Groovy Greeks follows the Horrible Histories’ formula of silly jokes, smutty humour combined with a break neck run through the key facts of history.

Historical highlights include the escape from Sparta by Paris and Troy, the sacking of Troy, the defeat of the Persians, the establishment of democracy and medicine, the first Olympic Games and a brief introduction to the Greek Gods.

Against a backdrop of a giant interactive screen showing temples and theatres, the voice of Zeus played by author Terry Deary leads the characters through the history of Greece explaining its early Mycenaean origins, the inequality of women and slavery.

The addition of 3D after the interval with its suitably scary effects of flying rocks, arrows and hideous insects went down a storm as Theseus hunts down the minotaur in the labyrinth in Crete and the Athenians and Spartans repel the armies of Xerxes on land and sea.

The play is part of a double bill of Horrible Histories which also features Incredible Invaders that tells the history of the Saxons, Vikings and Romans.

While some of the humour may be juvenile and some of the contemporary allusions strained, the script kept the attention of the young audience – and left them better informed.