Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
THEATRE LISTINGS
HERTFORDSHIRE THEATRE LISTINGS
The Radlett Centre, Aldenham Avenue, Radlett
Box Office: 01923 859291
Jungle Book
WED 16 APR
Set in the vibrant tropical jungle of India and adapted from the original Rudyard Kipling story, this production dramatises the journey to maturity of Mowgli the man cub. With loving care from his adopted wolf family and much advice from Bagheera the panther and Baloo the bear, Mowgli stands firm against the manipulation of Shere Khan the tiger.
During the light hearted half hour rehearsal, some children are chosen and rehearsed into their parts while the rest of the audience is taught the choruses of four songs. During the interval the actors and children are costumed and the show, lasting 1 hour, runs seamlessly with everyone taking part as rehearsed. For age 4+
Oliver!
TUE 13 – SAT 17 MAY
Orphaned Oliver Twist goes from mistreatment in the London workhouses to falling in with a gang of pickpockets led by the roguish Fagin, the kind-hearted Nancy, and the menacing Bill Sykes, before finally finding a caring home with Mr Brownlow. Lionel Bart’s sensational score includes Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, You’ve Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two, I’d Do Anything, Oom Pah Pah, and many more.
The Wyllyotts Theatre, Potters Bar
Box Office: 01707 645005
Bananas in Pyjamas
SAT 26 APR
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking B1?” “I think I am B2!” Banana-riffic!
It’s Partytime in Cuddlestown Park. But wait... the guest of honour’s gone missing? It’s a Banana emergency! Join B1, B2, Amy, Lulu and Morgan in this brand new, all-singing, all-dancing show, with plenty of audience participation, and slapstick fun. Can you help the Banana Detectives solve the case?
The Hawthorne Theatre, Campus West, Welwyn Garden City
Box Office: 01707 357117
Hansel & Gretel
SUN 13 – TUE 15 APR
See an all star cast in a magical version of the classic Grimm fairytale! We take everybody by the hand on the breadcrumb trail for a fun, light-hearted adaptation, jam packed with magic, action and slapstick comedy, with singing, cheering, booing, puppets, illusions, lots of colourful costumes, amazing sets and maybe even a custard pie or two! Don't scoff at this tasty Easter treat...book now!
Grease
THU 1 – SAT 3 MAY
Featuring many well known songs such as Greased Lightnin’, Hopelessly Devoted to You, Born to Hand Jive, Summer Nights, You’re The One That I Want and many more, this has become one of the most popular shows for young people to perform. The dance routine to Greased Lightnin’ must be one of the most well known routines of any show!
Weston Auditorium, de Havilland Campus, Hatfield
Box Office: 01707 281127
The Just So Stories
SUN 13 APR
Using everyday objects found in an attic, four of Rudyard Kipling’s best-loved stories are discovered and brought to life. Find out from these delightful tales why the moon pulls the tides (rather than a crab who is taller than the smoke of three volcanoes), and the reason why the elephant's nose is so long…Pre & post show workshops available. For age 4+
Story Tent
TUE 15 APR
Springtime stories…tales of waking up, sowing and growing! Enchanting, interactive storytelling of traditional tales from around the world to welcome the spring at Easter. Each performance is followed by a craft workshop inspired by springtime stories.
Palace Theatre, Watford
Box Office: 01923 225671
Rats’ Tales
TUE 8 – THU 10 APR
Brought to life by some of the county's most talented young people, Rats' Tales is a collection of seven hugely entertaining, dark and magical folk tales from around the world, exploring the often perilous journey into adulthood to take you into the dark corners of your imagination, the kind of shadowy little places where rats scurry about and anything can happen...
Watford Colosseum, Rickmansworth Road, Watford
Box Office: 0845 075 3993
Charlie and Lola’s Best Bestest Play
TUE 8 & WED 9 APR
Don’t miss everyone’s favourite brother and sister in their extremely everso wonderful stage show, brought to life by a magical mix of puppets, live action and music.
Will Charlie ever get Lola to sleep, even though she is not sleepy and will not go to bed? It won’t be easy - the Tigers want their bedtime milk, the Dancing Dogs have borrowed Lola’s pyjamas and Lola thinks there is an ogre hiding in the wardrobe!
The Pump House Theatre & Arts Centre, High Street, Watford
Box Office: 01923 241362
Annie Jr
WED 21 – SAT 24 MAY
A NRYA Performing Arts production
Watersmeet, High Street, Rickmansworth
Box Office: 01923 711063
The King & I
TUE 1 – SAT 5 APR
Set against an exotic backdrop, The King & I is the moving story of Anna, an English governess; she tries to help an Eastern king to come to terms with the modern world, but he is unable to resist the forces of ancient customs.
The conflict between Eastern and Western cultures inspired this well-loved musical and the energetic score includes many audience favourites.
The Little Mermaid
SUN 4 MAY
Join Ballet Theatre UK for this dramatic re-telling of Hans Christian Andersen’s all-time favourite story of The Little Mermaid, who falls in love with a human Prince and gives up everything to win his love. The kind hearted Little Mermaid rescues the Prince during a storm at sea, and begins a journey that takes her far from her home beneath the waves.
This charming and poignant ballet explores the nature of longing, how making choices can have lasting consequences, and how goodness can be rewarded in unexpected ways.
