LondonTheatre1

London Theatre: Tickets Reviews | News | West End | Off-West End | UK Touring Productions

View All Shows Booking Now
  • Home
  • Top Selling Shows
    • Musicals
    • Plays
      • A Christmas Carol
      • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
      • The Mousetrap
      • The Woman in Black
      • Witness for the Prosecution
    • & Juliet
    • Back To The Future
    • Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
    • Come From Away
    • Dirty Dancing
    • Frozen The Musical
    • Heathers
    • Jersey Boys
    • Les Misérables
    • Mamma Mia
    • Matilda the Musical
    • My Fair Lady
    • Moulin Rouge
    • Only Fools and Horses
    • Pretty Woman the Musical
    • The Book of Mormon
    • The Drifters Girl
    • The Lion King
    • The Phantom of the Opera
    • Tina the Musical
    • Wicked
    • London Theatres
      • Seating Plans
      • Adelphi Theatre
      • Ambassadors Theatre
      • Apollo Theatre
      • Duke of York’s Theatre
      • Fortune Theatre
      • Gillian Lynne Theatre
      • Harold Pinter Theatre
      • Lyceum Theatre
      • New Wimbledon Theatre
      • New Wimbledon Theatre Studio
      • Piccadilly Theatre
      • Richmond Theatre
      • Savoy Theatre
      • Trafalgar Theatre
  • News
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
  • UK Shows
    • Alexandra Theatre
    • Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
    • Brighton Theatre Royal
    • Bristol Hippodrome
      • Bristol Theatre Seating Plan
    • Edinburgh Playhouse
    • Glasgow Theatre Royal
    • Grand Opera House York
    • King’s Theatre Glasgow
    • Kit Kat Club London
    • Leas Cliff Hall
    • Liverpool Empire
    • Manchester Opera House
    • Manchester Palace Theatre
    • Milton Keynes Theatre
    • New Theatre Oxford
    • New Victoria Theatre Woking
    • New Wimbledon Theatre
    • New Wimbledon Theatre Studio
    • Princess Theatre Torquay
    • Regent Theatre Stoke
    • Rhoda McGaw Theatre
    • Richmond Theatre
    • Stockton Globe
    • Sunderland Empire
    • Swansea Arena
    • Victoria Hall Hanley Stoke
  • Dancewear
  • Newsletter
Home » Reviews » Brainiac Live! at the Garrick Theatre | Review

Brainiac Live! at the Garrick Theatre | Review

August 3, 2019 Last updated: October 8, 2019 1:30 am By Mary Beer

Brainiac LiveThe original Sky One TV series, Brainiac: Science Abuse, hung up its lab coat for the last time some 11 years ago so not only did my seven-year-old twins have absolutely zero familiarity with the franchise but I also entered the Garrick Theatre with a healthy dose of telly-brand-extension scepticism. Fast-forward to an hour later and their grins of delight seem to have become permanent and I’m now the proud mother of two super-fans! This show is short, sharp and absolutely exhilarating for curious kids. Whether you’ve got a STEM-mad Ada Lovelace-in-the-making or a child who just likes to watch things explode, this 60-minute entertainment spectacle thrills with every crash, bang and wallop.

Whilst it seems slightly odd to be in the grand 19th century theatre named for legendary 18th century actor-manager David Garrick and where Sir Laurence Olivier trod the boards in order to watch three men and a woman lark about with explosive gases, the fact that this show is conveniently an (action-packed) hour long and takes place just north of Trafalgar Square means it’s a great focal point for a summer holiday afternoon without feeling you’ve wasted the sunshine by being stuck inside. The only draw-back to the show running at the Garrick is that, unlike many other West End theatres, it doesn’t have any booster cushions for children to improve their view of the stage. I’d therefore recommend checking the sightlines on the seating chart with consideration of the height of your children and possibly book the front row of the dress or grand circle if you think they might struggle to see the action. On the other hand, no one in the audience objects to kids jumping from their seats because the ambience is deliberately vocal and rambunctious. You will not need to ‘shhh’ your children as they get swept away by the presenters and the experiments – it’s all part of the fun!

With animated graphics projected on a large screen serving as short interstitials whilst the set is changed for each experiment, the show flows with excellent pace. It does feel a bit like being in the live studio audience of a TV broadcast but with more polish and no pauses to set up. The kids get a reasonable dose of credible scientific explanation pitched just right whilst enjoying spectacle and thrills in a well-structured format that balances stimulation with didacticism.

