2019 marks the eleventh year of Underbelly Festival on the Southbank - one of the biggest multi-arts offerings in London - with over 100 shows programmed over 6 months.

This year, Underbelly Festival Southbank boasts its biggest family programme ever, kicking off with the first ever Family Fest - running every day throughout the school Easter Holidays (6-22 April).

This feast of theatre, circus, music, comedy and variety performance includes Underbelly Festival's first headliner A Simple Space - a simply stunning display of stripped-back acrobatics with a sense of fun and free spirit that makes it perfect for the whole family (5 April-5 May).

Also playing is the acclaimed adaptation of The Gruffalo, The Witch and The Warthog with Julia Donaldson in which live readings from the legendary children's author bring her stories to life within a spectacular theatrical world (11-13 April).

Further theatrical wonderment to be found on the Family Fest stage includes a new theatrical adaptation of The Wind in the Willows (6-7 April) by award winning theatre company Box Tale Soup, featuring fantastic puppetry and a charming original score.

Following this comes AniMalcolm - the vibrant, energetic and gloriously funny musical from the award-winning Story Pocket Theatre written by comedy icon David Baddiel, which follows Malcolm, a Year Six boy who hates animals, but finds a strange and profound connection with them on a school trip to a farm (8 April).

Returning to the Southbank by popular demand is Shakespearience - the Bard's best-loved works burst into life in this high-octane, whistle-stop tour of three of Shakespeare's plays (11-12 April & dates throughout summer).

For those looking to introduce youngsters to the Bard there's also Rubbish Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet, in which an all-male, all-silly troupe present an hour of multi-roling, wigs, water, and floppy swords.

It's Shakespeare's most anarchic tragedy yet! (21 April).

Wrapping up this bumper holiday of family theatre is the mega hit from the makers of Aliens Love Underpants, MONSTERSAURUS! (15-22 April) which follows young inventor Monty as he creates a whole world of whacky inventions and incredible monsters.

As well as theatre this spectacular line-up includes a unique range of shows which introduce the little ones to nearly every form of live entertainment; these include the ultimate singalong The Massaoke Family Show with a live-band performing hits from The Greatest Showman, Disney  - including Frozen and Beauty and the Beast, pop megamixes from the likes of Ariana Grande, Katy Perry and Little Mix, and classics for the mums and dads (6-13 April).

The Showstoppers' Kids Show is an entirely improvised musical, a family iteration of the Olivier Award-winning West End sensation but fuelled entirely by the imagination of children: Harry Potter on the moon? Done!

Peppa Pig and the Gruffalo meet dinosaurs inside a dolls house? No worries! (8 April and various dates throughout the summer).

Variety Club 4 Kids sees the makers of Comedy Club 4 Kids unearth an otherworldly range of comedy, circus, magic, music, thrills, skills, spectacle, silliness and SHENANIGANS from some of the UK's best variety performers (13 April & dates throughout summer).

The family comedy sensation that is CC4K also returns on 22 April and throughout the summer.

Journey Through Jazz - from SwingDanceUK - is the perfect introduction to Jazz Dance for the little ones; from the Charleston to the Twist, experience these fascinating dances and their history is enjoyable for adults and children alike (14 April).

Chores (16-19 April) is a rip-roaring circus-comedy for the whole family, all the way from Australia: Two brothers must hurry to clean their room before their mum comes back.

What could possibly go wrong? 

An Underbelly Southbank institution, Morgan & West Utterly Spiffing Spectacular Magic Show for Kids (and Childish Grown-ups)! returns for a mind-boggling display of magic from the world's foremost time-travelling Victorian illusionists (21 April & dates throughout summer).

Rounding off the holidays, Dan & Bex enlist the help of the audience to crate the Best Radio Roadshow ever in The Fun Kids Epic Roadshow Adventure (22 April).

Although the Easter Holidays must end, the fun continues throughout the summer with other family shows at Underbelly Festival including the first ever stage adaptation of a CBeebies smash hit: Twirlywoos Live! - in which the producers of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show bring your favourite characters to life with beautifully innovative puppetry, mischief, music and plenty of surprises. (3-31 August).

Other favourites returning to the Southbank include The Amazing Bubble Man, Monski Mouse's Baby Disco Dance hall & brand-new Baby Cabaret, Shlomo's Beatbox Adventure for Kids, Trash Test Dummies, Arr We There Yet, The Noise Next Door, Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, Shark in the Park and so much more.

All of this takes place in the vibrant, child-friendly wonderland of Underbelly Festival Southbank, situated right on the banks of the Thames.

Shows and dates

A Simple Space

Genre: Circus

Time: 3pm, 6pm & 7.30pm (4pm, 7pm & 8.30pm)

Venue: The Belly

Dates: 5 April - 5 May

Ticket Prices: Tickets from £15.

Arr We There Yet?

