Peppa Pig is not a rock star, but she’s up there with the best of them when it comes to drawing a crowd.
This was certainly the impression given off as hordes upon hordes of young children excitedly made their way to watch Peppa Pig’s Adventure at The Lowry this week.
You see, for a certain demographic Peppa and the gang are the new Beatles – and it’s fair to say that PeppaMania is alive and well in Manchester.
There was a frenzied atmosphere to say the least as families entered the venue before the opening curtain. With mums and dads trying to guide their children away from the merchandise stand and into the theatre, the anticipation reached fever pitch.
Things didn’t hush down when the action started, with the introduction of Daisy. She was there to welcome all the whimsical characters that have become so popular since the animated show first hit screens back in 2004.
It was, of course, Peppa who received the biggest ovation as she brought her own brand of star power to the stage. The colourful gang then set off on their adventure, which included scenes in a classroom, a bus and a campsite.
This show clearly isn’t aimed at those in double digits, so it’s hard to say whether it hit a homerun or not. You can only really go off the kids’ faces around you, who – for the most part – appeared happy and absorbed in the action.
The story was easy to follow, the cast were interactive, and the songs were bursting with energy and feel-good messages. There was even some clever production value in Act Two, of which even the adults could appreciate.
In the immortal words of John Lennon, this show proved that Peppa Pig might just be ‘more popular than Jesus’ – for a certain generation at least.
