Meet the veggies!

Wed 1 Mar 2017

CBeebies’ Mr Bloom is coming to our theatre with his family of Veggies in a new stage show which is sure to delight the whole family.

Mr Bloom’s Nursery does what many parents might have thought impossible – gets children excited about vegetables! Set in the allotment of the lovable gardener, and featuring a supporting cast of animated veggies, the award-winning CBeebies series has been teaching children about vegetables and where they come from, as well as wider lessons on nurture and growth.

Key to the show’s appeal are the characters of the Veggies. For the uninitiated they are:

• Margaret the Cabbage: sensitive with a zest for adventure and is fascinated by space, and especially the moon.
• Joan the Fennel: a fusspot who loves dressing up in a variety of costumes. She likes to be the centre of attention and is the self-appointed leader of the pack.
• Raymond the Butternut Squash: he may not be the brightest but he is very thoughtful and has a big heart.
• Sebastian the Aubergine: French and suave with a passion for the arts and loves to sing.
• The Wee MacGregors: the Radishes, a law unto themselves – cheeky, mischievous, observant and attentive.
• Colin the Runnerbean: the youngest of the pack, a typical little boy who loves adventure and is full of energy.

The show evolved from an interactive street theatre piece called The Vegetable Nannies, created by actor Ben Faulks – who plays Mr Bloom. In 2009 Faulks approached the BBC – with three young children of his own, Faulks regularly watched CBeebies and realised his show would work well on television.

Faulks admits he isn’t a keen gardener himself, although he loves the outdoors. He’s not sure where the inspiration for the character of Mr Bloom came from: “He was always going to be a happy Northern gardener but I haven’t based him on anyone.”

Now, Mr Bloom is heading out on tour. In this all-new show, the allotment is awaiting the arrival of a very special guest. It will feature the Veggies, Compo the Compostarium machine and of course the Tiddlers (as children are known in the Mr Bloom universe) will be involved with songs and games. Ben Faulks says: “We are all really excited because this is the first time we have appeared in a traditional theatre setting –  but the show will still retain its intimacy and heavily involve the audience, especially the Tiddlers.”

Mr Bloom’s Nursery: Sunday 2 April 2017.