If your child loves anything to do with pirates, then they will love Here Be Monsters.

This brilliant production at Norden Farm follows the tale of villainous Captain Cut-Throat and his fearsome crew who sail through monster infested waters in search of a mysterious island crammed with jewels and gemstones. Through the plot, children learn about the devastating effects of greed. But apart from learning morals, this production is great because it is packed full of songs, and audience participation which is fantastic if you're talking a toddler along. I took my three-year-old son Ibrahim to watch the show and he loved shouting out ‘Here Be Monsters’ whenever he spotted them (along with all the other youngsters in the audience).

He also had great fun spotting the crew take on stereotypical chores on a boat - there was a chef who fished for food, one member that was constantly mopping the deck and another one that always kept an eye out with a telescope.

The production, which is presented by Mayflower Productions and Belfield & Slater Musicals, also has a very clever set. It brilliantly converts from a ship to a treasure island with a quick slide of doors – which impressed the audience.

The costumes are brilliant- the actors don tradition pirate costumes but have tails sticking out to show that they are actually animals. The kids in the audience had brilliant fun trying to guess what animals they were.

What I love about seeing productions at Norden Farm is that the arts centre has a whole host of shows aimed at children. During such shows, everyone in the audience comes with a child, so nobody minds if your little one occasionally points out the plot or rustles their bag of sweets. It is a very friendly environment - making it ideal for young families.

The show was on at Norden Farm on Tuesday. But it will tour the country until the end of March.

For more information click HERE.

For more on other shows at Norden Farm Arts Centre call 01628 788997 or log on https://norden.farm

By Aamina Zafar