As an adult, you’re probably used to watching In the Night Garden knowing that it will make absolutely no sense. You’re too old. For the target age group of the fives-and-under, it’s the manifestation of the world as they see it. Brightly coloured, semi-human creatures scamper around a garden that’s permanently in bloom and populated by tropical birds. Night follows day, with the promise of washed faces and a bedtime story before being tucked up in bed. Feeling tired yet?

The new show, In the Night Garden Live, follows the same reassuring pattern. Judging by the crowd of under-fives watching it, it’s a thriller. We saw it in its London home (you can also catch performances in Glasgow, Liverpool and Birmingham), a special tent erected alongside the Millennium Dome. Inflatable Haahoos stand outside, the Pinky Ponk flies overhead. Cleverly, spectators sit on steeply ramped steps, rather than seats. This gives plenty of head height so that everyone gets a good view, while giving lots of space for children and all their kit to wander around. We plonked a newborn babe down in a carrier, and he slumbered happily throughout the performance. Not that it would have mattered if he’d woken; the spectators made enough noise to drown out the cries of a hundred mewling tots.

The action is delivered on a green stage, with various characters and motifs from the show projected onto the ceiling. There’s plenty to look at, with characters represented by a mix of mechanical kit – prepare to be deafened by high-pitched screams of pleasure when the Ninky Nonk wheels into view – puppets, and full-size characters. My two-year-old took a step back when Maka Pakka appeared: ‘Scary’ he declared, while smiling happily.

And – plot spoiler alert! – the action follows the tried-and-tested In the Night Garden formula. Upsy Daisy and Iggle Piggle stroll around the garden kissing each other, while Derek Jacobi warbles about the deep love Iggle Piggle feels for his blanket. A thrilling ride on the Ninky Nonk (or Pinky Ponk, depending on which show you watch; there are two versions) follows, during which Iggle Piggle loses his blanket through a particularly turbulent Ninky Nonk wiggle. The duo then parade around the garden looking for the blanket, which eventually turns up, blown by the wind on to Upsy Daisy’s face.

The soundtrack is familiar to a generation of tots and their parents. It’s hard not to hum along to it, even harder not to start falling asleep to it. By the end of the show, all the characters are tucked up in bed, looking super-cute inserted into a set created to look like an open book.

The show runs to about 50 minutes, exactly the length at which most children start to fidget. Their parents start to squirm after about 25 minutes, not helped by the hard seating. Fab that it gives clear access to the stage, but you might want to take along a cushion. Or steal Iggle Piggle’s blanket; he’s always leaving it lying around.

Tickets start at £12.50, there are no concessions, and you can book online. And you can also read about what happened when angels & urchins blog went backstage, along with Billie Piper, Samantha Morton and Lawrence Fox, HERE. We made some surprising discoveries about Iggle Piggle, and can exclusively reveal that the Haahoos really are a bunch of airheads.