Disclosure: We were gifted complementary tickets to Bing Live, in exchange for a review. All opinions and words are our own.
It’s a Bing Thing
Let’s be honest, you’d have to be living under a rock to not be aware that Bing fever has well and truly swept the country. There’s something about that whiny, husky, bunny that just seems to captivate our little folk. I suppose it could be worse, at least the moral lessons taught by Flop and Amma are relevant to today’s modern parenting woes, and Bing, Sula, Coco and that other weird errr, pander-y thing? Speak a fairly decent level of queens English. You won’t find none of that fliberdy flobady Bill and Ben drivel here.
For whatever reason, our kids seem to share a wierd mutal appreciation for the somewhat generic ‘You learn from your mistakes’ episode plots. That is why we were “almost” certain that taking Emerson to see Bing Live show was a certified winner. I say almost, because we can never quite gauge the behavioural status Emerson will display at these types of events. He does have impeccable timing when it comes to toddler meltdowns. Anyway here’s how it went down.
The Venue
We opted for the more parent friendly show start time of 1pm (opposed to the earlier 10am showing), so the train journey into London was pretty relaxed. The Bloomsbury Theatre is conveniently located to Euston station. Within 10 minutes we found ourselves in a steady stream of buggy steering Mums and Dads entering the venue. Inside, organisation was on point and the queue to pick up pre-booked tickets moved equally as smooth. We’re suckers for a bit of merch, which is always gonna hurt the pocket, but who can resist? The look on Emerson’s face as we handed him a plushy of his on screen hero was priceless. In fairness the quality of this particular stuffed toy was actually very decent which makes the £17 price tag a little easier to swallow.
There was plenty of allocated space for buggy parking and the staff were on hand to assist with getting them up the stairs. Which was a nice touch seeing as most Mums and Dads already had their hands full. Another great thing about The Bloomsbury, is the wider than average space between the seating rows. A feature that prevents the whole row having to stand when somone is finding their seat or leaving mid-performance. I think most parents would agree, that’s a valuable asset when you’ve got an auditorium packed full of nappy soiling kids.
The Anticipation
The three of us side shuffled past the already seated people in our row and got comfortable. Although seating heights are adequately staggered we thought Emerson would have a better view perched on our laps. It also meant that we wouldn’t lose him down the back of the traditional folding theatre seat. Food bribes at the ready, we were finally ready for his first ever Bing Live show.
Emerson’s face bared a look of anticipation mixed with a little confusion, clearly intrigued by the Bing esque props sat on the stage, but had no idea why they were there. We all know that making kids wait longer than they have to, is something that should always be avoided. Thankfully the show began promptly, and the first of the well known characters emerged from behind the stage curtain.
Cue lots of high pitched shrieking and children of various ages losing their proverbial shit. The Bing Live show uses larger than life puppets, as opposed to just performers dressed in costumes. Emerson’s face as he recognised the characters on stage is a moment we won’t forget anytime soon. As he broke into a smile pointing and shouting in excitement, Keeley and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Multi-tasking At its Finest
A special mention goes out to the puppeteers here for their seemingly flawless ability to multitask. Controlling not only all of the body movements, but also the voice of each on stage character is no easy feat. The whole team have clearly put in the rehearsal hours, and it’s paid off with a great performance.
The storyline for the show is based around the main characters putting on their own stage show from home, with the help of a large dressing up box. There were plenty of oooh’s and ahhh’s as various props and costumes were pulled out of the box. The shrieks from the crowd gave the impression the kids were loving the plot, making Bing Live a success. We both agreed that the show works just as well on the stage as it does on the TV screen.
Ba-na-na
Anyway, back to the audience. As you can imagine young minds start to wander quickly, so the need for engagement is paramount. The show caters for this in the form of “on the count of three, everbody make a noise/act like” interaction. This may be verging on mental torture for some parents, others may criticize the lack of originality, but the beauty is in the simplicity and this type of engagement was just enough to focus our little one.
Not gonna lie at one point me and Keeley both found ourselves swishing from side to side like palm trees. There were a couple of songs throughout the show that went down a storm, and had parents singing along too. Most Mums and Dads probably didn’t expect they’d be bellowing “Ba-na-na” so loudly when they woke up that morning.
All Aboard The Toilet Train
Getting on for 30 minutes into the show, and the fidgety movement and crowd rabble started to creep up a little. It was at this point that vast numbers of flashing LED spinners popped up across the auditorium. Although not quite epilepsy enducing the constant blue flashes were a tad annoying and had us wishing we’d brought eye masks. I can imagine the person selling those things at the merch stall was probably doing an evil laugh.
Em catching a Snack during the Interval with his new pal
One thing you can’t fault Bing Live on is there timing, and the interval was announced just as Emerson’s attentiveness was starting to wear off. A rendition of ” The Toilet Train” song by the cast brought the first half of the show to a close. Another nice touch, and undeniably fitting for the kids now sitting with legs crossed after consuming a gallon of juice. Many parents had refrained from a pre show tipple, but most had earned one by this point. There was just enough time for a swift pint /gin, before it was back in the seats.
Curtain Call
The second half of the show was slightly shorter, and in honesty flew compared to the first. Em had warmed up slightly and now fancied a dance. We found ourselves having to stop him from hanging on the backs of the seats infront. A game that we were clearly losing, but in general we couldn’t complain. For the most part Em was content and seemed to genuinely have alot of love for the on stage capers.
We’re certain there was a unified sound of relief from the older members of the audience, as the show came to a close, but I don’t think anybody would argue the show was alot of fun. We were just pleased we had survived. All in all, it was a really nice day out, and nearly as enjoyable for us as it was for Emerson. We would definately recomend it if you’re looking for something different to keep your little ones entertained.
It’s quite possible (OK, probably 100% certain) we got lucky with Em’s behaviour. I’m sure there are families out there whose day didn’t go completely to plan. Either way we’d love to hear from you in the comments if you’ve been to Bing Live too, or any other TV programme thats been brough to life that would be worth a trip.
Hope you’ve enjoyed reading, and if you end up going we hope you enjoy the show as much as we did. Go and check the website to find out where Bing and his pals are heading next.
P.
Safe to Say Em’s first trip to the theatre was a success
What an awesome experience for E’s first time at the theatre. Looked like an incredible show