Horrible Histories Groovy Greeks at the Alhambra Theatre Bradford Review
Horrible Histories
Groovy Greeks
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
30 June to 4 July 2015
Reviewed by Claire Giles
My 10 year old daughter was so excited when she found out we were off to watch Horrible Histories – Groovy Greeks live on stage at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford. She is a massive fan of the Horrible Histories books and television series. The Alhambra is easy to find and signposted once you enter Bradford City Centre. We parked at NCP Southgate which is literally round the corner from the theatre. The NCP offers discounted parking for anyone attending the theatre by way of a discount ticket you collect from the box office on request. The Alhambra is a beautiful theatre inside. The staff are always helpful and friendly. We were seated really close to the stage (row H) and had a fantastic view.
Horrible Histories – Groovy Greeks is based on the bestselling book of the same name by Terry Deary and performed by The Birmingham Stage Company. The cast comprised of four actors who constantly and seamlessly changed roles to perform as lots of different historical characters. The concept of the show is that ‘a family of four audience members’ are taught about the Groovy Greeks as instructed by the voice of Zeus who is watching from above. History was brought to life and given a modern twist making it both enjoyable and educational for children and adults alike (I definitely learnt something’s I didn’t know before). The show included The Trojans (in the style of The Simpsons), the gods performing on Greeks Got Talents, a Greek version of Big Brother, slaves being sold on the shopping channel and children raised through The Hungry Games. The modern twist kept the audience enticed and made it much more enjoyable especially for children. The cast was very enthusiastic and seemed to be actually enjoying acting out the performance. There were elements of the show which involved audience participation singing along or shouting out phases. The songs in the show were catchy and witty. The costume changes were quick and clever so the show continued at a high speed.
The background to the cast was a large screen which provided backdrops to the first half of the show. In the interval everyone was given a pair of 3D glasses. In the second half of the show the large screen was in 3D which really brought history to life! There were giant spiders, swords, spears, bats and rubble flying out of the screen whilst battles and trials were acted out. This definitely made the audience jump and scream out loud. It was funny to watch my daughter trying to push away the things appearing from the screen.
I would highly recommend this as a fun family night out. It was both fun and educational. My daughter thought it was brilliant. I would definitely take my daughter to future Horrible Histories shows.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £13.50 to £16.50 (booking fees may apply).
Horrible Histories – Groovy Greeks is at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford until 4 July 2015. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 01274 432000.
The Alhambra Theatre, Morley Street, Bradford, BD7 1AJ | Box Office 01274 432000
