Troy dinner show: kids and voting

The short answer for families

Troy is built for mixed ages. The production's own site calls it the family show and says the dinner menu suits guests of all ages, with a children's menu available. The booking page lists strollers as welcome, infant seats and wheelchair access. What the evening asks of children is attention, not silence: acrobats, dancers and singers keep the stage moving, and a QR code at the table gives them a part in the story. The evening runs about three hours from arrival, so the real question for most families is the youngest child's bedtime, not whether the show is suitable. The production's own site sets no age limit for Troy, in contrast with its grown-up show, which it suggests for ages twelve and over.

What the show is

Troy retells the Trojan War as a dinner show. Heroes, gods and goddesses are brought to life by acrobats, dancers and singers, and the production's own site adds sculptures to that list. The booking page uses the phrase statuary acrobats and calls the show interactive. Its promotion bills it as unique in Europe, a claim this guide cannot confirm. The dependable part is the format: a seated dinner, a performance built on a Greek myth, and a game you can join from your table. It is entertainment inspired by Homer's war, not a lesson in it. Wikipedia describes the Trojan War as a legendary conflict, so the show is built on a story that has been retold for nearly three thousand years.

How the phone vote works

Each table has a QR code. To take part, you scan it, enter the password shown on the large LED screen, and follow the instructions that appear on the screen and on your phone. The production's own site describes games that let guests interact with the show, and says participants can win prizes. The booking page describes the same thing as a vote: guests choose between the Greeks of Achilles and the Trojans of Hector, and the choice can change the course of the story. Neither page publishes the rules in detail, so expect the show to explain them on the night.

Do you need a phone?

No. The production's own site says smartphone use is optional, so a child without a phone, a table that wants screens away, or a guest whose battery is flat can still enjoy the acrobats, the dancers and the singing. If you do plan to play, bring a charged phone and mobile data, since neither page says anything about a venue connection. The password on the LED screen is what lets a table join, so keep the QR code in view. A table with several children may want to agree in advance whose phone does the scanning.

Greeks or Trojans: which side to pick

The war has two obvious champions. Achilles, leader of the Myrmidons, is described on Wikipedia as the greatest of the Greek warriors. Hector, the first-born son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, commands the Trojan army and is the greatest warrior for Troy. In the Iliad, Achilles kills Hector in single combat, and the poem's last lines are given to Hector's funeral, which gives Trojan fans a strong argument. In the myth itself the Greeks win, taking the city with the wooden horse, so a vote for the Trojans is a vote against the old story.

Read next: The Trojan War story in brief

The Trojan War in two minutes

Wikipedia calls the Trojan War a legendary conflict of Greek mythology, set in the thirteenth or early twelfth century BC. It began when Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The Greeks, led by Agamemnon, besieged the city for ten years. Heroes died on both sides, including Achilles and Ajax among the Greeks and Hector and Paris among the Trojans, and the city finally fell to the trick of the wooden horse. Parents who want a short version for the car ride can use that paragraph, and the fuller story is in the guide linked from this section.

Dinner, drinks and the children's menu

Dinner is part of the Viator ticket. The production describes a dinner where ancient tastes fuse with modern Greek cuisine, a menu suitable for guests of all ages, and a children's menu. The menu is published only as images on the production's site, so this guide lists no dishes and cannot confirm what is served on your night. The production's site also lists a drinks-and-show option without dinner, which is a separate ticket from the one this site links to. If anyone in your party has an allergy, tell the venue as you arrive.

Read next: Food at the Troy dinner show

Getting there with strollers and small children

The booking offers two routes: pickup from listed hotels in the Heraklion, Hersonissos and Gouves area, or meeting at the venue. The production's own site places the theatre in the centre of Hersonissos, at the corner of Eleftherias and Aristotelous streets, and says it is within walking distance or a short taxi ride from much of the Hersonissos area. Strollers are welcome inside. If your hotel is outside the pickup list, read the hotel list on the booking page first, because a late taxi with a tired child is the part of the night families remember.

What to bring

Bring your booking confirmation and the name it was made under, a charged phone if you want to play, and something quiet for the youngest children in case pickup involves a drive. Check the pickup point on your confirmation, because the options differ by hotel. If you are travelling with an infant, note that infant seats are listed on the booking page. Dinner is part of the ticket, so there is no need to feed the family before you leave unless a child eats early and cannot wait.

When the show runs

Troy is a seasonal show. The production's own site lists summer dinner shows, and the Viator calendar decides which nights have seats. Dates and start times shift between summers, so do not plan a family holiday around a date you have not seen in the calendar. If you are travelling at the edges of the season, check before you commit to flights. Arriving a little early makes finding the table and the QR code easier.

Who this isn't for

Troy is not a quiet dinner. It is an interactive show, with a screen, a game and a crowd, and guests who want a calm table for two may find it busy. It is not a late-night cabaret either: the production's site sells a separate grown-up show for adults and children over twelve, covered in the comparison guide. It is also not a faithful staging of Homer, since the Iliad ends before the wooden horse. And if your children go to bed early, three hours may be a stretch.

Read next: Troy or Spectacular in Crete