There was magic in the air last night in Manchester, my eldest and I were at the Palace theatre for the press night performance of Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
What a show! From the start to the end, Joshua and I were in complete awe- I hadn’t expected it to be as magical as it was.
When the three orphaned Rawlins children are reluctantly evacuated from wartime London to live with the mysterious Eglantine Price, they have no idea what adventures lie ahead. Upon discovering Eglantine to be a trainee witch, they join forces to search for a secret spell that will defeat the enemy once and for all. Armed with an enchanted bedknob, a bewitched broomstick and a magical flying bed, they encounter surprising new friendships on their journey from Portobello Road to the depths of the beautiful briny sea.
The music and songs were delightful, especially the songs where the three children sang. I loved the character played by Dianne Pilkington, Miss Eglantine Price had some fantastic scenes which the entire audience enjoyed especially when she was learning to fly her broomstick. Her partnership with Professor Emelius Brown played by Charles Brunton was priceless, which some super scenes together.
The stage set was extremely clever, the scene was changing constantly before our eyes. The use of lightening was very impressive, how the cast went from standing outside on a dark misty night to being inside a warm room- just with the change in lighting!
The most spectacular part of the show was the magic or what the audience believed to be magic. Several times during the show, my son turned to me to ask how did they do that! And I had no idea. Beds flying through the air, items floating on their own, grown men turning into bunny rabbits and back again (that was one of the best tricks!). The ‘magic’ was absolutely flawless and left me and my son astonished!
Bedknobs and Broomsticks is showing at the Palace Theatre now until Sunday 24th October. Don’t miss it. For more information on tickets see here, and to see what’s coming up in Manchester see here.
Out and about mummy 