REVIEW – BRAVE BETTIE AT Z-ARTS MANCHESTER – A MAGICAL MORNING OF STORYTELLING AND ADVENTURE 🌳✨

Brave Bettie -A Magical Woodland Adventure for Young Theatre-Goers

Family theatre trips are some of my favourite days out, especially when the show is designed to spark imagination and gently encourage children to join in with the story. Brave Bettie at Z-arts Manchester is a charming family theatre show for children aged 3–8, blending storytelling, music and audience interaction into a magical woodland adventure that completely captured the children’s attention.

Our Visit to Z-arts

On Saturday 14th March, we caught the bus into Manchester to see the 11am performance of Brave Bettie at Z-arts.

One of the things I really like about visiting Z-arts is how easy it is to get to. The bus stops just across the road from the venue, which makes travelling with children really simple.

We caught the 9:55am bus and arrived at Z-arts around 10:10am, giving us plenty of time before the show started. Whenever we visit Z-arts we always try to arrive early because there are lots of fun things for children to explore before heading into the theatre.

Alice and Leo’s first stop was the big red bus in the downstairs play area. Alice quickly decided she was the driver and “picked us up” from the bus stop before driving us all to Z-arts for the show.

After that we headed upstairs to the café area, which is right next to the theatre doors. There’s a lovely little play kitchen there, and the children happily spent time making pretend lunch for me and Lawrence while we waited for the theatre to open.

At 10:55am, a bell rang and there was an anouncement that let everyone know the doors were opening.

We were seated in Row G, seats 14–17, and as always at Z-arts the view was excellent. The theatre is really well raked, which means children can see the stage clearly even if you’re sitting further back.

The Story

Brave Bettie begins with Bettie reading a story about Paida Moyo, a legendary figure from Zimbabwean mythology known for her bravery.

Bettie loves spending time in the woodland near her home and sees it as her special place. When she discovers that the council plans to cut down her favourite tree and turn the forest into a car park, she feels devastated.

Wanting to be brave enough to help save the forest, Bettie wishes on a star.

That’s when something magical happens — Paida Moyo appears, stepping straight out of Bettie’s storybook and into Bettie’s world.

Together, the two set out on a woodland adventure to try and protect the forest and the animals who live there. Along the way the story explores themes of friendship, courage and believing in yourself, all brought to life through storytelling, music and audience participation.

The Show Experience

Before the show even began, one of the performers was already on stage chatting with the audience while everyone found their seats. She taught the children a few words in the Shona language, as well as a rain dance that would be used later during the story.

She also asked the children to shout out their favourite animals, choosing a few audience members to share theirs.

Both Alice (8) and Leo (6) were picked, which they absolutely loved. Alice said her favourite animal was a penguin, while Leo proudly chose a giraffe.

The show itself mixes storytelling, music and audience participation, with plenty of moments where the children are encouraged to join in.

Alice particularly loved the moment where Bettie helps a hedgehog collect leaves to help camouflage it, while Leo’s favourite part was when the audience joined in with the rain dance to help fill the Beaver’s dried-up lake with water.

Seeing the children around us joining in with the dancing and shouting out answers made the whole performance feel lively and engaging.

At a Glance

📍 Venue: Z-arts, Manchester

⏱ Running Time: 50 minutes (no interval)

👧 Age Recommendation: Suitable for ages 3–8

🎭 Company: Half Moon

🌳 Themes: Friendship, courage, imagination and caring for nature

💃 Interactive Elements: Audience participation, dancing and learning new words

☕ Facilities: Café, children’s play areas and a small library space

🚗 Parking: Z-arts does not have its own car park, but the venue is easy to reach by public transport

A Lovely Family Day Out in Manchester

If you're looking for things to do with kids in Manchester, a visit to Z-arts is always a fantastic option. With its welcoming atmosphere, play areas, café and regular programme of family theatre, it’s a brilliant venue for family days out in Manchester.

Pairing a theatre show like Brave Bettie with some time exploring the play spaces makes it a really enjoyable morning or afternoon out with children.

If you’d like to read my full theatre review of Brave Bettie, including more details about the production and performances, you can find it over on my theatre website All About Theatre.

Final Thoughts

Brave Bettie is a thoughtful and imaginative piece of children’s theatre that blends storytelling, music and audience participation into a magical woodland adventure.

With engaging performances and plenty of opportunities for children to join in, it’s a lovely introduction to theatre for younger audiences.

Both Alice and Leo really enjoyed it, especially the moments where they could take part in the story.

A magical theatre adventure that left our little audience completely captivated 🌳✨

Our tickets for this show were kindly gifted in exchange for an honest review.

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