Paddington™ Lo-Commotion
“A fantastic day out and a great addition to your summer holidays"
Its hard to be anything but excited walking down the drive towards the spectacular Blenheim Place, but the view of little Palace Railway Station nestled amongst the trees beside the railway incited squeals of delight from the children.
The delightful wooden structure housed a wonderland of Paddington merchandise and activity, and after entering and having our tickets scanned, we were swiftly moved outside to don our High Vis waistcoats to start our experience. I can not fault the efficiency of the process which is always welcome with young children.
We were led to the first stop on our journey – ‘the lost property office’ where we met our guide ‘Mrs Bird’ who would remain with us through the hour-long interactive journey.
It was also here we met Paddington for the first time. A life size puppet expertly controlled, gave a very polished performance with convincing Paddington voice. The children were all mesmerised.
It is worth noting this part of the experience is quite cosy and although the actors and puppets have their own performing area if you have nervous children, it may be worth sitting further back.
When we moved on Mrs Bird did an incredible job of engaging with all the children, remembering names, asking questions, and having some banter with the adults. The fact the children followed her like the pied piper was testament to her manner and performance and we had certainly all become very fond of her by the end of the experience.
It really was a truly immersive, well written and fun promenade performance. There were six stops along a beautiful walk in the grounds. Each one introducing us to different characters and twists within the story, all tied up with wonderful sounds, special effects, and audience participation.
The acting was fantastic by all involved and the detail that has gone into the dressing and staging was magical.
The chatter, smiles and excitement coming from all the children at the end was evident of the success of the experience.
This is mainly outside so you do need to be prepared for changing weather and have sensible footwear. It is suitable for pushchairs but they may get a little muddy if there has been some rain.
You also get a free ticket to ride the steam train back to the start which you can use straightaway or at another point in the day. This is great as you get to see all the places you have stopped from a different perspective on your ride back.
Back at the station little ones can draw and colour for free and look around at all the fantastic Paddington merchandise, though I will say it is very pricey.
I would highly recommend Paddington™ Lo-Commotion, especially if you already love the magic that is Paddington Bear, and I would definitely make a full day of it at Blenheim Palace while you are there. A fantastic day out and a great addition to your summer holidays.
More information about Paddington™ Lo-Commotion and what you can see and do at Blenheim Palace can be found here: https://www.blenheimpalace.com/whats-on/events/paddington-locommotion/
Review written by Alex Jenkins
Photo credit: Alex Jenkins & Paddington™ Lo-Commotion
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