HISTORY, horrible, yucky old history, comes alive at the Grand Opera House next when York experiences Bogglevision for the first time.

Birmingham Stage Company is pioneering this new form of live 3D special effects in the premiere of The Terrible Tudors and The Vile Victorians, two of the Horrible History stories for children by County Durham writer Terry Deary.

At the touch of a laptop computer, 3D illusions in Bogglevision will make virtual objects hover overhead in space: it could be a portrait of Henry VIII or a cannonball sent speeding towards the fleet of the Spanish Armada that has the audience ducking out of the way. Next, wood will come hurtling directly their way as a ship is hit.

Talking of battles, actor-manager Neal Foster faced a fight to secure the performing rights to the Horrible Histories. "It was quite a battle because, when Birmingham Stage Company first wanted to do the show, the BBC were in the process of negotiating and had been for a while, but we got on very well with Terry Deary and the decision was taken to give us the rights, which was quite a coup for us," he says.

"So we won the battle and one of the great things was that it was Terry's idea to use 3D video technology in the show. We're not normally a fan of video per se in theatre; I think the two mediums don't mix and often video looks dead on stage, but we went up to see this company, Amazing Interactives in Middlesbrough, and sat down to watch a demonstration by Tim Dear, the director.

"Within three seconds, I said yes', and it's proved a real hit with the kids. It certainly enhances the show it has a cheekiness, a freshness to it, that suits Terry's storytelling."

Neal loves the live element of the 3D illusions: a new development from the pre-recorded 3D content of past theatre shows. "What's unique about it is the interaction with the audience. Like when the characters are searching for a missing book, and a cast member asks someone in the audience their name, and then says oh yes, I've been thinking about you', and by the magic of theatre a 3D book immediately appears with their name written inside."

Foster's company does not overplay the 3D visual trickery. "We hold it back for the second half each show so that it's something special for the audience, rather than something they become blas about," says Neal.

"We've called it Bogglevision, and everyone gets issued with Boggle goggles. They're not those old green and red 3D glasses from the cinema, but it's like putting on a pair of sunglasses, so you have lots of primary school children looking cool in their goggles."

The Terrible Tudors and The Vile Victorians are presented by Doctor Dee (played by Neal) and his travelling assistants, Drab (Mark Prendergast) and Dross (Alison Fitzjohns), who have been created for the play by Terry Deary.

"They tour the country telling people how horrible history is. What they do is take different historical stories and re-enact them to prove that history is horrible, gruesome, naughty, rude, cruel all the things that teachers don't teach you," Neal says.

"With the Tudors, we tell you about the horrible punishments meted out to criminals, and how they used to try witches by ducking them in the river. Then there's the terrible fate of Henry VIII's wives.

"For the Victorians, we look at the tricks children used to get up to get money off people; the naughty things they used to do with poo; the Battle of the Crimea; the Charge of the Light Brigade, all done with 3D, so once again the children are in the midst of it."

The shows also tackle "things it's good to know".

"Like when Henry VIII split the English church from Rome; we explain it in a child-friendly way, and so as well as being entertaining we try to educate. They children have fun but they also pick up knowledge without realising it," Neal says.

As a counter to the travelling players, there is a fourth character, the Martyn Lewis figure of Horrible Histories, one Miss Tree (Rebecca Ramsden). "She's a mystery because we never know who she is, but she's always battling with Doctor Dee because she thinks we shouldn't be doing the nasty bits of history, only the nice bits."

Terry Deary disagrees, Neal Foster disagrees, children disagree, and to prove it, Birmingham Stage Company's production is taking to the road next week for its third tour since its £250,000 launch last September.

"We respect children, we take them very seriously, and we never short-change them in our shows," Neal says. "I watch them with bated breath to see if their attention slackens at any point, and there's not a single moment in Horrible Histories where they're bored. That's a credit to them and a credit to us."

Birmingham Stage Company presents Horrible Histories, Grand Opera House, York, June 6 to 10. Performances: The Vile Victorians, Tuesday, Wednesday, 1.30pm; Thursday, Saturday, 10.30am; Friday, 7pm; The Vile Terrible Tudors, Tuesday, Saturday, 7pm; Wednesday, Friday, 10.30am; Thursday, 1.30pm. Box office: 0870 606 3595; schools and groups, 0800 587 5007.