Bing's Birthday

As a child, I remember watching Bing on the TV and thoroughly enjoying the show. I also remember Bing as a friendly and warm character, and looking back, a good representative of how young children navigate friendship and the wide world. I have no doubt that the entertainment the TV show brings to many young children will be translated to a live audience.

The show is all about Bing’s special day, where Bing and all of his friends celebrate. But Flop has arranged a surprise party, so everyone has to keep it a secret. The audience is taken along throughout the day, and they experience it with Bing. The show was brilliantly interactive, and all the children that watched were enticed by Bing’s birthday happenings. I personally loved the fact the show included a lot of relatable things for the children, such as getting hurt and the acceptance of loss, but ultimately the show was kept fun and upbeat, and very entertaining to watch.

When I watch shows, especially child-orientated shows, I like to see interaction with the audience. Bing’s Birthday was not short of this. The children were encouraged to sing, dance and communicate with Bing and his friends. I also loved when the audience were encouraged to play with a balloon, and bounce it around the audience. It was so warming to see all the smiles on the children’s faces, and hear all the giggles as they watched the balloon float around the theatre.

I loved the fact the show was based around Bing’s house. The way we were taken from the front of the house, to the kitchen, to the living room paid homage to the nature of the show, which I think was a good stylistic choice so the show was familiar to the children. The music of the show was bright and fun, and catchy enough so that the children could sing along.

The way the whole show was performed was incredible and the children were immediately thrown into the story. Bing, played by Vinnie Monachello (There’s a Monster in Your Show, Hey Duggee: The Live Theatre Show,  Bedknobs and Broomsticks), was enthusiastic and relatable to the children in the audience, which for me, brought about a sense of fondness for the character. Accompanied by Flop, a calm and knowledgeable character, who was performed brilliantly by David Tudor (The Simon and Garfunkel Story, Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out, Uncle Vanya). He brought Flop to life, and created a calm presence on stage. I also have to applaud Emma Hilts (Peppa Pig’s Surprise, Peppa Pig: My First Orchestra). Playing 2 different characters must be hard work, but she showed no signs of struggle, switching between Sula and Coco with ease and skill. I also loved Nathan Guy’s (Robin Hood, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin) performance, because he brought the energy required to portray Pando’s bouncy character. Lola Busari (Wishmas, The War of the Worlds Immersive Experience), although not a prominent character, played Amma, a good adult figure for Bing and his friends. The whole cast showed a high level of skill just by being able to handle puppets of their character, and I commend this.

Although I am not a child, I can see how young children would appreciate this show even if they are not avid Bing enjoyers. I would recommend this show to children 6 and younger, but even the adults along for the ride will have a good time. All around this show was heartwarming and a good watch!