IT'S 19 years since the The Wiggles first hit the pre-school scene – and the all-singing, all-dancing Australians are still going strong.
There is no doubt about it, The Wiggles are a global phenomena. There can’t be many households with young children which hasn’t got a Wiggles DVD or a cuddly Dorothy The Dinosaur.
Our show was the third of the day at York’s Grand Opera House.
The theme was the circus, and it kicked off with an acrobatic display..
The Wiggles – Sam, Jeff, Murray and Anthony – were joined by a talented supporting cast of gymnasts, dancers and ballerinas.
The set, though, was rather disappointing for such a “big act”. A blow-up mattress with a frame just looked rather amateurish.
Three of The Wiggles were originally pre-school teachers and it showed.
They tap into the mind of the younger child and know exactly what makes them tick.
Simple, catchy tunes with lots of audience participation is the order of the day.
I could not resist looking over my shoulder to see how the adults were enjoying the show. Isn’t it amazing how grown-ups behave when its dark and they think no one can see them – arms outstretched and flying like yellow birds!
We were treated to old Wiggle’s favourites – Fruit Salad, Monkey Dance, Cock-a-Doodle Do and Rock-a-bye Your Bear, probably the highlight of the show.
Captain Feathersword, Dorothy The Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, and Henry The Octopus all made appearances, much to the delight of the children. My five-year-old daughter Zara, who was there with her friend Rebecca, was looking forward to singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and waving an illuminated wand as the lights went down.
But as we arrived late, and there was no interval, we did not have the chance to buy any merchandise, which was just as well as we found out the wands were selling for £12 each! You’ve really got to hand it to The Wiggles, though. They are talented guys, full of fun and energy and with a real flair for music and dance.
- Jayne Ritchie, with a little help from Zara Ritchie and Rebecca Gowland
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