The look on my two-year-old’s face was priceless. An enormous smile stretched from ear to ear as he came face to face with her, the object of his unrequited love and devotion. He was awestruck.

She gave one loud snort, the spell was broken and he burst into laughter.

She’s pink, she’s perky and she loves jumping in muddy puddles: she’s Peppa Pig.

Pre-schoolers and their parents will be delighted to discover that the popular TV programme is now a live show,  touring the country. Having enjoyed a successful run in the West End, the production will soon be reopening at the Beck Theatre in Hayes, Middlesex.

As a mother of three, I’ve seen a few children’s plays in my time and I’m happy to report that Peppa Pig’s Party is a cut above the rest. The plot is simple. It’s Peppa’s birthday and she’s having a party with her friends and family. The songs are catchy, the set is brightly coloured and there is enough audience participation to keep the young’uns captivated.

The show was an absolute hit with my son – he loved every second . He loudly shouted out the name of each character as they appeared on stage and relished every opportunity to sing and dance along with the cast.

Peppa and pals have been brought to life by puppetry consultant, Nigel Plaskitt, who has 35 years’ experience in children’s television and has also worked on the hit show Avenue Q. The puppets are operated in the same way that they are in Avenue Q – a Sesame Street spoof – with puppeteers dressed in black manning the dolls.

Nigel said: “Children don’t really notice the puppeteer. Adults, on the other hand, do. When they first begin watching Peppa Pig’s Party, they’ll find it takes them a minute or two to adjust.

“But children have this ability to instantly suspend disbelief, so that whether the character is real or not becomes irrelevant towards their enjoyment of what they are watching.”

Don’t miss Peppa Pig in London on the following dates:

• Peppa Pig’s Party at Beck Theatre 2-3 Mar

• Peppa Pig’s Party at Fairfield Halls & Ashcroft Theatre 5-6 Mar

• Peppa Pig’s Party at Radlett Centre 4-5 May

Visit www.peppapiglive.com for more information and to book tickets.

With Christmas drawing closer many shows are ending their runs to make way for festive productions. It really is your last chance to see many of London’s most popular musicals.

A few nights ago I went to see Oliver! It has been on my list of “must-sees” ever since the Andrew Lloyd Webber programme went in search of the perfect Nancy. Oliver closes on 8 January 2011 after a fantastic two-year run, and tickets are selling out fast. I didn’t realise the scale of this production before I went – the theatre is massive and very grand and the stage constantly changes, with ever more fabulous backdrops for each successive scene. But by far the most epic aspect of this musical is the huge cast, predominantly made up of very talented young children.

The show currently stars entertainer Russ Abbot as the loveable rogue Fagin (although I saw understudy Tim Laurenti in the role) and Kerry Ellis as Nancy. Gwion Wyn Jones (Oliver) and Ben Wilson (Artful Dodger) are the real stars of the night however; I couldn’t believe how capable and confident they are – singing, dancing and acting with startling maturity and swagger. I particularly love the sequence right at the beginning of the show when all the kids come on stage to sing “Food Glorious Food”.

Read our entry on Oliver! with Omid Djalili as Fagin.

Other London Theatre Shows Ending Soon:

• Sister Act: (ends 30 October 2010) A precocious singer joins a convent to unite the sisters with singing and music
• Avenue Q: (ends 30 October 2010) A hilarious mischievous puppet show set in New York City
• Sweet Charity: (ends 6 November 2010) the story of a dancer-for-hire at a Times Square dance-hall who finds love at last
• The Railway Children: (ends 2 January 2010) An adaptation of E Nesbit’s classic about three children who find amusement watching the trains at a nearby railway station

Catch them before it’s too late!

Trafalgar Square turned green this morning with the arrival of a giant maze.

The installation is part of a campaign to promote London’s West End. You’ll see blue plaques with information about areas such as Carnaby Street and Leicester Square as you walk around.

When I visited this morning I was impressed by the calm feeling inside the maze, which seemed to block out the sound of passing traffic. Don’t worry, it’s not big enough to lose yourself in, even if you have a terrible sense of direction like I do.

The maze will be in Trafalgar Square all week, with different events happening each day. Later today there will be a showcase of West End shows including Avenue Q and Priscilla Queen of the Desert. On Friday there’s a 60s theme with music and an exhibition of 60s photos celebrating Carnaby Street.

The maze is open from 11am to 8pm until Friday 6 August 2010. Entry is free. www.westendlondon.com/maze

The hilarious West End musical has posted closing notices this week: the final performance will be on 30 October. Having seen the show three times, I guess I’ll have to be content with continuing to snigger at the soundtrack on my commute to work.

In other news, Alf from Home and Away, sorry, Ray Meagher is going to star in Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical from 30 September. Ray’s playing mechanic Bob in the London production at the Palace Theatre, a role he first played in 2007 in Sydney.

