Review: Horrible Histories: Terrible Tudors, Birmingham Stage Company, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday. Box office: 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york

HISTORY has a habit of repeating itself, not least when it comes to Terry Deary's Horrible Histories, frequent invaders of our most historic of cities.

Birmingham Stage Company return this week with a double dose of history-mocking storytelling in the vaudevillian Terrible Tudors and the adventure story of Awful Egyptians.

Ancient combines with modern in the shape of 3D glasses for an explosive second half of detonated fireworks, not to mention flying creepy crawlies, just out of reach of your fingertips as you duck. For all the technology, however, the show is driven by the multi role-playing trio of Simon Nock's Dr Dee, Lisa Allen's Dross and North Yorkshire's man of many voices, the lugubrious-faced Izaak Cainer.

We learn of Tudor tortures and absurd medical remedies; we see Ricjhard III with a cat's growl and a rapping Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn, and we hear Cainer work his way through myriad amusing voices, his goofing comedic talent blossoming on home soil.

These gory stories, told at a lick with slapstick and satire and the sword of truth, make for a lively way for children to spend a half-term day.

Charles Hutchinson