A thrilling and engaging new Blackpool Family Friendly programme.

Being family-friendly is a top priority for Blackpool’s Grand Theatre and their line-up of great shows confirms just that!

The Grand has searched for some of the most thrilling, exciting, engaging and interactive shows touring the UK to bring them to Blackpool and entertain families of Blackpool, Fylde, Wyre and the region.
Their Family Friendly programme begins in March (12th & 13th) with the ultimate arts and craft hero Mister Maker, in his first ever live theatre tour!

Packed full of arty adventures there’ll be a big ‘make’ to take part in, super songs to join in with, a fabulous supporting cast, and not forgetting, The Shapes! Yes, you’ll be able to share the fun with Mister Maker’s colourful all-dancing friends Circle, Square, Rectangle and Triangle too!

Britain’s Got Talent champions and Britain’s newest secret agent is off the leash….and ready for action in Blackpool!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to join Ashleigh and Pudsey this April (10th), everyone’s favourite Britain’s Got Talent champions, for a brand new interactive spy adventure Mission ImPUDSEYble.

From K9 Intelligence Agents, Ashleigh and Pudsey must defeat their arch nemesis Dr Feline and his acrobatic cat burglars as they battle for world domination. With a fantastic array of gadgets, cars, jet packs and gismos, help Ashleigh and Pudsey by finding clues, breaking codes, and solving puzzles.
Prepare to meet hilarious characters along the way as our heroes will Riverdance in Ireland, do battle with Russia’s Meerkat division and defeat Dr Feline’s guardian of his tomb – the spectacular sand serpent! Finally Pudsey must complete a deadly assault course, full of crafty traps, in order to save the world and finally complete their mission.

For Fans of David Walliams books this show should need little introduction… It’s Friday night and Ben knows that means only one thing – staying with Granny!

There will be cabbage soup, cabbage pie and cabbage cake and Ben knows one thing for sure – it’s going to be sooooooooo boring! But what Ben doesn’t know is that Granny has a secret – and Friday nights are about to get more exciting than he could ever imagine, as he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime with his very own Gangsta Granny!

From the acclaimed producers of HORRIBLE HISTORIES and UK’s best-selling author for children David Walliams the world premiere of Gangsta Granny Live On Stage! arrives in Blackpool this April (27th to 1st May) for a full week!

David said of the show ‘I am over the moon that ‘Gangsta Granny’ is coming to the stage. It’s the most popular of all my books and I am sure this production by the brilliant Birmingham Stage Company will delight not just children but their parents and of course grandparents’.

In May (18th) UK Ballet Theatre’s Pinocchio takes centre stage… The enchanting story of a wooden puppet carved from pine with but only one wish…to become a real boy.

Pinocchio, the cheeky marionette puppet with an unruly nose, on his epic quest as he overcomes obstacles, faces consequences and even ends up in the belly of a whale yet proves to all that dreams really do come true.

Set to a stunning classical score this original production will delight ballet audiences and families alike and promises to carve a new love for Pinocchio through the magic of classical dance.

In addition to this classical ballet The Grand welcomes Sadler’s Wells groundbreaking international festival of hip hop dance theatre and culture, Breakin’ Convention, after huge success in 2014.

Hosted and curated by Jonzi D, Breakin’ Convention brings a phenomenal night of dance performances from the very best international and UK poppers, lockers, house dancers, b-boys and b-girls. This year’s line-up includes world champion b-boy crew The Ruggeds (The Netherlands), experimental b-boys Iron Skulls (Spain), and leading street dancer Antoinette Gomis (France), alongside a host of local acts.

Spilling off the stage in St John’s Square with the kind support of Blackpool and the Flyde College and BIDs Blackpool a giant tepee will be sighted offering outside dance, live DJs, freestyle dance jams, live graffiti and more, guaranteeing there’s something for all the family.

The event incorporates local dance companies Urban Dance Project, Wingz Theatre Works – FY Wingz, Freefly Crew, B-girl Goldie Lox and Chad Taylor Dance Company.

Described by The Scotsman as ‘Perfect children’s entertainment’ Gruffalo’s Child Live! is coming to The Grand.

Tall Stories Theatre Company returns in August (13th & 14th), bringing Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s captivating sequel Gruffalo’s Child to life in this magical, musical adaptation. This captivating story has been heralded as “Everything good children’s theatre should be” and “Fun, daft and a little scary!”

The Gruffalo said that no Gruffalo should ever set foot in the deep dark wood… One wild and windy night the Gruffalo’s child ignores her father’s warning and tiptoes out into the snow. After all, the Big Bad Mouse doesn’t really exist…does he?

The Grand welcomes the return of a brand new Peppa Pig live stage show, PEPPA PIG’S SURPRISE (15th to 17th August) . Produced by leading children’s theatre team Fiery Light, in partnership with licensor Entertainment One, this brand new show marks the seventh consecutive year of Peppa Pig live theatre tours and the fourth Peppa Pig stage production in total.

