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This production is recommended for children aged 3+.
Performance dates
17 July 2024 - 08 September 2024
Run time 1hr (no interval)
Includes interval
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The Gruffalo London tickets
The Gruffalo returns to the West End stage this summer! The classic children’s book will be celebrating 25 years in 2024, and we can’t think of a better way to mark the occasion then a trip to the deep dark theatre. Playing for a strictly limited run, don’t miss your chance to see your favourite bedtime tale come to life at the Lyric Theatre. Book your tickets now!
What is The Gruffalo about?
A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood...
Join Mouse on a daring adventure through the deep, dark wood in the magical, musical adaptation of the classic picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
Searching for hazelnuts, Mouse meets the cunning Fox, the eccentric old Owl and the high-spirited Snake. Will the story of the terrifying Gruffalo save Mouse from ending up as dinner for these hungry woodland creatures? After all, there’s no such thing as a Gruffalo – is there?
Songs, laughs and monstrous fun for children aged 3 and up (and their grown-ups!), in the much-loved show that’s toured Britain and the world!
About The Gruffalo
The beloved tale of the Gruffalo's encounter with a cunning little brown mouse burst into bookshops and library’s back in 1999.
The adventures of The Gruffalo began when Julia Donaldson stumbled upon a Chinese folktale tale featuring a clever girl who outwitted a hungry tiger by pretending to be the Queen of the Jungle. Intrigued by the story, Julia embarked on her own creative mission to create a character that could be adored by children worldwide.
First published in 1999, the charming tale of courage and cunning has sold over 13.5 million copies and has cemented Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler as the most successful author and illustrator duo in picture book publishing history!
Facts and critical acclaim
- The show has received countless 5-star reviews, with the Radio Times praising the production, it ‘keeps the children spellbound.’ The Stage agree, stating that the show ‘buzzes with energy and pizzazz.’
- Directors Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell founded Tall Stories, a theatre company which promotes accessible and relaxed performances, and encourages children into the theatre.
- The picture book on which the show is based won the gold award at the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize. It was the UK's best-selling picture book of 2000, won the 2000 Nottingham/Experian Children's Book award, and the Blue Peter Best Book To Read Aloud award!
Please bear in mind
This production is recommended for ages 3+, however children and babies under this age will be allowed in to the auditorium.
The Gruffalo creatives
Author – Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Director - Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell
The Gruffalo cast
Casting to be confirmed.
Special notes
All children over 18 months must have a paid ticket. Babes in arms comps to be issued to children under 18 months of age only at the venue on arrival. Please ask for them at theatre box office on arrival.
Access
BSL Performance: 13 August at 2pm, Audio Described Performance: 19 August at 2pmRecent Reviews
It was splending! Just Brilliant and heart warming
I was disappointed with Gruffalo . My grandson is 3.5 years and knows the story inside out and he could not work out who the mouse or fox was. Gruffalo was dressed in a feathery outfit and was not depicted how I would have thought he should have been. There were some children in a gruffalo outfit and they did a much better job. All in all very disappointed. With the additional person on stage also it was very confusing for my little one. Price paid did not match the show.
This was our 3 year olds first show and it couldn’t have been better. The actors were just fab - so expressive, talented and engaging. Really brought the story to life. Thank you so much!!
The show was not as engaging for the little ones as some of the other Julia Donaldson adaptations we have seen (such as Zog and the Flying Doctors). The actors were great but some of the songs and scenes were too long and too repetitive. Given the price of the tickets, this was quite disappointing. The Lyrics theatre also has to figure out a better system for handling customers with buggies - people had to take stairs 2 levels down to drop their buggies off and then queue to pick them up, while going up and down the stairs - not ideal with little ones getting impatient. Other theatres often have staff members taking these buggies at the entrance to hand them over at the end.
Very entertaining for children, but for the younger child, more definitive animals costumes would have been helpful (eg) the snake was difficult to see as a snake, it would help the younger child contextualise without detracting for the older if perhaps more of the specific animal characteristics were visual. Very good though????
We had such a great time. My partner and I took our 3 year for his birthday (6th September) and we all loved the show. The actors brought the story to life and also added some great humour for the adults. We would recommend this show to any gruffalo fans and their parents. Massive credit to the three actors and the whole production. Thanks for making our sons birthday extra special.
Very entertaining for the children, plus they put in some adult humour in. Was a very good show and would see another
Fantastic show for the little ones. Took my Granddaughter, she started off a little nervous but once the show started she loved it and joined in with the 'roaring', clapping and dancing. Cast were brilliant, how they managed to concentrate with all the background going on is amazing. Would definitely recommend.
The quality of the performances were great, but I thought the content was not matched well to the children’s developmental stage or interests. It was to aimed at amusing the parents and less at the children’s interest, script was too wordy and convoluted and fast and the songs were too long and advanced. It seemed to be more aimed at 7/8 year olds who are no longer interested in the gruffalo and needed to be more specifically for 3/4 year olds who have just fallen in love with the story.
Very well done show. The performers were great - entertaining and engaging.
Great actors and just the right length. We had good seats. The arrangements with a buggy and an 18 month old really did not work for parents. Having to fold outside on a busy dangerous road and collect from lots of stairs down was a nightmare but everything else good
Awful even the costume was bad
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