Review: Hey Duggee Live at Newcastle Theatre Royal
CBeebies' Hey Duggee has been adapted into an Olivier award-winning theatre production, and it's currently on tour around the UK
The live show revolves around the idea of collecting badges (just like the TV show). The visiting squirrels (or children) were given a sticker sheet before entering the auditorium, and earn stickers throughout the performance. Along the way we meet friendly faces such as Chew Chew the panda and Weaver the beaver… and luckily for us Mabel’s favourite Hennie the ostrich made an appearance, offering a helping hand whilst we looked for all the eggs dotted around the stage. It’s a good job we found them all, otherwise we would have been going home without our egg-collecting badge!
The catchy songs, simple dance routines and easy to follow storyline kept our two-year-old transfixed for the full one-hour performance. The most impressive is the space badge section: the lights dim and the theatre becomes the Milky Way, lit up with sparkling stars as giant planets bounce around the stage. By the end of the show all the children have earned their badges and are ready for one last song and dance – parents and guardians will be thrilled to hear the opening few notes of the (very catchy) Stick Song!
The puppets are well designed, each with its own very talented cast member bringing it to life. The set, lights and projections work perfectly and more importantly the staff at Newcastle Theatre Royal made the experience unforgettable.
