The Gruffalo at Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide – Review
The award winning picture book, The Gruffalo, is now a fun filled live theatre show, bringing magic and giggles to Adelaide audiences.
Review by Sharon Harrington
Based on the UK author Julia Donaldson’s bestselling children’s book, The Gruffalo tells the tale of a mouse who takes a stroll through a deep dark wood in search of a nut. Along the way, she encounters a fox, an owl and a snake that are keen to eat her. The mouse uses her wits to create an imaginary creature, the Gruffalo, to frighten off the predators, but to her surprise, it actually exists, and is set to gobble her up unless she can outsmart it!
I must confess I have read the picture book, The Gruffalo, to my children so many times that I can recite it word for word, so was a bit keen to take the kids along to this stage adaptation. The children in the audience apparently also knew it word for word, as they knew exactly when to call out “Gruffalo”, “Twit Twoo” and other lines from the story when called upon. It was lovely to hear every child in the audience engaging with the show like this!
The set of the deep dark wood set the scene perfectly, as it was an exact match for the book’s illustrations. The actors had the perfect blend of charm, silliness and enthusiasm to engage a room full of 2-8 year olds and their accompanying adults. The mouse was sweet and cute and cunning enough to outwit all the creatures in the woods. The actor playing the fox, owl and snake was charming and hilarious, shifting from a fox with an Aussie ocker lilting menace, to a snooty English owl, to a narcissistic, Spanish snake with ease. And the Gruffalo was big, burly and full of good-natured scary laughs.
If you are looking for a fun show to take your children to this festive season, look no further. The Gruffalo has catchy tunes, appealing actors and is based on one of the most popular children’s picture books in circulation. My children loved it and I’m sure yours will too!
Perfect for ages 3 and up, The Gruffalo – Live On Stage is on at the Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre from 19-23 December 2023.
The Gruffalo Live on Stage | Adelaide Festival Centre | 19-23 Dec 2023
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Images Source: all images supplied
As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go (unless specified).
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