In PEPPA PIG’S SURPRISE audiences will enjoy interactive fun, games and, of course, surprises. This charming, colourful new show features new songs and new life-size puppets.

New sing-along songs and music will again be provided by BAFTA award-winning Mani Svavarsson. Matt Lewis is lyricist, Simon Scullion is designer, Matt Haskins is lighting designer, Helen Atkinson is sound designer and Andy Booth is music director.

In a first for Blackpool, BAFTA Award-winning TV presenter, adventurer, naturalist and children’s author, Steve Backshall brings his 2016 stage show WILD WORLD! (13th November) to Blackpool taking us on a tour of the real life expeditions that have inspired his books The Falcon Chronicles and his new novel in the series, Shark Seas.

Steve has two brand new series out this year, a BBC TWO expedition series called Steve Backshaw’s Extrerme Mountain Challenge. Steve embarks on one of the most dramatic and dangerous expeditions filmed by a BBC crew – to explore Venezuela’s tepuis, the ancient, sheer-sided mountains of Canaima National Park.

With a team of expert rock climbers, Steve attempts the first ascent of a remote, unclimbed tepui to search for wildlife on the summit. The month-long expedition will see Steve and the team scaling untouched mountain cliffs, caving inside the tepuis and abseiling off the highest waterfall in the world. Along the way, the team battle against freak weather, rock fall and some very dangerous wildlife.
Steve also has a new 6 part ITV series FIERCE broadcasting in April. Steve embarks on six epic adventures to Guyana, Mexico, Namibia, Indonesia, Australia and South Africa, where along the way he encounters the world’s most venomous snake, the Inland Taipan, gets perilously close to the largest carnivorous reptile in South America, the giant Black Caiman, attempts to track down the endangered Giant River Otter and stakes out the feisty and fearless Honey Badger.

On Fierce, Steve said: ‘In the wildest corners of our planet, lethal predators stalk their prey. With scalpel shark teeth, venoms and poisons, camouflage and super-senses, these are the beasts of nightmare and legend. In this, my first series for ITV, I’m on an expedition to find these ‘FIERCE’ predators, discover what makes them tick, and meet the people that share their world.’

Andrew Howard Marketing Manager, Grand Theatre said, ‘Steve Backshall’s Wild World takes you on a wild journey, illustrated with photos and films from the Arctic to the Antarctic, from the tundra to the top of the world’s highest peaks, and from the depths of the rainforest to the bottom of the ocean. This talk is suitable for wildlife enthusiasts of all ages from eight to eighty.’

The Grand takes you back 65 million years to meet THE T-REX!

Direct from the West End, DINOSAUR ZOO is stampeding across the country and hits Blackpool this August (5th to 7th).

From cute baby dinos to teeth gnashing giants, meet the zoo’s newest range of awesome Jurassic creatures, including an Arctic Tyrannosaur, baby Triceratops and baby Parasaurolophus!
DINOSAUR ZOO is the internationally-acclaimed hit show that offers guaranteed fun for all the family don’t miss it!

The fantastically fresh and funny production Aliens Love Underpants Live! will delight the whole family this September (2nd & 3rd) and comes direct from London’s West End.

This zany and hilarious tale based on the best-selling children’s book is delightfully brought to life on stage for the very first time.

Aliens Love Underpants Live! is based on the bestselling books by Clare Freedman and Ben Cort, adapted and directed by Adam Bampton-Smith who has written and produced The Legend of Perseus, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, The Night Before Christmas and The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus as well as adapting the Oliver Jeffers books The Way Back Home and STUCK for the stage.

Aliens love underpants, of every shape and size, but there are no underpants in space, so here’s a big surprise!

The Guardian said of the production ‘…there is much magic and mischief here – and that, really, is the essence of all great family theatre.’

With stunning effects, madcap action, original music (and lots of aliens of course!). You’ll laugh your PANTS off!

No Family Friendly line-up of great shows would be complete without Pantomime, and we can now announce for the first time our headliners for this year’s production Aladdin.

Martin Dodd, UK Productions Producer said, ‘Following last year’s record-breaking sales at the Grand Theatre we are delighted to bring back the brilliant Barney Harwood (who made his premiere at The Grand in Peter Pan in 2009/10) from CBBC’s Blue Peter to play the title role and to star alongside BBC Radio Lancashire presenter and comic Steve Royle who was this year made a Patron of The Friends of The Grand and has been performing at the theatre for the past 14 years.

‘Barney is not only a talented TV presenter but also a very accomplished stage performer and we know it will be a winning combination.

‘We always look forward to working with the fabulous team at The Grand to bring another spectacular and record-breaking pantomime to Blackpool. Snow White played to near capacity audiences for the entire run so the message has to be… Book early!’

Aladdin runs from 9th December to 8th January 2017 with two performances daily including morning, afternoon and evenings.

To book for any of the Family Friendly productions this year visit www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/familyfriendly, or call 01253 290190

To view the New Season click here: issuu.com/grandtheatreblackpool/docs/brojanjuly16_issuu_hires