Last night we headed along to Birmingham Hippodrome to see Birminghams finest pantomime. It was everything that you could possibly want in a pantomime and then a load more sprinkled on top. This was not just a pantomime. This was a variety show, a circus, a comedy show, a magic show and a pantomime, all…
Bat Out Of Hell: The Musical ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bat Out Of Hell, the musical based upon the works of Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman finally opened at The Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham last night. Twice delayed because of Covid19, we at SmallHouseBigTrips had been looking forward to this for, quite literally, years. The Alex had clearly gone all out for the debut show…
Ilam Park National Trust
Yesterday we visited the incredibly picturesque 𝗜𝗹𝗮𝗺 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸 in Ashbourne, DE6 2AZ. Ilam Park offers space to play and explore with woodland walks within the 158 acre Country Park on the banks of the River Manfold. It is a 25 minute walk to the famous stepping stones in Dovedale although we didn’t visit them yesterday…
Jersey Boys
What a way to end the year, but with the internationally acclaimed stage sensation, Jersey Boys. It has won 65 major awards and has been seen by over 27 million people worldwide and I was lucky enough to see it this evening at the 120 year gala party and opening night at The Alexandra Theatre,…
Horrible Histories Live
Catchy songs, plenty of audience participation and entertainment for everyone from young to old. It was foolish, zany and you will leave the show a little more brainy. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Everyone loves Horrible Histories. History told in a fun, often crude manner that is so much more entertaining than being sat and lectured to (I’m thinking…
Music Monsters
You might have seen on our Instagram stories that since September 2021, Matilda and Jemima have been attending piano lessons with Music Monsters, South Birmingham. The sessions are absolutely fantastic. The girls are learning how to play the piano, including all the intrinsic piano details in such a way that they think they’re just playing…
Alice in Wonderland
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An enchanting and captivating production from a hugely talented cast.” Every year The Old Rep, in conjunction with the students from the Birmingham Ormiston Academy put on a Christmas production. Previous years have seen interpretations of Pinocchio and The Snow Queen. This year it’s the turn of Lewis Carroll’s wonderful Alice in Wonderland. In…
Death Drop
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ It is a whimsical, eccentric and plain right bizarre comedy that will have even the most serious of people laughing” – Small House Big Trips What a show! I laughed, I giggled and at points I jumped. I had such a fantastic evening that I can’t stop smiling and thinking about some of the…
The Nutcracker 2021
A Magical Masterpiece ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Today, Birmingham Royal Ballet opened the 2021 Birmingham Hippodrome tour of The Nutcracker. Playing until 11th December 2021 and it was splendiferous! The Nutcracker tells the story of a young girl, Clara (Karla Doorbar) whose Father, Dr Stahlbaum (Jonathan Payn) and Mother (Yvette Knight), throw a Christmas Eve party, inviting Clara’s…
The Good Enough Mums Club
We all need one of these clubs don’t we. A club where we refuse to judge the Mum who puts her child in front of the TV for a bit of a break. The Mum who hands the child a mobile phone to watch Peppa Pig whilst she does the weekly shop. The Mum who…