THIS half term saw the much-loved children’s cartoon Peppa Pig brought live to the stage at Darlington Civic Theatre.

It’s an unusual transition, animation to live performance, but one that my niece and I were eager to see, so sporting a Peppa Pig headband and matching tutu (her!), we set out for an afternoon of fun-filled entertainment.

My niece is almost three, and I was a little concerned that she was too young to enjoy the performance, but she was instantly captivated the moment the curtain went up and was thrilled to see Peppa’s younger brother, George, her favourite character.

The host, Daisy, was fantastic at engaging the little ones, who all seemed to be having a marvellous time waving their hands and jumping up and down.

The show was very interactive and Daisy managed to hold their attention from start to finish, which is especially impressive when you consider how excited they were.

The story was split into three sections, a game of hide and seek, an afternoon in playgroup and a school fayre.

Woven into each setting were subtle lessons on exercising and eating healthy food, but wrapped in so much singing and dancing, the children had no idea they were learning.

Peppa’s big splash ended with a puddle-jumping competition that involved watery wet fun for those lucky enough to be sitting in the front row. The sheer joy on every child’s face was heart warming.

Stacey-Lee Davies