CBeebies favourites Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka will be flying in to Kent this week in a UK first.

The children's show In the Night Garden Live brings its stage tour to UK theatres, stopping at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford from Thursday, April 18.

The performance will be a first for the company as it will feature a flying Pinky Ponk, created by the same company who designed the flying yellow submarines for director Danny Boyle's London Olympics opening ceremony in 2012.

German company Airstage are set to fly the air orb in the shape of the Pinky Ponk inside the theatre as part of the show. Its debut flight will be on opening performance on Thursday.

The family theatre show started 10 years ago but this version is a specially-written new story using full-size costumes and magical puppets with enchanting music and dancing.

Executive producer Oliver Seadon said: “We’ve toured In the Night Garden Live in our own venue for the last 10 years and audiences always felt like they were being transported into the Night Garden. We knew that when we brought the show into theatres for the first time we had to do something magical for our little fans and their families. What better way than to take the Night Garden literally into the auditorium in the form of this incredible flying Pinky Ponk. If the toddlers in the audiences are half as excited as I was about seeing it for the first time, it’s going to be such a special experience.”

Written by Helen Eastman, also the writer of Bing! Live, the show is directed by Royal Ballet choreographer and director Will Tuckett.

He said: “Children know these characters so well... They are there, waving at them. Taking your child to see them live on stage is an extraordinary experience. It makes me love my job as much as I do."

In the Night Garden is at the Orchard theatre in Dartford from Thursday, April 18 to Easter Monday, April 22.

To book tickets go to orchardtheatre.co.uk or call 01322 220000.

The show also heads to the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, from Tuesday, August 20 to Saturday, August 24 and Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre on Wednesday, August 7 and Thursday, August 8. Visit nightgardenlive.com to book.