might be about to unfold on the stage. Something to take you out of yourself, something to sing your heart out to, a play to weep for, laugh like a demon at or be scared out of your wits! Whatever you go and see you should throw yourself into it and that way you’ll get the most from it! My children have been taken to the theatre from a very early age and Florence especially simply loves to go and see a show! We have however, never been to a theatre like the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon before and when we visited last week to see one of their new winter shows which is especially for the 2-4 age range we couldn’t believe how utterly, utterly wonderful it is there! )Each show has an age category attached to it but they often have ‘watch with baby’ shows where the whole family can go despite the age reservations.)

This is the sort of place you would travel from far and wide to go to; indeed it does have an international reputation for being a pioneer for children’s theatre and its easy to see why – they’ve just got it completely right! Wimbledon is the other side of London for me and I was kind of thinking what a drag the journey was going to be but boy am I glad I made it and we will be back! We’re even going to go and see the same show again, we loved it so much, but first let me tell you a little about the theatre itself! So, as well as shows for children of all ages they offer various workshops for the children to join in with (just a little bit up my street)! It’s unfortunately only for children between the ages of 0-13 so I come out of that category by quite some way myself but if I didn’t I’d be in there like a shot soaking up some of their artistic-ness and skills! They offer story times and also just invite you in to come and play with their adorable indoor and outdoor play areas any time you like for FREE! There’s also a rather charming cafe with a train for the tables! Pick a booth and enjoy the  painted scene outside the window of the booth/carriage you’re in as you eat. The food is very reasonably priced with a childs lunch box costing around £3.50 and a jacket potato with a filling the same although I asked and was told that in quieter periods (ie. not a Saturday) they really don’t mind if you bring your own. The play areas are absolutely fantastic with the indoor area being like a play room from a novel written by Noel Streatfield or Nina Bawden, old-fashioned but a little bit magical at the same time! There’s that word again, magic! This place is totally that from the old-fashioned rocking horses and other creatures to the over sized books and outside is just the same! There’s a play house with an upstairs (which seemed very important to Florence), a water feature, Charlie from Charlie and Lola is on the wall and there’s a giant cat whose tail you can climb! All a bit random yes, all a bit perfect for children I think you’ll agree! Do read on for my review of the show of the moment for pre-schoolers but first take a look at some of the snaps we took on the day!

This is us enjoying the out-door space…

And we loved it in doors too!

But one of the best bits was having lunch on the train!

And what did we think of the show we saw? Well, ‘Too Many Penguins‘ is just perfect! There’s no other word for it I’m afraid! We were invited in to the theatre room in just our socks having left our shoes on the shoe rack outside and although some adults perched on the benches around the outside of the room I chose to sit on the snuggly warm white carpet which was actually, of course, snow! Florence wriggled to the front with most of the other children and sitting with the ‘stage’ just in front of her (there is no actual stage – the performance area is dictated by different flooring) she watched as the show unfurled while Jimmy rolled around on the soft carpet! Two wonderful actors play Mr Polari (bet you wondered who he was at the beginning of the post), a polar bear of some dignified heritage and Penguina, an Italian (at least that’s how I interpreted her) penguin on her holidays for Christmas. She’s set up camp just next door to where Mr Polari lives and works as the lighthouse cleaner and she’s a little bit lonely so wants to make friends with the quiet and used to his ways polar bear! He doesn’t resist exactly but he definitely has his reservations especially when ALL her friends and family start to join her via different methods of transport! Some come in a car, a few by boat and one even came in on a hot air balloon! It’s such fun watching all the (stuffed) relatives turn up for Christmas and disrupt Mr Polari’s life although by the end he doesn’t really mind! Everything has been created, from the way the actors manipulate the movements of the stuffed penguin relatives to the music which is eventful and recognisable, for little ones while still being in keeping! There’s not many words in the show but the story is told by the creativity of the actors in their movements! It’s very well thought out, artistic and has been directed beautifully with props to really get children excited and it includes enough audience participation to make it fun and interactive without being a Punch and Judy show! You’ll be dancing with a stuffed penguin by the end and loving every minute of it, we can’t wait to go back for more!

The show is £10 a ticket (which we think proves exceptional value for money!) and runs until 16th February 2013!

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