Cardiff’s Balloon Girl tragedy inspires brilliant new family show at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre

Thanks to the Sherman Theatre for providing us with complimentary review tickets for Balloon Girl

Balloon Girl is the brilliant new theatre show at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre, perfect for anyone aged 8 and over.

We attended last night’s press performance and absolutely loved it.

It’s an inspirational and thought-provoking production based on the true story of Louisa Maud Evans – who died aged 14 in 1896 when a hot-air balloon demonstration at ‘the Great Exhibition’ in Cardiff went tragically wrong.

Louisa’s story intertwines with that of a modern-day tech billionaire who’s about to send the first civilian to Mars. There’s a real Christmas Carol vibe, as Louisa takes (aptly-named) billionaire Carol Gaudron on a hot-air balloon ride journeying back over 2,000 years of Welsh history as we meet Roman and Celtic chariot racers, Viking raiders, Victorians, and even into a dystopian future, as Carol reflects on her life and choices.

The show is laugh-out-loud funny in parts, emotional and moving at times, and very cleverly staged, combining creative digital backdrops with imaginative props such as the balloon and even a Viking ship.

All of the cast are fantastic but we especially loved Elin Phillips as Carol, Mari Fflur as Louisa, and Oliver Wood as her sidekick, the talking seagull Gil, bringing much of the laughs. If you’ve watched any of the Sherman’s annual family Christmas shows, you’ll recognise many of the cast and creative team from previous productions and in fact Balloon Girl is written and directed by another Sherman regular Hannah McPake, marking the launch of Tilt, her new theatre company, with a mission ‘to tell stories from a fresh perspective’.

And that’s the thing I love most about Balloon Girl; most theatre based on historical events has a distinctly male narrative, but not so here. Louisa’s isn’t the kind of voice we hear very often but her story is absolutely one worth sharing. When Louisa died, the people of Cardiff were so upset and outraged they raised money for a gravestone for her, which you can still visit at Cathays Cemetery, and her death led to changes in child labour laws. Her story deserves to be remembered.

Hannah McPake has a wonderful way of bringing local history to life, helping us understand why it’s still relevant, and reminding us we can learn lots from the past. It’s a show that doesn’t shy away from big issues but mixes fantasy and humour, along with some really great characters, to tell its story beautifully. The age guidance is 8+ and although it’s aimed at families, and there’s a number of schools productions, there’s plenty here for everyone and you can definitely don’t have to have children to watch. There were lots of adults without children at last night’s performance and some of the integral messages – we can’t change the past but we can decide what happens next, and is the cost of innovation always worth it? – will resonate with people of all ages. I took two of my teenagers and they both got a lot from it, picking up on the Christmas Carol references and fascinated by the local history.

We’ve seen Hannah McPake appear in several Sherman shows over the years and have watched others she’s created on behalf of the theatre so it’s a privilege to see her debut show with Tilt. And if this is a sign of things to come, I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Balloon Girl is at Sherman Theatre, Cardiff until Saturday 24 October. Tickets cost from £18, concessions £2 off, children and under 25s half price. Age guidance 8+. Running time: 2 hours 15 mins, including an interval. Visit the Sherman’s website for more information.

Also coming up at the Sherman Theatre for families:

Pinocchio (English and Welsh language versions available).

Previews 6-7 November; 23 November 2026-2 January 2027

The Sherman’s annual theatre show for children aged 3 to 6 and their families.  £10 per ticket.

The Merry Adventures of Maid Marian

27 November 2026-2 January 2027

From £18 , concessions £2 off, children and under 25s half price.

The Sherman’s annual theatre show suitable for those aged 7+.