Artwork for Toto the
Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape, supplied by Hachette Children’s Group, illustrations by Nick East
A new stage adaptation of Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape, based on Dermot O’Leary’s bestselling children’s book illustrated by Nick East, will premiere next year.
The production, created by Little Angel Theatre, Mercury Theatre Colchester and Mayflower Southampton, opens at the Mercury Theatre Colchester from 2 to 18 April, before runs at Little Angel Theatre in London from 16 May to 19 July and Mayflower Studios from 23 to 26 July, followed by a UK tour.
The story follows Toto, an almost-blind cat with secret ninja skills, who must save London after a deadly King Cobra escapes. Adapted for the stage by Little Angel’s artistic director Samantha Lane and musician Barb Jungr, the show will feature original music and puppetry (by Oliver Hymans), with lighting by Sherry Coenen.
O’Leary said he was “over the moon” to see the story brought to life through puppetry, adding: “Toto is currently fast asleep, blissfully unaware of all the attention, but speaking on her behalf, she’ll be thrilled to bits that her adventures are about to come to life, in theatres to aud iences all around the country.”
East described the project as “the cat’s whiskers” while Lane and Jungr said they were “thrilled” to bring Toto’s world of “courage, friendship and adventure” to the stage.
Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape will also visit Bristol Redgrave (28 to 30 July), Birmingham Town Hall (15 to 16 August), Weymouth Pavilion (18 to 19 August), Guildford Yvonne Arnaud (20 to 23 August) and Capital Theatres Edinburgh (23 to 25 October), with further tour dates to follow.
