HOLDEN & ARTS ASSOCIATES
SHARING STORIES AND CREATING PARTNERSHIPS SINCE 1983
THE GRUFFALO
A Musical adaptation of the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Produced by Tall Stories
From London, England
Resources
About the Company
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 & Axel Scheffler.
Searching for hazelnuts, Mouse meets the cunning Fox, the eccentric old Owl and the party mad 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?
Showcasing Tall Stories’ distinctive physical, visual performance style, The Gruffalo is full of songs, laughs and scary fun for everyone aged 3 and up. Following sell out performances in London’s West End, Broadway's New Victory Theater & Sydney Opera House, Tall Stories continue to tour the world with this much-loved monster of a show!
Best for Grades: PreK - 3rd
Audience Size: Medium to Large Venues
Please contact us to watch a full length archival recording.
Curriculum Connections
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Language Arts: Role Playing, Problem Solving, Imagination, Storytelling, Vocabulary (Repetition of Rhymes & Narration is used to aid the storytelling.)
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Literature: Reading
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Fine Arts: Music, Drama
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Community Values: Courage, Self Esteem
Outreach and Workshops
With advance notice, Tall Stories can offer additional workshop or outreach opportunities and pre/post performance events. Possible activities include:
Tall Stories present Small Stories
Tall Stories present a workshop, which looks at some of the ways they use to tell stories in their shows. Find out how to create a story in pictures, how to create a character using your body – and then tell your own story in small groups. The workshop is a fast-moving, enjoyable introduction to storytelling in theatre – using games, freeze frames and well-known tales. Lots of fun – dress in loose clothes!
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Duration: 1 hour
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Max no of pupils: Ideally 20
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Age suitability: Suitable for 5 to 8 year olds. (Teacher must be present)
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Room: A clear, self contained room large enough for the number of participants and preferably not the theatre space itself.
“Relaxed” or “Sensory Friendly” Performances
Tall Stories is committed to providing opportunities for all families to be able to attend the theatre. This production may be offered as “Relaxed” or “Sensory Friendly” performance for families and children with special needs. Sensory Friendly performances are designed to provide an opportunity for people and children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders or related disorders, learning difficulties, or other sensory and communication needs who require a more relaxed environment. Tall Stories frequently holds Sensory Friendly performances, signed/audio described performances, pre-show touch tours, and more.
If you are interested in or planning on organizing a performance of this sort for ‘The Gruffalo’ we would be delighted to work with you on it, provided we know about this request well in advance. We can provide a sample visual guide to the story for Sensory Performances and discuss any other aids that would be useful. There may be small changes to the show such as to the lighting and sound.
Minimum Technical Requirements
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Load In Time: Four hours (pre-rig required.)
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Crew Needs: 4 crew members - not students or volunteers. 1 crew member to operate either light or sound during show.
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Min. Stage Size: 20’ wide x 20’ deep, 12’ high. Two dressing rooms
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Sound Needs: All sound will be operated via Q lab. If venue is over 250 seats we will require 4 wireless mics. 2 monitor speakers placed in the Downstage corners of the stage.
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Load Out Time: 2 hours
Artistic Team
Director: Olivia Jacobs
Creative producer: Toby Mitchell
Designer: Isla Shaw
Lighting Designer: James Whiteside
Choreography: Morag Cross
Original design/construction: Zahra Premji, Katie Avis, Neil Gavin and Gus Houssein
Composer: Jon Fiber & Andy Shaw for Jolly Good Tunes
Music and lyrics: Jon Fiber, Robin Price, Olivia Jacobs and Andy Shaw
Touring Cast: TBA
Critical Acclaim
The Gruffalo is the perfect intro to theatre for kids.
—The Londonist
An entertaining musical version of the popular picture book [with] tuneful songs… and engaging, gently pantomimic interaction.
Brought to life in a raucous, fun, colourful and altogether welcoming burst of energy… Tall Stories makes an as near perfect kids show as you can get.
This show achieves exactly what it sets out to do and fully deserves the appreciation of reviewers, whether aged eight or eighty.
Unlike some drama for slightly older children… it doesn’t channel the children’s-telly-presenter manic vapidity, demanding cheers and screams from the start. It builds properly, like a storybook, letting the Mouse’s journey through the wood draw the attentive audience with it.
A master-class in timeless, interactive storytelling that blends adventurous imagination with whimsical original music to capture the hearts and minds of its young audience.
—Whats On Stage
Company Background
Past Tours include: The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Snail and the Whale, and Room on the Broom
Tall Stories brings great stories to life for audiences of all ages. The company was founded in 1997 by joint artistic directors Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell, who have co-created all the company’s shows since then.
Tall Stories is a registered charity which has become internationally recognised for its exciting blend of storytelling theatre, original music and lots of laughs. The company’s unique brand of physical storytelling theatre has toured from Cornwall to Aberdeen and from New York to Sydney.
For more information, please visit the company's website: http://www.tallstories.org.uk/
Gallery of Past Productions
