Welcome to our Dear Zoo Live On Stage review!
I don’t know many people who aren’t familiar with the classic Dear Zoo story by Rod Campbell. The story of a child who wrote to the zoo to ask for a pet and was subsequently sent an array of unsuitable creatures, before finally receiving the perfect animal. All three of of mine have loved the story and it’s still my youngest’s favourite book. We were therefore delighted to be invited to see Dear Zoo Live On Stage at Waterside Arts in Sale.
When it comes to theatre visits, Waterside Arts is one of my favourites to bring the kids. We first visited last year when we watched Guess How Much I Love You and we instantly loved it. It’s easy to get to and there’s parking just around the corner. The venue itself has a lovely family friendly vibe and has a nice bar area where the drinks and snacks are reasonably priced. I bought three drinks and a small tub of Pringles each for the kids and it cost around £6. Much more reasonable than other venues we’ve visited.
As soon as Anna (4) saw the Dear Zoo set up on stage as we took to our seats, she shrieked “that’s my favourite!” So we knew we were in for a treat!
The show was brilliantly interactive which I always think is essential for a younger audience. Young children can’t be expected to sit in silence for an hour so it was great they had the opportunity to sing and dance along. The children were also encourage to shout out and this kind of interaction made a hit with the little ones.
Dear Zoo was also educational in a way that children wouldn’t have even noticed. There was repetition, reading and counting where the children were encouraged to join in.
The set was bright and engaging, as were the characters. The show stayed true to the book – from the story to the set and animal designs that matched Rod Campbell’s illustrations.
The children loved the show, and particularly enjoyed the antics of the naughty, flossing Monkey! There was a photo opportunity at the end of the show where the kids were invited to meet the cast, including the monkey! Ben (7) was keen to see him and have a dance-off! Our usually fearless daughter decided she didn’t want to meet them which was a shame but she was tired so I didn’t force the issue!
I’d recommend the show to anyone with young kids, whether you’re familiar with the book or not. It’s the perfect introduction to the theatre for young children.
We were offered complimentary tickets but as always opinions are my own.
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This sounds like so much fun. I know it's something my 3 year old would really enjoy.
My kids would have loved this when they were younger, I think theatre for kids really sparks their imagination and captivates them. Mich x
The Dear Zoo story is a true classic. My youngest would love this
Mine used to love this book when they were little, looks like a lot of fun
Stacey was a big fan of this book when she was little. This one and Oh Dear. We'd have loved to have seen the show back then, but she's 15 now so probably a little old for it. It's so good to see it's still a firm favourite with little ones though :)
Louise x