The Gruffalo Tickets

If children wish to see something in the West End this year then they can’t go too far wrong with “The Gruffalo”, a show that has been finding fans regularly since it first appeared in the capital many years ago. Now it has become an annual tradition and this Christmas it will make its presence known at the Lyric Theatre, where it will attract fans from the capital and beyond for what is likely to be a memorable West End experience. After all, the book on which it is based has been around for well over a decade and continues to find fans and the stage version is likely to follow the same path.

The book was penned in 1999 by Julia Donaldson with the illustrator Axel Scheffler providing the pictures. Its success would allow it to spawn a sequel in 2004 entitled “The Gruffalo’s Child”, whilst also allowing this stage adaptation and a television movie that appeared onscreen last year with Rob Brydon among the well known voice actors taking part. The success of the book would also ensure that Donaldson and Scheffler could follow up their work with countless further stories, including “Room on the Broom” and beyond.

It tells the story of Mouse (Alex Tregear), who heads out into the woods so that he can find hazelnuts. But as he has only packed his nut map he is clearly ill prepared to fight the predators that are lurking around (David Garrud) and as a result he must rely on his imagination to fight back at them, concocting a story of a ferocious Gruffalo in the process. This does the job, but Mouse has an unexpected surprise when he comes face to face with his creation (Scott Armstrong).

“The Gruffalo” returns to the West End to prove it is still one of the most popular children’s shows around and it faces plenty of competition from “Stick Man” (another of Donaldson’s books adapted to the stage) at the Leicester Square Theatre to the annual productions of “The Snowman” at the Peacock Theatre and “The Nutcracker” at the Royal Opera House.

“The Gruffalo” begins its run at the Lyric Theatre on Wednesday 23rd November 2011 and continues to Sunday 15th January 2012.