Bang-Crash-Thump: Zog and the Flying Doctors

Bang-crash-thump, Zog and the Flying Doctors landed at the Southbank Centre for an afternoon of theatrical fun. 

With the nursery closed for training, several parents booked tickets to see Zog and the Flying Doctors at the Southbank Centre. To take advantage of the day off, we met at our local park for morning coffee and homemade cookies. Then together we set off for a tasty lunch at Pizza Pilgrims in London Bridge.  A classic margherita pizza is always a hit with kids. 

Afterwards, we corralled the girls to ride along the river on their matching Micro Mini scooters. With young kids in tow, the walk to from London Bridge to Southbank Centre took two hours. Lucky for us, there was no bang-crash-thump riding the scooters through the crowds along the river. We made it to the Queen Elizabeth Hall with five minutes to spare.

Family Entertainment with our beloved Zog

Having now seen several of Julia Donaldson’s theatrical adaptations, we couldn’t wait to see everyone’s beloved Zog. For a 4:30pm show, it was a full house with young children on Easter half-term break and their parents.

The set was much more basic relative to the West End production of What the Ladybird Heard. As expected, the theatrical adaptation incorporated new songs and dialogue from the cast. Each time they landed, there was a new song from the sunburnt mermaid, the whining unicorn who grew a second horn, and the lion with the flu. 

There was a series of comical relief from Princess Pearl’s uncle, the King. The King interacted with the audience, making jokes and laughing alongside the children. Adamant that princesses cannot be doctors, the King insisted that princesses should wear tiaras and silly frilly dresses. Inside the castle walls sewing pretty cushions, Princess Pearl yearned to practice medicine with Gadabout and Zog who tried in vain to rescue Princess Pearl.

Then the King came down with an illness: orange fever. Under Princess Pearl’s advice, Zog and the Flying Doctors came to the rescue with the perfect concoction consisting of: mermaid scale, grated unicorn horn, lion’s sneeze, slime and half a pound of cheese. After three spoonfuls, the King was dancing with delight shouting: “princesses can be doctors.” 

And with that bang-crash-thump, they landed. Zog and the Flying Doctors were on their way for many adventures helping people in need. And for the rest of us, it was home time after an engaging and fun afternoon at the theatre.