The Lyric Theatre, London – until 8th September 2024
Reviewed by Ava Clarkson
5*****
A Sunday morning outing at 10am to sit in a theatre full of 3-9 year olds is not my normal weekend day out, but off to the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue I went to review The Gruffalo live on stage. As a mum of grown up boys, neither wanted to accompany me, so me and a friend ventured out. As a mum I have watched and loved The Gruffalo cartoon and read the book to sleepy children many times. The nostalgia of these memories made me want to review this play. The Gruffalo was published in 1999 by one of the best loved children’s authors Julia Donaldson. Julia has written some of the most loved children’s books since then and held the high accolade of children’s poet laureate from 2011-2013.
The Lyric Theatre is perfectly placed in the heart of the West End and is the oldest surviving theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. It was originally built as an Opera house and this shows inside as the acoustics were amazing – even over a packed audience of children shouting at the characters, you could easily hear the performers.
The production of The Gruffalo is by Tall Stories, a registered charity touring the UK and bringing classic stories combined with music and laughter to all. The charity was founded in 1997 by Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell and vows to bring theatre to all with accessible relaxed performances and removing barriers which might normally prevent families coming along. They also offer free community tickets for all children to enjoy the magic of theatre.
The stage is set and looks exactly like I remember in the book – the deep dark wood has been recreated and as the lights go down the children’s anticipation (and mine) ramps up. The Gruffalo is about a clever mouse who tricks his predators using his brains by telling them about his scary (but made-up) friend The Gruffalo. He avoids being eaten by explaining the gruffalos favourite meals are roasted fox, boiled owl and scrambled snake, and in turn he becomes the scariest animal in the woods.
During the whole show we see just three performers. The star of the story, the little brown mouse, was played by Elouise Warboys, a petite and energetic performer who fitted the role perfectly. She bounced around the stage and perfectly portrayed “Mouse” in all his glory – the scared mouse we see at the start of the story through his journey to become brave and overcome his enemies. Kemi Clarke played the three enemies of Mouse – Fox, Owl and Snake. Each character had its own personality and Kemi morphed into each one beautifully. For me he was the star of this show – the songs each of his characters brought to the audience were engaging and funny and catchy in equal measures. As Fox he bought smugness to the stage, with a madness style song, strutting around with confidence. As Kemi became “Owl”, the vibe became 1920’s flapper style with a very catchy song “Flap a dapper ding dong day” which everyone joined in with. The best was yet to come, as Kemi morphed into “Snake” in a gold lame jumpsuit, the disco ball came out and the audience was treated to a 1970’s style show, lights flashed, the audience clapped and Snake encouraged us to “be more snake” whilst breakdancing on the stage. I certainly don’t remember this part of the book…. But everyone loved it!
The 3rd member of the production, David Scotland, had been narrating in the background, but it was clear he was starting to become The Gruffalo in front of our eyes. As the gruffalo finally emerges from the shadows, you can see that David is perfect for this part. He is very tall and has a commanding gruff scottish accent, but also has a soft and playful side which he brings to the character. The audience finally have the gruffalo on stage and sing along to “It’s just what Gruffalo’s do”. The children are encouraged to growl and clap and most of the parents help out enthusiastically too.
As the story comes to a close you can see that the audience is thoroughly engaged, clapping, singing and enjoying the show. The show goes on for just 1 hour which is the perfect time to hold the children’s attention. A standing ovation is given to these amazing performers who brought the book to life on stage. I encourage children to take their adults along, or like me grab a friend and enjoy the nostalgia and warmth of this lovely timeless story.