★★★★

“playful, imaginative and full of heart”

Tall Stories returns with another charming adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s much-loved picture book, The Gruffalo’s Child. Directed by company co-founder Olivia Jacobs, this production remains faithful to the rhythmic storytelling of the original text while adding Tall Stories’ signature playfulness and audience engagement.

From the start, the show leads us straight into the “deep dark wood,” following the Gruffalo’s Child as she wanders in search of the legendary Big Bad Mouse. Isla Shaw’s rotating set—cleverly revealing and concealing the Gruffalo—offers one of the most effective visual surprises, echoing the book’s iconic illustrations.

The cast of three brings great energy to the stage. Hannah Miller gives the Gruffalo’s Child a sweet, curious presence that young audiences love. Joe Lindley takes on the Gruffalo and all the woodland predators, shifting between Snake, Owl and Fox with strong physicality and comic timing. Sabrina Simohamed shines as both the Narrator and the Mouse, transforming from one to the other with remarkable clarity using only subtle costume changes. Her switch into the tiny Mouse is one of the standout moments of the show.

Tall Stories has always understood how to involve children, and this production breaks the fourth wall with confidence. The Snake welcome the audience as party guests, the Owl swoops across the stage flapping large wings, and Mr Fox leads a lively dance (Morag Cross) that has the whole auditorium smiling. These moments give young theatregoers a sense of real participation rather than simply watching from their seats.

Some elements could be strengthened; the Snake costume leaves little room for imagination and caused a few children to whisper “Who’s that?” during the scene. And while the appearance of the “Big Bad Mouse” shadow is a key moment from the book, the staging here feels brief and slightly underpowered, leaving the audience wanting a bit more build-up.

Musically, Jon Fiber and Andy Shaw’s songs keep the story moving with gentle humour and catchy rhythms. The final visual image—Gruffalo holding his child—is a touching and satisfying end, followed by a cheerful closing song that sends families out with warm smiles.

The venue’s scale occasionally works against the show’s potential for immersion—a more intimate space might have drawn the audience deeper into the magic. But the storytelling remains engaging throughout. The Gruffalo’s Child continues Tall Stories’ reputation for delivering high-quality children’s theatre: playful, imaginative and full of heart.

Overall, The Gruffalo’s Child succeeds as a clear, rhyming tale brought to life with care and consistency. It may not reinvent the form, but it honours its source with heart—and for young viewers witnessing theatre for the first time, that can be a wonderful gift.

THE BILLIONAIRE INSIDE YOUR HEAD

Hampstead Theatre

★★★

“an extraordinary piece that gets under our skin”

There is a brutal honesty that runs through Will Lord’s debut play, “The Billionaire Inside Your Head”. A truth that is recognisable and unsettling. Lord cuts straight to the chase with an opening monologue delivered with panache, and a touch of menace, by Allison McKenzie. We are asked questions we would never admit to asking ourselves. But on reflection we all do. More often than we’d care to divulge. Nobody offers up an answer (McKenzie provides it anyway). We squirm a bit in our seats, and realise that the traverse seating plan is probably deliberate. We are looking straight at the audience opposite. We are looking at ourselves.

It comes as a relief when the fourth wall is rebuilt and we are drawn into the main narrative of the play (the comfort is short-lived, however). We are in the basement office of a debt collecting firm, bookended by ramshackle filing cabinets. Richie (Nathan Clarke) and Darwin (Ashley Margolis) are old school mates starting out on the lowest rung of the cooperate ladder. They still carry their childhood dreams of becoming billionaires. Hence the title of the play, although “The Voice Inside Your Head” would provide a more accurate description. Richie has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and it is this subtext that quickly comes to the surface and dominates the story.

Clarke and Margolis have a natural onstage chemistry. Friendship, affection and rivalry co-exist as if they were close siblings. Cracks appear, however, when they find they are competing for the same promotion, and the quirkiness of their dialogue – often extremely funny – takes on darker shades. It so happens that their boss is Darwin’s mother, Nicole, (Allison McKenzie), so nepotism versus merit is another spanner that Lord throws into the works. It is possibly all a bit too much and this overcrowding of ideas can lead to confusion. McKenzie plays the mother, and also ‘The Voice’ inside Richie’s head, but with little distinction. Dressed in her crisp white trouser suit for both roles, the accent and vocal inflections never change. We rely on James Whiteside’s lighting; bare lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling light up and flicker as a cartoon-like – but not inappropriate – metaphor whenever McKenzie becomes ‘The Voice’.

Eventually ‘The Voice’ overshadows the action, which is a shame. And we feel we are in two separate dramas. Clarke and Margolis are an engaging couple, verging on bromance. They make fun of each other. Margolis’ Darwin is a bit of a dope-smoking slob, self-assured and secure while Clarke’s Richie is on always edge. The manifestations of his OCD, initially comical, swiftly turn quite sinister and surreal. Lord, himself diagnosed with OCD, tackles the subject with integrity and honesty, but injects extravagant melodrama – which is distracting. Anna Ledwich directs with respect for the writing, yet it appears that she is struggling to decide in what genre she is working.

There are serious issues at stake here, but it is difficult to take them seriously. Richie’s condition is demonised somewhat – the voice in his head grows sadistic, psychotic, angry. Lord’s intentions are applauded and the gripping performances from the cast are applauded even more. It is an extraordinary piece that gets under our skin, but it is administered too indelicately. A little less force would drive the point home more. Nevertheless, it is a compelling watch, and one that certainly makes us question our own voice. We all have one. Maybe we don’t always admit it. The truth is often unsettling and, at least, Lord doesn’t shy away from it.

Tag Archives: James Whiteside

THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD

★★★★

UK Tour

THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD

Lyric Theatre

★★★★

“playful, imaginative and full of heart”

THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD

Lyric Theatre then UK Tour continues

Reviewed on 29th November 2025

by Portia Yuran Li

Photography by Charles Flint (from previous production)

Previously reviewed at this venue:

HADESTOWN | ★★★★★ | February 2024

GET UP STAND UP! | ★★★★ | August 2022

THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD

THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD

THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD

THE BILLIONAIRE INSIDE YOUR HEAD

★★★

Hampstead Theatre

THE BILLIONAIRE INSIDE YOUR HEAD

Hampstead Theatre

★★★

“an extraordinary piece that gets under our skin”