A heart-warming tale for all ages, Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is the story of a football-loving kid befriending the quirky residents of an old people’s home. Set to the incredible operatic voices of the cast, you don’t need to have read the book to enjoy this hilarious, interactive and accessible experience.

This opera is a skilful adaptation of the well-loved book by Mem Fox. Wilfrid, the kid next door, learns that his favourite resident suffers from memory loss, and decides to help her find her memory again. Seeing the story on stage takes it in a whole new and exciting direction. The composer, Emma Jayakumar, told us how she wrote the show and invited the kids to ask questions. ‘Opera is about emotion,’ she said. ‘Being moved so much by something happy, sad, or funny, and singing about it’.

And I was moved by all those emotions as the cast brought the charming characters to life. This show is truly engaging to all ages; full of bright colours, bittersweet memories, and hope. There were so many clever moments – from the orchestra interacting with the cast to playing the character’s leitmotifs to the kids to introduce them, this show was smoothly put together and educational without ever stopping the fun. I was lucky enough to sit near the front, and was able to hear the character’s hilarious spoken interactions to each other, but I worry that if you sit too far back these delightful asides would be lost.

Bittersweet, funny and joyful, there is so much to love about this show. There was something for everyone, whether you’re 9 or 99 – the themes of friendship and memory cross all boundaries. If you’re brave enough to risk a lemonade explosion and a very silly story about the ‘Apple of Doom’, then grab your walking stick, wheelchair, skateboard or light-up sneakers, and come and meet Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge – and his fun, crazy, loving neighbours.