Kidsfest for the whole family

Anyone thinking they can tune out or quietly respond to some e-mails on their smartphone when they take their children to the upcoming KidsFest shows can think again.

To be sure, the name hardly suggests material that would keep grown-ups entertained. But the executive producer of festival organiser ABA Productions, Matthew Gregory, is determined that the five productions in this year's programme will have plenty that will engage parents too.

"I know through personal experience that if I'm going to take my children to see a show, I would like to enjoy it as well," says Gregory, who has two children of kindergarten age. "We'd like the festival to be a collaborative experience between parents and their kids. That's the whole point."

It's the second time that ABA has organised the festival, which has not only expanded from three shows last year to this year's five productions, but is also touring to Singapore.

The 2013 programme features Barmy Britain and Ruthless Romans, two hilarious shows based on British author Terry Deary's popular Horrible Histories illustrated book series; perennial favourites The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom, both adapted from bestselling books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, as well as Mr Benn, a show built around the cartoon character created by author-illustrator David McKee.

It's no accident that Gregory is opening the festival with Barmy Britain. "As some of the reviews say, the kids probably learn more in these shows than in a whole term of history lessons. They will come out remembering some facts from here forever," Gregory says of the Birmingham Stage Company's take on the Horrible Histories.