REVIEW - GABBY'S DOLLHOUSE LIVE UK TOUR | M&S BANK ARENA, LIVERPOOL | 26/04/2026
- Sarah Monaghan
- Apr 27
- 4 min read
Gabby’s Dollhouse Live! — A Magical Family Spectacular Bursting with Colour, Music and Friendship
Gabby’s Dollhouse Live! arrived at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena on 26th April 2026, bringing DreamWorks’ beloved preschool phenomenon to life in a dazzling live production that delivered a truly unforgettable theatre experience for young audiences and their families.
For fans of the hugely successful series, this stage adaptation beautifully captures the charm, creativity and positivity of Gabby’s Dollhouse while expanding it into a visually spectacular arena production packed with audience participation, vibrant musical numbers and genuinely impressive theatrical design.
From the moment audiences entered the arena, the immersive experience had already begun. Children were each handed friendship flowers on arrival — an interactive touch that immediately made little ones feel part of Gabby’s magical world before the show had even started. These flowers would later become central to helping Gabby restore the rainbow, creating an engaging and meaningful sense of involvement throughout.
For my own children, Alice (8) and Leo (7), both devoted Gabby’s Dollhouse fans, this was everything they had hoped for and more.
The storyline is simple yet wonderfully effective, perfectly tailored for its young target audience while delivering strong educational messages.
When Gabby unboxes a magical acorn that needs the full colours of the rainbow to grow into a friendship tree, chaos strikes after the mischievous CatRat accidentally causes a colourful cat-astrophe, shattering the rainbow into scattered pieces. Gabby, alongside Pandy Paws and the Gabby Cats, must journey through favourite dollhouse locations including Mermaid-Lantis, the Cat-O-Sphere, the Craft Room and more to recover each missing colour.
This quest structure works brilliantly, offering children clear progression, exciting new environments and valuable lessons around friendship, resilience, teamwork and perseverance.
Audience interaction is woven seamlessly throughout, with children actively helping Gabby using their friendship flowers to rebuild the rainbow. This constant engagement ensures younger viewers remain fully immersed from start to finish.
Visually, Gabby’s Dollhouse Live! is nothing short of spectacular.
The production’s set design is one of its greatest triumphs, framed by a stunning cat-ear-shaped proscenium arch illuminated in ever-changing rainbow colours. This instantly iconic visual anchors the production beautifully and creates a magical first impression.
Digital backdrops are used exceptionally well, transforming the stage into a wide variety of imaginative locations, from the sparkling underwater beauty of Mermaid-Lantis to the energetic musical worlds of DJ Catnip and the whimsical Craft Room. Each setting feels bold, immersive and faithful to the show’s aesthetic.
The lighting design is equally impressive, flooding the stage with vivid pinks, purples, blues and greens that perfectly capture Gabby’s colourful universe while adding genuine theatrical spectacle.
Costumes are playful, bright and recognisable, while Gabby herself remains visually authentic to the beloved character children know and love.
Music is central to Gabby’s Dollhouse Live!, and this production absolutely excels in this area.
Packed with beloved songs including Hey Gabby, Sprinkle Party, Music In You, Dance Like a Gabby Cat and You Can’t Spell Meow Without Me, the show keeps children singing, dancing and fully engaged throughout.
Alice’s personal highlight was CatRat’s scene-stealing solo You Can’t Spell Meow Without Me, which proved one of the production’s biggest musical standouts, while Leo was completely delighted by Cakey’s joyful Sprinkle Party sequence.
The choreography is lively, energetic and perfectly suited to family audiences, with Dance Like a Gabby Cat proving a huge crowd-pleaser that had children across the arena up on their feet dancing along.
Alongside the familiar favourites, newer songs such as those focused on “the power of yet” help reinforce the show’s educational messages without ever compromising its sense of fun.
The puppetry in Gabby’s Dollhouse Live! is exceptional and one of the production’s strongest elements.
Rather than using oversized static costumes, the production opts for large-scale puppets for the Gabby Cats, which allows for far greater movement, expressiveness and theatrical flexibility.
Characters including Pandy Paws, CatRat, Cakey, Mercat, Kitty Fairy and DJ Catnip are all brought vividly to life through beautifully designed puppets that remain remarkably faithful to their animated counterparts.
The expressive blinking eyes, detailed designs and fluid movement add a sophisticated layer of theatrical craftsmanship, ensuring each character feels dynamic, charming and full of personality.
The cast is outstanding across the board, delivering performances filled with warmth, energy and infectious enthusiasm.
Tia Larsen shines as Gabby, perfectly capturing the character’s optimism, warmth and boundless energy. Her performance is engaging and authentic, anchoring the production beautifully.
Callum Moir is excellent as Pandy Paws, combining strong puppetry skills with playful charm to bring one of Gabby’s most beloved companions to life.
Samuel Menhinick is a true standout as CatRat, delivering mischievous humour, big stage presence and one of the show’s most memorable musical moments.
Gabrielle Friedman brings sparkle to Mercat, while Elisha Covell delights as both Baby Box and Cakey Cat, with Cakey proving a major favourite for younger audience members.
Maisie Asbury as Kitty Fairy and Job Pedro Angus as DJ Catnip further strengthen the production, each adding distinct personality and energy to their roles.
The wider ensemble deserves enormous praise for seamlessly balancing singing, dancing and technically demanding puppetry throughout, maintaining consistently high energy from start to finish.
Gabby’s Dollhouse Live! is a joyful, visually stunning and genuinely magical family theatre experience that exceeds expectations.
This five-star production successfully transforms the beloved television series into an immersive live event packed with colour, music, imagination and positive messaging.
Running at approximately 75 minutes including an interval, Gabby’s Dollhouse Live! is perfectly paced for younger audiences and offers an ideal introduction to live arena theatre for preschool and early primary-aged children.
For Alice and Leo, this was an unforgettable day filled with favourite characters, songs and magical moments. For us as parents, watching that joy unfold was equally special.
With spectacular staging, exceptional puppetry, energetic performances and
meaningful interactive elements, Gabby’s Dollhouse Live! is an absolute must-see for young fans.
A rainbow-filled, friendship-powered five-star family spectacular that truly delivers from start to finish.
For more information about the show, and to find out if it is visiting a venue near you please click the button below to visit the official website.
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