For the Love of Mrs Brown, Nottingham Arena

Almost exactly two years ago to the day, a foul-mouthed old Irishwoman took to the stage in Nottingham on what was to be a voyage of discovery for performer and audience alike.

Yet it remained to be seen if Mrs Brown's Boys, recorded live on stage for the television and which came to Nottingham in 2011 in the cosy confines of The Royal Centre, could make the leap of faith to an arena setting.

The Mrs Brown show has won a couple of Baftas in the meantime and obviously appeals to the masses too, judging by its continued small screen success. After all, we can all identify with everyday family life – and, most crucially, with the comic creation of Mrs Brown herself.

This was clear from the teeming crowds at the Arena for the first Nottingham show last night. Fans simply adore the whole cast. They don't merely watch and laugh... they gasp, wince and worry through with the flimsy plot, a vehicle for laugh after laugh after laugh.

For anyone who doesn't know, Agnes Brown is the result of the comedy genius of Brendan O'Carroll, who dons authentic drag to transform himself into the famous Dublin 'Mammy' and performs alongside his screen family, who – in many cases – are members of his actual family.

Confused? You won't be. It's straightforward obvious comedy, varying from the subversive – nudges, winks and innuendo – to blatant out-and-out potty-mouthed bad language.

In this new show we touch upon his flamboyant hairdresser son (obvious enough for you?), the vagaries of plastic surgery for a daughter who can't find love (which part of the body do you suppose?) and then there's granddad's addiction to Viagra. Not forgetting Agnes's own quest to find an online Valentine date.

And yet the audience loved it. Perhaps it is that we are in on the secret with O'Carroll, who confides in the audience in a series of asides while the comedy action is played out on stage. He pulls faces, rolls his eyes; tries to make the rest of the cast forget their lines.

If Agnes was real, she'd be a comedy uncle-turned-aunt who wants to liven up the family gathering. And O'Carroll must be good as he makes it all look so very easy to do.

So did the big screens each side of the set kill the live show? Not a chance. Forget the fact that die-hard fans will have heard many of the gags before: it was as though the whole room was watching TV together, enjoying the sharing of a communal moment. Perhaps reminiscent of the Olympics, or the Jubilee. Or perhaps not.

Madagascar Live, Capital FM Arena

If there was ever a show that was all-singing and all-dancing, then Madagascar Live fits the bill perfectly!

An energised audience also managed to let off their steam by dancing in the aisles at the end of a perfectly balanced show at the Arena.

Encouraged by the lively cast, we needed little encouragement to get on up and "move it, move it" to one of the animated film's catchiest tunes.

Dazzling costumes and amazing sets took the production way above the usual fare for children's stage-show entertainment.

And having a familiar story worked to the show's advantage as it retold the tale of the group of New York zoo animals who seek a little adventure on the other side of the bars.

The action-packed musical follows Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo on their unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien's Madagascar.

The crack-a-lackin' adventure slows a little at times but then so does the blockbuster DreamWorks Animation movie.

Fortunately, there are some nicely-worked set-pieces to keep us hooked, especially the cheeky, plotting penguins and a pink-haired love-starved newscaster.

Both leave the stage for a little interplay with individual members of the audience, bringing their characters to life up-close and personal.

The dance numbers are well choreographed and it's a relief to hear real singing.

With no voice track or miming, it's a pleasure to appreciate the talent of the "animals" performing in front of us. They're clearly enjoying themselves, which is infectious in the amphitheatre created by using just half of the Arena.

We're treated to 25 characters in all – which is no mean feat in a touring production where everyone has to squeeze themselves into costumes that really do reflect the characterisation of the animals they play. Neat stage tricks help transport us from zoo to the subways of New York, then on board ship and into the jungles of Madagascar.

The show-stopping numbers come right at the end and it's something of an abrupt stop when the story finally draws to a close.

But wait... maybe the show doesn't stop there for the youngsters: You know it's worked out well when you spot kids of all ages singing the best-known songs on the way out!

CBeebies Live, Arena

THE scenery was sparse but the gusto and energy of the performers was exactly what you'd expect from some of the BBC's top kiddies' stars.

And despite a lot of costumed characters, it was the real-life actors who proved themselves in a rather more tricky atmosphere than that of the cosy studios at CBeebies Towers.

The stars of the show were the humans: Justin, Andy and, of course, Stephanie from LazyTown.

They worked their young audience well and are obviously more seasoned professionals than you might give them credit for, and perhaps we're becoming blasé about their forever-repeated routines on the telly.

And then there's Mr Tumble. Justin's alter-ego proved to be a real hit and took the children to new heights of hysteria. Yet while we might have been expecting the colourful clown to return for a spell in the second half, we found his exposure was harshly rationed to a skit quite early on.

Never mind, seeing the MBE-decorated entertainer felt like something special – and something to be savoured. We can say we were there!

Which is more than some people who wanted to be in the audience. How gangs of people can contrive to continue arriving until well past half an hour into the show is a mystery.

Some of the less-favoured costume characters were reduced to what might be called bit-parts but most had their own section of the show, which comprised a series of scenarios trying to help the gang find some treasure.

So we enjoyed the Jakers crowd, the Koala Brothers, the Tweenies, Underground Ernie and Postman Pat.

Such shame then, that the biggest cheer was reserved for the Teletubbies. There's no accounting for taste.