Polka, LondonThis Dick King-Smith adaptation is a bit unsteady on its trotters but its merriment has some of the audience bouncing in their seats"Why do those sheep look like people?" asks m…
Little Angel theatre, LondonDan Rebellato's play, which follows a 10-year-old facing the world when her parents split up, is beautiful, sad and full of clever touchesEmily Rising is a play a…
With Bernstein's complex score, Sondheim's witty lyrics and Robbins's exuberant dance sequences, this show is near perfectWhen asked to defend musical theatre " and this happens annoyingly o…
Polka theatre, LondonThis children's show is boosted by a beautiful set design and imaginatively realised creatures, including a couple of sock-snailsI'm no expert in woodland creatures and …
There's a one-man play inside every politician " and a one-woman play behind each male leader. Linda Griffiths's and Paul Thompson's solo show, Maggie and Pierre, explores Maggie Trudeau's s…
Storage spaces units are not a nice place to hang out. Chilly and quiet, vaguely depressing and horribly lit, they bring on a desire to leave almost immediately. The same impulse is palpable…
Lyric Hammersmith, LondonThere's not much story to speak of, but this play based on Emily Hughes's picturebook offers the young crowd the chance to get their hands dirtyMy theatre companion …
Running Wild is a theatrical safari with no expenses spared. This latest stage adaptation of a novel by Michael Morpurgo (of War Horse fame) boasts a jungle-full of puppets - a majestic elep…
From Going Solo's deserts, through the Fantastical forests of Mr Fox to Matilda's magic library, this walk through the author's worlds comes to life with a stutterBefore we enter The Wonderc…
Unicorn, LondonFrom tubs of mud to two bees performing a wiggly nectar dance, this is an informative but oddly paced introduction to insects and vegetationThe air smells of soil and a sparkl…
Little Angel theatre, LondonLizzie Wort's sparkling one-woman show floods the stage with colour and a thousand magical flourishesIt's two-and-a-half-year-old Emelie's first trip to the theat…
Discover Children's Story Centre, LondonNick Butterworth's picture book After the Storm is brought to the stage in a comforting production with some precious momentsBefore Percy the Park Kee…
Polka theatre, LondonAdapted from Raymond Briggs's picture book, this enchanting production is everything children's theatre should beAt one point during The Bear, my goddaughter Blue turns …
Palace theatre, LondonThis musical version of the classic tale, with Blue's Simon Webbe as the big bad wolf, has sizzling moments but fails to bring the house down This is the first family s…
St Paul's Church, Covent Garden, LondonAn exquisitely designed adaptation of the children's classic that captivates from start to finishForget the golden-hued, heart-warming Disney version o…
Garrick theatre, LondonBawdy slapstick has pacing problems but is smartly enlivened by a brilliant comic double act's naughtinessAt the beginning of Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain Part Th…
Leicester Square theatre, LondonAlthough a little overlong, these Julia Donaldson stories burst on to the stage in a riot of gleefully unsophisticated energy Related: Unfolding drama: how Ju…
Puppet Theatre Barge, LondonThe marionettes in this floating puppet show are beautiful and skilfully used, but the story is aimless and the young audience is not on boardMy young theatre com…
Why does so much contemporary theatre stereotype working women as sharp-suited, work-addicted ball-busters with no love life or softer side?
Little Angel, LondonThis interactive show for young children features a charming yet sparse set, a cornucopia of fruit and a parade of funny animalsMy goddaughter, Blue, is refusing to budge…
Southbank Centre, LondonThe actors give it all they've got, but with a fractured script and confusing interaction, this performance can't live up to its potentialGiant playing cards dangle f…
Unicorn theatre, LondonThis absorbing tale about a pair of ursine explorers brings a meditative calm to the young audienceThe last time I took four-and-a-half-year-old Barney to the theatre,…
Adult themes may be the company's natural preserve, but The Possible Impossible House, created for children, works wonders with cardboardThe theatre company Forced Entertainment are about to…
A chalky-faced man stands in the shadows and his limbs jolt about, as if battling for position beneath his skin. This is the ghost of Hamlet's father and he is a fearful sight in ACS Random'…
Russian prisoner Gavriil is telling his psychiatrist a story about a strange and frightening dragon who demands a female sacrifice from the local townsfolk every year. When Gavriil gets to t…