My 11-year-old son William is firmly in the Horrible Science camp rather than Horrible Histories, so I was intrigued to see how it would land.
Well… he came out absolutely beaming.
So, have we converted a budding scientist into a historian? Or is this just the kind of show that everyone ends up loving? I suspect it’s the latter.
William isn’t known for sitting still for long periods, so the hour-long first half started to test his wriggle threshold around the 50-minute mark. But after a quick interval reset, he was more than ready for the second half — a punchy 40 minutes that he enjoyed even more. His final verdict?
“Comedy at its best – fantastic!” - William
And honestly, I couldn’t argue with that.
About the Show
Horrible Histories – The Concert is cleverly structured as a live music spectacular built around the question: which historical icon will get to perform the BIG finale song? Hosting the chaos is none other than William Shakespeare, who accidentally promises the coveted closing number to far too many historical heavyweights. What follows is a hilarious sequence of avoidance tactics, near-misses and mounting mayhem as he desperately tries to dodge the growing queue of expectant legends.
The staging is simple but incredibly effective — a live band, open performance space, and a large screen that ties everything together visually and comedically. It’s not panto, but the audience engagement comes very close. In fact, the screen actively encourages heckling, cheering, clapping and full-volume singalongs — and the children absolutely rise to the occasion. The atmosphere feels electric, inclusive and joyfully chaotic in the best possible way.
The show is based on the much-loved books by Terry Deary, illustrated by Martin Brown, and this stage version is written by Ben Ward and Claire Wetton, directed by Neal Foster.
Huge kudos must go to composer Richie Webb, who is nothing short of a songwriting legend. If you want children to engage with education, this is how you do it — write ridiculously catchy songs that they can’t get out of their heads. I’m still humming them now, and so is William. They’re clever, witty, educational and wildly addictive.
Hosting the evening is Richard David-Caine as Shakespeare — and for me, he completely stole the show. Quick-witted, brilliantly physical and perfectly pitched, he held everything together with effortless comic timing.
The entire cast were superb, seamlessly switching between historical figures, dancers and ensemble roles. I particularly loved Queen Victoria (played by Alison FitzJohn) and Henry VIII (played by Ethan Lawrence), who brought their larger-than-life monarchs to the stage with hilarious precision. Watching the cast morph from character to character so effortlessly was seriously impressive.
A special mention must go to Inel Tomlinson as Mansa Musa — a historical figure I’ll admit I hadn’t heard of, but William instantly recognised the moment he stepped onto the stage, even before any introduction. His performance was bold, charismatic and completely memorable, bringing one of history’s richest rulers to life in a way that clearly resonated with the younger members of the audience.
As a parent who wouldn’t claim to be especially confident in my own historical knowledge, I genuinely learnt a lot — and I didn’t stop smiling throughout.
This is a fantastic family show: funny, fast-paced, cleverly educational and packed with songs that will follow you home.
The production has now left Milton Keynes, but if you’d like to find out more or follow where it heads next, be sure to check out their Facebook page for updates.
