As The Gruffalo Live celebrates its 25th anniversary and embarks on a UK-wide tour, I got to interview Toby Mitchell, Artistic Director and Co-founder of Tall Stories, creators of the wildly popular family theatre production. We spoke about the power of storytelling, diversity in children’s theatre and publishing, and if there really is such a thing as a Gruffalo!
10 Questions for Toby Mitchell, Artistic Director and Co-founder of Tall Stories (The Gruffalo Live)
Congratulations on the show’s 25 year anniversary. That’s a huge achievement. What would you say has been your proudest moment so far?
There are so many moments to choose from! My favourite moments include: the first time my own son saw the show, and loved it; our first West End opening, plus the many that followed; the two times it played off-Broadway (on 42nd Street!); and the fact that there are now Tall Stories performers who saw the show when they were children!
Why The Gruffalo? What was it about that story that captured your imagination?
Olivia (co-founder of Tall Stories) and I read the book and got permission to stage it before it became famous. In 1999, Tall Stories was a tiny fringe company and my day job was editor at Macmillan Children’s Books – publishers of The Gruffalo. We read the story and immediately loved it. The words, the pictures, and the fact that a small creature beats a big creature by using its brains – these all make it perfect for families to experience on the stage.
How easy/challenging was it to adapt the story for the stage?
Always a challenge! At Tall Stories we take our audiences seriously; our shows are fun and silly, with moments of truth and beauty added to the mix. In this case, the original book gave us lots to play with – Julia Donaldson’s brilliant story and rhymes, coupled with Axel Scheffler’s colourful and evocative illustrations.
In our shows, the most important element is the storytelling. We worked out how to use just the right amount of lighting, sound and music, without needing to go overboard on tech. And we still love going back to the story for inspiration. Every time we take the show out on a new tour, we refresh it and make it as good as it can be for our audiences. We update the script, or change a song or introduce a new costume or piece of set design. We never rest on our laurels!
I’ve seen several of your productions and the music is always ‘banging’ lol. What’s the musical creation process like?
Really collaborative! On most of our shows, we’ve worked really closely with composers Jon Fiber and Andy Shaw to come up with catchy songs that help the storytelling. Together we start with an idea, or a title, or a phrase – and the song follows not far behind. Then, when the songs are brought to life by our talented performers, children and grown-ups enjoy them together – and can even join in if they want to! A sing-a-long is a great way to leave the theatre on a high.
Why is children’s theatre so important? You don’t need to convince me of course but what would you say to someone who doesn’t quite get it yet?
Theatre is really important for children’s development – especially the kind of storytelling theatre that we offer at Tall Stories. We encourage audiences to put away screens and phones and fully immerse themselves in another world – one of silliness and joy and creativity.
At Tall Stories shows, we really involve our audience. We talk directly to children and their grown-ups and we encourage them to use their imaginations. Everyone becomes a partner or participant in the story, not just a spectator. This can help to fuel the whole audience’s creativity, planting the seed that everything is possible when you use your imagination.
2026 is the National Year of Reading. How can a show like The Gruffalo help boost literacy and a love for stories in general?
Going to the theatre is a shared experience, often across several generations. Coming to see a show like The Gruffalo can increase a family’s positive attitudes towards stories and books and spending time together. Many families have told us how much their children enjoyed the show – and how they want to read more stories together back at home, or act out The Gruffalo themselves, or even start telling their own stories!
Your background is in book publishing and I’ve been lucky to have my own books published including a children’s picture book. However, there’s still a huge challenge in the industry when it comes to inclusion. I’m a big advocate for diversity in storytelling and I love seeing more representation across children’s theatre in particular. Still, there’s a long way to go across the board. What are your thoughts?
The world we live in has become so polarised. A trip to the theatre can be like stepping out of all that division to find a little oasis of joy. For Tall Stories, because we encourage our audiences to be part of the story, we want to show that everyone is welcome on that stage. When the lights go down, divisions and differences disappear, as everyone settles down to experience a great story, well told. We love telling universal stories that bring people together.
We also try to make sure that there are opportunities for everyone to develop careers in the arts onstage and offstage – especially people from under-represented communities. That’s why at Tall Stories we have a variety of artist development schemes, like a Skillsweek for new performers, our Directing Storytelling Theatre Course, and our annual Directors Award. These schemes help develop fresh new talent in the industry.
It’s great to hear about the live streaming of The Gruffalo in children’s hospitals, can you tell me more about that collaboration?
We’ve done some live-streaming before with Lowry, in Salford, with our shows Room on the Broom and The Smeds and The Smoos. This year, we’re partnering with Lowry again, and with the charity Read for Good, to give even more children, in hospitals around the UK, the opportunity to feel part of the live theatre experience. Staff from all these organisations, plus visiting artists, will be a real-life presence at each screening – to keep up the excitement and share some theatrical magic. The children will also get some specially designed keepsakes themed around The Gruffalo as a reminder.
What else do you have planned for 2026 and beyond?
This year, we are celebrating The Gruffalo’s 25 years onstage with a big tour around the UK, as well as a summer season at the Lyric Theatre in the West End. We also have Room on the Boom touring in the autumn. Keep an eye on our website for more news – who knows what might pop up!
We’ll continue to refresh and tour our other big shows around the country and beyond – including The Gruffalo’s Child, The Snail and the Whale, The Smeds and The Smoos and The Elmer Adventure. We also have plans to bring back one or two of our previous shows – and we have lots of ideas for new stories that we’d like to tell!
We will continue to expand our artist development schemes, and also the work we do in our local community in Islington, north London – including free performances for schools and local families, and the launch of an outdoor storytelling project for young children, inspired by The Gruffalo.
In 2027 we’ll celebrate the 30th anniversary of Tall Stories – so stay tuned, as we are always thinking up new ways to spread the joy of storytelling theatre!
And finally, is there really such a thing as a Gruffalo?
Of course there is – everything is possible!
The Gruffalo live on stage celebrates its 25th anniversary with a UK tour from March 31, 2026, including a West End summer season (July 17 – Sep 6) at the Lyric Theatre. Tickets from £10, accessible performances and more information here: https://tallstories.org.uk/the-gruffalo/
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