Isle of Wight carnival group Shademakers put on theatre show

The first hint that something spectacular was about to happen, was the sight of huge carnival costumes spilling out of all sides of the theatre building, before the show, Ad Astra, began.

The costumes were so big they literally didn't fit backstage.

The next hint was the incredibly loud music as we awaited the show - probably the loudest I have ever heard at that venue. It added to the atmosphere and the suspense.

The tiger costume (Image: Shademakers)

And then the curtain went up, but this was no traditional performance with all the action on the stage.

Actors flooded in from all directions, throughout the evening - from the side doors, the back of the stage, up the aisles. From our seats in the stalls, we were fully immersed in the proceedings.

The costumes were breathtakingly big, bold and beautiful. 

There were larger than life white horses in the aisles (my favourite moment), a never-ending snake, a shark swimming above our heads, huge tigers and a showpiece lion.

The falcon costume (Image: Shademakers)

There was a beautiful hummingbird portrayed by talented ballerina Grace Dempsey, up on pointes for much of the show and so elegant in all her movement.

There was a joyous performance by Lily George, as a peacock whose impressive feathers were added while on stage - as the costume got bigger and bigger before our eyes.

Callum Davies commanded the stage as the falcon, a costume so stunning it was heavily used in the promotion of the show. 

The story centred on an important message about doing what we can to save the planet and how small contributions are vital - inspired by the story of the hummingbird by Wangari Maathai.

Lily George and Joe Plumb took the story and turned it into an unbelievable spectacle. They thought big and then made it bigger, so big it burst at the theatre seams. 

The man behind the costumes is artistic director Paul McLaren, whose creations memorably featured in the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant. Here, they were showcased in a different way by bringing them to a theatre stage.  

There was a huge cast of actors who all did a fantastic job, but the real stars of the show were the magnificent creatures they brought to life - and that was what it was all about.

If there was anything to improve the experience, it would have been to have discarded the seats entirely, so the audience could stand up and move to the beats too, like at a music festival, rather than sitting as an observer.

That's how powerful the performance was. It felt like a party!