The Mart Theatre panto spectacular that's set to fill us all with festive cheer! (oh yes it will...)

December is almost upon us and we are full of festive cheer after a little robin told us that The Mart Theatre is treating Skipton's Young Carers Group to a trip to this year's panto spectacular Peter Pan
 
We didn't think we could love the vibrant Mart Theatre, based at Skipton's auction mart, any more than we do already but the news they're generously putting BIG smiles on  the little faces of children who care for family members in very challenging circumstances, is the icing on the Christmas cake.
 
We'll be blogging about Skipton Young Carers soon to give you more information about their amazing work but we can't wait any longer to share the low down on the fantastic Peter Pan panto! The same company that produced last year's amazing show to rave reviews from MooBaaKids (and further afield!) is back with a bang!
 
You'll no doubt all know that the swashbuckling adventure of  Peter Pan is about a mischievous boy, who never grows up. He and his Fairy Tinkerbell, visit an Edwardian London house and meet the children of Mr and Mrs Darling – Wendy, John and Michael. The story continues as they follow Peter to the Lost Boys hideout on the small island of Neverland meeting Mermaids, Indians, a Crocodile and Pirates…oh and a rather nasty Captain Hook who despises Peter Pan and by hook or by crook wants to rid the world of his arch enemy. It's traditonal panto fare with vivid characters, slapstick fun and adventure with bags of audience participation. Prepare to forget you've grown up yourself and laugh along with your kids!

Directed by George Critchley with a full professional cast supported by The Zoe Taylor Dance Academy (Blackburn), this looks set to be another colourful riot to get the whole family in the mood for Christmas. It looks like word has spread about the top quality of the productions on at the mart as some of the performances are already close to sell out. We cannot support the Mart Theatre enough or on past performance recommend the panto enough! We've bought our tickets and tucked them away safely...we suggest you get yours sooner rather than later and look forward to the adventure!

Tickets only £8 adults, £6 children and £24 family (4 tickets)

Show times:

Thursday 20th December at 7.30pm

Friday 21st December at 7.30pm

Saturday 22nd December at 2.30pm and 7.30pm

Sunday 23rd December at 1.30pm and 4.30pm

For more information please click HERE

Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream Parlour scoops MooBaaStar for super cool birthday parties!

This year we have celebrated quite a few birthday parties at the Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream Parlour in Halton East, (including hosting one of our own) and each one has been fantastic! 

For £10 per child you get exclusive use of the party room for 1.5 hours, a very good quality party tea (choice of sandwiches or hotdogs...we LOVED the hotdogs, think 'proper' sausages not those bright orange cylinders masquerading as food that kids are sometimes fobbed off with at venues) plus crisps, crudités, soft drinks and finished off with what else, but the all important ice cream! Kids go up to the indoor ice cream van in the party room and choose two (big!) scoops of ice cream and loading up with sprinkles and sauces. (It's worth adding that they're happy to cater for special dietary needs such as lollies and sorbet instead of ice cream if dairy intolerant)
 
There's a sound system in the room (which is just off the walk way towards the fabulous retro diner, so kids can see what's going on outside in the play area with the added bonus of being just close enough to the loos!) with music provided or if your little one has specific tastes, you can bring your own! The space is big enough to do party games if you like and there's certainly enough room to pass a parcel, pin a tail on a donkey or have a bit of a dance! The maximum is ideally 20 kids but they can accommodate more if you give a call to talk through what you want to do in advance.
 
We found the staff all really helpful and friendly when making arrangements and they were really good with the children. They provide printable invitations in advace and can provide balloons on the day or you can bring your own. The space can be decorated with your own decorations or banners if you want to as long as they don't damage the walls. You can also bring your own party bags, so your imagination's the limit when it comes to what each little reveller takes home. Apart from memories of a top day out in the Yorkshire countryside! It sounds cheesy but it's true; we're big fans of the Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream parlour (and our kids quite like it too!) It's clean, modern, with a really quirky style and a fantastic outdoor adventure playground that's innovative and unique to the area. 
 
We can't say enough, that the food and facilities here are really great for kids, second to none. Oh, and for the mummies and daddies, you can bring your own cake to serve them as well as setting up a tab for adults drinks...watching the kids have fun can be thirsty work!
 
And if you're not considering it because your child has a winter birthday, they promise us that with the new indoor play facilities parties can continue through the winter months! The whole new undercover play area features four new wooden play structures - a fire truck, a school bus, digger and truck plus new ride-on trikes for the little ones! For the bigger thrill-seeking kids there's a massive straw adventure with rope swings, slides, tunnels, climbing and rope ladders. Sounds fab to us!
 
To book your party (min £50 deposit) or to find out check out their website www.yorkshiredalesicecream.co.uk or call them on 01756 710685.

