Hairy Maclary

We got to see Hairy Maclary today thanks to cunning free tickets generously supplied by MzSpeedy. The catch was that we got to be test audience for their evacuation drill, which was thoughtfully left until the end of the show.

It was a hoot.

The dog costumes were surprisingly effective. Hercules Morse was really as big as a horse. And as I was sitting in the middle of the front row he kept looming over me looking for a pat. I was intimidated. At one point the audience was asked to call for their favourite dog. Mine is Bottomley Potts but she was already onstage so I called for Schnitzel von Krumm but I changed my tune when Hercules wandered over. No really Hercules. You can be my favourite. He certainly was my favourite of the stage dogs.

It was suitably pantomime where yelling from the audience was actively encouraged. There were hidden dog pictures which Mrs Plum could never find. "It's behind you!!". The kids got so involved and so loud and excited during those bits. Crankmaster laughed so hard. Oh to be a child again.

And of course, Crankmaster sang the songs on the way home.