It’s been a quiet month for us on the theatre front. We’ve also found ourselves spending far less time on Zoom, with the munchkins back in school for the last few weeks of term and more opportunities to get out and about on the weekends, But this weekend we rectified that, as we spent an afternoon Zooming off Up, Up, Up and Away.
Up, Up, Up and Away is an interactive, aeronautical adventure for ages 3+ in which the audience take on the role of Space Cadets, helping Captain Calamity and his Apprentice as they set off in their hot air balloon. Using green screen technology and Zoom wizardry, it’s a fun-filled 50 minutes for the whole family.
It’s incredibly interactive and has the audience engaged throughout. Even before the show starts, there is a chance to get immersed in the action, with a pre-performance video teaching you how to make goggles to wear during your balloon flight. It’s not essential but it’s an extra bit of fun and it was good to see lots of children (and some grown-ups) enthusiastically sporting their crafty creations. Soon after logging in we were being put through our paces with a warm-up, before learning a special Space Cadet salute. Then it was up to the cadets to decide where we were heading in Calamity’s big, blue balloon. But not before they gathered up their parachutes, wind socks and teddy bear travel buddies.
There is so much audience participation that it almost feels more like a children’s drama workshop than a show. This is very much not a criticism – The munchkins absolutely love this sort of thing and it’s amazing how well it works via Zoom. The kids are constantly placed at the centre of the action and get to help drive the story, making it much more engaging than a passive performance. As usual, it’s also great to see the action in all the other households, even if the trade-off is that they get to see you scoffing your lunch from a messy living room!
With Up, Up, Up and Away, Super Stories With City Actors have put together a fun family adventure that successfully replicates the joy of live children’s theatre. We can’t wait to join Captain Calamity on another adventure soon. If Mummy had one criticism, however, it’s that the song is so catchy that it’s still stuck in her head!
We received a complimentary ticket to the 2pm performance of Up, Up, Up and Away on Saturday 25 July 2020 in return for a review.
Keep an eye on social media for details of their next performances: Twitter: @SuperStoriesCA. Facebook: @SuperStoriesCA.