Tall Stories Theatre Company Partners With Nimax Theatre For West End Residency

Tall Stories Theatre Company has announced a new residency with Nimax Theatres. Beginning this summer, audiences young and old can enjoy two Tall Stories shows each year in a West End theatre, with tickets priced from just £10.

Tall Stories’ adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s beloved book, The Gruffalo, celebrating 25 years since its publication, will kick off the new residency in July at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue. Rounding off the year, the Olivier Award-nominated fun-filled adaptation of Room on the Broom, by the same authors, will run over the festive period.

The West End residency will continue with The Smeds and The Smoos in the Summer 2025, with The Gruffalo’s Child following in the winter – with more surprises to follow. By offering a regular programme of incredible family theatre from an established company, this new residency will encourage family audiences to make return visits to the theatre, continuing to excite imaginations and enrich lives.

Tall Stories believes that all children should have the opportunity to experience the excitement of live theatre and is passionate about developing and diversifying audiences. The company feels strongly that access to theatre at a young age is essential for developing a lifelong relationship with the arts, fostering empathy and an understanding of the world we live in. This new residency will ensure families can watch excellent performances from a world-renowned theatre company in the heart of London’s theatreland – at Christmas and beyond.


Tall Stories provides affordable tickets allowing families to enhance a London visit with an unforgettable live stage show. Reduced-priced schools and nursery tickets alongside free educational resources will enrich learning opportunities for pupils.

Clare Lewis, Tall Stories Marketing Director, comments:
This partnership with Nimax Theatres is a fantastic opportunity for Tall Stories to ensure that theatre for young children and their families is embedded in the West End. The West End residency will create numerous opportunities for us to diversify and develop audiences. As a charity, Tall Stories consciously keeps ticket prices affordable – starting from just £10. We’re looking forward to working together with Nimax to generate more opportunities to break down barriers which prevent families from accessing the magic of theatre.

Toby Mitchell, Tall Stories Artistic Director, comments:
Tall Stories shows have been playing in Nimax Theatres on a semi-regular basis for many years, so this longer-term residency is very exciting. I’m looking forward to deepening and broadening the relationship between the two organisations – and seeing even more happy faces in the West End, both younger and older.

Nica Burns, Chief Executive and Co-Owner of Nimax Theatres, comments:
In 2009, Nimax welcomed Tall Stories to the Duchess Theatre for the first time with daytime performances which began a new era for family shows in the West End. Since then we have welcomed over 2,000,000 children and families into our theatres for their first West End experience. With this new partnership with the wonderful and multiple Olivier Award-nominated, Tall Stories we will be ensuring that we will continue to welcome the best in daytime family theatre to Nimax Theatres for many years to come beginning with the return of The Gruffalo in July 2024

Tall Stories is committed to being as welcoming as possible and these West End runs will include accessible performances accommodating deaf, disabled, visually impaired, and neurodivergent audiences. These include integrated British Sign Language performances, where signers are involved in the action in costume; audio-described performances with touch tours; and relaxed performances for those who want a more laid-back environment to watch the show. This partnership will expand opportunities to work with other organisations such as Go Live Theatre Projects (formerly Mousetrap) providing subsidised tickets to low-income families and Society of London Theatre’s (SOLT) Kids Week discounting even more tickets.

Founded in 1997 by Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell, Tall Stories has brought many magical musical productions to the West End, captivating countless audiences and offering many children their first theatrical experience. The highly acclaimed West End summer hit, The Smeds and The Smoos, has been nominated for an Olivier Award in this year’s Best Family Show category. Tall Stories’ previous performances of The Gruffalo have received rave reviews, with The Times calling it “irresistibly charming” and The Scotsman describing it as “an absolute delight”.

Tickets for the monstrously fun adaptation of The Gruffalo this summer at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue – from Wednesday 17 July to Sunday 8 September – are available now, from just £10. Audiences can join Mouse on a daring adventure through the deep, dark wood in Tall Stories’ magical, musical adaptation of the classic picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler – celebrating 25 years of publication in 2024.

 

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