Troy or Spectacular in Crete

The short answer

The two shows share a theatre, not an audience. Troy is the one the production's own site calls the family show, and it is the one for a table that includes children. Spectacular is described there as a glamorous show, with a suggested age of twelve and over, and it ends with a party. If you are a couple or a group of adults, either can work, but they feel different: Troy leans on story and play, Spectacular on spectacle and a late finish. The sections below set them side by side. Dates are a separate matter: both are seasonal, and the Viator calendar is the final word on which nights exist.

Two shows, one theatre

The venue is a dinner-show theatre in the centre of Hersonissos, at the corner of Eleftherias and Aristotelous streets, as its own site gives the address. Viator lists the two shows as separate products, each with its own reviews, and the production's site presents them as separate shows with separate dinners. Neither page says the two run on the same nights, so the booking calendar is the only way to know which dates exist for each. Plan around the calendar for the show you want, not around the theatre's general season. That also means a review of one show says little about the other, even when the dinner and the room are the same.

Who each show is for

Troy is for all ages. The production's site calls it the show for all the family and describes its menu as suitable for guests of all ages, with a children's menu. Spectacular is described as suggested from age twelve, which the site presents as a recommendation rather than a rule. The booking page for Spectacular is more direct, describing it as suitable for adults and young people over twelve. If you have a nine-year-old, Troy is the safer fit. If your youngest is a teenager, either could work, and tastes decide. Parents should also remember that a suggested age is guidance from the producer, not a safety rule, and a revue with lasers and comedy may suit some twelve-year-olds better than others.

What happens on stage

Troy tells the Trojan War through acrobats, dancers and singers playing heroes, gods and goddesses, and it gives each table a way in: a QR code, a password on the LED screen and a choice between the Greeks of Achilles and the Trojans of Hector. Spectacular is a revue. The production lists dancing, acrobatics, comedy routines, a quick-change act, flying aerialists, live singers, laser light performances and a large LED screen. One show follows a story you can name; the other strings together acts.

Read next: Troy dinner show: kids and voting

How to choose in a minute

Three questions settle most cases. Is anyone in the party under twelve? If so, choose Troy. Do you want a story you can follow and a game you can play from the table, or a run of acts with a party at the end? The first is Troy, the second Spectacular. And does the night need to end early? Troy's pages promise no after-party, while Spectacular finishes with a resident DJ. If your answers split, book the show that suits the youngest person at the table and let the adults adapt.

Food and drink

Both shows include dinner on the full ticket. Troy's dinner is described as ancient tastes fused with modern Greek cuisine, with a children's menu available. Spectacular's is billed as a four-course meal, and the site says guests can sip fine wines during the show. The production's site also lists a drinks-and-show option without dinner, and the pages do not make clear which show it applies to, so check the exact ticket you are buying. The menus appear only as images, so neither guide can list dishes. If food matters more to you than the show, ask the operator through Viator what each ticket includes before choosing.

Read next: Food at the Troy dinner show

How the evening ends

Troy's finish is the end of the story, once the vote has played out and the war is settled one way or the other. The production's site says nothing about an after-party for Troy. Spectacular is different: guests can interact with the artists afterwards, and a resident DJ plays on the dance floor. If you want the night to end with dancing, that is a point for Spectacular. If you want children in bed at a reasonable hour, it is a point for Troy.

What the reviews can tell you

Viator shows both shows with high average ratings, and each product has its own reviews, so read the recent ones for your travel month rather than relying on the average. Look for comments about the dinner service, the volume, how the show treated children and, for Troy, how the phone game worked in practice. This guide does not quote reviews. Remember too that a seasonal show can change its cast, programme and staging between summers, so a review from several seasons ago is a weak guide to this year.

If you are adults without children

Nothing on either page limits Troy to families, and adults who enjoy mythology, acrobatics and a game with their dinner can have a good night at it. Nothing limits Spectacular to couples either. The practical difference is tone. Troy is playful and participatory, and it asks you to pick a side and care about it. Spectacular is a show you watch, with a party attached. If you are unsure, read both descriptions on the booking pages and choose the one whose first paragraph you would repeat to a friend. Read the first paragraph of each booking page, and let that decide.

Can you see both?

You can, with separate tickets for separate nights. Both are booked on Viator as different products, so you would pick a date for each from its own calendar. The same theatre and the same dinner-and-show structure mean there is some repetition in the setting, but not in the stage show. If a holiday lasts a week or more and the party spans ages, a family night for Troy and a grown-up night for Spectacular is a reasonable split, subject to what the calendar shows. Booking the family show first and the grown-up show later in the week also lets you judge the theatre before you commit a second evening.

Who this isn't for

Do not book Spectacular for children under twelve on the strength of this guide; the production suggests twelve and over. Do not book Troy expecting a late-night cabaret, because it is an interactive family show. If neither describes your evening, a taverna with live music or a beach dinner will suit better. And if you need certainty about dates before you fly, treat both as seasonal shows and wait until the Viator calendar shows the nights you want. Neither show is a substitute for a visit to a museum if what you want is the real Trojan War story.