19 family-friendly theatre shows and performances in and around Cardiff this summer 2019

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It’s almost the school summer holidays and with it comes a whole range of family-friendly theatre shows, from pre-school-friendly productions such as Tabby McTat and The Tiddly Prom to large-scale musicals such as Madagascar and Annie, along with amateur productions including The Little Mermaid, there’s plenty going on for all ages.

Here are 19 shows taking place over the summer. Do let me know any I’ve missed and I’ll do my best to include them.

Please note all events are subject to change and cancellation so do check ahead with organisers to avoid disappointment.

Most events need to be pre-booked and many are likely to sell out so book quick to avoid disappointment.

Will you be seeing any of these shows this summer? Do let me know in the comments below, on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page or you can tweet me on @cardiffmummy

You can also see more of our adventures in South Wales and beyond on the Cardiff Mummy Says Instagram feed.

 

July

 

Rwtsh Ratsh Rala Rwdins

Riverfront Arts Centre, Newport

Tuesday 9 July, 1pm

£8 per person

Sherman Theatre Cardiff

Thursday 11 July, 11am

£9 per person

Memo Arts Centre, Barry

Friday 12 July, 10.15am

£6 per person

Theatre company Arad Goch celebrates its 30th birthday by reviving and touring its very first production, Rwtsh Ratsh Rala Rwdins. Join the adventure in the land of Rwla, as the favourite characters try to solve Dewin Dwl’s big secret! The show is written by the award winning author of the series Angharad Tomos and directed by Jeremy Turner. This Welsh-language production is suitable for children 3-8 years old and their families.

 

The Tiddly Prom: Bert’s Magical Musical Kitchen

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

Saturday 20-Saturday 27 July, 10.30am

£7.50 per person

Part of St David’s Hall Welsh Proms season, the annual Tiddly Prom is an opportunity for the under 5s to experience live music interactively. Children are introduced to orchestral instruments and professional musicians in a relaxed and fun environment, featuring silly songs, music and mayhem, as Bert attempts to make a cake for his friend Daphne’s birthday, with the help of his friend Cherry.

 

Family Prom

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

Saturday 20 July, 3pm

Adults £12.50, children £7.50, under 5s free

TV weather presenters Derek Brockway and Behnaz Akhgar present this year’s Family Prom, performed by Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra and local choirs and dancers, conducted by Michael Bell MBE. The programme for the weather-themed performances features classical and pop music, including Korsakov’s The Flight of the Bumblebee, George Gershwin’s Summertime, Singin’ in the Rain, Over the Rainbow, Here Comes The Sun, and a medley from Frozen. Free pre-concert activities from 1.30pm include face-painting, instrument demonstrations and live performances.

 

FREE Big Splash 2019: Family Street Theatre Festival

The Riverfront and around Newport

Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 July,

A weekend full of free events and performances for families. The city streets will be transformed into a huge outdoor stage with dare-devil performances, immersive experiences and plenty of laughs. Events include live music, craft workshops and a whole range of street theatre performances. See the website for full listings.

 

9 to 5: The Musical

Memo Arts Centre, Barry

Tuesday 23-Friday 26 July

Adults £15, concessions £12; groups (2 adults, 2 concessions) £48

Barry’s Billboard Ensemble present 9 to 5: The Musical, based on the movie and book of the same name, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. The show tells the story of Doralee, Violet and Judy – three workmates pushed to boiling point by their sexist and egotistical boss. Concocting a plan to kidnap and turn the tables on their despicable supervisor, will the girls manage to reform their office – or will events unravel when the CEO pays an unexpected visit?

 

The Bangers and Chips Explosion

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff

Thursday 25-Saturday 27 July, 7pm

£8 adults; £4 children

Age guidance: 7+

The young people of Sherman Youth Theatre bring Brough Girling’s book to the stage in a this amusing new stage play. Join the pupils of St Gertude’s Primary School as the go on strike due to the lack of chips on the menu and head teacher Mr Mackintosh has reached the end of his tether. When two newly appointed cooks start to dish up chips for lunch every day Billy Baxter and his chipaholic friends can hardly believe their luck. But in the kitchen a sinister plot is brewing. Will the children find out in time? Will an unlikely hero emerge to save the school?