And finally for musicals this week, Anna-Jane Casey is to lead the cast of Bells Are Ringing at the Union Theatre this autumn. Casey  is currently starring in the fantastic Comedy of Errors at the Open Air Theatre. From 29 September, she’ll play Ella Peterson in a rare revival of this Broadway musical, scored by Jule Styne (Gypsy, Funny Girl) with a book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green (Singin’ in the Rain, On the Town).

Last but not least for this week, I’ve got news of the Old Vic’s new season. Highlights include:

• Noël Coward’s unconventional rom-com Design For Living (3 Sep-27 Nov), starring Tom Burke, Andrew Scott, and Lisa Dillon
• Feydeau’s A Flea In Her Ear (4 Dec to 5 Mar), a comedy of misunderstandings with the lovely Tom Hollander and Lisa Dillon again, directed by Richard Eyre
• Cause Célèbre by Terence Rattigan (17 Mar to 11 Jun), directed by Thea Sharrock, who also directed Rattigan’s After The Dance, currently playing at the National

Artistic director Kevin Spacey says:

“These are three great plays that all rather brilliantly explore the attitudes of their time and offer wonderful roles to actors. I am delighted to welcome Lisa Dillon, such a compelling and exciting young actress, to our stage in two productions, alongside Tom Burke, whose work I’ve admired since we acted together in the movie Telstar, and Tom Hollander, one of the finest and funniest leading actors of his generation. We are also delighted to be part of the centenary celebrations for Terence Rattigan and I can’t wait to see Thea Sharrock translate his work to the stage.”

Read the full quote on the SOLT website.

On a brighter note: if you were a fan of I’d Do Anything on the BBC, I’ve got news about two of the show’s stars: firstly, gorgeous winner Lee Mead is heading over to the dark (green) side, to play Fiyero in the ever-brilliant Wicked from 10 May.

And secondly, it turns out Daniel Boys‘ run as Princeton in Avenue Q at the Gielgud is “only for now”. He’ll be replaced by Paul Spicer in March. London’s naughtiest musical is also moving to a new home as well as getting a new cast: it’ll be shocking you into fits of sniggers at Wyndham’s Theatre from 19 March.

Other exiting cast news comes from Down Under: Jane Turner, who you’ll know from Kath And Kim is coming to the West End in May. Holding The Man opens at the Trafalgar Studios on 4 May (previews from 23 April), and is about being young and gay in 70s Australia.

Finally, bringing a touch of sunshine to my January, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre (one of my favouritest things in the whole of London) have announced their 2010 season. There’s nothing like planning ahead to warm summery evenings in the outdoors with great theatre in a wonderful setting to lift a grey sky. And what treats do they have lined up for us? Well, under the header “Kings and Rogues”, there’s lots of royalty! Macbeth, Henry VIII and Henry IV parts 1 and 2, and an exciting sounding new play called Anne Boleyn by Howard Brenton. Plus a revival of the Globe’s acclaimed 2008 production of The Merry Wives of Windsor (which I’m looking forward to as I missed it that year) and another newbie, Bedlam, by Nell Leyshon. (Finally, a female on the list of Globe playwrights!)

I’m off to dream about standing in the fading sunshine with a £5 groundling ticket… Roll on summer!

It’s that time of year again, when normally clean-shaven men start comparing new growths of hair on their upper lips.

Movember invites Mo Bros (with support from Mo Sistas) to grow moustaches during November in aid of The Prostate Cancer Charity.

The initiative began in Australia in 2003 and has grown steadily ever since. Movember 2009 is set to be the biggest, hairiest yet, with loads of events happening in London.

You can enjoy:

• Fast track boarding for all Mo Bros on the Merlin Entertainments London Eye, plus a special in-flight moustache grooming event
• Free moustache trimming at Mo’s Moustache Emporium at Dermalogica in Kensington
• A charity lunch at OXO Tower Brasserie, featuring ingredients known to reduce men’s chances of developing prostate cancer, and mojitos in the bar
• A fundraising 10k run in Greenwich Park, with moustachioed runners in 70s fancy dress. (Women can take part too – simply draw or stick on a moustache.)
• A hunt for the sexiest moustache, with a chance to win a VIP visit to Avenue Q, including an appearance on stage at curtain call

So what are you waiting for? Throw away your razor now and start growing that ‘tache!

Puppets aren’t just for kids: there are companies all over the world producing puppet shows with grown-up themes.

Now some of the world’s top puppeteers are coming to London to perform at the adults-only Suspense London Puppetry Festival.

The programme encompasses everything from a raunchy puppet cabaret to a show about the life of Albert Einstein.

Don’t miss the brilliant Rust by Green Ginger, about two rival pirate radio stations.

The festival is organised by the Little Angel Theatre in Islington.

Creative Director Peter Glanville says, “People are engaging with puppetry in a way which is really quite exciting. War Horse, Avenue Q and Madame Butterfly are all part of that movement.”

The organisers hope the festival will introduce puppetry to new grown-up audiences. If you haven’t seen an adult puppet show before, book your tickets now!

Suspense is at venues across London from 30 October to 8 November.