Much more than sheep at the mart as FOUR top kids' shows come to town!

The words ‘Skipton Auction Mart’ and ‘kids’ brings to mind fond childhood memories of accompanying my various farmer relatives on trips there, toddling around ‘helping’ them show the cows and sheep around the ring.  At the time I thought I was really grown up doing an important job but looking back today I have a feeling I was just there for the cute factor, most likely as a ploy to attract more bids for the livestock.  Nevertheless, I had great times and excitingly, for the new generation of little ones, there are even more ways to create great childhood memories there.  The Auction Mart has expanded its repertoire to include a variety of theatre shows at The Mart Theatre, many of which are aimed at young children and their families. 

The first child-friendly production to grace the stage this year is the Blunderbus Theatre Company’s production based on the Jill Tomlinson book, The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark.   The star of the show, Plop, the baby Barn Owl was afraid of the dark, and so Mrs Barn Owl suggested he venture from his nest to investigate the dark for himself.  This leads to a series of exciting adventures for Plop, which are recreated using ‘an irresistible blend of live music, puppetry and storytelling.’  This production is aimed at 3-7 year olds and their families and is already proven to be a hit with the Blunderbus Theatre Company reporting ‘record-breaking ticket sales at every venue we have swooped along to, including a sell-out run at The Lyric, Hammersmith’.  This review of an earlier production reports that ‘the Blunderbus team consider all-comers, with children enthralled by the action, and accompanying adults chortling at the witty adlibs from this friendly and likeable company.’  Sounds good?  Click here for full event details and to buy tickets for the show on Saturday 21st April at 11.30am and 2.30pm. (Tickets £7.50 adults, £5 Children, £20 Family of 4). 

Given that toddlers love a good race around, it’s rather fitting that the next production, (aimed at children 2-7 years and their families), is an adaptation of Aesop’s fable, named Hare and Tortoise.  The show tells the classic tale of the racing hare and tortoise and ‘opposites, time and friendship’ and promises to bring you ‘this much-loved story brimming with ideas, characters, live music and wonderful physicality.’  This production is a creation of Leeds-based company tutti frutti  whose success with this production on tour last year has lead to a 2012 retour, which kicks off at The Mart Theatre on Saturday 28th April at 11.30am and 2.30pm.  With a review in the Guardian of last year’s show declaring that ‘Catherine Chapman's attractive, brightly coloured design niftily embraces the changing seasons as ice melts, flowers bloom and butterflies flutter, and the songs are jolly’ it sounds like it will be a great hit with the nippers.  Click here for full event details and to buy tickets for the show. (Tickets £7.50 adults, £5 Children, £20 Family). 

Following a sell-out run at the Lyric Theatre last Christmas, Snow Play by the Lyngo Theatre Company is ‘a showdown between Spring and Winter over who gets to stay and who has to go’ when Mr. Green discovers Mr. White has taken over his house and tries his hardest to get Mr. White out into the garden whilst Mr. White busies his self covering the house in snow.  The show is aimed at 3-7 year olds and their families and sounds like fantastic fun as the audience gets to join in building a snowman and can even participate a big snowball fight - which this review describes wonderfully; ‘shrieks of pleasure accompany them ploughing onto the stage to cover Mr White in false snow or pelt Mr Green and his tennis racket with snow balls.  Best of all, there’s no damp, soggy mess to clear up afterwards.’  Toddlers are bound to love the randomness of snow in spring as the show comes to The Mart Theatre on Saturday 5th May.  Click here for full event details and to buy tickets for the show. (Tickets: £5 child, £7.50 adult, £20 family). 

If your toddler is anything like mine, they will be massive fans of anything ever written by The Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler, with The Snail and the Whale being no exception.  We are therefore thrilled to hear that Tall Stories are bringing their stage show of The Snail and the Whale to The Mart Theatre on Saturday 28th July at 11.30am and 2.30pm.  This production retells the story of the snail’s trip around the world on the whale’s tail and their numerous adventures and brushes with danger, (or should we say ‘mild peril’ - don’t worry your toddler won’t be scared)!  Tall Stories promise that this show ‘combines physical storytelling, live music and lots of laughs’.   I’m inclined to believe them given their track record of touring with their various Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler collaborations across the globe from the West End to Broadway, Dubai, Australia and Europe.  This review of one of their earlier productions confirms that Tall Stories bring you ‘a truly theatrical feast that leaves both adults and children fully entertained’.  Click here for full event details and to buy tickets for the show. (Tickets: £5 child, £7.50 adult, £20 family). 

Now the only thing left to do is decide which one to go to - I have a funny feeling we’ll be having several family trips to The Mart Theatre this year!

Blog kindly written by brilliant MooBaaKid, Stefni Oliver!