Genre: Family

Time: 1pm (2pm)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 22 June - 23 June

Ticket Prices: £10 (£35 Family of 4)

Comedy Club 4 Kids

Genre: Family

Time: 3pm (4pm)

Venue: The Belly

Dates: 22 April, 11 May, 2 June

Ticket Prices: £10 (£35 Family Ticket)

Chores

Genre: Family

Time: 3pm (4pm)

Venue: The Belly

Dates: 16 - 19 April

Ticket Prices: £10 (£35 Family Ticket)

David Baddiel's AniMalcolm The Musical

Genre: Family

Time: 11.15am (12.15pm)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 8 April

Ticket Prices: £12 (£40 Family Ticket)

Elmer the Patchwork Elephant

Genre: Family

Time: 1pm & 3.30pm (2pm & 4.30pm)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 20 July - 21 July

Ticket Prices: £12 (£40 Family Ticket)

Journey Through Jazz

Genre: Family

Time: 1.15pm (3.15pm)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 14 April

Ticket Prices: £12 (£40 Family Ticket)

Monski Mouse's Baby Cabaret

Genre: Family

Time: 11am (11.50am)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 24 - 26 July

Ticket Prices: £8 (£28 Family Ticket)

Monski Mouse's Baby Disco Dance Hall

Genre: Family

Time: 11am & 1.15pm (11.50am & 2.05pm)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 26 - 27 May, 2 June, 20 - 21 July, 27 - 28 July

Ticket Prices: £8 (£28 Family Ticket)

MONSTERAURUS!

Genre: Family

Time: 11am & 1pm (12pm & 2pm)

Venue: The Belly

Dates: 15 - 22 April

Ticket Prices: £12 (£40 Family Ticket)

Morgan & West's Utterly Spiffing Spectacular Magic Show For Kids (and Childish Grown-ups)!

Genre: Family

Time: 1pm, 1.15pm & 3.30pm (2pm, 2.15pm & 4.30pm)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 21 April, 25 May, 30 June & 1 September

Ticket Prices: £10 (£35 Family Ticket)

Rubbish Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet

Genre: Family

Time: 1.15pm (2.15pm)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 21 April

Ticket Prices: £10 (£35 Family of 4)

Shakespearience

Genre: Family

Time: 11.15pm & 1pm (12.15pm & 2pm)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 11 - 12 April & 14 July

Ticket Prices: £12 (£40 Family Ticket)

Shark in the Park

Genre: Family

Time: 1pm & 3.30pm (2pm & 4.30pm)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 23 - 28 July

Ticket Prices: £12 (£40 Family Ticket)

Shlomo's Beatbox Adventure for Kids

Genre: Family

Time: 3pm (3.45pm)

Venue: The Belly

Dates: 27 May

Ticket Prices: £10 (£35 Family Ticket)

The Amazing Bubble Man

Genre: Family

Time: 1pm (2pm)

Venue: The Belly

Dates: 4 - 6 May

Ticket Prices: £10 (£35 Family Ticket)

The Fun Kids Epic Roadshow Adventure

Genre: Family

Time: 1.15pm (2.15pm)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 22 April

Ticket Prices: £10 (£32 Family Ticket)

The Gruffalo, The Witch and The Warthog with Julia Donaldson

Genre: Family

Time: 10.30am, 11am, 1pm & 3pm (11.30am, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm)

Venue: The Belly

Dates: 11 - 13 April

Ticket Prices: £12 (£40 Family Ticket)

The Massaoke Family Show

Genre: Family

Time: 3.30pm (4.30pm)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 6 & 13 April

Ticket Prices: £12.50 (£40 Family Ticket)

The Noise Next Door: At Sea!

Genre: Family

Time: 3pm (4pm)

Venue: The Belly

Dates: 30 June

Ticket Prices: £10 (£35 Family Ticket of 4)

The Showstoppers' Kids Show

Genre: Family

Time: 3pm (4pm)

Venue: The Belly & Spiegeltent

Dates: Belly: 8 April, 6 May, 16 June, 7 July. Spiegeltent: 8 September, 29 September

Ticket Prices: £15 (£13.50), £52 Family Ticket.

The Wind in the Willows

Genre: Family

Time: 1.15pm & 3.30pm (2.15pm & 4.30pm)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 6 - 7 April

Ticket Prices: £10 (£32 Family Ticket)

Trash Test Dummies

Genre: Family

Time: 1pm & 3pm (2pm & 4pm)

Venue: The Belly

Dates: 29 May - 2 June

Ticket Prices: £12.50 (£11), £40 Family Ticket.

Twirlywoos

Genre: Family

Time: 11am & 2pm (11.55am & 2.55pm)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 3 - 31 August

Ticket Prices: £10 (Day Seats), £92 (Booths), £14.50 (Stalls), £28.50 (Cushions)

Variety Club 4 Kids

Genre: Family

Time: 1.15pm (2.15pm)

Venue: The Spiegeltent

Dates: 13 April, 19 May, 8 June

Ticket Prices: £10 (£35 Family Ticket)

Location

Underbelly Festival

Southbank

London SE1 8XX

Check here for full Family Fest schedule and booking

---

About London theatre news from ActDrop

We cover all kinds of news stories about theatre in the London area including items about West End, Fringe, Off West End and other venues, as well as new shows coming to the capital, theatre events like scratch nights, theatre festivals and other interesting theatre news that can't be so easily classified!

We'd love to hear from you if you have a news story we can share with theatre-goers.

Just use this form to contact us.

If you are a producer, PR agent or a representative of a theatre company, we have a special page just for you.

And thanks for visiting ActDrop!

Advertisement