2017 Australian Tour Cast. Photo Credit: Heidrun Lohr
Didn’t you know; there’s no such thing as a Gruffal… oh!
The purple prickled, knobbly kneed monster of the award-winning classic children’s picture book, The Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler is live on stage at The Seymour Centre, Sydney.
Returning to Australia, this hugely entertaining adaptation of a beloved literary tale invites the audience into the deep dark wood along with Mouse. Eliciting laughs and gasps, as Mouse strolls through the wood in search of nuts; we are introduced to a bevy of fascinating characters.
In a clever twist on their woodland archetypes, first the cunning Fox, then the eccentric Airforce commander Owl and finally the salsa-dancing Snake make their entrances on stage. Will Mouse fall for Fox’s charm? What about falling in line as one of Owl’s air cadets? Will Snake’s sequinned allure have Mouse joining him at a party? Or can Mouse’s yarn about a scary Gruffalo keep his common predators at bay and save his tail?
Donaldson’s clever rhyming prose is punctuated with original musical numbers as each character flies off the page and into a living breathing embodiment of the characters we’ve come to know and love.
Laugh out loud funny, the dynamic between the trio of actors is seamless from start to finish, delivering excellent comic timing and a wholly immersive experience for fans of The Gruffalo, young and old. Audience participation is expected throughout and watch out for a certain larger than life cast member hopping down off stage to escape the Big Bad Mouse.
Fun, funny and full of adventure, why don’t you take a stroll through the deep dark wood? You never know, you just might find something rather good…
Book online now or call the box office on 02 9351 7940. The Gruffalo is on at the Seymour Centre Sydney until 3 September. If you can’t make those dates then don’t fear as the production moves on to The Concourse, Chatswood from Sunday 9 – Wednesday 12 September. Call the box office on 02 8075 8111 or via Ticketek on 1300 795 012.
What you need to know:
What: The Gruffalo Live on Stage
Where: The Seymour Centre, Sydney (Everest Theatre)
When: 28 August – 3 September
Time: 10am and 12pm daily (additional 6pm performance Wed 29 August and additional 3pm performance Saturday 1 September; 10am only on Monday 3 September)
Duration: 55 minutes (no interval)
Tickets: $36 pp; Group 6+ $29; Pre/School Group $21 ($6 transaction fee)
Note: Photography and filming are strictly prohibited
Parking: is available on-campus at the University of Sydney ($24 flat rate weekdays and $6 weekends) or in the Shepherd Street car park located on the corner of Cleveland and Shepherd Street. Access to the Seymour Centre is through level 3 of the car park. Make sure you have gold coins with you and note the machines do not give change Mon-Fri (6am-3pm) $4/hour (max $24), Mon-Fri (3pm-6am & weekends) $2/hour ($6 max).
*Theatre patrons can purchase an $8 all-day parking voucher for the Shepherd Street carpark when booking on the phone, in person or online with your ticket purchase.
Public transport: Plenty of bus routes run directly past the Seymour Centre, visit www.sydneybuses.info/ for more info. The closest train station is Redfern and Central Station is a 5 minute bus ride away. Visit www.cityrail.info.