After a four-year absence, family Christmas funfair, Winter Wonderland is back at EventCity with even more rides and shows than before. Throughout December the 22,000sq m exhibition space has been transformed into an indoor theme park with more than...
Conni and the Cat is Germany’s animated film hit of last summer. Based on the character from one of the nation’s long-running children’s TV series ‘My Friend Conni‘ the cartoon enjoyed both commercial success and critical acclaim in its...
Author Patrick Ness is setting young people a monster writing challenge inspired by his novel turned stage show, A Monster Calls. A Monster Calls. Image by Manuel Harlan His 2011 book for young adults has sold over a million copies and garnered huge...
Ever since the colourful promotional posters went up in The Lowry, my 6-year-old nephew has been itching to see What the Ladybird Heard live. We’ve been months in the waiting – The Lowry is the final stop on a tour running since January. However...
It feels a natural progression these days for popular children’s books to make their way to the stage, especially when the author is Julia Donaldson. Tall Stories, whose previous productions at the Lowry include Donaldson’s The Gruffalo and Room on...
Rudyard Kipling’s collection of short stories, ‘The Jungle Book’ has been enchanting children for more than 100 years. Today most people know his famous characters, Mowgli, Baloo and Shere Khan, from the Disney adaptations – a cartoon...
One of the great beauties of circus is its ability to cross boundaries of language, age and, for many of us, what we might imagine is physically possible. In the Little Mermaid, the multi-talented Metta theatre team use their circus skills to push...
In 2009, Hollie Steel was the little girl with the big voice, who won a place in the final on Britain’s Got Talent. Now, aged 19, she is the star of a new children’s Christmas show from Salford-based company, Colour the Clouds, the first festive...
It’s hard to imagine The Gruffalo as a little-known story. Axel Scheffler’s illustrations for Julia Donaldson’s children’s book are instantly recognisable. Even if you haven’t read it, you can’t escape the mythical creature who has since become an...
Everyone loves a good underdog story. Throw in cute kids, catchy tunes, a real-life pooch, and you’ve got a tale to leave no heart-string un-pulled. Writer, Debbie Isitt knows how to pen a winner. Currently working on the fourth installment of her...
Carmel Thomason