The show is rated 6+ which, given some of the loud noises and the need to cover your ears now and then, feels about right. There is a single moderately ribald joke (of an entirely pre-watershed variety in any event) that went over my kids’ heads. If you do have a child who is especially sensitive to loud noises, you may want to consider bringing your own ear defenders but the high volume moments are well signposted and fingers-in-ears seemed to do the job just fine for the kids at the performance I attended.

Brainiac Live. Credit Anna Kucera
Brainiac Live. Credit Anna Kucera

I was pleased to hear Mary Anderson (inventor of windscreen wipers) and proto Wi-Fi inventor (and Hollywood legend) Hedy Lamarr get a shout-out to inspire and include the young Rosalind Franklins and Mae Jemisons of the audience as much as the children who share gender with Nikola Tesla. With the urgency of inspiring girls to continue their natural fascination with science and invention, I would have liked to have seen equal representation of women amongst the Brainiacs but alas Maggie Frazer as Brainiac ‘Raz’ was the sole female Brainiac of the four.

If you love the Science Museum’s Wonderlab shows and want an extended high-energy and highly polished edition with a bit more production value, this is the show for you!

5 Star Rating

Review by Mary Beer

Brainiac Live!, the show that laughs in the face of science is coming to London’s West End for a strictly limited season from 31 July to 1 September 2019, with a press matinee on Friday 2 August at 2.30pm.

Based on the much loved, popular science entertainment TV show, Brainiac Live! is a breathless, fun and fact-filled exploration of the weird and wonderful world of science, that through a series of high energy experiments delves fearlessly, and perhaps a little foolishly, into the mysteries of science. Expect exploding dustbins, supercharged spinning chairs and the ultimate Airzooka challenge!

Brainiac Live! has thrilled fans of all ages, headlining science festivals and performing at theatres across the world, blowing the minds of hundreds of thousands of children and their families.

BOOKING PERIOD: Wednesday 31 July 2019 – Sunday 01 September 2019
PERFORMANCE TIMES: Tue, Wed & Fri 12pm & 2.30pm; Thu & Sat 11am; Sun 12:30pm & 2.30pm
RUNNING TIME: 1hr
AGE RESTRICTION: 6 Plus (Please note there are loud bangs during the performance.)
VENUE: Garrick Theatre, 2 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0HH.

Tagged With: GarrickTheatre

Avatar for Mary Beer

About Mary Beer

Mary graduated with a cum laude degree in Theatre from Columbia University’s Barnard College in New York City. In addition to directing and stage managing several productions off-Broadway, Mary was awarded the Helen Prince Memorial Prize in Dramatic Composition for her play Subway Fare whilst in New York. Relocating to London, Mary has worked in the creative sector, mostly in television broadcast and production, since 1998. Her creative and strategic abilities in TV promotion, marketing and design have been recognised with over 20 industry awards including several Global Promax Golds. She is a founder member of multiple creative industry and arts organisations and has frequently served as an advisor to the Edinburgh International TV Festival.

Comments

  1. Avatar for StephenStephen says

    August 11, 2019 at 12:24 am

    I agree with your comments, my family loved the show. Although I must say I wasn’t bothered by the female representation bit, great family show.

Search for Tickets

The Trial of Josie K at the Unicorn Theatre

The day after her 12th birthday and Josie K is innocently finishing off some leftover chocolate cake before school when her world is changed by the … [Read More...]

BUFF: Scott Le Crass and Ben Fensome at Vault Festival

Think back. Has anyone ever said to you that looks don’t matter, its personality that counts’ Anyone that answered ‘No’ to that skip to the next … [Read More...]

The Kindness of Strangers at Canal Cafe Theatre

A Streetcar Named Desire might just happen to be on the minds of regular theatregoers in London at the time of writing, on account of the Almeida … [Read More...]

Titus Andronicus at Shakespeare’s Globe

Titus Andronicus is not usually a comedy, it is usually a bloody, villainous and vengeful tale, but tonight it is a comedy and a rather amusing one at … [Read More...]

I Found My Horn – at the White Bear Theatre

This show is not without clichés - there are three of note in this production. Firstly, the French horn of the show’s title is personified, speaking … [Read More...]

London Theatre 1 and London Theatre One are Registered Trademarks Copyright 2023 www.LondonTheatre1.com
By using our website you’re confirming that you’re happy to accept our use of cookies.
Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising - About Us - Newsletter - Contact Us

As an Amazon Associate our website receives a commission from qualifying purchases from Amazon.