TALL STORIES CELEBRATES ITS 21st BIRTHDAY WITH
A WORLD PREMIERE AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE,
PRODUCTIONS IN THE U.S., AUSTRALIA AND AROUND THE UK,
PLUS A CHRISTMAS SEASON IN LONDON’S WEST END
Olivier award nominated and renowned theatre company Tall Stories celebrates its 21st birthday in 2018 with a stellar year of productions including a brand new show for grown-ups. The 1997 Edinburgh Fringe saw the premiere of the company’s first show, ‘The Happy Prince and Other Stories’, adapted from Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales. 21 years later, the company returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with two distinctive Wilde adaptations: the world premiere of ‘THE CANTERVILLE GHOST’ (definitely not suitable for under 12s) and the Edinburgh premiere of ‘WILDE CREATURES’ (for ages 5 and over) – straight from London’s West End.
Since joint artistic directors Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell founded the company in 1997, they have co-created and staged 30 productions, in 5 languages, in 15 countries, over 6 continents – with performances at the Sydney Opera House, on Broadway and in London’s West End. The company’s most noted and popular productions include ‘THE GRUFFALO’, ‘ROOM ON THE BROOM’ and ‘THE SNOW DRAGON’.
Tall Stories is working on eight shows over their anniversary year; details are below.
THE CANTERVILLE GHOST (not suitable for under 12s)
Edinburgh Fringe: 1st-25th August
Warwick Arts Centre: 18th-30th December
Tall Stories is thrilled to be bringing Oscar Wilde’s spooky tale ‘THE CANTERVILLE GHOST’ to the stage in this World Premiere production. A company of four vaudeville performers tell the story of the Otis Family and their move into the haunted Canterville Hall. This spine tingling production will premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer and is aimed at grown-ups – in an extension of Tall Stories’ more usual work for family audiences.
WILDE CREATURES (ages 5 to 105)
Sydney Opera House: 7th-21st July
Edinburgh Fringe: 1st-25th August
Warwick Arts Centre: 28th Nov-30th Dec
Direct from Sydney Opera House and London’s West End, Tall Stories is delighted to be bringing ‘WILDE CREATURES’ back to the stage for its Edinburgh premiere. A group of storytelling musicians bring Oscar Wilde’s classic fairy tales to life. These hauntingly beautiful tales are told with original live music and a generous dash of comedy.
ROOM ON THE BROOM (ages 3+)
Lyric Theatre, West End: 23rd Nov-13th Jan
UK Tour 2019
The Olivier award nominated ‘ROOM ON THE BROOM’ returns to London for the festive season! After success in London’s West End four years ago, the production (based on the classic picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler) is back in London for a limited run before flying off on a UK tour in Spring 2019. This musical adaptation tells the story of the Witch and her cat who are travelling on their broomstick when they pick up some hitch-hikers – a friendly dog, a beautiful green bird and a crazy frog.
THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE (ages 4+)
UK & Ireland Tour: 30th May – 9th December 2018
This production returns for a UK & Ireland tour marking the 15th anniversary of the best-selling book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, which tells the story of a tiny snail who longs to sail the world. Told through the eyes of an adventurous young girl, who’d love to go round the world with her seafaring father, this adaptation is inspired by the work of Storybook Soldiers, who help British military personnel serving abroad to record bedtime story CDs for their children back home.
THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD (ages 3+)
UK & Ireland Tour: 30th May – 6th January 2019
Australian Tour (Australian cast): 15th October- 28th January 2019
This adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s award-winning sequel to The Gruffalo is bought to the stage in a musical adventure. One wild and windy night the Gruffalo’s Child ignores her father’s warnings about the Big Bad Mouse and tiptoes out into the deep dark wood. She follows snowy tracks and encounters mysterious creatures – but the Big Bad Mouse doesn’t really exist… does he?
EMILY BROWN AND THE THING (ages 3+)
Birmingham Hippodrome (Patrick Centre): 17th Dec-6th Jan
Broadway, USA and Canada tour: 23rd Jan-19th May 2019
The highly acclaimed production returns for a festive season in Birmingham before a run in Broadway’s New Victory Theatre and a USA tour in 2019. This is an imaginative adaptation of the much-loved book by the award-winning duo Cressida Cowell (author of How to Train Your Dragon) and Neal Layton. Following a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2014, the show has toured the UK, Hong Kong and Australia (including Sydney Opera House). The story is told with original music, puppetry, physical storytelling and lots of comedy.
THE SNOW DRAGON (ages 3+)
Sydney Opera House: 3th-12th October
After touring the UK and across the globe since 2005, ‘THE SNOW DRAGON’ (based on an original concept by the company) will be opening in Sydney this autumn. The production tells the story of Billy the Goat and the annual visit of the legendary Snow Dragon, filled with music, fun and laughter.
THE GRUFFALO (ages 3+)
Stratford Circus, London: 27th November- 30th December 2018
International and UK tour from January 2019
The now classic magical, musical adaptation of the picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Searching for hazelnuts, Mouse meets the cunning Fox, the eccentric old Owl and the fun-loving 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 scary fun for children aged 3 and up and their grown-ups, in the much-loved show that’s toured the UK and the world!