For anyone heading along to the Manchester shows with family across this weekend, you’re in for a treat
Horrible Histories the Concert featuring Richard David-Caine as William Shakespeare (centre)(Image: Matt Crockett)
I’ve spent most of the past three years grimacing and mostly running out of the room when I hear the distinctive trill of Horrible Histories come on the telly. My ten-year-old son is obssessed with the hit BBC children’s series, watching episodes on repeat on the iplayer, and is now devouring all the books too.
So imagine my surprise when I headed along to sit and watch Horrible Histories – the Concert live on stage on a Friday night, and found myself actually ENJOYING it all. The songs are hilarious and the performances ebullient from a talented cast on stage at Manchester Opera House in this celebration of the children’s comedy series that makes history fun for young – and old.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Horrible Histories Live on Stage and to celebrate the theatrical milestone Birmingham Stage Company has teamed up with Lion Television to offer Horrible Histories fans (and those who’ve never even watched it like me) a truly special production.
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The unique show is written by the TV series’ writers Ben Ward and Claire Wetton and is led on stage by the Horrible Histories song master Richie Webb himself, who has written all the songs from the smash-hit BBC TV series. He’s a talented chap, because every one of the songs is a catchy toe-tapper that helps you learn a thing or two along the way.
Vikings and toe-tapping songs in Horrible Histories the Concert(Image: Matt Crockett)
William Shakespeare is our host for the show, and played by Horrible Histories long-time cast member Richard David-Caine, who is an absolute hoot. If ever a man deserves the term funny bones it is he.
It works like a rock concert on stage, with a full live band, and a cast of big names from history making their appearances along the way. The storyline weaving through is that William is being asked to create the greatest show on earth, but it’s a tough challenge when you’re dealing with giant egos like Henry VIII, Queen Victoria and Cleopatra.
There’s also vikings, Dick Turpin… even Death makes an appearance along the way to trouble poor Will, as if sitting next to skeleton versions of Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden for “Britain’s Got Terror” weren’t enough, before belting out the “Stupid Deaths” song that fans of the show will love.
Death becomes her… in Horrible Histories (Image: Matt Crockett)
By the end of the night I was kicking myself for avoiding the TV show my son loves for so long – as it’s actually brilliantly inventive stuff from the creators and prolific songwriter Webb. And what a way to cleverly educate kids on things you would never expect them to take an interest in.
I mean, where else could you watch Queen Victoria (Alison Fitzjon) belting out a song about all the Prime Ministers she got through, and Queen Elizabeth 1 (Harrie Hayes) and King Philip of Spain (Ethan Lawrence) duetting about the Spanish Armada.
And special mention to the magnificent Inel Tomlinson who near steals the show as ancient King Mansa Musa sharing his gold across the audience while we all singalong to I LIke to Spend It. He only goes and tops that by switching himself into Barnum for a Greatest Showman skit to great effect as we head to the show’s finale.
Inel Tomlinson gets the audience rocking with I Like to Spend It(Image: Matt Crockett)
As William Shakespeare told us all at the start: “We’ve got more bangers than Bonfie Night” and he was not wrong.
Naturally, there’s only one way it can all end and that’s with the show’s famous Monarchs Song. With pretty much every kid in the audience (and a fair few adults) knowing every King and Queen to sing in sequence.
There was a deliriously wild reception for this show at the second of the Manchester shows on Friday night – you’d be forgiven for thinking these kids had just watched Taylor Swift or Harry Styles in action given the giddy bouncing and clapping at the finale.
A wild reception in Manchester for the monarchs of Horrible Histories in concert(Image: Matt Crockett)
And I’ve no doubt it will get the same rapturious response across the Saturday shows this weekend too.
I asked my son for his rating after the show and it was a swift “5 out of 5”, and on this occasion I cannot disagree. Just a wonderful, fun, entertaining, inventive and educational piece of theatre.
As parents we often get dragged along to things we’re not exactly in to, to keep the kids happy. But on this occasion, I think I actually enjoyed it even more than the young ‘un.
Horrible Histories the concert is at Manchester Opera House on Saturday, February 7 and then continues on a UK tour including Liverpool on February 13 and 14.