“Leaving space for the imagination gives space for the mind to grow,” says Rianna Kellman, who plays Mouse in Tall Stories’ 25th anniversary staging of The Gruffalo Live On Stage. “Everyone in the audience can make the story their own, and everyone will take away something different.”
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s picture book was published in 1999. Two years later, London theatre company Tall Stories turned the 32-page text into a 55-minute stage show. A quarter of a century on, the adaptation is midway through a summer residency at the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, running until 6 September, before launching the next leg of its national tour at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh from 10 to 13 September, with dates continuing into 2027.
Tall Stories reports that the show has visited 18 countries and played to over three million people. Yet when co-founder Toby Mitchell first approached the material, the book was not yet the cultural staple it is today.
“Back in 1999, Tall Stories was a tiny Fringe company and my day job was editing books for Macmillan Children’s Books,” Mitchell says. “My co-director, Olivia and I were looking for an idea for a show for ages 3 and up – around the time that Macmillan was publishing The Gruffalo. We read the book and instantly fell in love with it! And then we were delighted when Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler said we could adapt their book for the stage – way before it became famous.”
For Donaldson, the survival of the stage version rests on the sheer immediacy of live performance.
“A live stage show is such a special experience for children, bringing the storybook characters to life in front of their eyes, igniting their imaginations and creating lasting memories,” she says.
“Leaving space for the imagination gives space for the mind to grow,” says Rianna Kellman, who plays Mouse in Tall Stories’ 25th anniversary staging of The Gruffalo Live On Stage. “Everyone in the audience can make the story their own, and everyone will take away something different.”
Scheffler points to the physical translation of his illustrations from page to set.
“The book absolutely comes to life on the stage through the translation of the illustrations into the marvellous stage set and costumes, and the actors exploring each of the individual characters that they know well from the picture book,” Scheffler says.
Scary Animals and Interactive Noise
Adapting a story about a small rodent outwitting three forest predators and a mythical beast presents a practical problem: how to frighten toddlers without causing panic in the stalls.
Jordan Cottle, who plays Fox, Owl, and Snake, argues that theatrical conventions provide a safety net for younger viewers.
“The Gruffalo is a piece of storytelling theatre,” Cottle says. “We talk directly to the audience, and the inclusion of songs places the show wholly in fiction. They can put aside their lives outside the theatre for an hour and join us in a world where people (and animals!) burst into song, which amplifies this sense of escape and wonder.”
Part of that safety valve relies on direct audience participation. Kellman points to specific interactive beats designed to let children break the tension.
“Tall Stories focuses on the whole family, not just the children,” Kellman says. “So in every show, when I ask the audience for help to scare away the Fox, they always enjoy roaring like a Gruffalo then being as quiet as a Mouse. But I love that each place has a different vibe, you never know quite what you will get.”
Room to Play in an Established Machine
Director Olivia Jacobs encourages daily improvisation within the fixed framework of the script. In a long-running commercial show – where 37 actors have played the title role across 25 years – giving performers room to experiment prevents the staging from turning rigid.
“It’s great to have that truly collaborative devising process on a show of this scale,” Cottle says. “I love storytelling and the mechanisms of it, but also being silly and making people laugh!”
Kellman notes that such creative input is unusual when joining a long-established touring production.
“Being able to have a voice in the room is so important,” Kellman says. “I think the openness from Tall Stories (and everyone in the cast), to hearing new ideas is quite unique.”
Company Stage Manager Molly Tackaberry sees the effect of that room to play from backstage.
“The cast are all brilliant at bringing their own personalities and spark to the characters,” Tackaberry says. “It was the most I’ve ever laughed in a rehearsal room, and the most fun I’ve had so far with a show.”
Stepping Into a Quarter-Century Legacy
Taking over roles with decades of history carries pressure, particularly when young audiences know the source material word for word. For Niall Hemingway, who wears the monster suit, his first encounter with the text came in the audition room.
“Telling stories in any form feels important and ancient, but my first moment with The Gruffalo was actually auditioning for this show,” Hemingway says. “I have loved getting lost in the wonderful world imagined by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, and bringing it to life with Tall Stories across this country I call home.”
He credits the musical arrangements with expanding a short picture book into a full theatrical hour.
“Also the music is fun and totally earwormy! It adds a new dynamic to the story everyone knows.”
Understudy Adam Pritchard covers all male and monster tracks across the tour. For him, the show links back to reading the book to family before joining the professional cast.
“As an understudy, I get the incredible opportunity to play so many of these wonderful characters,” Pritchard says. “Before this production, my most memorable interaction with The Gruffalo had been reading the book to my little nephew and niece. It was the first time they had heard the story, so I am very proud that I get even more opportunities to bring the characters to life for audiences around the country and visitors to the West End this summer.”
Reaching Beyond Shaftesbury Avenue
The current anniversary tour combines West End dates, regional stops, and community initiatives outside traditional auditoriums.
For Kellman, starting the tour brought a personal full-circle moment on opening night.
“I also loved starting the tour at Cast,” Kellman says. “Doncaster was the first place I performed in my professional career, so it was amazing to return to audiences there.”
Beyond standard regional venues, the company partnered with charity Read for Good during its run at the Lowry in Salford to stream live performances directly into UK children’s hospitals.
“Experiencing a song live, whether it’s in a big audience or in the smaller venues, is a wonderful experience,” Tackaberry says. “We’re all in the same rhythm, discovering this adventure together. It was very special to know that while we were doing the show at Lowry in Salford, across the country there were families in children’s hospitals singing along and imagining with us.”
“Tall Stories focuses on the whole family, not just the children,” Kellman says. “So in every show, when I ask the audience for help to scare away the Fox, they always enjoy roaring like a Gruffalo then being as quiet as a Mouse.
Alongside hospital broadcasts, Tall Stories executive director Tara Wilkinson highlights The Gruffalo: Who Lives in the Deep Dark Wood?, a free 30-minute outdoor promenade activity created by Rachel Lincoln and launched in partnership with Bright Start Islington to bring storytelling into public parks.
“These anniversary projects reflect our ambition to open up the wonder of storytelling theatre for all children, whether that’s exploring local green spaces together or bringing The Gruffalo to those who can’t access traditional venues,” Wilkinson says.
Cottle sees this broader access work as a way to engage adults alongside children.
“Talking about connection, it’s also about audiences connecting to themselves and each other,” Cottle says. “As children turn into grown-ups, it’s easy to lose one’s sense of imagination and play. Audiences of all ages, all over the country, are sharing this imaginative experience, and it has the power to reconnect adults with their curiosity and innocence. As well as help the young audiences connect with people around them.”
Brains Over Brawn
Underneath the songs and physical slapstick sits an ancient fable structure: a small, weak protagonist using wit to outsmart physically superior predators. In a 21st-century early-years market heavy on screen technology, Cottle believes the endurance of this narrative relies on its refusal to talk down to young viewers.
“In a world where it sometimes feels like things are spoonfed to us, it’s good for us to experience stories that treat everyone in the audience with respect,” Cottle says. “Tall Stories invites us to engage with what we’re watching, think for ourselves ‘what would we do’ in this situation when things seem beyond our control.”
He notes that Mouse remains an unusual hero for early-years theatre precisely because of those survival tactics.
“I think the mouse is an unusual hero in that they’re mischievous,” Cottle says. “It’s all about brains over brawn. The world can be a big, scary and surprising place – unless you’re smart about it!”
“Some things are universal – stories about bravery, courage, manipulation, smarts,” Kellman concludes. “Everyone can relate to the message that big things can come in little packages.”
Featured Image: After The Gruffalo, from the classic picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
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