Milkshake! Live, Royal Concert Hall

THIS was a show that got the thumbs-up from all our family.

That's the four-year-old, a three-year old, one who's 40 and a 30-something.

Granted it was the kids who enjoyed it the most, shouting, singing, clapping and dancing along to their favourites from the Five morning magazine, Milkshake!

And yes, it was the kids who were agog at seeing their favourite TV presenters – Jen and Derek – bounding about with seemingly endless energy.

But it was the mums and dads who got the enjoyment out of seeing the little ones having so much fun.

The story involves the team putting on a show.

But, of course, they need some help from their friends...

So along come Fifi and Bumble, Peppa Pig and George, Rupert, the Little Princess, Noddy and Tessie Bear and even a sprinkling of Little Misses and Mr Men. It's the Milkshake! mix, all right.

The first half set the scene nicely, ready for showtime after the interval.

Good old Jen and Derek gave it their all, including a series of well known staples such as Do Reh Mi and Together Wherever We Go, mixed in with some favourites from the telly show, that let everyone show off the steps they practice in front of the small screen at home.

Not quite sure what the attraction was for this one… but it was good to see so many dads at the venue, which was packed out.

LazyTown Live, Theatre Royal

With Robbie Rotten as Blackbeard, determined to rid LazyTown of all the kids - and our superhero Sportacus - this is a feast of music, costume, dance and mayhem that's the perfect tonic for the rainy school holidays.

We follow the gang as they thwart Robbie's plan - with the trademark teamwork and a little extra energy from eating the so-called sports candy.

Every little girl wants to be Stephanie as she joins her LazyTown pals of Ziggy, Pixel, Stingy and Trixie on their adventure.

This time it takes them across the seven seas - but only after Robbie has turned Sportacus into an ice cream man and removed his special powers.

The entrance of Sportacus at the start of the show brought gasps and applause. Robbie, on the other hand was lean and mean (and a little hairy with his pirate beard disguise) and you couldn't help feeling he'd have preferred a few more boos.

The more intimate surroundings of the Theatre Royal make this a real family show compared to the comparative vastness of the Concert Hall stage next door, where LazyTown was staged last year.

We enjoyed a packed house with kids of all ages jumping up and down to sing and dance. And they all joined in with the very best songs from the television series, like No One is Lazy in LazyTown, You Are a Pirate, Bing Bang, and Teamwork.

And its popularity means that it's booked in until Sunday, with matinees this weekend - and tickets are still available.