While many will not be as familiar with the stories of the USA’s Dr Seuss as they are for homegrown children’s literature one cannot have escaped the influence his writing has had on youth across the Atlantic.

Suessical is Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens’ homage to the children’s author, taking the familiar characters and stories and bringing them to life on stage. This particular version, billed as theatre for young audiences is somewhat truncated from the original Broadway production, removing a whole story strand from the plot and reducing it to a one-act show.

This said, it remains perfect fare for audiences young and old as Seuss’ timeless themes of belonging, compassion and childhood shine through accompanied by a bizarre mix of characters and glorious mix of songs.

Phillip Rowntree’s high energy production is complemented by Cressida Carre’s lively choreography and the companies’ boundless energy. Superstar finalist David Hunter is utterly enchanting as Horton The Elephant, matched beautifully by Kirsty Marie Ayers’ Gertrude McFuzz. There are also star turns from Jessica Parker as the glamorous Mayzie La Bird, Natalie Green as the acerbic Sour Kangaroo and Joe Morrow as Seuss’ best known character The Cat In The Hat.