Raymond Briggs News

Today, Les Petits Theatre Company have announced the full cast and ten further tour dates for the world premiere of the stage adaptation of David Walliams' The First Hippo on the Moon. The cast includes Dominic Allen, Alice Bounce, Caroline Bowman, Owen Jenkins and Rosie Nicholls.

This Spring, the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich will produce the second Ramps on the Moon touring production, The Who's Tommy, which will tour to Birmingham, Nottingham, Leeds, Sheffield and London. Ipswich will see the show first from Thu 30 March to Sat 15 April.

Kenny Wax Family Entertainment is delighted to announce the West End debut of new family musical - Mr Popper's Penguins, which will open at the Criterion Theatre for a magical Christmas season from the 15 December to 31 December. Mr & Mrs Popper and their remarkable family of performing penguin puppets come to London direct from a UK tour and US premiere at New York's renowned New Victory Theatre.

Dinner at the Twits, the gloriously gruesome interactive theatrical dining experience from the award-winning team behind the Olivier Award-nominated smash hit Alice's Adventures Underground, in association with gastronomic wunderkinds Bompas & Parr, must end its run at the Vaults on Sunday 30 October.

Kenny Wax Family Entertainment today announced Mr Popper's Penguins will be visiting 6 venues in the UK from the 27 September to 11 December prior to a West End Christmas season. The Penguins will also be sailing across the Atlantic for their US premiere at New York's renowned New Victory Theatre this autumn. 

The Lyric Hammersmith has announced its 2016 Autumn season of Little Lyric especially for audiences aged aged 2-11. This programme is sure to delight young audiences with stories of beanstalks, giraffes and space travel. October half-term sees a new adaptation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, before finishing off the year with the return of the much-loved family favourite, Raymond Briggs' Father Christmas.

Today, Les Enfants Terrible's sister company Les Petits Theatre Company have announced that the stage adaptation of David Walliams' The First Hippo on the Moon will begin a major UK Tour in December 2016. Visiting 30 venues across the UK, the production will receive its world premiere at the Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Eastbourne from 13 December 2016 until 7 January 2017. Suitable for children aged three and up, casting for The First Hippo on the Moon will be announced in due course.

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD is currently in previews in London's West End at the Palace Theatre, where it will open on July 30. Jamie Parker, Noma Dumezweni and Paul Thornily lead the cast as Harry, Hermione and Ron, as part of a company of 42 talented actors. Scroll down to meet the entire cast, check out photos and video footage!

Sadler's Wells has announced its Autumn / Winter 2016 Season.

Although it sounds like a children's tale, the reality is that fish are slowly starting to disappear from our rivers and seas. Research shows that wild fish could be a thing of the past by 2048. Leaper: A Fish Tale follows one fish's magical quest against the ever-growing natural and manmade monsters in our waters. How can one little girl help to stop this?

Professional dancer Hannah Flynn celebrated her 1,000th performance in the much-loved stage show of THE SNOWMAN on Friday, January 22nd at Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

The Snowman has been a widely recognised and fondly regarded book and film since its conception by Raymond Briggs in the late 1970's. It has had an annual Christmas TV slot since 1982 and the 26-minute film was even nominated for an Academy Award - not bad considering it derived from a children's picture book with no words! In 1986, the story was made into a stage show with Birmingham Rep producing the most notable version in 1993. It is here that I revisited the show thirty years after its stage debut.

The Lyric Hammersmith today announces its Spring 2016 Season. They will present the first professional production of Simon Stephen's HERONS since the play premiered at the Royal Court in 2001, directed by the Lyric's Artistic Director Sean Holmes. This is followed by the return of their co- production with Filter Theatre of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM last staged in 2012. Whilst the Royal Opera will present, two contemporary operas, PLEASURE by Mark Simpson featuring well-known British soprano Lesley Garrett and the world premiere of Sarah Kane's 4:48 PSYCHOSIS by Philip Venables, both presented in association with the Lyric.

Created by Birmingham Repertory Theatre 22 years ago, The Snowman has been delighting young and old alike for over two decades with its wonderful mix of storytelling, spectacle and magic. Now, it returns to Birmingham Repertory Theatre in the New Year following a succesful 18th festive year in London's West End.

The producer of The Tiger Who Came to Tea, We're Going on a Bear Hunt, Hetty Feather and What the Ladybird Heard today announces the world premiere of brand new family musical Mr Popper's Penguins which is making a splash this winter touring around the country now through January 2016. Mr Popper and his Penguins will be hopping off to various locations, opening at the Theatre Royal Brighton today 26 November.

This winter the Lyric Hammersmith will stage two delightful productions that are sure to add some sparkle to the festive season. This year's Lyric pantomime, CINDERELLA, will dazzle audiences in the Main House while the charming and lovable Raymond Briggs' FATHER CHRISTMAS returns to enchant under 6s in the Lyric Studio.

? The Las Vegas Philharmonic presents its annual holiday program conducted by Music Director Donato Cabrera with three performances on Saturday, December 5, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 6, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. in Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center.  This year's holiday theme is The Snowman, and will feature a selection of holiday classics, the children's film, The Snowman, based on the popular children's book created and illustrated by Raymond Briggs, featuring boy soprano Noah Pastor from Cashman Middle School, and an audience sing-along.  The orchestra will be accompanied by the Las Vegas Master Singers, led by University of Nevada, Las Vegas Choral Director, David Weiller.  We encourage patrons to arrive early to meet with Santa in the lobby!

The producer of The Tiger Who Came to Tea, We're Going on a Bear Hunt, Hetty Feather and What the Ladybird Heard today announces the world premiere of brand new family musical Mr Popper's Penguins which is making a splash this winter touring around the country from November 2015 to January 2016. Mr Popper and his Penguins will be hopping off to various locations, opening at the Theatre Royal Brighton on Thursday 26 November. The tour continues on to Malvern Theatre and London's Cadogan Hall before settling in at the Lowry Salford for a glittering Christmas season from Thursday 10 December to Sunday 10 January. The tour is completed with a run at Rose Theatre Kingston from Thursday 14 January to Sunday 17 January.

The Lyric Hammersmith today announces its Spring 2016 Season. They will present the first professional production of Simon Stephen's HERONS since the play premiered at the Royal Court in 2001, directed by the Lyric's Artistic Director Sean Holmes. This is followed by the return of their co- production with Filter Theatre of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM last staged in 2012. Whilst the Royal Opera will present, two contemporary operas, PLEASURE by Mark Simpson featuring well-known British soprano Lesley Garrett and the world premiere of Sarah Kane's 4:48 PSYCHOSIS by Philip Venables, both presented in association with the Lyric.

The Lyric Hammersmith today announces its programme from September 2015. Laura Wade and Lyndsey Turner reunite after the success of Posh, to bring a new adaptation of Sarah Waters' Tipping the Velvet to the Lyric's main stage in September.