Fun Fact: Did you know that the first Horrible History books were published over 20 years ago?
Published in 1993 by the Scholastic brand, The Terrible Tudors and The Awful Egyptians, were an instant hit. They described British history (of the time) through the context of the ruling dynasties. And they made it fun for the kids. Learning history would never be more ghastly or ghoulish!
Of course, with every successful book series, there should be an obligatory TV show, followed by a successful stage show (we are only waiting for the movies now). And that is Horrible Histories Barmy Britain 2 hour sing-along, dance-along version of 1000 years of British History. Told in the most gruesome, ghoulish way that will have the kids shrieking in delight or fear (I couldn’t tell).
Not only do you learn history, you do it in an almost interactive environment that makes the dead people come alive. And fun. Did I mention fun?
To be honest, I didn’t know much of the history of Britain. Neither did the rest of the audience (this being Australia you know), so relating to the show is a bit hard. Unless you are with a 7 year old who is genuinely interested in the history of England and whether King Henry VIII is portrayed correctly.
This show was live theatre combined with 3D imagery that had us gob-smacked. Talk about high production values!
I am not sure what I retained in the end, but the skulls coming towards us and the dancing Queen Victoria will forever be etched in my memory. I am hoping my 7 year old retained more of the history and knowledge part of it than I did.
It’s the horrible history of Britain with the nasty bits left in!
QPAC, Andrew Kay and Associates in association with The Birmingham Stage Company present:
Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain
When:
30 January at 7.00pm
31 January at 11.00am, 3.00pm and 7.00pm
Where:
Concert Hall, QPAC, Cultural Precinct, South Bank
Bookings:
136 246 or qpac.com.au
