Andy and Mike's Big Box Of Bananas

Amy Danbrowsky • Published 8 Jun 2012 18:30 0 Comments

"We live in a fun pad and my mum sends us a box but we don't have a password to open the box so we decide to go on an adventure to find it, then we fall asleep. The audience are the house sitters and they have to help us find our way through our dreams to find the password."

Suitably bewildered? Good, because the latest creation from BAFTA Award nominated CBeebies presenter Andy Day and his comedy sidekick Mike James has been designed to take families on a raucous ride into their dreams, across sparkling skies and glimmering seas.

Andy And Mike's Big Box Of Bananas is a healthy treat for all of the family and, with half term in full swing, The Guide spoke to children's TV favourite Andy to find out more about the forthcoming show at Arlington Arts Centre, in Newbury, on Sunday, at 11am.

"It's manic, it's full of pace, very interactive and very silly, so come and see it for yourself," he said.

"It's sold out in Winchester and Hornchurch and we're hoping the same happens in Newbury. Once people hear about it, they are always intrigued and want to come along,"

Following a sell-out show at the Edinburgh Fringe and showcasing everything from music, comedy, costumes, stories, songs, pirates and, of course, the mysterious box, we wanted to know the secret to the show's success: "There is a huge amount of interaction. We get a dad up in the first five minutes! We have hidden jokes for the parents, blink and you'll miss them kind of things. We wanted to make it a family show. You know what it's like when you take a child to a show and you sit there and you're bored. We didn't want that, we wanted a panto feel so everyone could enjoy it."

The performance was co-created by legendary children's TV writer Iain Lauchlan, who Andy credits as a superstar force behind the successful stage show. He said: "He was behind Fingermouse, which is legendary and Playdays and Tweenies etc. He is epic when it comes to children's TV and theatre. It's been great. He is one of the biggest and best directors I have ever worked with.

"He is fantastic and he has given us a lot of tips - which has helped us get a great audience reaction."

Andy is the star of CBeebies' Andy's Wild Adventures and, with credentials as an actor, presenter and children's entertainer, we wondered how he got into the entertaining game, and he told us: "I always did drama and fell into working straight out of college. Plus I worked at the Millennium Dome, where I saw lots of great stuff, and that gave me a taste for it. I ended up doing more children's based things and I worked a lot with kids on an acting tour in Italy, then with children's TV channel Nick Jr. I did some stage shows, more kids channels, and then I got Cbeebies, which is my dream job."

Tickets are £8 via www.arlingtonarts.co.uk or by calling 01635 244246.

Tweet

This article appeared in Royal Borough Observer 08 Jun 12

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our archives.

Follow @windsorobserver