 

Alice In Wonderland

Bryngarw Country Park, Bridgend

Wednesday 24 July, 6pm

Adults £10.50, children £8.50, group of four £36

Follow Alice and the White Rabbit on a colourful, topsy-turvy adventure where they meet a host of outlandish characters including the troublesome twins, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, the notorious Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire cat and the Mad Hatter. Immersion Theatre present this energetic and madcap adaptation of Lewis Caroll’s classic story, with the opportunity to meet the characters after the show. Bring your own blankets/seating. Chairs are not provided. See below for other outdoor theatre events at Bryngarw Park.

 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Bryngarw Country Park, Bridgend

Wednesday 31 July, 7pm

Adults £10.50, children £8.50

Immersion Theatre’s adaptation of the classic Shakespeare magical and romantic comedy, sees the action set in Great Britain just before the start of the Great War. Four young lovers, a band of hapless actors, and a magical realm populated by enchanting spirits set on causing mischief and mayhem at every turn culminate in an unparalleled open-air experience of beauty and hilarity. Please bring your own blankets/seating. Chairs are not provided. See above and below for other outdoor theatre events at Bryngarw Park.

 

The Little Mermaid Jr

Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Saturday 27 July-Saturday 3 August

£10 per person; £36 family of four

All the magic of the classic Disney animation as AndGo Theatre bring an hour-long version of The Little Mermaid to the outdoor stage at Cardiff’s Open Air Theatre Festival. Young mermaid Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. But before she can achieve her dream, she’ll have to defy her father, King Triton, escape the clutches of Ursula the sea witch and convince the handsome Prince Eric that she’s the girl with the perfect voice he’s been seeking. Other shows at the festival include Much Ado About Nothing and Jesus Christ Superstar.

 

 

August

 

The Selfish Giant

Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl

Saturday 3 August, 11am

£6.50, age 3+

Powerful storytelling, captivating puppetry, and a sprinkling of theatre magic in this stage adaptation of the classic tale. Grinter the giant shuts herself away in her cold house, surrounded by huge snowy gardens, enclosed by high, frost-covered walls. Outside, the children discover a chink in the giant’s wall, changing the course of their lives forever.

 

Madagascar The Musical

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

Age guidance 3+; no admittance to under 2s

Tuesday 6-Saturday 11 August

Based on the smash-hit DreamWorks animated motion picture, Madagascar The Musical follows a group of animals as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo, and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar. Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and those hilarious, plotting penguins as they bound onto the stage in this musical adventure.

The 2pm matinee performance on Thursday 8 August is a relaxed performance, specially designed for people who may find going to the theatre challenging, including those with an autistic spectrum condition, learning disability or sensory and communication disorder.

 

 

Gangsta Granny

Bryngarw Country Park, Bridgend

Tuesday 13 August, 6pm

Adults £12.50, children £8.50, group of four £38; age 7+

Eleven-year-old Ben is fed up of spending his Friday nights at Granny’s. All she wants to do is play Scrabble and eat cabbage. However, when he looks for something more edible in the kitchen, he stumbles across an old biscuit tin… which holds Granny’s biggest secret. Ben’s Granny is an international jewel thief who needs Ben’s help to pull off her biggest heist yet – stealing the crwon jewels. Heartbreak Productions present an outdoor adaptation of David Walliams’ best-selling book. See above and below for other outdoor theatre events at Bryngarw Park.

 

Club Tropicana

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

Tuesday 13-Saturday 17 July, £16.50-£45.50

Age guidance 8+ (no under 2s)

Take a trip back to the electric 80s and embark on a summer of love and smash-hit classics. At Club Tropicana Hotel the drinks are free and the whole family is invited to join the ultimate holiday musical, celebrating all that we love about the 80s. The show is set a soundtrack of live performances of iconic pop anthems of the era including Just Can’t Get Enough, Take On Me, The Look of Love, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Relax and many more! The new musical stars Joe McElderry (X Factor winner and star of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Neil McDermott (EastEnders, The Sound of Music), Kate Robbins (Spitting Image, Dinnerladies), Emily Tierney (Wicked, The Wizard of Oz); and former Sugababe star Amelle Berrabah, making her musical theatre debut.

