We were invited* to City Hall in Sheffield to take in Wallace and Gromit’s Musical Marvels for the purposes of this blog post. Hopefully it will give you a little taste of what the show is like, and whether it is right for you.
If you want to read the preview post, you can find it here:
What actually happens?
Wallace and Gromit’s Musical Marvels is a show split in two halves. The first half includes an interactive story between Wallace and Gromit on the big screen and the orchestra. Mixed in are “proper” pieces of music played by the orchestra, which don’t have a link to Wallace and Gromit. However, the pieces are played to such a high standard, and Heidi’s favourite was the full length version of Bohemian Rhapsody, which was so nice!
The second half of Wallace and Gromit’s Musical Marvels was a showing of “The Wrong Trousers”. What made it extra special was the orchestra playing the background music to add extra drama. They certainly added an extra dimension, but some of it was too effective and made it a bit too scary at times for Heidi!!
How long does it last?
Each half is about 40 minutes long with a 20 minute interval. Some children got a little restless towards the end of the first half because during the music, there isn’t much to see. However, the second half was clearly more visual and more wriggle-proof.
Is there a good place to sit?
We had good seats in the circle and the middle, but really, the screen is so large you can see it anywhere. I can see the appeal of being in the front couple of rows to see the orchestra up close, but you’ll be getting neckache looking up at the screen.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes!! For smaller children, it might be the first time that they see Wallace and Gromit and so I felt like I was passing on the baton to Heidi. Would it have been a good idea to show Heidi a Wallace and Gromit episode? Possibly, but explaining the characters as the show was on was also fun!
If truth be told, you can quite happily go without the children because the music is so good. That way you can relive the “good old days” whilst watching The Wrong Trousers.
Is there any merchandise?
Yes! If Wallace and Gromit’s Musical Marvels has had a positive impact, there is a stall selling merchandise before, in the middle and the end of the show. They do take card and whilst some items may be a little expensive, it is quite difficult to find Wallace and Gromit merchandise.
* Whilst we received free tickets for the purposes of this blog post, no influence has been made to alter this blog post.
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