Australia, you can keep your Married at First Sight, forget Neighbours, put the TimTams back on the shelf and get the shirts back on those Hemsworth brothers - your finest export has finally been revealed and it's a small, squeaky blue dog that's won over the world.
Bluey is the Aussie animated phenomenon - which airs on CBBC and streams on Disney+ - for preschool kids that's won over little hearts and made parents cry with its sensitive, funny and entertaining portrayal of modern family life and this week the stage show has brought the Heeler family to Cardiff for the live-action, Bluey's Big Play.
As with anything involving puppets I am skeptical (I find them weird) and often find the puppeteers distracting. But a) this is not about my enjoyment; and b) I actually had nothing to worry about. Bluey's Big Play was brilliant, maybe the best live kids' show I've seen.
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The theatre at the Wales Millennium Centre was already abuzz when I got there, from an active crowd of toddlers to slightly older kids in various degrees of emotional states, but once the show started the vibrant fun and character of your regular Bluey episode bounced off the stage.
The basic premise for the 50-minute show (no interval) is fairly similar to the average episode... Bluey and her little sister Bingo want to play with dad or mum and larks and shenanigans ensue with a lot of giggling, nagging of dad and a nicely done life lesson for either Bluey or the parents. It's also packed with classic Bluey and Aussie turns of phrase that we all now love to use in (for) real life, though, I was disappointed not to hear them say "bush wee" which originated in one of the best Bluey episodes I've seen - the one with the road trip series two, episode seven. There's little audience participation bits, dances and some huge balloons at the end that bounce over the audience - nice.
Thankfully, the impressive, not sure I can say 'life-size', Bluey puppets were such that their puppeteers weren't distracting at all and the skilful way in which they moved, responded and matched up the movements with the audio that was used as the characters' voices was brilliant and added to the humour and heart of the production. And as with any great children's TV or film, there are a few quips for adults that will leave you with a wry smile and the odd bit that will bring a tear to your eye.
But most importantly, the five-year-old with me absolutely loved the show, mouth-open, mesmerised state from start to finish and absolutely buzzing straight after.
Don't be a grey nomad and get down to the WMC asap for a kids' show that's amongst the best in the whole wide world and even the sky, including inside the aeroplanes.
Bluey’s Big Play is on at the Wales Millennium Centre until Sunday, March 17. Age guidance: Age guidance: 3+ and get your tickets from www.wmc.org.uk/en/whats-on/2024/bluey.
