THIS IS LONDON SUMMER ISSUE 2025 - Flipbook - Page 24
HAVE A HORRIBLE SUMMER
(IN THE BEST WAY!)
Birmingham Stage Company is back in
the West End at the Apollo Theatre this
summer with the funniest, fearsome and
most farcical facts from history in Horrible
Histories: Barmy Britain - The Best Bits! a non-stop romp through Britain’s
remarkable history.
Celebrating the 20th anniversary
of Horrible Histories Live on Stage, and an
incredible 14 years in London’s West End,
this brand-new show brings together the
greatest hits from the Barmy Britain series
for a riotous month-long run at the Apollo
Theatre. From Thursday 31 July to Sunday
31 August, families can enjoy a ‘horrible’
holiday like no other – before school
sneaks back in...
From Boudicca’s battles to the
notorious Nightsoil Men, get ready to
laugh, learn and squirm through Britain’s
barmiest history. Will you survive
the plague, stand and deliver to
dastardly Dick Turpin, or escape the
clutches of Burke and Hare? It’s a wild ride
through the past that’s packed with facts,
fun, and fabulous figures. It’s a history
lesson like no other – with the nasty bits
left in! This isn’t just a show – it’s now
a West End institution, so don’t miss out
on the ultimate history lesson.
Based on the bestselling books by Terry
Deary – the world’s top-selling non-fiction
author for children – Horrible
Histories has sold over 36 million
copies in 45 languages. Deary’s
delightfully dreadful stories have come
alive on stage thanks to the Birmingham
Stage Company, one of the world’s top
theatre companies for families. The BSC
also created the smash-hit productions of
David Walliams’ stories and adaptations of
Roald Dahl stories including George’s
Marvellous Medicine and The Witches.
Box Office: 0330 333 4809
barmybritain.com
TALL STORIES IN THE SMEDS AND
THE SMOOS
Tall Stories Olivier Award-nominated
adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel
Scheffler’s classic picture book The Smeds
and The Smoos soars into the Lyric
Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue this summer
– until 7 September.
On a far-off planet, Smeds and Smoos
can’t be friends. So when a young Smed
and Smoo fall in love and zoom off into
space together, how will their families get
them back? Music, laughs and
interplanetary adventures for everyone
aged 3 and up, from Tall Stories – the
company who brought you The Gruffalo
and Room on the Broom live on stage.
Acclaimed theatre company Tall
Stories is renowned for its joyful, fun-filled
productions for family audiences that have
toured all over the world. Directed by Tall
Stories’ co-founder, Toby Mitchell, The
Smeds and The Smoos was nominated for
Photo: Charlie Flint Photography
24
The Smeds and The Smoos: Patrick
Bridgman (Grandfather Smed), Abbey
Norman (Grandmother Smoo), Felicia
Akin-Tayo (Janet), Antony Lam (Bill).
a prestigious Olivier Award for Best Family
Show in 2024. The show has the magical
puppetry, songs and humour Tall Stories
is known for, alongside playful audience
interactions and unique ‘try it at home’
storytelling.
Toby Mitchell said: ‘I think ‘The Smeds
and The Smoos’ is one of Julia and Axel’s
very best stories. Essentially it’s ‘Romeo &
Juliet’ in space, with aliens and a happy
ending! And we’ve added a big dose of Tall
Stories silliness, songs and surprises...’
The company’s adaptations of the bestselling picture books by Julia
Donaldson and Axel Scheffler have also
included productions of ‘The Snail and the
Whale’ and ‘The Gruffalo’s Child’.
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E • w w w. t i l . c o m • @ t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g
