Interactive musical Errol’s Garden comes to the Lyric stage on 17 June
The Lyric Hammersmith theatre is bringing a vibrant array of shows to the stage this summer in its latest children’s season.
The theatre – which is financially supported by Hammersmith & Fulham Council – welcomes tiny tots to pre-teens to enjoy a series of performances created especially for children during the Little Lyric summer season from April to August.
Eric Carle’s classic tale of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s Tales from Acorn Wood are among the theatrical treats on the bill for little ones at the Lyric this summer.
April shows
Kicking off the season’s events on 22 April is musical extravaganza The Instrumentals, which combines puppetry and comedy in a tale celebrating life and inspired by the African Caribbean diaspora.
A week later, on 29 April, the Lyric’s Studio will come to life again with a magical tale by Olivier-nominated Hattie Naylor.
Featuring a ladybird, woodlouse, woodpecker and spider, Woodland Tales with Granddad has incredible puppetry to share its important environmental message about saving their forest home.
May shows
The Little Lyric summer season continues on 13 May with The Sun Shines for Everyone. When MAT – a Migrant Alien Traveller – from the planet Zame crash lands on Earth, he meets schoolboy Buddy. Celebrating their differences, the two new friends find they have a lot to learn from each other.
A performance of Pigs & Bears Don’t Come in Pairs follows on 20 May, with the 40-minute show featuring a double bill of stories retelling the classic tales of the Three Little Pigs and Goldilocks and The Three Bears.
Half term week kicks off with an imaginative adaptation of Michael Foreman’s environmental tale Dinosaurs & All That Rubbish on 27 May. With dancing dinosaurs, fuelled by rock’n’roll, the show is set to have everyone tapping their toes.
A five-day run means there’s plenty of chances to catch The Curious Adventures of Pinocchio during half term.
Running from 30 May to 3 June, with two performances each day, the epic tale has been adapted by Lyngo Theatre into a unique show that leaps off the page and onto the stage.
June shows
Little ones aged 2-7 will love watching their favourite nursery rhymes come to life in Sea Legs Puppet Theatre’s Little Bo Peep show on 10 June. Featuring magnificent puppets, fantastic scenery and lots of music and singing, there’s plenty of fun for the tiniest theatregoers.
An interactive musical – Errol’s Garden – is next on the bill during the summer season, bringing a story about creating a beautiful community garden from a neglected rooftop to the stage on 17 June.
July and August shows
In July and August, the Little Lyric season will move into the theatre’s Main House, starting with a six-day run of The Very Hungry Caterpillar from 25-30 July. Suitable for teeny guests from the age of one, Eric Carle’s bright and colourful world is brought to life using a menagerie of 75 lovable puppets and charming music.
Some of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s most loved characters will tread the boards in a production of the Tales from Acorn Wood on 8-20 August.
Presented by Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Norwell Lapley Productions, the show is packed full of toe-tapping songs and puppetry, as fox, rabbit, Postman Bear and all the friends from Acorn Wood take to the stage.
For more details about the Little Lyric summer season or to book tickets visit the Lyric Hammersmith website.
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