Local Mums recommend the best West End shows on for children in London
"I highly recommend The Gruffalo at The Lyric Theatre to Local Mums. It’s an amazing show, my daughters loved it and there are some great touches of humour for adults as well!"
Michelle, Local Mum
"I recommend The Gruffalo at The Lyric Theatre to Local Mums. The performances were great and there was a perfect amount of interaction with the audience to help the children stay engaged.”
Kimberly, Local Mum
"I highly recommend The Gruffalo at The Lyric Theatre to Local Mums. My son and I really enjoyed the show. It was very interactive with the audience."
Nadya, Local Mum
A Tall Stories production
A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood…
Tall Stories’ much-loved magical, musical adaptation of the classic picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler returns by popular demand, celebrating the show’s 25th anniversary.
On a daring adventure in search of hazelnuts, Mouse meets the cunning Fox, the eccentric old Owl and the high-spirited Snake. Will the story of the scary 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?
Songs, laughs and mischievous fun for children aged 3 and up and their grown-ups, from Tall Stories, creators of imaginative storytelling theatre, where everything is possible.
★★★★ ‘An irresistibly charming tale told with refreshing simplicity.’ The Sunday Times
★★★★★ ‘An absolute delight.’ The Scotsman
★★★★ ‘A master-class in timeless storytelling.’ Whats on Stage
The Gruffalo İ Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler 1999 – Macmillan Children’s Books
‘The Gruffalo is the perfect intro to theatre for kids’ ★★★★ The Londonist
‘This show achieves exactly what it sets out to do and fully deserves the appreciation of reviewers, whether aged eight or eighty.’ ★★★★ British Theatre
‘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
‘The cast of three uses an expressive physicality and minimal props to bring the story to wonderful life… The gently witty songs keep the action bouncing along… This is an irresistibly charming tale told with refreshing simplicity.’ ★★★★ The Times
‘A fine piece of children’s theatre.’ ★★★★ Sunday Times
‘This zesty show is just the ticket!’ ★★★★ Daily Express
‘This play develops Donaldson’s words with perfect understanding… This whimsical, imaginative show is pitched at just the right level for three to seven-year-olds, as well as the ‘ugly big ones’ they have brought along with them… This show is an absolute delight… It is a rare treat to find a show that really is for all the family, but this is one which cannot be commended enough for its spot-on achievements.’ ★★★★★ The Scotsman
‘Monstrous fun … sparks the young imagination … Hugely popular already and deservedly so, this is enthralling entertainment for the youngsters …’ ★★★★ Sunday Herald
‘Julia Donaldson’s tale of a clever mouse who outsmarts its enemies is an absolute peach of a story. And thankfully, children’s theatre company Tall Stories have done the author proud…’ ★★★★★ The List
‘An entertaining musical version of the popular picture book [with] tuneful songs… and engaging, gently pantomimic interaction.’ The Stage
‘Brought to life in a raucous, fun, colorful and altogether welcoming burst of energy… Tall Stories makes an as near perfect kids show as you can get.’ Official London Theatre
‘Tall Stories have transformed a well-loved story into an exuberant, funny show’ Time Out London (Top 5 children’s shows)
Fun facts
· The Gruffalo has been touring the UK & around the world successfully for over 15 years, premiering in the UK in May 2001.
· The show has performed in 16 countries and 5 continents – including twice at Sydney Opera House, twice on Broadway, 10 West End seasons and once at the National Theatre.
· The production has been translated into German, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew and isiXhosa.
· In summer 2015 The Gruffalo hosted the first ever West End sensory friendly performance of a show for children aged three and up, working with Mousetrap Theatre Projects.
· The book was first published in 1999 and has sold over 13.5 million copies worldwide.
· The book has been translated into over 50 languages.
· The Gruffalo is the UK‘s bestselling picture book.
· Julia Donaldson is the UK’s bestselling author (including adult and children’s books).
· April 2016 marked the 100th UK print run, bringing total UK sales to nearly 2.5 million copies.
· Voted the UK’s favourite bedtime story by BBC Radio 2 listeners, The Gruffalo is a real modern classic.
· The Gruffalo has been adapted into a BAFTA - and Oscar-nominated film which is shown each year at Christmas on the BBC and has sold over 1.5 million DVDs.
Booking from
Friday 17 July 2026 – Sunday 6 September 2026
Tickets from
£10
Book here
Running Time: 1hr no interval
Theatre: Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7ES
Age Recommendation: 3+
