IF your family enjoys adventure and fun with a little dash of learning-something-new thrown in as well, then you are going to have a ball at the brand new Horrible Histories shows coming to the Chelmsford Civic Theatre from September 29 to October 3. Th

IF your family enjoys adventure and fun with a little dash of 'learning-something-new' thrown in as well, then you are going to have a ball at the brand new Horrible Histories shows coming to the Chelmsford Civic Theatre from September 29 to October 3.

The Birmingham Stage Company has already triumphed with stage versions of four of Terry Deary''s other hugely successful Horrible Histories books: the Terrible Tudors, Vile Victorians, Awesome Egyptians and Rotten Romans.

Using just four actors and amazing 3D Bogglevision special effects, they are now undertaking their most ambitious task of bringing the First and Second World Wars alive to family audiences in two entertaining yet sensitively depicted shows.

Frightful First World War tells the story of 13-year-old Angelica Taylor who, while struggling with her history homework, gets sucked into her computer and stuck in the Horrible Histories website until she has travelled through the five years of the First World War. She is helped by Private Paul Taylor, a 16-year-old solider whom she meets.

With them you will experience the frontline of the worst war ever, relive the terror of the trenches, face the food, confront a court martial, gasp at the ghost stories and join the soldiers as they go over the top.

With the help of your Bogglevision specs you will see the huge liner Lusitania sink before your very eyes and shriek as a rat seems to jump into the audience - discover everything you need to know about the Great War.

Woeful Second World War tells the story of two children, Alf and Sally, who get evacuated to darkest Wales, away from the damp shelters and nightly bombings of their home city - only to encounter rotten rations, scary schools and even scarier new parents.

Both these brand new shows will thrill all the family as they are full of excitement, songs and jokes as well as giving all ages a new insight into the dangers and hardships faced by ordinary people in both conflicts - a painless way to find out more about both World Wars

For performance information and ticket prices contact the box office on 01245 606505 or look online at www.chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres.