The Gruffalo
19 July 2019
Lyric Theatre
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
On Friday, I got to see The Gruffalo at the Lyric Theatre with the two young children I nanny. It’s the latest production of Tall Stories, a registered charity organisation that puts on beautiful shows for children of all ages. The Gruffalo is recommended for ages 3+ and if you like the book, you will absolutely love this show!
With a whimsical, beautiful stage setup that is very reminiscent of the book’s drawing style, the three actors bring this fun story to life wonderfully. Cute and simple costumes and catchy sing-along tunes make this a magical performance for young and old. We loved the funny audience participation bits and had a great time watching the story unfold.
With just around an hour runtime, it’s the perfect length for younger children, and even the 2.5 yr old I had with me was riveted to the action on the stage and couldn’t stop giggling and growling along when prompted by the actors. There’s a really charming thread of repetition throughout the performance that children under 10 years old will love, and the songs are simple and sweet enough to catch on to the audience. Considering that this rather large auditorium was very well filled with adults and many many children, it was remarkable how few distractions were happening in the audience. Everyone seemed focussed on the show and enjoying the story.
As children’s theatre goes, this is a prime example of how to do it well! We’ll definitely be back for further Tall Stories shows after seeing this lovingly crafted performance. Can’t recommend this enough for anyone with younger children who love the Gruffalo!