Half-term at Theatre Royal Plymouth: family shows

Half-term is here, and Theatre Royal Plymouth has filled the next few weeks with a programme that leans heavily on musicals, so it is worth having a look before you commit to a day out. The line-up runs from today, Tuesday 11 August, right through to 5 September, and it is split between the two stages: the big Lyric auditorium, which seats 1,300, and the smaller Drum, which holds 200 and tends to be the home of new work.

Opening the run is FAME The Musical, which takes over The Lyric from today until Saturday 15 August. It is the longest of the family-friendly slots, running two hours and 35 minutes with an interval, and the age guideline is 12 and over with parental guidance. Prices move around depending on the night: £39 on the Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, £29 on the Wednesday, Thursday evening and Friday, and £34 for the Saturday matinee. There is an exclusive members' night tonight and a FAME afternoon tea on Thursday 13 August if you want to make a proper occasion of it. For groups of ten to nineteen, there is £5 off tickets across the board, and schools of ten or more get £20 tickets on Tuesday to Thursday with a free teacher's place for every ten students.

After that, the big Lyric hands over to Moulin Rouge! The Musical, which opens on Wednesday 19 August and runs all the way to 19 September. It is a long run, so there is plenty of choice, with prices starting at £30 for the cheaper mid-week matinees and climbing to £87 at the top end. Like FAME, it is aimed at ages 12 and over, and it runs two hours and 40 minutes with a 20-minute interval. If you are bringing a group, the same £5 discount applies to groups of ten to nineteen, with a free ticket for groups of twenty or more.

Over at The Drum, the smaller stage, there is a bit more variety for younger audiences. The Young Company puts on Beowulf from 20 to 22 August, a compact show of about 70 minutes aimed at ages 8 and up, with tickets from £10. The opening night on the Thursday is already gone, so Friday and Saturday are the ones to aim for. Then, from 2 to 5 September, The Drum stages Badgers, a hybrid production made in association with Bristol Old Vic, directed by Jenny Davies with music by Jakabol and scenic and costume design by Rebecca Wood. The cast includes Malaika Kegode, Beth Roberts, Joe Williams, Stephanie Jacob, Mary Woodvine, Hanora Kamen and Joseph Tweedale.

Between the two stages, the theatre covers a fair bit of ground over the next few weeks, from a big-name musical to a Young Company production and a Bristol Old Vic collaboration. Whether you are after a big night out or something smaller and more local, there is something on most days until the half-term wraps up at the start of September.