When The Wondercrump World of Roald Dahl opened in The Southbank Centre, earlier in the year I tried to get tickets. But the weekend my family was in London it was fully booked. To my delight this unique experience transferred to Cardiff in August to celebrate Dahl’s centenary year as part of the Roald Dahl 100 celebrations.
If you have not visited this wizzpopping, splendiferous, frothbungling (yes, I’ve been reading my daughters Dahl Dictionary) interactive exhibition yet, then I strongly advise you to hurry to The Wales Millennium Centre before January 14th. Timed tour tickets are bookable at the box office and schools can also join in the fun. This magical tour will take you on a journey through Dahl’s pure imagination where you will explore his mind and see historical artefacts from the life of the world’s greatest storyteller.
Our tour began with Hannah, a very knowledgeable guide with a warm personality, who constantly challenged my children with questions and fun Dahl facts. We didn’t know what to expect and my youngest daughter was a little apprehensive as we entered through the opulent red velvet curtains to begin our Wondercrump adventure.
Without really knowing it, we walked through a series of eight rooms. It felt like we were on dreamlike trip around Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory with lots of secret doors and corridors, strange noises and surprises! Yes, some bits were a little scary for a sensitive child but with so much to see and discover (like a giant peach hidden in the forest) they will soon forget it’s dark and those weird noises are actually Fantastic Mr Fox calling his friends.
My older daughters particularly loved the 1930’s school-room complete with old fashioned desks and a ceiling covered in flying letters. When you lifted the lids of the desks you could read letters from Dahl to his Mama all signed by ‘Boy’ signifying the publication of his early years correspondence from boarding school.
The insight into Dahl’s early life continued in a desert where his war plane
crash-landed over Libya. Here you will learn of his first writing challenge before you experience first hand what it’s like to be in Sophie’s bedroom, The Twit’s upside down home or Matilda’s library.
At a darkened window, my daughters whispered their dreams into a dream catcher to see if they caught the giant’s attention so the dream jars would light up and sparkle. Located on Sophie’s bedside table was one of Roald Dahl’s shoes. He was a very tall man and he apparently insisted his rather large brown sandal was to be illustrated for his BFG. Quentin Blake most certainly obliged, and letters between the two were a most welcome read.
My favourite part of the exhibition was when my three little girls and I had to stand against the library wall and concentrate really really really hard to see if we could make the books move with our eyes!
In the imagination invention room we got to see if one of Roald Dahl’s famous quotes ‘Somewhere inside all of us, is the power to change the world’ was true. Here the children could craft a character, tell stories or enter the laughter lounge and play with the huge wall of whoopee cushions!
When we stepped into the mirrored Great Glass Elevator I was in no doubt that Wondercrump will inspire thousands of young minds to go on to create their own imaginative stories. As we go on our final journey a narrated voice (that I’d like to think is actually Dahl himself) tells us to ‘watch the world with glittering eyes, as the greatest secrets are hidden around you.’ Well, our eyes glittered for the full hour. We learnt so much about Dahl’s limitless imagination and fondness for all things magical. I urge you not to let this exhibition be a secret and catch it before it disappears!
The Wondercrump World of Roald Dahl is at Wales Millennium Centre until Saturday 14th January 2017, with tours taking place between 9.45am-6pm. Tours are available in Welsh and English. There is a maximum of 15 people per tour. There must be a minimum of one adult for every three children. The age guide is 7-107 but my youngest was 5 and loved it! Tickets cost a reasonable £8-£11.
words BETHAN MORRIS
