There’s a Monster in Your Christmas Show at Bicester Leisure Centre was a genuinely lovely surprise and a brilliant theatre experience for young children and their families.
We went along with our four year old, an under two, and their cousins, and I was not entirely sure what to expect from a pop-up show in a leisure centre setting. Any doubts quickly disappeared. The Mill Arts Centre had transformed the space so well that it truly felt like stepping into a proper theatre. Black curtains surrounded the room, there was a real stage complete with lighting and rigging, and comfortable theatre style seating. Everything was easy to find, well organised, and calm on arrival. There was also a thoughtfully set up breakout space, ideal for children who needed a quieter moment or somewhere to move about while waiting.
The show began straight away with audience interaction, which worked beautifully. Even confident children can feel a little unsure at the start of a performance, especially one involving a monster! The cast immediately put everyone at ease and made the children feel involved from the very beginning.
The performers were excellent, especially the main character, Charlie, who was warm, charming, and instantly engaging. The cast were clearly very talented, with strong singing voices, energetic dancing, and impressive puppetry. The characters from Tom Fletcher’s books were brought to life so convincingly, including a unicorn, a dragon, an alien, and of course, Monster. Each had their own personality, mannerisms and accents, and it was easy to forget they were puppets at all.
The use of screens in the backdrop was clever and added depth to the storytelling. The songs were beautiful and, at times, unexpectedly emotional. I found myself getting quite teary more than once! What stood out most was how well the show understood its audience. Just as I started to wonder if the children might be losing focus, there would be moments of movement or simple actions to join in with, keeping them engaged and allowing them to get the wiggles out.
We had only read one of the books before seeing the show, but the books were available to buy afterwards and we picked one up straight away. My son could not wait to get home and read it, which felt like the perfect way to extend the experience.
This was a wonderful activity during that in between week after Christmas and before the New Year. The children absolutely loved it, and honestly, so did I. It was warm, joyful, and a fantastic introduction to theatre for young children, and I would happily recommend it to other families.