The Gruffalo celebrating 25 years in 2024!

Join Mouse on a daring adventure through the deep, dark wood in Tall Stories’ magical, musical adaptation of the classic picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler – celebrating 25 years in 2024! 

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!

Book tickets at www.gruffalolive.com 

The Gruffalo hits the road on a seven-month tour across the country calling at various venues including Litchfield Garrick Theatre, Scotland’s Perth Concert Hall, Nottingham Theatre Royal, Leeds Carriageworks, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Liverpool Playhouse and The Riverfront Theatre & Arts Centre in Newport, South Wales. 

Regarding The Gruffalo’s 25th celebration, Julia Donaldson says of her book: “It’s hard to believe that the Gruffalo is a quarter of a century old. Nowadays it’s not all that unusual for parents to tell me that they remember the book being read to them. Although that makes me feel rather old, it’s actually great to know that families all over the world are sharing the story, and grown-ups reading aloud are putting on different voices to entertain their children. (I’ve been assured that the Gruffalo is a Brummie and Australian, and that the Mouse is from Edinburgh and Sweden.) I never tire of acting the Mouse myself, and over the years have recited the lines in French, German, Italian and Spanish. Last year at the Edinburgh Fringe I learnt to tell the story in British Sign Language and it was lovely after the show when parents told me their deaf children had enjoyed the performance. So I wish not just the Gruffalo and the Mouse but the three predators – the fox, Owl and Snake – a very happy birthday.” 

Illustrator Axel Scheffler says: “The Gruffalo and the Mouse have come a long way in the last twenty five years and it is hard for me to imagine all the children and families around the world who regularly read the story, often in their own language. When I first read Julia’s story and did the first sketches we had no idea what The Gruffalo would become and how many young readers would read and love the picture book in the following years. It is always a great pleasure for me to meet children at my signings and to hear how much they love the Gruffalo and his world. In one form or another, The Gruffalo is a large part of their day, as the characters have moved from the books and onto the TV, stage and with various merchandise. The Gruffalo is a big part of their daily lives, as he is in mine!

About the show

• The Gruffalo is the smash hit show by the internationally acclaimed theatre company, Tall Stories.
• The show premiered in the UK in 2001 and has been touring successfully around the world ever since.
• For children aged 3+ and their families
• Tall Stories use a physical storytelling style combined with original songs to create a lively theatrical experience that embraces its audience. In this show there are three performers, catchy songs and comedy.
• The Gruffalo picture book is the winner of numerous awards including the Nestle Smarties Book Prize Gold Award & Blue Peter Book Award and has sold over 13.5 million copies worldwide and been translated in over 57 different languages. It was voted the UK’s favourite bedtime story by BBC Radio 2 listeners.
• The Gruffalo was first published in 1999 and celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2024. 
• The animated film adaptation of the book was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animation. 
• The show has performed in 16 countries and 5 continents – including twice at Sydney Opera House, twice on Broadway, ten West End seasons and once at the National Theatre. It has been translated into five languages (German, Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic and isiXhosa)
• Running time 55 minutes (no interval)

Gruffalo – David Scotland 

Originally from Stirling, David moved to London to study Dance and Theatre Performance at Bird College. Since graduating, David has been lucky enough to perform in theatres in the West End, throughout the UK and abroad.

As well as an acting and musical theatre coach, he is also a personal trainer and a certified instructor for the movement training system Animal Flow. In 2022, David was selected as a participant on the Traverse Theatre’s Breakthrough Writers: Launchpad programme when he created his first play, I’ve Never Met Anyone Quite Like You Before. 

Other theatre credits include: I’ve Never Met Anyone Quite Like You Before (Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023), The Tiger Who Came to Tea (UK and International Tour/West End), Sleeping Beauty (Guildford Fringe), Twist and Shout (UK Tour), When Midnight Strikes (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), Noel and Cole: A Marvellous Party (Landor Theatre), Dick Whittington (Guildford Fringe), Rodgers and Hammerstein Songbook (Epsom Playhouse), Lost Boy (Finborough Theatre), Geek! – A New Musical (Tristan Bates Theatre), Dick Whittington (Northeast Tour) and The Ripper (Charing Cross Theatre).

Mouse – Elouise Warboys 

Elouise studied theatre at the University of Sussex and has performed in Fringe and Community Theatre since she was little (well, littler!). Last year she made her professional debut in the Olivier Award-nominated House with Chicken Legs (UK National Tour). 

She is over the moon to be making magic with Tall Stories this year and to be fulfilling her dream of working in the West End!!

Theatre credits include: Jane in Jane Eyre (Tobacco Factory Theatres), Peggy in Lilies on The Land (The Harbour Theatre Company), Anita in West Side Story (The University of Sussex). 

Other credits include: Nic in Honey Trap (Short Film), Maryum in Kingsdown (Short Film)

Fox, Owl & Snake – Kemi Clarke 

Kemi is a Mancunian actor who trained at Rose Bruford College.

Theatre credits include: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour); Just So (Watermill Theatre); The Aliens (Ducdame Theatre); Tom’s Midnight Garden (Theatre by the Lake); Merboy (Campfire/Omnibus Theatre); Robin Hood (City Varieties Music Hall); Fame (Christmas Theater, Athens) Scouts! The Musical (Gigglemug/The Other Palace).

Understudy – Cameron Baker-Stewart 

Originally from Essex, Cameron studied at Rose Bruford College on the Actor Musician course. 

Theatre credits include: 24 Italian Love Songs & Arias (Battersea Arts Centre), Seussical (The Greenwich Theatre), INSTITCHES Comedy Improv (The Vaults Festival & Camden Fringe)

Other credits include: The Tales of Narnia (Kevali Productions, Dubai & Abu Dhabi schools tour)

Julia Donaldson is the author of some of the world’s best-loved children’s books, including modern classics ‘The Gruffalo’ and ‘The Gruffalo’s Child’, which together have sold over 17 million copies worldwide, and the hugely successful ‘What the Ladybird Heard’ adventures. Julia also writes fiction, including the Princess Mirror-Belle books illustrated by Lydia Monks, as well as poems, plays and songs – and her brilliant live shows are always in demand. She was Children’s Laureate 2011-13 and has been honoured with a CBE for Services to Literature. Julia and her husband Malcolm divide their time between West Sussex and Edinburgh.

Axel Scheffler is a star illustrator whose instantly recognisable, warm and witty illustrations have achieved worldwide acclaim and numerous awards. Axel is the illustrator of wonderful novelty, gift and poetry books for Macmillan, such as ‘Fish Dream of Trees’ (Two Hoots) and the bestselling ‘The Bedtime Bear’, ‘The Tickle Book’ and ‘Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes’ – and of course, he is the illustrator of some of the world’s best-loved picture books, including the modern classic ‘The Gruffalo’, with over 30 million books sold worldwide across the series. Axel’s artwork is exhibited internationally; he has illustrated for many charities, and designed the Royal Mail Christmas stamps in 2012. Born in Hamburg, Axel now lives with his family in London.