Theatre Royal Brighton | until Sat 16th April 2016
Groovy Greeks | Horrible Histories | Tour | Review
Terry Deary’s Horrible History books have both delighted and educated young people for over 20 years. Following in the success of the books has been an award winning TV series, numerous stage shows, magazines and merchandise. These all ensure that Deary’s light hearted gruesome take on history remains one of the most successful and enjoyable ways that a child learn historical facts and figures.
The latest shows to be touring the UK are presented as a double bill by the Birmingham Stage Company. Having watched and reviewed Incredible Invaders last month in Croydon, I travelled to the Theatre Royal Brighton last night to find out how Groovy the Greeks actually are.
Groovy Greeks is exactly what you would expect from the Horrible History team, fast paced, zany, and gruesome.
The cast of four, Evelyn Adams, Holly Morgan, Elliot Fitzpatrick and Tom Moores are invited onto the stage by God of all Gods – Zeus (voiced by Deary himself) and after a nifty costume change they are transported back in time to ancient Greece. Armed with a battered copy of a Horrible History Groovy Greeks book to guide them, they teach the delighted audience by way of catchy songs, witty sketches and modern TV references all about the ancient civilisation.
The fun facts are thrown at you so fast that it is hard to keep up, but the children in the audience lap up the information. We learn about Troy, the Olympics, theatre in ancient Greece, ancient philosophers, various Greek myths and much more, it is an intelligent and valuable history lesson disguised as 90 minutes of fun and chaos.
As with incredible invaders during the second act we are given cardboard spectacles to wear and special 3D visuals which the actors use to great effect. Theseus is able to run through a twisting and turning labyrinth, the magnificence of a Greek amphitheatre is demonstrated and the 3D effects give hilarious backdrops for the Greek Gods as Zeus, Aphrodite, Poseidon and Athena compete in ‘The Gods Got Talent’.
A fun packed evening out, children and adults in the audience had a great time. It was good to learn what happened at the battle of Thermopylae and the difference between the Minoans and the Mycenaeans but it was also great to hear people singing about bile, blood and phlegm as we left the theatre. If only all subjects could be as much fun.
Reviewer : Sammi O’Neill
☆☆☆ Recommended
Read our inteview with Evelyn Adams here
Read our review of Incredible Invaders here
Horrible Histories continues at Theatre Royal Brighton (BUY TICKETS HERE) until Sat 16th April and then continues on it’s UK tour which includes:
The Chuchill in Bromley – From 31 May 16 to 04 Jun 16
Click here for full tour dates