Gordon Craig Theatre, Lytton Way, Stevenage
Box Office: 01438 363200
My Dalek has a Puncture
FRI 4 APR
A light hearted evening with Simon Fisher-Becker, better known to Sci-Fi fans as Dorium Maldovar in Doctor Who. Simon gives an insight into how he became an actor, what is needed today if YOU want to be an actor, and a general idea of how to prioritize options, opportunities and challenges in life, highlighting pitfalls and silver linings.
James & the Giant Peach
WED 16 – SUN 20 APR
When James Trotter is sent to live with his Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker! James is forced to live every child’s nightmare, cooking, cleaning and no time for playing with friends; but when a mysterious old man appears with a bag of magic his luck is about to change!
With a host of colourful characters our Easter musical will delight and entertain adults and children alike!
What the Ladybird Heard
FRI 9 – SUN 11 MAY
Two crafty robbers, one tiny ladybird, and a whole farmyard of fun!
Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len have a cunning plan to steal the farmer’s fine prize cow, but they reckon without the tiniest, quietest creature of all: the Ladybird has a plan of her own!
Join the woolly sheep, the hairy hog, the fat red hen and the dainty dog in this brand new stage adaptation, with live music, puppetry, plenty of audience participation and lots of laughs!
The Lytton Theatre, Vardon Road, Pin Green, Stevenage
Box Office: 01438 357407
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
WED 16 – SAT 19 APR
Dream has inspired 400 years of stories and pictures - from great artists to Walt Disney, the image of fairies has been moulded by Shakespeare's tale. Strangely enough some people have claimed the play is full of adult, immoral and occult content. So what is it all about?
Ultimately, it's about love - that four letter word that can fill your heart with joy or sadness. It covers unrequited love to true love, how love can conquer everything, but it's also about the human imagination - did everyone dream what happened?
Old Town Hall, Hemel Hempstead
Box Office: 01442 228091
The Tap Dancing Mermaid
SAT 26 APR
Gather round, gather round, for the Moon’s magical, mystical story about a tippetty-top tap dancer he has been watching. Marina Skippett creeps out of her house every night to shuffle and stomp on the boardwalk to the sounds of the sea. She can’t tap dance at home anymore since her evil, tractor-sized Aunty banned it; but then, one moonlit night, Marina meets a mysterious, watery boy swimming in the sea and her life is never the same again! For age 3+
Court Theatre, Tring
Box Office: 01442 824673
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
THU 10 – SAT 12 APR
The play contains confusion and magic; mischief and deception, mistaken identity and heartache, but all with a very happy ending! This will be a highly energised interpretation, appropriately set in a playground, with plenty of fun and games for an enthusiastic cast of young people. A Berkhamsted Youth Theatre presentation.
Backstage at the Big Top
FRI 18 & SAT 19 APR
Court Youth Theatre return for their annual main scale production, again with an original script.
CYT Productions is made up of a group of 13-17 year olds, who take responsibility for all aspects
of the production process from writing and performing to sound, lighting and costume. This
year’s production will include guest appearances from our younger members, aged from 5-13.
Abbey Theatre, Westminster Lodge, Holywell Hill, St Albans
Box Office: 01727 857861
High School Musical
THU 10 – SAT 12 APR
A stage version of the popular Disney musical. Watch as the students of East High come together to overcome their challenges on this journey of discovery and friendship. Get in touch with your inner Wild Cat and join our cast for an amazing show for all the family. A St Albans Youth Music Theatre production.
Hertford Theatre
Box Office: 01992 531500
The Gruffalo
FRI 4 - SAT 6 APR
Meet a wheeler-dealer Fox, an eccentric old Owl and a maraca-shaking, party mad Snake! Mouse can scare these hungry animals away with tall stories of the terrifying Gruffalo, but what happens when he comes face to face with the very creature he imagined...? The Gruffalo is the perfect family treat with plenty of songs, laughs and scary fun for children aged 3+ and their grown-ups.
Cinderella
SAT 12 APR
The story of Cinderella is one of the best known fairytales, and Vienna Festival Ballet's full-length version has all the familiar ingredients. A downtrodden young girl, a glass slipper, two comical ugly step-sisters and a handsome prince combine to make the perfect piece of story-telling. The fairy godmother enables Cinderella to go to the ball, and she falls in love with the Prince.
Rhodes Arts Complex, Bishops Stortford Museum, South Road
Box Office: 01279 651746
The City Mouse & the Country Mouse
TUE 8 & WED 9 APR
When two cousins come to visit the country and the city for the first time, they discover that life can be a great adventure with some hidden dangers. Go down cat alley, if you dare, watch out for the owl who was not afraid of the dark and see how the scarecrow helps his friends in a funny story of two mice filled with music, song, dance and great storytelling this production will delight audiences.
An interactive performance, a story imaginatively told, and an optional creative workshop for children.
For ages 4-9
Broxbourne Civic Hall , High St, Hoddesdon
Box Office: 01992 441946
Bananas in Pyjamas
SAT 12 APR
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking B1?” “I think I am B2!” Banana-riffic!
It’s Partytime in Cuddlestown Park. But wait... the guest of honour’s gone missing? It’s a Banana emergency! Join B1, B2, Amy, Lulu and Morgan in this brand new, all-singing, all-dancing show, with plenty of audience participation, and slapstick fun
Can you help the Banana Detectives solve the case?
Peppa Pig’s Big Splash
TUE 13 & WED 14 MAY
Come and join Peppa and her friends for another all-singing, all-dancing adventure full of songs, games and muddy puddles, live on stage with super cute puppets and brilliant sing-along songs. A brand new show that will brighten your day - grab your wellies and brollies and get splashing!