The Gruffalo’s Child
What a coup it was for Tall Stories to adapt Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s hugely popular children’s book The Gruffalo for the stage. Great success followed, including a West End run, and the follow-up production looks likely to win similar plaudits.
While these shows have a captive audience who already love the books, that almost makes the company’s job harder. Woe betide Tall Stories if the theatre version does not offer the same combination of wit, tension and imagination found in the original.
But if the audience on this occasion was anything to go by, that is exactly what director Olivia Jacobs, writer Toby Mitchell and an excellent trio of performers have achieved. Youngsters were on the edge of their seats as they watched Gruffalo Junior defying her dad and heading off to the deep dark wood in search of the big bad mouse.
All the popular characters are there, not least the swarthy Don Juan-like Snake, the stiff-upper-lip pilot Owl and wide boy Fox, all created with great versatility by Rowan Talbot (who also plays Daddy Gruffalo), while as narrator and mouse Morag Cross brings charm and humour to the proceedings. Angela Laverick is also wonderful in the title role, displaying both spirit and naivetŽ as she goes on her quest. The musical sequences are infectious, and Isla Shaw’s design deceptively clever.
Production information
- By:
- adapted from the picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
- Management:
- Kenneth H Wax Ltd and Nick Brooke Ltd present a Tall Stories production
- Cast:
- Felix Hayes, Abbey Norman, Yvette Clutterbuck
- Run time:
- 50 mins
- Website:
- www.tallstories.org.uk
Production information can change over the run of the show.
Run sheet
- Artsdepot London
- February 15-19 2006
- Pleasance London
- March 8-26 2006
- Corn Exchange Newbury
- April 4- 6 2006
- MacRobert Stirling
- April 10-17 2006
- Albany, Great Portland Street London
- April 23 2006
- Lyric Hammersmith London
- May 27, 29-30 2006
- Theatre Royal, Egg Bath
- May 31-June 1 2006
- Polka London
- July 5-29 2006
- Assembly Rooms Edinburgh
- August 4-28 2006
- Trinity Tunbridge Wells
- October 23-27 2006
- Pegasus Oxford
- November 3- 5 2006
- Theatr Mwldan Cardigan
- November 12 2006
- Rosehill Whitehaven
- November 19-21 2006
- Warwick Arts Centre Coventry
- December 5 2006-January 6 2007
- Gardner Arts Centre Brighton
- December 11-30 2006
- Clocktower Croydon
- January 27 2007
- Junction Cambridge
- February 4 2007
- Grand Opera House York
- February 5- 7 2007
- Jacksons Lane London
- February 9-10 2007
- Arts Centre Norwich
- February 13 2007
- Gatehouse Stafford
- February 18 2007
- Winter Garden Eastbourne
- February 21 2007
- Lemon Tree Aberdeen
- March 11 2007
- MacRobert Stirling
- March 21-25 2007
- Hawth Crawley
- March 30 2007
- Gulbenkian Canterbury
- March 31 2007
- Point Eastleigh
- April 3- 4 2007
- Civic Chelmsford
- April 11-14 2007
- Churchill Bromley
- April 27-May 6 2007
- Lowry Salford
- May 7-14 2007
- Swan High Wycombe
- May 17-19 2007
- Grand Opera House Belfast
- May 22-26 2007
- Pavilion Bournemouth
- May 28 2007
- Theatre Royal Bath
- May 29-June 2 2007
- Venue Cymru Llandudno
- June 8- 9 2007
- Yvonne Arnaud Guildford
- June 13-16 2007
- Arts Cambridge
- June 20-23 2007
- Mercury Colchester
- June 26-27 2007
- Richmond Theatre Richmond-upon-Thames
- June 28-30 2007
- Theatre Royal Brighton
- July 5- 7 2007
- Hall for Cornwall Truro
- July 19-22 2007
- Playhouse Oxford
- July 26-29 2007
- New Cardiff
- August 1- 4 2007
- Theatre Royal Glasgow
- August 9-12 2007
- Pavilion Worthing
- August 17-19 2007
- Palace Southend-on-Sea
- August 21-25 2007
- Greenwich Theatre London
- August 28-30 2007
- Queen's Barnstaple
- September 16-18 2007
- Forum Billingham
- October 4- 6 2007
- Capitol Horsham
- October 9-10 2007
- Alban Arena St Albans
- October 26-28 2007
- Key Peterborough
- October 30-31 2007
- Grand Wolverhampton
- November 1- 3 2007
- King's Edinburgh
- November 8-10 2007
- Everyman Cheltenham
- November 16-18 2007
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