 

English Youth Ballet: Swan Lake

New Theatre, Cardiff

Friday 16 and Saturday 17 August; 7.30pm plus Saturday matinee 2.30pm

English Youth Ballet new production of Swan Lake is a traditional production with emphasis on the rivalry between the seductive evil Black Swan Odile and the beautiful but vulnerable White Swan Odette, as they compete for the affections of the Prince. English Youth Ballet’s professional principal dancers lead the pageantry of a large cast of up to 100 young talented regional dancers in this highly acclaimed Company.

 

Annie

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

Monday 19-Saturday 31 August

Age guidance 5+; no under 2s

Direct from the West End, Annie returns to Cardiff with its Tony® award-winning book and score, including the unforgettable songs It’s The Hard-Knock Life, Easy Street, I Don’t Need Anything But You and Tomorrow. Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Her luck soon changes when she’s chosen to spend a fairytale Christmas with famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. Meanwhile, spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search for her true family.

 

 

Wuthering Heights

Bryngarw Country Park, Bridgend

Wednesday 28 August, 7pm

Adults £12.50, children £8.50, group of four £38 ; age 9+

Heartbreak Productions present an outdoor adaptation of Emily Bronte’s haunting tale of two restless souls as wild and untamed as the bleak Yorkshire moors. Step into the mysterious realm of Wuthering Heights, home to the Earnshaw family and the enigmatic orphan, Heathcliff. While under the care of the wealthy Mr Earnsaw, Heathcliff’s relationship with the gentleman’s daughter, Catherine, blossoms into an unruly and passionate romance.Betraying her heart, Catherine resigns herself to marry a man of her own class, leading Heathcliff down a vengeful and self-destructive path. His possessive and erratic nature drives him to enact a torturous scheme of revenge on the next generation of Earshaws. Please bring your own blankets/seating. Chairs are not provided. See above for other outdoor theatre events at Bryngarw Park.

 

Tabby McTat

New Theatre, Cardiff

Thursday 29 August-Sunday 1 September (Thursday 1pm and 3.30pm; Friday-Sunday 11am and 2pm)

Based on the beloved book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler this is a heart-warming tale of friendship and loyalty. Tabby McTat is a cat with the loudest of mews who befriends a busker with a guitar. Together they sing their favourite songs delighting the crowds, until one day Fred disappears.  Separated and alone, Tabby finds shelter and a new life with all the home comforts that any cat could dream of.  However, memories of his life with Fred haunt him, and he sets off to search the streets for his long-lost friend.

 

Tom Thumb

Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl

Saturday 31 August, 10.30am

£6.50 per person; ages 3+

Performed entirely on and under a kitchen table this classic story is brought to life in a playful and fascinating show full of Lyngo’s magic with feathery spinning birds, a flying house and a portable forest. One night tiny Tom overhears Mum and Dad talking – there’s nothing left to eat so they are going to leave him and his six brothers in the forest! Outwitting his parents and the ogre Tom shows everybody that even though he is small he is still mighty as he protects his brothers, finds the treasure and makes sure they’ll never be hungry again.

 

Mr Majeika and the Magic Organ

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

Saturday 7 September, 11am

Standard price, £10; family ticket £10.50 (max 3 tickets, min 1 child) or £14 (max 4 tickets, min 2 children

David Pipe (organist of Leeds Cathedral and director of the Organists’ Training Programme, Diocese of Leeds) introduces the magnificent organ of the city’s iconic St David’s Hall and is joined by John Biddle (narrator) to perform Bob Chilcott’s Mr Majeika and the Magic Organ, based on Humphrey Carpenter’s popular children’s story. He’ll also play Bach’s mighty Toccata and Fugue in D minor and, to show the organ’s versatility, music from Star Wars and Harry Potter!

 

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