The Gruffalo at The Lowry Manchester Review
The Gruffalo
The Lowry, Manchester
15-20 April 2014
Reviewed by Rosemary Knight
My four-year old granddaughter and I are both big fans of Julia Donaldson’s award winning children’s picture book “The Gruffalo”, so we were delighted to have the opportunity to review Tall Stories’ charming musical adaptation at The Lowry Theatre in Salford, Manchester.
When we arrived at The Lowry, we found it very accessible. We parked the car easily in the safe, multi-storey car park and walked the short distance to the modern, attractive theatre, with its expansive riverside views.
This captivating show is aimed at young children and tells the story of a clever little mouse who travels through the deep dark wood in search of a nut to eat, outwitting all his predators as he goes about his journey. He meets a fox, an owl and a snake, each time telling them that he is going to have tea with the Gruffalo. The simple, minimal props encourage the children to use their imagination.
My granddaughter loved the dancing, sequin-adorned rattlesnake and danced in her seat along with him. The audience consisted of young children with their families, who were familiar with the tale and joined in singing and shouting out the catchphrases. When the Gruffalo finally appeared towards the end of the show, growling and running around in the audience, the children absolutely loved it.
Susanna Jennings gave an excellent performance as the singing, dancing mouse. Tom Crook as the Gruffalo and Timothy Richey as the various predators were also superb. This show is perfect family entertainment and both my granddaughter and I had smiles on our faces throughout. The performance lasted for approximately an hour, which was a perfect length of time for little ones.
We both absolutely loved this production of “The Gruffalo”, as did the rest of the audience. I would definitely recommend it as a perfect treat for small children…
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £12 to £15.50 (includes £2 booking fee).
For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0843 208 6000.
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, Manchester, M50 3AZ | Box Office 0843 208 6000
