Family half term at Theatre Royal Plymouth

Half term is always a bit of a puzzle for parents in Plymouth, so it is worth knowing what is on before the school holidays land. The Theatre Royal Plymouth has laid out its family programme, and while the main run of shows sits in late October, there is a good spread of things to do across the autumn for different ages.

The headline act is The Colour of Dinosaurs, which runs from 28 October to 1 November at The Drum. It is built around Dr Jakob Vinther's work on what dinosaurs actually looked like, with five musicians, catchy tunes and stories that lean into identity, disability and cultural background. It is aimed at ages 5 and up, and there are accessible performances — captioned, BSL and audio described — so it is an easy one to bring a wider group to. For the very youngest, A Tale of Us plays at The Lab on 30 and 31 October. It is a funny, frank and magical new play for parents and babies, following Ivy who has just had a baby, and it blends drama with multi-sensory playtime, with a guided Stay and Play session after each performance. It runs for an hour and is aimed at the 0 to 18 months bracket.

Rounding things off is King Arthur at The Lyric on Saturday 1 November, a comedy for the whole family written and directed by John Nicholson of Peepolykus and performed with Le Navet Bete. It is a hilarious retelling of the Arthurian legends, geared towards ages 8 and up, and runs for two hours and twenty minutes with a twenty-minute interval. A few sensory notes are worth knowing beforehand: there is smoke, haze, pyrotechnics, mild language and fake nudity.

If you are planning ahead, the theatre also runs a range of workshops and classes. The Colour of Dinosaurs workshop, a six-hour session for 8 to 11 year olds on 29 October, was a popular one that sold out, so it is worth keeping an eye on the workshops page for what comes next. There is also a 90-minute masterclass for the over-18s, so the programme is not strictly for children.

Booking is straightforward. Tickets go through the box office on 01752 267222 or online at theatreroyal.com, with digital tickets appearing in the Theatre Royal Plymouth app. If you prefer paper, they can be sent by post for a small fee. There is a family rate for group bookings of two to six tickets, provided there is at least one adult and one child under 16, and a multibuy offer that saves you more the more you book. Concessions cover members, groups and schools, and gift vouchers are valid for two years across productions, workshops and memberships. For anyone with access requirements, the theatre has partnered with Nimbus Disability on a Digital Access Pass scheme, which lets you book online for the first time. It is a busy site with a lot of moving parts, so it is worth sorting your dates early rather than leaving it to the last minute.