REVIEW: What the Ladybird Heard at Swindon's Wyvern Theatre

By Kelly Jobanputra

A SHOW based on the award winning picture book called ‘What the Ladybird Heard’ was a great success for little ones and parents alike when it came to Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre on Saturday.

This 55 minute performance managed to keep the attention of the children in the audience for the whole duration – through the use of song, visuals and the search for a brightly coloured ladybird.

Anyone who has a child under five will no doubt know of this classic story by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks and it’s fair to say that all adults in the theatre seemed to get into the show as well.

It took everyone on a journey through farm yard life where two shifty characters called Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len plot to steal the cash cow.

Unknown to the farmers, the naughty duo decide to open the gate and navigate their way past the various animals until they reach their planned scene of the crime.

However, true to the story, the day is saved when the ladybird intervenes and the children at Saturday’s show shriek with delight as they keep an eye out for this helpful bug.

It wasn’t a sell-out show by far but everyone who was there certainly engaged with the performance and not one child seemed to get restless.

The cast of the show had just the right level of enthusiasm for kid’s entertainment and when you hear a little one say “I want to see that again” as soon as the performance is over, it’s a sure sign that this tour will be well received wherever it goes.