Tall Stories’s popular stage adaptation of The Gruffalo returns to London for another Christmas season this year, playing at the Apollo theatre from 25 November to 10 January.
Based on Julia Donaldson’s award-winning picture book for children, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, The Gruffalo tells the story of a brave little mouse who ventures into the deep dark forest and comes face to face with a wheeler-dealer fox, an eccentric old owl, a maraca-shaking snake and, of course, the Gruffalo.
Tall Stories’s musical adaptation of the tale has visited London on numerous occasions and spent last year’s festive season at the Duchess theatre. The physical theatre company has also adapted the book’s sequel, The Gruffalo’s Child, as well as Donaldson and Scheffler’s Room On The Broom.
While The Gruffalo visits the West End, a new BBC television adaptation of the story is due to be aired on 24 December, featuring the voices of Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter, Rob Brydon, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson and James Corden.
The Gruffalo will play daytime performances only at the Apollo theatre, which currently hosts comedian Ross Noble’s show Things in the evenings. That will be followed by fellow stand-up Dylan Moran with What It Is (26 October to 5 December), before Royal Court show Jerusalem comes to the Apollo at the end of January.
CB