The Transport Explorers: A Live Show | Cubic Theatre

The Transport Explorers, which is written by Rachel Barnett-Jones and directed by Nicola Shepherd, is the latest addition to the London Transport Museum's cultural initiative by the Museum's Director and CEO, Elizabeth McKay. A 60 minute interactive show that engages, entertains and educates children and adults alike, The Transport Explorers proves itself to be a special additional experience on a fun visit. 

The show follows two young trainee engineers, Kai (James Georgiou) and Jesse (Hattie Manton), as they complete their training and achieve their "Planner", "Fixer" and "Dreamer" badges. The two trainees must, together, overcome a series of complications along with a thorough understanding of how the past influences the present and inspires the future with their own innovative ideas. 

The show manages to be thoroughly informative, whilst still engaging with the young audience, all of whom were deeply invested. Using a combination of audience participation, live demonstrations of scientific experiments, role play and humour, the young audiences are swept into the show. The show covers a range of topics revolving around the emergence of London's Transport System, starting in the early 1700s to the present day and beyond. Predominantly, the show engages with the underground system and trains, allowing for children and adult alike to discover answers to mysteries that surround them in their everyday. 

The script is clever and the show is fast-paced, ensuring that a child is never bored and constantly being engaged with. The script also has a few additional references that adults may appreciate, especially a quick throwaway to the musical Wicked in an amusing musical riff. The show breaks down complicated concepts making them easy to follow, whilst adding simple jokes and humour that will have the young audience howling with laughter. The show dips slightly into the ever classic British pantomime, with a little "No I can't, Yes you can!" Bit that guarantees a smile. 

Manton and Georgiou do an exceptional job of meeting the young audience on their level, even veering off script to ensure they feel welcome. At the show I was at, a young autistic child was one of the eager volunteer participants and Georgiou took the time to not only accommodate requests, but continued to check in with the child throughout the rest of the show. The two actors quite literally adorn many a hat during the show, becoming various inventors and engineers over the years, as newer train models were introduced, and despite the limited time, made quite distinctive characters. The two performers bring an infectious energy into the room, with both characters almost as eager and excited as the audience. The show truly felt more like a group of friends sharing and teaching one another. Georgiou was particularly impressive with his limitless enthusiasm.

Designed by Damien Stanton, the set has a bright red frame around it, with the three badges and numerous transportation methods on it. The back wall is a large screen that helps with names and the time period of new inventions, along with a visual explanation of new topics that are discussed. Also taking into account the young audiences, a video-game-like sequence helps keeps the kids engaged as they tackle slightly more informative sections of the show. A clever feature is the table, which resembles half of the Transport For London logo. The stage is compact, yet this works well for this show, and especially the experiments that can be seen clearly by the audience. Hatton and Georgiou also perform a couple of the experiments directly in or next to the audience, really ensuring that the audience are immersed by this production. 

The Transport Explorers is a brilliant way of introducing young minds not only to the invention of trains, but also invites them to relish in the celebration of these trains. Having learnt about the steam, diesel, electric and hydrogen powered trains, more than one family left the theatre excited to visit the rest of the museum or even perform similar safe science experiments at home. Whilst the show is successful as a stand alone family theatre show, it emerges victorious as the starting step of a day spent at the museum, and in finding delights on the underground on their way home.

The Transport Explorers: A Live Show will be performing in the Cubic Theatre at the London Transport Museum until 4th January 2026.

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★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Mark Douet