Dennis and Gnasher’s Big Bonanza at Kew
Join in and celebrate 70 years of Dennis at Kew Gardens this Easter Have fun with Dennis, Gnasher and all their Beanotown friends, and join the ‘banana bunch’ to help save bananas from extinction!
- Learn about some of nature’s cleverest tricks in the plant kingdom
- Expect a birthday bonanza with an exclusive, giant comic strip and plenty of jokes and pranks along the way
- Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, will host its own Beano Easter trail
18 December 2020
To celebrate 70 years of Dennis, Beano will come to Kew Gardens and Wakehurst this Easter for a ‘Big Bonanza’ full of jokes, mischief and pranks. Visitors can join in the fun with a brand-new, giant comic strip created especially for the milestone occasion. Fun for kids and grown-ups alike, this event will feature a host of characters from the popular Beano comic and much-loved TV series, Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed!
On a trip to Kew, Dennis and Minnie the Minx discover that a treacherous crime has been committed by Dr Gloom, threatening the future of one of their best-loved foods (and slippery tricks), the banana. Visitors will earn their stripes by joining Dennis and his Beanotown friends on their mission to protect the banana from Dr Gloom and the risk of extinction, and rescue their favourite fruit-powered superhero, Bananaman, who has also been captured. Visitors will follow the story on an interactive trail around the gardens, with stops and activities along the way to discover the slimy, sticky, smelly and deceptive powers of plants that will help them save the day.
With help from new characters based on members of RBG Kew staff, visitors will join Dennis and friends in learning about some of nature’s cleverest tricks in the plant kingdom – including the Giant flame-repelling Redwood, and an orchid that looks like a monkey! Children will be able to design their own ‘super-plant’ with special powers inspired by real-life examples at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst.
Visitors will find out whether the ‘banana bunch’ succeed in their mission and finally get to enjoy a slice of Dennis’ favourite banana cake for his big birthday picnic…
Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, will also be hosting Dennis, Gnasher and friends this Easter, where young visitors will be able to take part in an additional Easter challenge.
Sandra Botterell, Director of Marketing and Commercial Enterprise at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said:
“We are delighted to celebrate 70 years of Dennis with Beano at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst this Easter. Dennis and Gnasher’s Big Bonanza is sure to bring plenty of fun and games to the gardens, to be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Telling critical science stories through such iconic characters is a super way to engage young visitors with RBG Kew’s work, while copious tricks and pranks will ensure everybody is kept entertained on what promises to be a brilliant day out over the holidays.”
Vanessa Andreis, Franchise Planning & Partnerships Director at Beano Studios, said:
“We are so thrilled to be announcing this exciting collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Bringing the whole Beano gang to create fun and mischief during the Easter holidays at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst is the perfect birthday celebration for Dennis, and we can’t wait for everyone who has enjoyed reading Dennis’ adventures in Beano over the last 70 years to come and join the fun.”
What we are doing to keep visitors safe
The safety and wellbeing of our visitors is of the upmost importance to us and we are continually monitoring and responding to the Covid-19 pandemic as it evolves. We are adhering to government advice in our planning to ensure visitors and staff remain safe while enjoying Dennis and Gnasher’s Big Bonanza at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst. Up-to-date information on ticket booking and safety requirements can be found on our website at kew.org.